Read Online Finding Chase (Chasing Nikki) by Lacey Weatherford - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lacey Weatherford
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My thoughts continued to eat at me as I drove my truck down the now-familiar route to my apartment. I parked in the numbered space reserved for my vehicle and grabbed my duffle bag from the passenger seat before I hopped out.
I slowly made my way up the stairs, pausing on the top step of the second floor landing when I saw Brittney sitting on my doorstep. She was staring at me, and I couldn’t read the expression on her face.
“Hey, Britt. How are you?” I asked, my mouth going dry. Even dressed casually in shorts and a t-shirt with her hair pulled back, she was still extremely pretty.
She stood without speaking and opened the door to my apartment, going inside. I followed after—so much for avoiding her. She didn’t look too happy. Instantly I worried maybe something had happened with Matt while I was gone.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, tossing my stuff on the floor when she flopped down onto the couch. I sat in the chair to her left—distance was a good thing. “Brett called and said you were all going to dinner. What happened?”
She sighed as she toyed with the frayed edge of her cutoff shorts. “I asked them to leave me behind when they said you weren’t coming. I’m tired of being the third wheel tagging along with them all the time. Things aren’t as fun when you aren’t there.”
I hadn’t considered that when I’d been ditching her. I hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable.
She looked up, her expression hurt. “Why are you avoiding me?”
I didn’t know what to say.
“I’ve gone over things in my head a billion times, trying to figure out how I might have offended you, and I can’t think of anything,” she continued. “Something is different, and it has been ever since you spent the night with me. I mean, I understand if the whole argument with Matt put you off, and you don’t want to be caught in the middle of it, but he hasn’t tried to call me since then. Brett says there haven’t been any issues at practice, so I’m not sure what else is going on. You took off this weekend without asking the rest of us if we wanted a ride home, and then you backed out of dinner as soon as you returned. There’s no way you’re that tired. You spent half of last week holed up in your room sleeping. You didn’t do anything with us.”
She stopped, clearly waiting for me to say something.
“Sorry, Britt. I’ve had some things I’ve been trying to work through. I didn’t mean to upset you.” I took my ball cap off and rubbed my head, knowing I was making a bigger mess of things.
“I told you that you could come talk to me about things. You seemed so much better, and then all of a sudden you’re avoiding us again. Why can’t you talk to me like before? I want to help. That’s what friends do for each other.”
I grunted in frustration, more of a feeble attempt to laugh really. “I know, and I appreciate it. This was just something I needed to try and figure out on my own.”
“Did you?” she asked.
“Did I what?”
“Get it figured out?”
I stared, my gaze resting on her appealing mouth before I quickly looked down, only to find it settling on the rest of her perfectly curved form. “No, I didn’t,” I replied with a sigh as I slumped in the chair. I was clearly attracted to her. I’d been happy for one second when I’d seen her there, on the doorstep. This was extremely irritating. I couldn’t feel this way. Her friendship was invaluable right now. I didn’t want to mess it up by coming on to her. Hell, I wasn’t sure if she liked me at all. Plus, I felt like I was cheating on Nikki in the worst way by entertaining these ideas in my head.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” She appeared truly concerned.
I gave a wry smile and chuckled mostly to myself. “Nope. I think you’re . . . you’re doing good just like you are.” Sitting up quickly, I patted her on the knee in what I hoped was a reassuring gesture and got up, grabbing my bag off the
My thoughts continued to eat at me as I drove my truck down the now-familiar route to my apartment. I parked in the numbered space reserved for my vehicle and grabbed my duffle bag from the passenger seat before I hopped out.
I slowly made my way up the stairs, pausing on the top step of the second floor landing when I saw Brittney sitting on my doorstep. She was staring at me, and I couldn’t read the expression on her face.
“Hey, Britt. How are you?” I asked, my mouth going dry. Even dressed casually in shorts and a t-shirt with her hair pulled back, she was still extremely pretty.
She stood without speaking and opened the door to my apartment, going inside. I followed after—so much for avoiding her. She didn’t look too happy. Instantly I worried maybe something had happened with Matt while I was gone.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, tossing my stuff on the floor when she flopped down onto the couch. I sat in the chair to her left—distance was a good thing. “Brett called and said you were all going to dinner. What happened?”
She sighed as she toyed with the frayed edge of her cutoff shorts. “I asked them to leave me behind when they said you weren’t coming. I’m tired of being the third wheel tagging along with them all the time. Things aren’t as fun when you aren’t there.”
I hadn’t considered that when I’d been ditching her. I hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable.
She looked up, her expression hurt. “Why are you avoiding me?”
I didn’t know what to say.
“I’ve gone over things in my head a billion times, trying to figure out how I might have offended you, and I can’t think of anything,” she continued. “Something is different, and it has been ever since you spent the night with me. I mean, I understand if the whole argument with Matt put you off, and you don’t want to be caught in the middle of it, but he hasn’t tried to call me since then. Brett says there haven’t been any issues at practice, so I’m not sure what else is going on. You took off this weekend without asking the rest of us if we wanted a ride home, and then you backed out of dinner as soon as you returned. There’s no way you’re that tired. You spent half of last week holed up in your room sleeping. You didn’t do anything with us.”
She stopped, clearly waiting for me to say something.
“Sorry, Britt. I’ve had some things I’ve been trying to work through. I didn’t mean to upset you.” I took my ball cap off and rubbed my head, knowing I was making a bigger mess of things.
“I told you that you could come talk to me about things. You seemed so much better, and then all of a sudden you’re avoiding us again. Why can’t you talk to me like before? I want to help. That’s what friends do for each other.”
I grunted in frustration, more of a feeble attempt to laugh really. “I know, and I appreciate it. This was just something I needed to try and figure out on my own.”
“Did you?” she asked.
“Did I what?”
“Get it figured out?”
I stared, my gaze resting on her appealing mouth before I quickly looked down, only to find it settling on the rest of her perfectly curved form. “No, I didn’t,” I replied with a sigh as I slumped in the chair. I was clearly attracted to her. I’d been happy for one second when I’d seen her there, on the doorstep. This was extremely irritating. I couldn’t feel this way. Her friendship was invaluable right now. I didn’t want to mess it up by coming on to her. Hell, I wasn’t sure if she liked me at all. Plus, I felt like I was cheating on Nikki in the worst way by entertaining these ideas in my head.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” She appeared truly concerned.
I gave a wry smile and chuckled mostly to myself. “Nope. I think you’re . . . you’re doing good just like you are.” Sitting up quickly, I patted her on the knee in what I hoped was a reassuring gesture and got up, grabbing my bag off the
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