Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chase ducked down a hallway and rested his back against the fancy wallpaper. The Foster-Grant residence was possibly the biggest house he’d ever been inside. It felt more like a hotel than a private home. There were paintings and thick rugs and vases that probably belonged in a museum.
But it had plenty of places to hide, which was exactly what he needed right now.
There were only a few minutes left before Max and Lana’s ceremony would begin. But Chase had already had enough of this event. There was wedding stuff everywhere. Flowers, champagne, music being played by a string quartet. And people asking him nonstop about Ruby.
Any minute Ruby herself would appear. Probably looking stunning, maybe with her hair braided around her head like it had been on their wedding day…
There was no rational reason today’s event should be so much harder than seeing her anywhere else. But it was. Chase’s thumb pushed at the wedding band on his finger.
Footsteps approached. Devon passed by, and he stopped and backtracked when he saw Chase.
“I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Almost time for the ceremony,” Chase said. “Aren’t you supposed to be outside? They can’t start without the best—” He stopped when he saw the look on Devon’s face.
“You had sex with Ruby.”
It was not a question. Fuck.
This was not a conversation he wanted to have right now. But he wasn’t going to deny it.
“I did.”
“Unbelievable.” Devon closed his eyes, and the muscle in his jaw twitched.
“Can we talk about this later? Please?”
“No. I want to know why my best friend lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie.”
Devon paced back and forth across the hall, hands on his hips. “You said there was nothing between you and Ruby. And that there never would be.”
“At the time I said that, I thought it was true.”
“But then you conveniently changed your mind?”
Chase shrugged. What could he say? I didn’t think anything would happen, but I really, really wanted it to.
“I didn’t expect anything to happen between us. When it did, Ruby asked me not to tell you, but I wouldn’t have anyway. Because it’s not your business. I’m sorry, Dev, but it’s not.”
“But you hurt her. That makes it my business.”
“I didn’t hurt her.”
“Then why does she say you did?”
Those words knocked the breath out of him.
Ruby had said he’d hurt her?
“When did she say that?”
Devon pointed down the opposite hall. “Just now. Five minutes ago. She was talking to Aurora, but I overheard her. Ruby said she felt confused and hurt after what happened between you.”
“I didn’t know,” he choked out.
Why would she have said that?
Every time he’d seen Ruby the past few days, she’d seemed fine. She’d acted so easygoing that it had made Chase all the more convinced their relationship—if you could even call it that—hadn’t meant anything to her.
Had there been something wrong, and she’d been hiding it? Was it possible he just hadn’t seen it?
It killed Chase to think she was hurting because of him.
Devon shoved his hand through his hair. “Just tell me you weren’t a dick to her. Please tell me, whatever happened between you, that she got hurt because of some misunderstanding and not you treating her like shit like her ex did.”
“I would never treat her that way.” Chase was pissed Devon would think him capable of that.
Pissed at his friend for a lot of reasons, in fact.
“But don’t act like you’d be okay with it if I’d asked your permission, or if I’d done anything differently.
You’ve never thought I would be good enough for Ruby.
And I get it. You went to West Point. You were a Ranger.
You’re a bodyguard for a company that serves billionaire clients. And I’m…not.”
Devon stared at him, shaking his head. “You think I look down on you? Are you kidding?”
“I’m not jealous or any kind of nonsense like that. But I know I’m right.”
Chase was happy with his career. He was proud of what he’d accomplished, despite never being enough in his father’s eyes. Unlike Chase’s dad, Devon had never overtly put Chase down. But the hints were there.
“I’m good enough to be your best friend, but not when it comes to your sister.”
Devon leaned against the wall opposite him.
“When I moved to West Oaks, I’d just lost my twin brother.
I’d lost my career because my mom asked me to leave the army.
And Ruby had just given birth, which meant I needed to support her and Haley plus my mom.
The stress was eating me alive. And that’s when I met you. Sparring that day at the gym.”
“I remember. You practically knocked me out.”
A smile pulled at the corner of Devon’s mouth. “I had a little pent-up aggression. But after that, your friendship got me through. And when I was protecting Aurora, you were there backing me up. When I say you’re my brother, that means something. You’re my family.”
“You’re family to me, too. I’d never want to mess that up.”
“Neither do I. That’s why I was so shocked by what I just heard from Ruby. But if you say it’s a misunderstanding, then I believe you. There’s nobody I trust more than you.”
Chase nodded, looking down at the ornate pattern on the carpet. “But would you be okay with Ruby and me being together?”
“If that’s what you both want, and you’re serious about it, then of course. It still seems weird to me, but I can get over it. You have feelings for her?”
Chase’s throat tried to close on the confession, but he pushed out the words. “I’m in love with her. I’ve been in love with her for almost a year.” He took a breath, then let it out.
“You’ve been holding that in for a year?”
“Yep.” It had felt good to say. Also terrible. But mostly good. “I don’t know what Ruby wants, though. I thought we were just friends, but now I have no idea.”
She’d said she felt hurt. But Chase didn’t know what that meant.
“You could ask her.”
“That would probably be the mature thing to do. Instead of torturing myself over it.”
“No, I mean you could ask her. Right now.” Devon tipped his head, and Chase turned.
Ruby was standing in the mouth of the hallway. “Devon, they’re looking for you. It’s time for the ceremony.”
Her brother looked at his watch. “Crap, I’m late. Is Aurora out there?”
“Yep, and she’s getting pissed.”
“I’m gonna go.” Devon ran down the hall, then turned around. “Could the two of you talk? Please?”
Chase was holding his breath. When his best friend had gone, he faced her.
Ruby did look stunning, though her hair was loose instead of braided. She’d worn a pale blue sundress. It hugged her curves. He wanted to kiss every inch of exposed skin.
“Hi,” Chase said.
“You’re in love with me?”
So she was diving right in. Of course she was. “You heard.”
“Let me guess. My brother came running after he overheard my private conversation with Aurora? I’m sorry about that. I would never have told him about us.”
“That doesn’t matter.” Chase rubbed his eyes, then dropped his hand. “Ruby, I’m so sorry for hurting you.”
“Is that what Devon said?”
“That’s what he heard you say.”
“He’s an idiot.”
“You’re not hurt?”
“Well…I am.”
His stomach twisted a little more.
After Chase’s mom had left, his father had blamed everybody else. Chase refused to be that kind of man.
But in some ways, he had been acting like his father. Not mean or bitter. But underneath his dad’s cruel exterior, there was probably fear.
Chase had been scared of telling Ruby how he felt, and he hadn’t even admitted that to himself until right now.
“I’m in love with you,” he said. “I’m sorry I was afraid to tell you. You’ve called me selfless, but I’m not. I want to protect you and Haley because I’d stop breathing if anything ever happened to either of you.”
Ruby opened and closed her mouth a few times. “Wow. Anything else?”
“That’s not enough?”
“You have some momentum going. If you have anything else to confess, this is the moment.”
He started walking toward her. “Okay. I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“And?”
“Coming home to you and Haley every day made me the happiest I’ve ever been.”
“Then why did you leave?”
Chase stopped walking when she was a foot away. “I thought you wanted it to be over. Didn’t you?”
“I didn’t know what I wanted. I was scared, too. I’m scared right now.”
“How can I make it better?”
“If you kiss me.”
“Really?”
She grabbed the lapels of his jacket. “Please, Chase. Don’t make me beg. Just kiss me.”
His mouth collided with hers. And it felt so right. It felt like home.