down, forced herself to walk up the porch steps to the front door, where Chase sat looking like a poor, abandoned puppy.
âUhâ¦waiting for you.â
âWhy?â
âIâ¦I had a fight with my parents after dinner and had to get out for a while.â
âYouâve been sitting here that long?â
Chase shrugged. âI donât know. Maybe. Well, first, I hid in the garage for an hour and pounded nails. Then I came here. That was long enough ago to freeze my ass off.â
âPounded nails?â
He gave her half a laugh. âYeah, I do that to channel my âexcess rage.ââ He quoted the psychobabble with an exaggerated eye-roll.
âDoes it work?â
He blinked. âUmâ¦yeah, it kinda does.â He climbed slowly to his feet, wincing as he stretched.
Jesus, he must be frostbitten by now. She dug her keys out of her pocket. âWhy didnât you go to Baileyâs?â She would not look at him. She would not let him see how much it hurt her to see him with Bailey.
Chase frowned. âIâ¦I didnât think about it. I justâ¦wanted to come here. Can I come in?â
Didnât think about it . She whipped her head up at that. And then the rest of his question penetrated her Green Envy brain. He wanted to come in? Red alert! She swallowed hard and nodded. âI guess. For a few minutes.â
She unlocked the door, shoved it open, and flipped on a light in the living room. The clock on the wall said it was 10:00 p.m. Her mother wouldnât be back for hours yet.
Not good.
She tossed the bag of candy on the garage sale coffee table that sheâd covered in red paint and peeled off her hoodie. âUm, you can sit down.â She sat on the chair well away from the sofa.
Chase sat with a loud sigh, angling his body to face her chair. He filled damn near half the couch that way, his long legs stretched in front of him. He rubbed his hands together to warm them. She should make him hot cocoa or something. If she did, heâd want to stay.
She remained in her chair.
âUmâ¦so how was work tonight?â
âUmââ Meg looked at her hands and tried to force words out of a throat that had suddenly formed a lump. âNot so good, I guess, since it was my last night.â She gulped.
Chase shifted in a blur, leaned forward, his hands hanging through the gap between his knees. The expression in his eyes went from weary to worried in a microsecond. âThey let you go? So soon? That sucks. I mean, I figured theyâd keep you on until the end, you know?â
âYeah.â She folded into herself, tried to stay positive. âIâm sure Iâll find something else.â
âWell, yeah, duh. Youâre a good worker.â
Her lips twisted into a sneer. âAnd how do you know that?â
âI know you.â
Her amusement disappeared.
He waited a moment and then made a sound of frustration. âMegan, why do you always do that?â He flung himself back against the cushions.
âWhat?â
âThat.â He retorted, waving a hand in the air between them. âLook uncomfortable whenever I say something nice.â
âIâm not uncomfortable.â She straightened her spine.
âYeah, right. You donât even want me in here. Youâre so uncomfortable you had to sit across the room from me. God! Itâs like you actually think Iâm gonna attack you or something.â
Megâs mouth hung open for a moment. âUmâ¦Iâm sorry. I didnât mean to make you uncomfortable.â Jeez, how did her life get to be this soap opera?
Chase flung his head back and shut his eyes. âMegan, I came here because I needed a friend to talk to.â He lifted his head and met her confused gaze. âYouâre the only person I feel comfortable talking with. I just wish you felt that way about me.â He finished with a shrug, his eyes a storm of
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