Page 71 of Glitched Play

I turn and find him standing a few feet away with two glasses of water in his hands and concern tucked behind his easy smile. Tyler is behind him, still talking animatedly to two guys in suits, one of whom looks like he might be an assistant coach, or maybe just rich enough to appear employed by football. My brother has been in heaven all night, soaking up every conversation like this gala is a networking event designed specifically for twenty-one-year-old baseball players with too much confidence.

"Hey," I say, taking the water Chase offers.

His gaze moves over my face, slower than usual. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just overwhelmed."

It's not a lie. It's just not the whole truth.

Chase nods like he knows the difference but isn't going to call me on it in the middle of a ballroom. That's one of the things I like most about him. He notices without trapping people inside the noticing. He gives you room when the truth isn't ready to come out.

"Your brother is sweet on the brunette," he says, angling his head toward Tyler.

I follow his gaze.

Tyler is now standing beside a girl in a sleek black dress with dark hair falling over one shoulder. She's smiling softly while he talks, not in the polite way women smile when they're waiting for a man to stop. A real smile. One that makes her whole face brighten.

"I think her name is Paulina," I say. "And I'm pretty sure she's Greyson O'Ryan's daughter."

Chase whistles under his breath. "Your brother doesn't aim low."

"No. He thinks he's the main character in all of our lives."

"Honestly, after tonight, I'm starting to believe him." Chase lets out a slow rolling chuckle.

I laugh, and the sound comes easier than I expect. Tyler catches me looking and gives me a dramatic thumbs-up like he's doing me a favor by charming one of the most connected girls in the building. I roll my eyes and silently pray he doesn't say anything ridiculous enough to end my employment before I make it through my third week.

"She seems nice," Chase says.

"I haven’t met her, but Witt seems to be the protective uncle.”

"Sad.”

That makes me look at him.

Chase shrugs, his attention still on Paulina. "I meant, your brother is going to be the rebound guy."

Sometimes Chase says things that remind me why he got under my guard so quickly. He acts easygoing, almost careless, but he sees people. Not the way Witt sees patterns, but the way a good friend sees when someone's smile doesn't quite reach where it should.

"Her boyfriend recently broke up with her," he whispers in my ear. "That’s what she told Tyler.”

"Ah." No wonder Witt was worried. Chase and I watch Tyler make Paulina laugh again. "Well, maybe Tyler is a good distraction."

He says, "Or a walking HR violation."

"He's not employed here."

“But you are."

"Then tell him not to do anything weird to get me fired." I look back at Tyler, who is now gesturing with his hands like he's explaining either baseball strategy or the plot of his own life. "But we both know that ship sailed sometime around birth."

Chase chuckles, but when the laughter fades, his attention returns to me. "You've been somewhere else since the speech."

My fingers tighten around the water glass.

"No, I haven't."

His brows lift.