The Promise (28 page)

A few hours pass by and once
we’ve showered, we order a pizza and decide to pop in a movie.

It
’s some romantic comedy Sophie picked out and although I’m trying to watch it, my head isn’t really in the game. I still can’t stop thinking about this shit with Jack. I know Sophie and he were serious, but learning that they have a godson together?

I’
ll never say anything to Sophie about it but knowing this just makes me feel worse about our chances at having our forever. How the hell am I supposed to compete with
that
? I already feel like shit because of last night.

I’
ve been trying to fight it out of my mind all day but it isn’t getting any easier. What it all comes down to is trust. She isn’t Lauren and she’s never lied to me, I have to trust her. She keeps saying it will all make sense soon and I believe her because I have to. If I don’t, well then, what’s the point?

Sophie raise
s her head up off of my chest and faces me before whispering, “You okay? You’ve being really quiet for the past few hours.”

“Yeah, Baby, I’m fine. Just watching the movie is all,”
I answer her, watching as she nods before laying her head back down on my chest and wrapping her arms firmly around my waist. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” she answers, although she
isn’t very convincing.

“You sure?” I ask
, my brows furrowing slightly.

“Yeah
, it’s just …” she starts but her voice trails off into silence.

“What?” I pr
ess.

“You just seem a little different today,” she sa
ys.

“Different how?”

“I don’t know … Chase … Did I do something wrong?” she’s looking up at me now, her eyes holding a sadness within them that immediately prompts me to shake my head.

“No, Sweetheart, you didn’t do anything wrong at all. I’ve just had a lot of stuff on my mind is all
, but I’m fine, really.” I lean down and kiss her on the forehead, rubbing circles on her back as she begins to chew on her lip.

“Well, is there any
thing you want to talk about?”

“No thanks. Everything
is fine. I’m fine. Okay?” I say and she nods before her eyes travel back to the TV, with mine staying locked on her. I love her so much. I need to tell her how I feel but my head just won’t stop screwing with me. The last thing that I want is to tell her I’m in love with her while I’m still feeling this shitty about her everything. God I hate feeling like this. I have to get my head straight and fast or I’ll just fuck everything up that we have.

***

Sophie

I kno
w that there’s still something bothering Chase, but I just can’t figure out what it is. He’s been trying his best to convince me he’s fine, but I can’t shake the feeling I have that something shifted inside of him last night while he was singing to me.

Although, when
I ask him again as we watch the movie, he promises it’s nothing, but I’m still not so sure that I believe him.

I return
my attention back to the movie and try to concentrate but my mind is all over the place. I know that waiting for me to explain everything about Jack must be hard for him, but I hope he’ll just be patient for a few more days.

This trip i
sn’t going to be an easy one but I know that it’s important that I go. I really want to honor Jack in the way I know he deserves. Not a second has passed by since I first laid my eyes on him in that English class where I haven’t thought about him in some way.

I imagine that this is the way it always will be and I think it’s normal when you’ve experienced
a love like mine and Jack’s. I never imagined that I’d move on after losing him and to be honest, I don’t think I would have wanted to for anyone besides Chase.

The
first day I met Chase, I think I knew that it was the beginning of me moving on but I was just too afraid to admit it to myself. Now? Now, I can’t deny my feelings for him even if I wanted to. As much as I know Jack will always hold a very special place within my heart, I know without a doubt that I’m totally head over heels in love with Chase.

Feeling a little disoriented,
I wake up in Chase’s arms. Opening my eyes a little, I see that he’s walking me from where I must have fallen asleep on the couch and through to his bedroom. “I can walk,” I say sleepily.

“Shh, it’s okay, I like carrying you. Go back to sleep
, Baby,” he says softly into my hair before kissing me on the forehead. He sets me down gently on the bed and pulls the comforter over me as he sits on the edge of the bed. “What time do you need to be up for work? I’m going to set your alarm for you.”

“S
ix o’clock. Thanks,” I answer groggily, still half asleep.

“You’re welcome. G
o back to sleep now and try and get some rest,” he sets my phone down beside me on the nightstand and kisses me lightly on the lips. I feel the bed move slightly as he climbs in beside me, right before pulling my body across the bed so I can rest against his chest. “Sweet dreams, Baby,” he whispers.

“G’night,
Babe,” I mutter before everything turns black.

***

I feel my legs being pushed apart, but I don’t process what’s happening until I feel Chase’s tongue sweeping between my thighs and feel my back arching off of his bed.

While I let out a deep moan, I look down to
see his blue eyes locking on mine as a devious grin crosses over that gorgeous face of his. His tongue dips back out and when it makes contact, my eyes snap shut again as I release another whimper.

“Watch me
taste you, Sophie,” he commands quietly. When I open my eyes, I see that he’s staring directly up at me. He kisses me
there
in the same what that he kisses my mouth, slipping his tongue deep inside me. Lapping and sucking while his fingers gently hold me open, massaging me with his other hand.

“Baby…” I moan
but find that I’m unable to verbalize anything more. Instead, I grip his hair in my hands and pull on it hard. He groans into me and the vibrations he makes are enough to send me over the edge.

I begin
to involuntarily push my legs closed as I reach my limit, but he holds me in place with his strong arms, licking and tasting me more intensely than before sending my body into an all-out frenzy. My hips twist against his lips, the noises escaping my mouth are primal. “Chase! … I can’t! … Oh my God! …” I still have one hand gripping his hair but I can feel myself moving up the bed against my own will.

I make it
a few inches up the mattress before he roughly pulls me back down to him, holding me more firmly in place beneath him this time. As he places his teeth gently around my clit and begins to suck furiously, I’m done for.

I thr
ow one hand down and grip the side of the mattress as I buck wildly beneath him, our eyes still locked as I scream out with no shame. As I come down, Chase continues to lap his tongue gently against me until my breathing evens out. I watch his eyes while running my fingertips through his now unruly hair.

He continues
kissing gently against my lower lips and thighs before slowly moving up my body. Along the way, he plants his lips over my hips and naval before he pulling himself up over me and hovering. “Good morning, Baby,” he whispers as he kisses me gently on the mouth.

“Good morning,” I answer him breathlessly
, kissing him back and tasting myself on him. I begin to blush furiously as soon as I realize that he’s already made that connection, his low growl and wicked grin telling me so as I feel it spreading across his face. My alarm begins to shriek loudly, making me groan before rolling over onto my stomach as he shifts over to shut it off.

“No
! I don’t want to get up!” I whine as he leans over while kissing me on the back of the head.

“Come on, Baby,” he sa
ys, giving me a quick smack on my ass as he rises off the bed. “Shower time. Let’s go,” he adds, pulling the covers off of me completely which makes me groan again as I stare up at the ceiling.

“Coffee?” I ask.

“Of course. It’s already brewing. It’ll be done by the time we finish our shower,” he answers and so I get up before following him into the bathroom.

He t
urns the knobs to start the water, tossing his underwear into the hamper while I brush my teeth before he turns on the radio and climbs in.

I pee and ru
n a brush through my tangled hair as I listen to him singing along to ‘Lithium’ by Nirvana and before climbing in behind him. He turns and scoots over so I can stand in front of him under the warm water. I wet my hair and splash water over my face before reaching for the missing shampoo.

It’s then that I feel Chase’s hands
in my hair, gently massaging the suds into my scalp as he continues singing down at me with a grin spreading over his face and the occasional eyebrow wiggle.

“You’re awfully chipper this morning,” I say groggily, leaning my head back to rinse the shampoo out and he responds with a laugh.

“I’m always happy when I
get to wake up next to a hot blonde, make her squirm across my bed and get to stare at her naked in my shower,” he laughs, sinking his lips into my neck.

“Well, that
was
a wonderful way to wake up,” I say as I lean up and kiss him on the lips. “What can I do for you, Baby?”

“Hold on.
”

Before I eve
n have the chance to ask him what he means, he has my legs wrapped around his waist and is pressing me up against the shower wall, burying himself inside me.

***

Chase follows me to work and comes in for breakfast before he heads over to the apartment to pick Drake up.

As
I pull into the parking lot, he pulls in beside me and opens my door, waiting patiently while I gather all of my things.

I climb
down and lock Jack’s truck up as Chase walked beside me with his hand on my waist. Before we make it to the door, he pulls me over planting a long, sweet kiss on my lips and when it ends, I look up at him and smile breathlessly. He pushes a stray strand of hair from my face and slips it behind my ear before giving me another quick kiss on the lips.

“I might not get to kiss you goodbye once we’re in there,” he sa
ys, knowing there will likely be customers inside soon. “Before we walk in, I just want to tell you how happy I am that you came over this weekend and that you’re beautiful and I’ll miss you today.”

I smile
sweetly and pull him back down to kiss him once more. “You’re so sweet, Baby. I’m glad I came, too. I’ll miss you more.”

As w
e walk in, Chase heads over and takes a seat at the first booth and waits patiently for me to come back over. I hand his order over to the kitchen and grab him a coffee, dropping it off before the customers start to come in.

S
itting his plate down on the table in front of him, he winks and thanks me. I try to go back over to him several times but the restaurant is unusually busy this morning so I don’t really get to talk to him much, although I feel his eyes on me as I work.

I walk
back over as he’s getting ready to leave, and as usual, he gives me a quick, secretive kiss on my cheek before whispering his goodbye to me.

“Have a good day, Baby. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Okay, you too. Be safe,” I say back, earning both a smile and a wink as he walks out to his truck, turning back once to throw me another kiss through the window.

I watch
him climb into his truck before he drives towards my apartment to pick up Drake. I don’t miss the look he has on his face as he backs out of the parking lot of the restaurant. It’s the same look that he’s been giving me ever since Saturday night. He’d put on a brave face this morning, but I can tell that there is something wrong and it’s something he definitely won’t talk about.

Shit. I ha
ven’t even managed to admit it to myself but I think the thing bothering Chase has something to do with my upcoming trip to Camden.

“Just hold on
, Baby,” I whisper to myself as I watch him drive away.

***

Chase

Watching her through the window as I left the restaurant this morning was rough. I never want to leave her, true, but today is different. Today is different because today I feel like shit about where I stand with her.

I kn
ow Sophie cares about me. I know I can make her happy and that we’re really great together. The problem here though is that I also know she still has feelings for Jack which makes me wonder if the feelings she has for me are strong enough to keep her in Rockport. I know I have to get over this jealousy shit, but I’m just having a really hard time dealing with all of this.