Read Online CHASE: Complete Series by Cassia Leo - Free Book Online Page A

this morning and where I saw myself in five years.
“I don’t know,” I muttered, as I fidgeted with the corner of the newspaper in my lap.
Teddy sat across from me on the floor, but I refused to look at him. “What do you mean you don’t know where you want to be in five years? It’s a simple fucking question. And don’t give me a bullshit answer.”
“I can’t tell you because it doesn’t fit the story, okay?”
“Oh, I get it. You want to be shacking up with Chase, maybe with a bun in the oven and a new Mercedes SUV in the driveway.”
I heaved a deep sigh. “Can we move on?”
“If we don’t get this straight in the next hour, there will be no moving on, Larissa. Now answer the fucking question and make me believe the answer.”
I think you’ll find Teddy can be very charming. Was Chase being serious?
My hands began to shake as I imagined trying to convince anyone, much less a reporter, that I was in love with this bully. I tucked my hands beneath my legs to hide the trembling and Teddy reached for my left hand. I drew my hand behind my back and he tilted his head as if he was disappointed with my poor acting skills. After a brief staring contest, I relented and held out my hand.
He took it in his and looked up at me. “Go on.”
I took a short pause to collect myself as I tried to remember all the sense memory and “don’t act, be” bullshit I learned in acting class. I couldn’t act like I was in love with Teddy. I had to be in love with him.
“I want to be with… with you,” I began. “I don’t care where we are or how many kids we have, or don’t have, or how many fancy cars are in the driveway…. I just want to be with you.”
I could see the slight rise and fall of Teddy’s chest as he stared at me in silence. “Okay, I guess you’re pretty good at that… stuff,” he said, letting go of my hand and scooting back a few inches as if I had just admitted to having the swine flu.
He went on to tell me his life story; everything I needed to know about his childhood up to this morning when he had bagels and lox for breakfast—with Katherine.
“Shouldn’t Chase and Katherine be here, I mean, you and Chase are supposed to be best friends. Isn’t it natural to assume that Katherine and I have at least established a rapport, maybe even a friendship. Shouldn’t we get those facts straight?”
Teddy raised his eyebrows as he looked at the carpet between us. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
“Why? I thought it was show time. Isn’t she part of the show?”
“Look, Larissa, you should know that Katherine is not very… fond of you. She sees you as a threat to Chase’s career and she’s pissed the fuck off at Chase for bringing you on as his PA. So, no, you are not going to meet with Katherine and there’s no negotiating that.”
For some reason, this piece of information disturbed me more than having to pretend to be in love with Teddy. I guess I had been under the illusion that Katherine and I would one day meet and she would thank me for taking care of her dear friend Chase. I never imagined she could hate me.
“Hey, if it makes you feel any better, it took her more than three years to warm up to Chase. And she still hates him most days.”
“What’s wrong with her?” I blurted before I could stop myself.
Teddy glared at me. “There’s nothing wrong with her. In fact, you might want to take a page from her book and tone down the makeup, maybe try to at least appear a little less escort-ish .”
“Excuse me? The campaign stylist told me to do my makeup like this. You’re an asshole!”
“Well, that’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me.”
I shot up from the carpet and marched to the bathroom where my phone lay on the counter. I hit Chase’s number and he picked up immediately.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, and the sound of his voice immediately calmed me.
“I can’t do this,” I said, as Teddy entered the bathroom.
“Look, I’m sorry. That makeup