Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“Yeah, but again, you’re in love with him.” Nat pulled back, grabbed my hand, and squeezed.
“And he puts Griff before you.” Josh wouldn’t give in. I knew him. Natalie would be easier about it all.
“You don’t get it. You didn’t grow up here. Chase had a horrible childhood, and Griff…Griff was the first person in Chase’s life who he ever felt loved him. Griff gave him a family and friendship. He cared about Chase when no one else could be bothered.”
Hearing myself speak those words hurt. I ached for Chase as a boy. That added to the shame of being part of something that would build a wall between him and Griffin. God, what was wrong with me? I was such an asshole for doing this.
“I’m sorry for what he went through, I really am, but it doesn’t change how I feel. I’ll support whatever you decide to do, Kell, you know that. But I’ll also break his fucking face if he hurts you, and I don’t give a shit if he’s the law or not.”
I swallowed the weight in my throat. Oh, my friends were the best. I really wasn’t sure I deserved them. “It’ll be fine. He won’t hurt me. I know what I’m getting into.” Maybe if I said it enough, I’d start to believe it myself. Chase would never hurt me on purpose. I knew that to the marrow of my bones, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t end up a casualty of this.
“Okay, that’s enough talk about Chase Hawthorne. What do you guys want to do tonight?” Natalie asked.
“Watch porn?” I teased.
“I’m down!” Natalie replied, and both Josh and I laughed.
“I need food,” Josh added.
So we ordered dinner and ate together. We didn’t bring up Chase again, but I knew Josh was still thinking about him. What was it with me and all the loyal, protective men in my life? Josh had never been like this with me before, but then, I’d never been at risk of getting my heart broken before either.
After dinner we played board games and teased each other and laughed, and as I watched them—Natalie, the sweet girl with the glasses, who’d been my best friend all my life, the one who’d been willing to hang out with me when no one else wanted to; and Josh, my beefed-up dude-bro buddy, who had no problem sitting around and getting silly with us like we were all sixteen and having a sleepover—again, I felt lucky.
If somehow I could ever call Chase Hawthorne mine, without either of us losing Griffin in the process, or not fitting in, and if all my stupid mistakes and dealing with shitty people like Buck wouldn’t matter…my life would be perfect.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Chase
It had been over a week since Kellan and I decided we were going to do the whole friends-with-benefits thing, and I hadn’t seen him yet.
We both had our jobs and responsibilities, and things had been even crazier for me. We’d had an armed robbery at one of the local gas stations, something that never happened in Havenwood—with the exception of Kellan and Griff’s parents’ murder. Those were the only two major crimes that had happened in town since I was born, and it was a scary thought.
I’d been the first officer on-scene, but the perp was already long gone. He hadn’t been found yet, so the whole town was stressed and on high alert. The twenty-one-year-old kid working there had been a mess, scared out of his mind, poor thing. None of it had left my thoughts since it happened.
Kellan had texted me every day, though. We’d joked and chatted about random things, and it was really good to get to know him again, to get to know the grown-up version of Kell that I’d only seen a glimpse of at eighteen years old.
The day after the robbery he’d called me, frantic. “Jesus Christ, Chase. Are you okay?” The panic had been evident in his voice, and it soothed something inside me. Not that I wanted Kell to worry. I didn’t, but it was always a shock to my system to realize people cared about me. I’d gone without it for so long, and then really only let the Caines in, that even with them, it still surprised me sometimes.
The truth was, I’d been shaken up by the robbery. It wasn’t right, something like that happening at home, and I wanted to fix it. Wanted to find a way to ease the town’s fears. It was why I did what I did, and why I’d eventually come home to do it.
Tonight they’d basically forced me to take the night off. I hated to admit I needed it, but the cabin felt too empty and my skin too tight, so I picked up my phone and dialed.
“Hey, you,” Kell answered.