Despite it being the last thing I wanted to do, I stepped away from her.
“This isn’t over.”
All I could do was give her what she wanted.
I turned and left.
Her room, not her life.
Chapter 14
—Belle—
Ever since the night he snuck into my bedroom a week ago, Tristian actually kept his distance from me again. I’d told him to stay out of my life, but I was beginning to regret my threat. Chase and Tristian were taking up all the room in my head, and I couldn’t get a break from it.
It wasn’t just Tristian who was blowing me off this time. Chase was too. He never logged back on, and I was starting to think he wasn’t going to. I was worried that our friendship was officially over. As soon as the thought occurred for what felt like the hundredth time, my laptop dinged with a message from him.
I rushed to my computer, placing it on my lap.
Full Throttle: Meet me tonight.
I narrowed my eyes at his request, confused.
Rebel Rider: You’re in my town?
Full Throttle: At the football game.
Rebel Rider: Wait … you’re at the game right now? When did you get in town?
Full Throttle: Are you going to meet me?
Why isn’t he answering my questions?
Rebel Rider: Yeah. Where at the game?
Full Throttle: By the concession stand in thirty minutes.
Rebel Rider: I have to change. I’m still in my school uniform. I need to get a ride too. I don’t know if I can make it there that fast.
Full Throttle: Don’t change and call Erica. See you in thirty.
With that, he logged off.
“Talk about demanding. Geez.” I inhaled a deep breath. “He ignores me and then just starts barking orders at me?” Shaking my head, I shoved away the uncertainty of what was going on. I tried to focus on the fact that I was actually going to meet him for the first time and let it end at that.
I called Erica, and she was already on her way to the game. She didn’t mind picking me up. I didn’t live far from the school. My parents were out of town for the weekend, away on their yearly anniversary trip, so I didn’t have to worry about them. The staff was still around to watch over me technically, but I was getting older. There wasn’t much babysitting to be done anymore.
After I told the housekeeper, who used to be my nanny, I was going to the football game, she reminded me to be home by my ten o’clock curfew. I hated that I had to be home two hours earlier than most of the people at my school, but I’d take what I could get.
I hightailed it into Erica’s car. Once we were pulling up to the stadium, it all hit me. I was going to meet Chase, the guy I’d been talking to for over a year now. Suddenly I was extremely nervous, hoping we’d have as much chemistry in person as we did online.
“Belle, what’s up? Your leg won’t stop bouncing up and down.”
“Oh,” I rasped, stopping the movement. “I’m meeting someone here, and I’m just super anxious about it.”
“Who are you meeting?”
“This guy named Chase. We met online.”