“Do you think Noah has any feelings for you?” I can’t stop myself from asking. I never thought Noah had feelings for Charlotte, but then again, I never thought to look.
She sighs. “I don’t think so? I think we were just having some fun, and one thing led to another. But now Chase’s feelings are hurt. What am I going to say to him?”
I don’t know what to say to make her feel better, if there even is something I can say to make her feel better. I settle for what I think is best.
“You’ll figure out what you want eventually. It may be bad right now, but everything will settle down. Chase won’t stay mad forever. Just follow your heart.”
She’s not looking at me, but I look away from her so she can’t see the hypocrisy in my eyes. If only I could take my own advice. I still have the weight of telling Mason about our parents and telling Aiden about my leaving hanging over my head, but I’m not planning on doing either of those anytime soon.
16
My grumbling stomach wakes me up earlier than I would like the morning after the whole Chase and Noah thing. Everyone is still sleeping as I tiptoe down the stairs to fix some breakfast, the early morning sun streaming through the windows lighting my way.
When I get to the bottom of the stairs I pause. There’s a form lying on the couch, shifting as I get closer.
“Chase?” I whisper, not knowing if he’s sleeping.
By the time I went to bed, no one had seen or heard from him since he’d stormed out of the house. We didn’t know where he went, and he wouldn’t answer our calls or texts. At least he’s here now and I know he’s okay, or mostly okay.
Aiden told me that the longer the night went on, the more pissed Noah was getting about the whole thing. Noah was fuming about it since he didn’t understand why his friend would ‘Cockblock him like that,’ and ‘Go apeshit on his ass for no reason.’ Aiden confirmed what everyone kind of knew but never talked about, and explained that Chase walked in on his best friend getting it on with the love of his life. Noah felt really bad about it after that.
“Amelia?” Chase asks groggily, sitting up to look at me.
Once I get closer to the couch and can actually see him clearly, I throw my hands over my eyes to stop the sight from permanently scarring me. Chase is as naked as the day he was born.
“Why are you not wearing any clothes?!” Did he walk home naked?! I don’t see any clothes thrown on the floor.
“I have no idea,” Chase grumbles. “To be honest, most of last night and this morning are pretty spotty.”
Peeping through my fingers to look at him again, I keep my eyes trained on his face.
“Jesus, Chase. Did you get black-out drunk last night?”
I toss a pillow at him as he mumbles an incoherent reply, before finally removing my hand from my face. That’s when I realize he technically isn’t as naked as the day he was born.
“What is that stuff all over you?” I ask him, but then my brain clicks in on something he said a long time ago about what happens when he gets black-out drunk.
“Are you covered in barbeque sauce and—” I lean in closer to him. “Are those Froot Loops?”
Chase looks down at his body as if noticing the mess for the first time.
“Huh. I guess my drunk ass couldn’t find the Cheerios and settled for the next best thing.”
I sigh and sit down on the part of the couch that isn’t covered in BBQ sauce and Froot Loops. Chase is such a mess, and I don’t mean just his outward appearance.
“Are you okay, Chase?”
He laughs a flat, emotionless laugh. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be okay? I lost the girl of my dreams to my best friend. I’m just peachy.”
“Chase.” I don’t even know where to begin. I don’t know how to make this better, how to make him better. “They didn’t know.”
Chase slouches back on the couch, shifting the pillow to make sure it still covers everything, and turns his head to look at me. “How could they not know? Everyone else seemed to see it! Even Jason and Jackson asked me when I was going to marry Charlotte!”
“Noah and Char feel terrible about it.” I try to comfort him, but that only seems to make him angrier.
“They don’t feel bad about it! They feel bad that they got caught.”
“Chase—”