“I know. I’m coming. Stay put.”
“Don’t approach until I let the officer know you’re there. I don’t want anyone getting shot.”
“I won’t. I promise. Do you mind if I bring Preston? I can see him playing basketball in his driveway down the street.”
She could hear the dinging of his seatbelt alarm and knew Shaun was already getting in his truck.
The familiar embarrassment and shame started to seep in. It was bad enough Shaun and Paige had to know everything. But it didn’t matter. She’d promised herself no more secrets. Besides, Shaun’s neighbor, though practically a stranger, had been there when she’d broken up with Reid the first time.
“Why not. Let’s make this a party.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“I’m being sarcastic.”
“Paige is coming out with her shoes. I told her to stay put, but she’s not listening.”
“Oh, brother.”
“Just hold on. We’ll be there soon. Oh, and you should call Chase. He cares about you more than you know.”
Chase was the one person she wouldn’t be calling about this, though he’d be mad later about being left out. She’d call him in the morning and tell him about it, but tonight would be hard enough without worrying about the crazy roller coaster of emotions she felt when she thought about Chase.
***
Beth had practically cornered him when he’d stepped back in the house, and he’d used the excuse of checking on Tyler and Gabby to get a minute to gather his thoughts. He sat on the edge of Tyler’s bed and watched the little guy sleep. Tyler almost looked angelic when he wasn’t tearing apart the house.
Beth leaned against the doorframe. “Do I at least get to hear about Tiffany? You don’t like it when I ignore you. And I did literally just wrestle Tyler into that bed a half-hour ago. I made him promise if he lost a two-out-of-three arm wrestling contest, he would have to stay there until he fell asleep.”
Chase looked back at her. “I won’t be going out with Tiffany again.”
His sister only smirked. “I think I could have told you that. Now quit hiding in here, and let’s talk about Ashley.”
“Yes, let’s.” Beth had tricked him into thinking it was a school friend she was inviting over, when all along she’d planned to mess with his head by having Ashley there. If he wasn’t so irritated, he’d be impressed.
He tried to lecture her about it, but when her smirk only grew bigger, Chase gave up and sat on the other end of the couch. There was no point in trying to get Beth to feel sorry about it, because obviously, she wasn’t the least bit sorry. And if Chase were being honest with himself, he wasn’t sorry about it either.
“What’s going on with you and Ashley?” Beth finally asked. “The truth this time.”
“I told you the truth. It’s complicated.”
Beth stared him down, and he finally caved, spilling the whole stupid story, from his ancient crush to the secret admirer thing.
Beth hopped up from the couch when Chase got to the part about Ashley offering to watch Gabby while she was sick.
“You stayed home from work while she sat at home in her apartment with nothing to do? Do you know what kind of message that sends a woman?”
Chase raised an eyebrow at her, but Beth only glared back. “It tells her you don’t trust her. That you don’t need her. And yet, she still seems to like you. I don’t get it.”
He squirmed a little at the thought of how he’d made Ashley feel.
Beth glared at him. “What are you still even doing here? It’s only nine-thirty. Go after her already.”
He wasn’t sure that was the best idea right now, but maybe he’d just sit in his car and call her. It would give them a little privacy from prying ears.
He sat in his car and dialed, but the call went straight to her voicemail, and he hung up without leaving a message. Unfortunately, Beth was right. This was an in-person kind of conversation. He called back, and this time left a message that he was coming over if she wanted to talk. Then he backed out of his driveway and pep-talked his way over to Ashley’s apartment.
***
