Текст книги "The Line Between"
Автор книги: Tamsyn Bester
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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 20 страниц)
CHAPT ER TEN
Dane
EVERY SPACE OF the apartment I shared with Reid was covered with a body. After another victory against the Auburn Tigers we decided to bring the party back to our place, and I knew it would’ve been better to have it at my parents’ empty house, especially if there’s alcohol, but I had an ulterior motive. I cranked the music louder, until I was certain the whole building could hear it, and grabbed a tumbler from the kitchen. I filled it with two fingers of whiskey, and joined Reid in the living room.
“Cheers, Coach.” He grinned, and clinked the neck of his beer bottle against my glass. “It was a good game.”
“You boys make it easy,” I replied. “We need to keep the momentum if we want to make it to the championship finals.”
“We’ll worry about that on Monday,” he said, clipping my shoulder. “Tonight, we party.”
I watched his gaze land on a blonde, one of the cheerleaders, and smiled when he prowled towards her. I needed to do the same, at least until the show started.
A small hand wrapped around my bicep, and I looked down to find a petite brunette looking up at me. “Hey, Coach. Looks like you’re in need of a good time.”
“Maybe I am. Pretty little thing like you got a name?”
“Katie,” she replied, pressing her cosmetically enhanced tits against my side.
“Well, Katie,” I wrapped my arm around her waist, “I think I might’ve just found my good time.”
She giggled when I nipped at her neck, and I suppressed the need to roll my eyes at how generic the sound was. I was getting tired of this routine, having a different girl in my bed every week when I only really wanted one. With a bit of luck, she’d be here before Katie gets it in her head that she’ll be in my bed tonight.
I lead Katie over to the sofa, and she immediately straddled my leg, rubbing herself against my thigh. She tried to kiss me, and when I turned my head away, she focused on sucking my neck and stroking my dick through my jeans, not concerned about who saw us. The only way I could get my body to respond was to think about Kennedy, and envision her on my lap instead. When my dick started to harden, Katie purred, obviously satisfied with what was happening between my legs.
A commotion at the front door made her jump, and she slid off my lap in jerky movements. The crowd grew quiet, and they parted enough for me to see what was going on. Show time, I thought. I’d been waiting for this all fucking night, ever since I heard Chase ask Kennedy on a date in the coffee shop.
“Hey, Kennedy. We weren’t expecting you.”
Reid reached his hand down, and pulled a disheveled-looking Kennedy off the floor. When I got a good look at her, my body reacted of its own volition. Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head, and she wore dark-rimmed glasses that made her green eyes pop with vibrancy. She looked kind of dorky, but it was also sexy in an understated way. My eyes trailed down her tight little body, noting the way her white tank top hugged her curves and showed off her braless chest. Unlike Katie, Kennedy’s breasts were real, and they looked lush under the cotton of her tank. I trailed lower, and my dick hardened beneath my zipper as soon as I saw her light blue sleep shorts wrapped around creamy thighs, giving away the small v shape between her legs. God, I wanted to know what she looked like, if she was bare underneath those shorts, if her pussy was as pink and perfect as the images I’d conjured up in my head. Our eyes clashed, and I licked the drop of liquor from my lips.
Kennedy’s face was flushed, and it was obvious it had nothing to do with her less than graceful entrance. I smirked, and effortlessly started slipping into the role I’d been playing with Kennedy since we were both teenagers.
“Kennedy.” I ground her name out between my teeth. It sounded louder now that the room had grown quiet, save for the music thumping through the room. “This is a private party. You weren’t invited.”
Katie started kissing my neck, and rubbing my thigh. Kennedy’s eyes flicked to where Katie’s hand rested close to my crotch, and her brows furrowed. She fixed an angry glare on me, and straightened her stance. “I’ve been banging on the wall for over an hour, Dane. I’m trying to study, and your music is too loud.”
I took a slow drink, allowing the burn of the amber liquid to fuel the fire in my gut. “It’s a party, so if you need a quiet place to study, be a good girl and go to the library. Reid will show you out.”
That was my dismissal, and I expected Kennedy to shrink away and leave, without a response. But inside I was begging her to fight me, to take me on in this room full of people because it turned me on when she was fired up.
She stepped forward, and pointed a perfectly manicured finger at me. “I’ve tried to be nice. I’ve tried to tolerate your inconsideration, and your incessant need to be a dickhead, but I can’t do it anymore. So you can either turn the fucking music down, or I’ll do it myself.”
The indignation in her voice made my skin warm, and my blood hot. She had no idea what it did to me when she sparred with me. I lived for it.
“You’re boring me,” I said. “And you’re interrupting my guests. Now, do yourself a favor and stop embarrassing yourself. You know where the door is.”
Folding her arms across her chest, I thought that was it, but she proved me wrong. She spun on her heal, and walked over to where our stereo system was connected to our flat screen and gaming consoles. Kennedy gave me one last glance, filled with defiance and contempt, and then she grabbed as many cables as she could find. With a single wrench, the music was cut off, and the cables dropped to the floor.
“See, that wasn’t so hard. Keep it down.”
Kennedy walked out, and I waited five minutes before I pushed Katie away, and stormed out the door. Jade had given Reid a spare key, in case for emergencies, and I guess these were extenuating circumstances. I stepped into their apartment, shutting the door behind me quietly. The only light was coming from beneath Kennedy’s door, so I followed it, and without warning, grabbed Kennedy’s door handle and flung it open. It ricocheted off the adjoining wall, and the loud smack made Kennedy jump from the spot in front of her desk.
“Jesus.” She rested her hand on her chest. “What the hell is wrong with you, Dane? You scared me!”
My mouth tipped up into a smirk. “I figured I owed you.”
With a roll of her pretty green eyes, Kennedy turned away from me. “Typical. Trust you to do something this childish.”
I tucked the keys into my pocket, and crossed the floor, closing the distance between us. The plush carpet muted my footsteps, and when my front hit her back, she tensed.
“You have a lot of nerve,” I breathed against her neck, smiling when her skin broke out into goose bumps. “Showing up, interrupting my party, damaging my stereo.”
“I tried to ask nicely.” Her reply came as nothing more than a hoarse whisper, and it turned me on. “But you left me no choice.”
Grinning, I gripped her hip with my hand, kneading the exposed flesh between her tank top and shorts.
“You really know how to piss me off,” I murmured. “But what I don’t get is why you do it.”
“C’mon, Dane, you say that like I piss you off on purpose.”
Her breathing grew shallow when my lips touched the spot below her ear, and I watched as her hands clenched into fists on her desk. I had every intention of coming in here to punish her, but I knew I was only punishing myself. I was playing with fire, purposefully dangling her in front of me when I knew I couldn’t have her the way I wanted to.
“I think you do,” I replied. “You know what it does to me when you challenge me, when you take me on. You just have to be honest with yourself, and admit it.”
Kennedy spun around, and we were pressed so close that I could feel her nipples against my chest. Her aggravation was palpable, and I could feel it fighting with her poorly suppressed desire. Her body was strung tight, her muscles tense, and ready for a fight. She wanted me. She just had no idea how to deal with it.
“You’re so full of yourself,” she said. “You’re deluded if you think I’d waste a minute of my time trying to piss you off, like I’m one of your groupies vying for your attention. It’s quite sad actually. You think so highly of yourself, when you know I couldn’t care less.”
I leaned in, and fought the urge to grab her to me. She was testing every single one of my limits and she had no fucking clue.
“You care,” I replied. “I’ll show you, and I’ll make you pay for your little stunt tonight.”
She opened her mouth, a quick-witted retort on the tip of her tongue no doubt, but I crushed my mouth to hers before she could get it out. I’d been fantasizing about her sassy mouth for years, and I wasn’t sure if it was her conspicuous animosity towards me or my inability to restrain myself that pushed me over the edge. Either way, I was taking what I wanted with no intention of giving anything back. I was met with resistance, Kennedy’s mouth unwilling to open. She even shook her head, albeit a half-hearted attempt to get me to stop. The noticeable tension in her body seeped into mine, and I waited it out the only way I knew how – by pushing a little harder until the futility of her attempts to fight me off became clear. I knew the exact moment she yielded, and I couldn’t be less bothered that it had taken her so long. All I cared about was that she had.
My tongue dove in, tracing the contours of her hot mouth. She tasted like coffee, and mint, and the combination was surprisingly delectable. It took a moment for her to respond, but when she did the atmosphere shifted. The electrical pulse between our bodies surged through every part of my body, warming my blood, and making my heart jump wildly. Her delicate hands held onto my forearms, and moved up as I wrapped my arms around her trim waist. I lifted her up and placed her on the edge of her desk, stepping between her legs so that our hips were perfectly lined up.
Kennedy bit my bottom lip, and I groaned into her mouth, coaxing her to bite harder. I wanted it rough, and I got the distinct impression she did too.
“Dane.” My name left her mouth as a whimpered rebuff, but there was no way to stop me from taking this from her, or her from giving it to me.
“Don’t talk,” I said, my voice thick, and gruff against her soft lips.
“Demanding,” she breathed. I fought a smile. This beautiful woman – I no longer thought of her as a girl – was determined to push my buttons.
My hands tightened around her waist, and I squeezed, a silent directive to heed my warning. Like the smart girl she was, she listened, and her body molded to mine in implicit submission.
With deft fingers, I lifted her too-thin tank over the perfect globes that were her tits, and clutched them in my palms with a firm grasp. My dick jumped in my jeans, and I rocked my hips, pressing into her. I wanted to feel how wet she was, if she was as aroused as I was. With that thought in mind, I dropped a hand between her legs, and down the front of her shorts. My fingers slipped through her smooth skin, and found her soaked.
“Jesus,” I muttered. “You’re so fucking wet. Is that for me?”
“No,” she sighed.
I opened my eyes, and pulled away. “You’re lying.”
I pushed my fingers into her, loving the way her tight body sucked my fingers in. “You really,” – I curled my fingers up, and pressed – “shouldn’t” – I did it again, only harder – “do that.”
“Ahhh…oh shit.” Her breathing became choppy, her hips riding the hand between her legs while the other played with her pebbled nipple. She held on to me, and dug her nails into my arms for leverage. I hissed, watching her mouth form an ‘O’ while I brought her to the brink of orgasm. I’d never seen something so devastatingly beautiful in my life – lips flushed, cheeks tinged with a rosy hue and eyes begging silently for release.
“You like that?” I asked, moving my fingers in a circular motion. “You like watching me do this to you?”
Her eyes widened, and I knew I had her. She liked the dirty talk, and her body reacted to every word.
I let go of her breast, and slid my hand around her neck. “Tell me you’re close,” – I ground my jaw, and inhaled her scent – “Beg me to make you come.”
She struggled, but I gave her the chance to work through her hesitancy to give in to her baser need. Or maybe it was her resistance to having me be the one to satisfy it. I felt the change, rather than saw it, when she relented.
“Dane, please. I need to…”
Her words trailed off as I increased my pace, and when she tightened around my fingers, ready to let go, I stopped.
It took everything in me to pull my fingers from her waiting body, to not drop my jeans and just thrust into her.
“I told you I’d make you pay.”
Kennedy’s eyes fluttered, giving away the exact moment understanding dawned. I was expecting her to cover herself quickly, maybe even get angry. But that’s not what I got.
She stayed on her desk, totally exposed to me and I held my breath.
“You did that on purpose,” she stated, her voice shaky and not at all surprised. There was a hint of fortitude there too.
“You should know I always win,” I replied, feeling rather smug. I watched her carefully. Something on her face changed, her features becoming resolute, and unwavering. It wasn’t much, just a hint, but it was enough to be noticeable.
“You’re right,” – she inhaled deeply. “You always win. But tell me, Dane, does this feel like winning to you?”
She leaned back on one hand, and used the other to massage her still-naked breast. Her eyes stayed connected with mine, and they challenged me, revealing a side to Kennedy I had never seen before. I couldn’t move.
Her hand moved lower, caressing the skin of her taut stomach, and disappeared into her shorts. I didn’t want to believe what I was seeing. I shouldn’t have been enjoying it, but, fuck, I was.
“What are you doing?” I asked, despising the husk in the tone of my voice.
She bit her lip, and sucked before replying, “Winning.”
My throat went dry, and I had to clench my fists to stop myself from going to her. I wanted to stop her, but at the same time I was too enamored with the way she touched herself to do it.
“Oh God,” she sighed, moving her hand in circles. “I’m so wet for you, Dane.”
My mouth fell open, but nothing came out. The words were lodged in my throat, despite my need to get them out. Jesus.
“I’m so close.” She panted, and after a few seconds, her head fell back, and her body quivered. I heard her shudder, saw her painted toes curl, my name falling from her lips in a breathy exhalation.
Motherfucker.
She looked back up, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes glazed over. Watching that had to have been the hottest thing I’d ever seen.
Her mouth twisted into a self-congratulatory smile, and I recognized the challenge. I shook it off, reminding myself that I couldn’t give her the upper hand. I needed to be the one to deliver the final blow, even if it felt like she had in fact won this round.
“At least now I can tell Chase that you’re not as frigid as we all thought you were. I’m sure he’ll put in some extra effort if he knows you might put out.”
I all but spat the words out, but I had to see it through. The thought of Kennedy going on a date with Chase made me sick, even if I had no right to feel that way. Chase was the star quarterback, with quite the reputation, and the idea of him touching Kennedy riled me up. She wasn’t mine, and I had no claim on her, but that didn’t mean I wanted someone else, especially a douche like Chase, to lay a finger on her.
Her face fell, giving away the moment she understood that she’d still lost. The desolate look in her eyes showed me too much, and for the first time since we’d started playing this silly game I felt regret. But not enough to end whatever it was that we had.
For now though, I needed to walk way because she’d managed to fuck with my head, and I had no idea how to regroup.
There was nothing left to say, so I spun on my heel, and stormed out, leaving Kennedy and committing the way she looked on that desk to memory.
CHAPT ER ELEVEN
Kennedy
DANE LEFT MY bedroom, and I waited for the click of the front door. When I was sure he was no longer on our apartment, I pulled my tank top down, and sank to the floor.
What the hell had I just done?
I was mortified, and any sense of victory over Dane was short lived. Once again I’d played right into the palm of his hand, and when the moment was right, he retaliated. I waited, and waited for the bile to climb up my throat, a telltale sign that what I’d done with Dane, and then in front of him made me feel sick. But if I was completely honest with myself, I enjoyed it. The feel of his hands all over my over sensitized skin, and inside me. The taste of his lips. The heat of his mouth. The way his hips fitted with mine. And especially the way his eyes watched me while I touched myself.
The whole experience had my insides coiled tightly, both from disbelief, and a sick kind of arousal.
God. What the hell was wrong with me? I never behaved like that, like a hussy. I’d never been that girl, and one moment of weakness where Dane frazzled my senses and I was grinding on him, and making myself come with his eyes on me.
I shook my head, and held it in my hands. I was sitting rather uncomfortably on the floor next to my bed, but I couldn’t stand up just yet. I wanted to absorb the reality of what I’d just done to myself, and maybe it would be enough to make me steer as far away from Dane as I could. I’d done well avoiding him, barely glancing at him when we happened to pass each other in the hallway between our apartments, but we always ended up in the same place, like we were gravitating towards each other in some weird way. It was perplexing, and the more I thought about what it meant, the more it confused me.
He hated me, and I was supposed to hate him.
That’s the way it had to be.
** ** **
CHASE CAME BACK from grabbing us two chocolate shakes and cheese burgers with fries and placed them between us on the tailgate of his truck.
When he fetched me for our “date” thirty minutes ago, I hadn’t imagined coming out to a field with a food stand in the middle of nowhere. But I liked it.
The food stand was an old, refurbished metal caravan with a few tables and chairs outside. They only made burgers, and fries, and what Chase boasted were the best milkshakes in all of Brighton. He also told me the ‘pop up’ diner – the caravan – moved around, and only stayed in one spot for a week at a time.
Chase hopped up next to me, and immediately starting eating, while I sipped my shake. He was right. It was the best chocolate shake I’d ever had. Not that I was picky when it came to anything involving chocolate. I looked up at the sky, marveling at how clear it was, and how spectacularly the twinkling stars lit it up. The warm air ghosted across my skin, and I took in the surroundings. There were a few other trucks parked to the side, people laughing as they enjoyed their food, and even a few couples sharing romantic moments in what I thought of as the perfect country setting.
“What’s got you thinking so hard over there?” Asked Chase, breaking the somewhat awkward silence. We’d managed a relatively easy conversation on the ride over, but now things felt a little awkward.
“I’m thinking about how peaceful it is out here,” I replied. “And how perfect this spot is for a romantic date.”
Chase swallowed his food, and turned to me. “I didn’t think it would be considered romantic. I figured girls only liked the fancy expensive restaurants when going on a date.”
“Good thing we’re not on a date,” I replied with a giggle.
“Damn, that hurts.” He feigned hurt, and then threw me a playful wink telling me he was kidding.
I slapped his arm, and took a bite of my fries. “I can’t imagine you go on dates. From what Grady told me you’re quite the playboy.”
He chuckled, and the sound somehow helped me relax a little.
“Don’t believe everything my brother tells you. He has a flare for being over dramatic, and tends to exaggerate where I’m concerned.”
My brows rose in skepticism. “So you’re saying he’s lying?”
Chase thought about it for a long minute, and then replied, “No.”
I laughed, and threw my napkin at him. “I thought so. I guess it’s part of the territory though, right? Being the star football player and all.”
Chase sighed, and looked pensive. “People expect it of me, you know? Sometimes it’s easier to live the image people give you, rather than pretending.”
His answer surprised me, and I caught the wistfulness of his tone. “Don’t you get tired of it though? Don’t you want to meet someone and settle down?”
Chase turned his gaze, and stared at a couple across the field who were dancing like no one was watching. “It’s better than getting hurt. And besides, I don’t want to be tied down any time soon. I like my freedom.” He grinned widely, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. That was such a guy thing to say.
“What about you?” He asked. “Why’s a pretty little thing like you single?”
The way he asked me made it sound like the idea really confused him. Like me being single was unfathomable. My thoughts immediately drifted to Dane, and I wished they hadn’t. I’d been doing well not thinking about him, and had enjoyed the reprieve after what happened on Saturday night in my bedroom. I hadn’t told Jade about that, and I wasn’t sure I ever would. I was too embarrassed, and not because it was Dane, but because I liked it, and there was no way I’d be able to keep those feelings from Jade.
“My life is…complicated.” I sighed. “I’m not really interested in dating right now. I have enough on my plate with school, and trying to figure out my major.”
Chase’s cool green eyes regarded me, and I found myself hoping he didn’t take any offense to what I’d said. We both knew this wasn’t a real date, and that he only offered because he felt bad about hitting me in the head with his football.
“So there’s nothing going on between you and Dane then?”
My eyes widened with shock. I hadn’t expected that.
“Nothing, I mean we can’t stand each other. Why?”
Chase pursed his lips. “I saw the way he was looking at you at the coffee shop, so I was curious.”
Instead of replying, I took a bite of my burger, and looked away. I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Chase placed his hand on my knee, and squeezed, making me jerk my head back towards him.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,” he said quietly, reading my thoughts. “It’s just that, well, I like you, Kennedy, and I want to make sure I wouldn’t be stepping on anyone’s toes if we were to become friends.”
I swallowed my food, and thought about how to respond. My head was stuck on the ‘I like you’ part, but also on the insinuation that Dane would be pissed if Chase and I were friends. Or possibly more. So I chose honesty.
“Dane and I have a bit of an ugly past, but there’s never been, nor will there ever be, anything romantic. I doubt we can even make to friends. He hates me too much.”
Chase’s brows puckered, but much to my relief he didn’t say anything more. Instead, he gathered up our empty food wrappers, and hopped from his truck to throw them away.
With his back to me, I had the chance to get a good look at him. It made perfect sense why the girls swooned over his classic, clean cut looks. He was dressed in designer jeans that looked like they’d made to fit his legs. The denim hugged his thighs and his butt, and only made his gait look sexier. His navy blue shirt remained untucked, with the first few buttons open, and his sleeves rolled up. His blond hair was stylishly messy, and he had light stubble covering his strong jaw. So why wasn’t I salivating at the sight of him? Why wasn’t my belly swarming with excited butterflies because this gorgeous guy had taken me out to dinner? Even if it was an apology.
I saw Chase making his way back, and plastered on a wide smile, hoping it would defuse the slightly tense atmosphere. He walked to the drivers’ side of the truck, opened it, and flicked on the radio. I heard Taylor Swift playing through the speakers, and laughed when Chase reached his hand out to me.
“I didn’t think you’d be a fan of Taylor Swift,” I said, following him a short distance away from his truck. He turned and wrapped one arm around my waist, and took my hand in his. He started swaying, and I fell into his easy rhythm.
“I’m not. Her music is terrible.”
“It is not!”
“It is too. It’s complete dribble!”
I swatted his chest. “I happen to like the dribble, thank you very much.”
“Well,” he coughed, “If I had known you had such poor taste in music, I would never have asked you on a date.”
“I have great taste in music. Taylor Swift is a lyrical genius, and to be clear, you asked me on a date because you threw a football at my head.”
“For the record, I didn’t throw it at you. You walked into it.”
“Oh my God,” I laughed. “You are impossible, Chase Ambrose. Has anyone ever told you that?”
A chuckle made its way up his throat. “All the time, actually. In fact, my brother likes to remind me that I’m a pain in his ass on a daily basis.”
I laughed at that, imagining how Grady busted his chops the way only a big brother can. Before I could think about Charlie, and how fiercely I missed him Chase spun me around, and then dipped me. I squealed in surprise, and held onto him a little tighter before he righted us.
“This reminds me of senior prom,” Chase mused, his lips forming a gentle smile. “Before we got drunk, of course.”
I snickered. “Why does that not surprise me?”
Chase shrugged sheepishly, his beautiful green eyes meeting mine. “You can’t tell me you didn’t misbehave at least a little when you went to prom.”
I looked away, fighting the sudden lump that his comment had put in my throat. “I didn’t go.” My voice was soft, and it betrayed the sadness of the memory.
“Why not?”
The question was innocent enough, since prom was considered a rite of passage for most seniors, but the answer was far less pleasant, and not one I was prepared to give. It was too personal.
“I guess I didn’t see the point in going.”
It was a small truth, and only part of why I never attended my senior prom. I didn’t want to embarrass myself by telling him that no one had asked me because Dane took it upon himself to tell everyone I had a disgusting case of genital warts. It was another low point in my high school years, and there was no point in reliving it.
“I’m sorry.” Chase breathed into my hair, and his hold tightened slightly. That small gesture shoved the ugly memory away and prompted me to say, “It’s okay. I survived.”
We fell into an easy silence after that, the need to talk unnecessary. There was something so simple about being with Chase, and talking to him. As we moved to another song, I found myself wishing that I felt more, that I wanted this to be a real date. So I closed my eyes, and pretended.
CHASE WALKED ME to my door and when I opened it there was pandemonium inside. Queen’s ‘I want to break free’ blasted from our stereo, and Grady was belting out the lyrics while making what looked like a dangerous mixture of alcohol.
“You’re back!” Jade ran over, nearly knocking me off my feet, and pulled both Chase and I inside.
“You’re just in time,” said Ashley. She danced her way to the kitchen, and took two glasses of whatever Grady had made before thrusting them our way.
“In time for what?” I asked, wondering what the hell was going on. My two roommates were in their pajama’s – shorts that could be classified as underwear, and tank tops that showed off their generous boobage – while Grady pranced around in jeans, a grey V-neck shirt, and a Sombrero? Oh Lordy. Clearly we’d interrupted a three-person party.
“We were about to play Never Have I Ever,” chimed Jade. She fell onto the sofa, and Grady followed, but not before giving me a bear hug. Ashley came to my side, and smiled at Chase. “Well, hello there. Who’s this hunky chunk of man hotness?”
Clearly she’d had far too much to drink.
“That,” said Grady, “is my little brother.”
“And where have you been hiding him?” Ashley twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, and stared at Chase through her eyelashes. Okaaaay. That’s my cue…
“Hands off, Ash. He just went out on a date with Kennedy.” Jade glared daggers at Ashley’s head, and I bit my lip to hide my smile. Ever the protective best friend. Little did she know that Chase and I were nothing more than friends.
“That’s okay,” I said. “He’s all yours.” I winked at Chase, and his smile told me he didn’t mind that I’d practically pawned him off on my inebriated roommate. I took a sip from the glass in my hand, and nearly choked. God only knew what Grady had put in there, but it was strong enough to knock an elephant on its’ ass. I relaxed, and looked around as we all filled up our small living room.
My non-date date with Chase was actually pretty pleasant, and I could see him becoming part of our little group. Sitting back, and watching the mayhem continue, I couldn’t fight the smile on my face or the warmth in my chest.
Because for the first time in forever, I knew what it felt like to belong.
