Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chase
Fuck. I wasn’t sure how I felt about my father making Kinsley a permanent fixture here.
I did like seeing her every day, but when things between us start to go bad, it was going to be awkward.
The feelings I’d developed for her over the past month were getting to me.
I found myself always wanting to be with her.
My mind wouldn’t stop thinking about her, even when she was right down the hall.
I was actually looking forward to her time here being up because the less I saw of her, the sooner I could let us drift apart.
I figured my father had forgotten what he told me a few weeks ago about creating a position at Calloway Tech for her.
He never mentioned it after that day. Shit.
“Lexi, in my office, please,” I spoke as I walked past her desk.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Have a seat. Kinsley told me that my dad permanently hired her to be his secretary.”
“What? What about Audrey?”
“Apparently, she’s moving to New York with Dustin.”
“Oh. Good for Kinsley.” She smiled.
“It’s not a good idea, and now I don’t know what to do.”
“About what?” she asked.
“About her.”
“I’m lost here, Chase.” She shook her head.
I let out a long sigh. “I was going to slowly let things fade between us when she left.”
“Why?” Her eye narrowed at me.
“Because we’ve been sleeping together for too long now. We work together and see each other every day. It’s hard to forget about her when she’s sitting right down the hall.”
“So, what you’re saying is out of sight, out of mind?”
“Exactly!” I pointed at her. “How can I end things now that she’s going to be working here full-time?”
“Why would you want to end things?” she asked.
“Because I feel like we’re getting too close. I brought her chicken soup last night to her house. The other night when she stayed over, she left a few things in the bathroom. When I told her she left them, she said to leave them there for when she stayed over again.”
Kinsley
I walked over to Lexi’s desk to tell her the great news, but she was in with Chase.
I started to walk away until I heard my name.
The door was slightly ajar, so I carefully listened.
Tears started to fill my eyes when I heard the things Chase said.
The sick feeling in my belly intensified, and my heart started racing.
I couldn’t listen anymore, so I went to my desk and composed myself the best I could.
The feeling was too deep, and it sent me to the bathroom, where I vomited in the toilet a couple of times.
When I returned to my desk, Lexi walked over.
“Hey.” She smiled. “These are for Mr. Calloway to sign.”
“Thanks. I’ll give them to him.” I gave her a small smile.
“Are you okay?” she asked with concern.
“Yeah. I’m great. I was going to walk over and see you. Audrey isn’t coming back, and Mr. Calloway offered me her job.”
“Oh my God, Kinsley. I’m so happy!” She hugged me. “You accepted it, right?”
“Yeah. I did.”
“Let’s celebrate tonight. Dinner and drinks on me.”
“Maybe another night. I’m still not feeling well.”
“Oh. Okay. Another night it is, then.”
The workday was finally over, and I couldn’t wait to get home. The words Chase spoke went round and round in my mind like a carousel, and all I wanted to do was take a relaxing hot bath, get in my pajamas, curl up on the couch, and binge-watch something.
I arrived home after being stuck in traffic for over an hour due to an accident, threw my keys down on the table, and started the bath water.
I stepped into the bubbly tub and sank down until the water reached my neck.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax until Chase crept into my head.
Tears started streaming down my face as I recalled the conversation I heard earlier.
The way he was slowly going to let things fade once I left Calloway Tech, how we were getting too close, and the big deal he made about me leaving a few things at his house.
Once again, my heart broke in two. I hated myself for getting involved with him.
I knew better. I told myself that he would hurt me at some point, but I could handle it.
Was this handling it? Sitting in a bathtub crying my eyes out?
I climbed out of the tub, dried off, and slipped into my pajamas.
Walking into the kitchen, I grabbed a gallon of chocolate ice cream from the freezer and a spoon from the drawer and took it over to the couch, where I started binge-watching Sex and The City, Season One.
I’d seen it a million times, but it was always my go-to series when I was heartbroken.
As I made my way to the halfway point in the carton of ice cream, my phone dinged with a text message from Chase.
“Hey. I was thinking I could come over tonight. What do you say?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not feeling well.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. Do you need anything? I can bring you something.”
“No. I have everything I need.”
“Okay. Get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I didn’t reply back, and he was never coming over again. I was ending our whatever the fuck you wanted to call it, and letting it fade, just like he wanted it to.
The next morning, I woke up sick again. I attributed it to the gallon of ice cream I ate before bed. Like the past two mornings, I vomited, got dressed, tried not to think about how crappy I felt, and headed to work.
“Good morning, beautiful.” Chase smiled as he stopped by my desk. “How are you feeling?”
“Like crap. Thanks for asking,” I spoke with a hint of attitude in my tone.
“Still? Maybe you should go see a doctor.”
“So he can tell me I have a virus and to let it run its course? No thanks.”
“Somebody is moody today,” he spoke.
“Is there something you needed, Chase? I have a lot of work to do.”
“No. I just stopped by to see how you were.”
“You could have just texted me,” I spoke.
“Perhaps I should have.” He shot me a look. “Have a good day, Miss Davis.”
“You too, Mr. Calloway.”
Chase
What the hell was her problem? I went into my office and threw my phone across my desk.
“Good morning, boss.” Lexi smiled as she walked into my office and set my coffee on the desk.
“What’s so good about it?” I growled.
“Whoa. What’s your problem this morning?”
“Why don’t you ask, Kinsley, what her problem is?”
“I’m sensing the two of you had a fight,” she spoke.
“I texted her last night and told her I was thinking about coming over. She said no and that she wasn’t feeling well. I just stopped by her desk to see how she was feeling, and she had an attitude. She told me I could have texted her instead of walking over.”
Lexi snickered.
“Really?” I cocked my head.
“Sorry. She hasn’t been feeling good. Cut her some slack.”
“Then she needs to go to the doctor,” I spoke.
“That’s not for you to decide. It’s her decision.”
“She doesn’t have to take it out on me because she doesn’t feel good.”
“Just let her be, Chase.”
“Trust me, I am.” I picked up my coffee cup and took a sip.
Kinsley had an attitude with me many times before. But this time, it was different.