Chapter 22
Chase and I linger silently in the empty meeting room at LMC Talent Agency. Everybody stood, shook hands, and smiled before they left. The studio is expecting a hefty return in their new superhero franchise and seeing Chase here sober and enthusiastic satisfied them all. He’s all set and ready to make them billions. That’s all they care about.
To my surprise, Chase sat back down after everyone left. He slumped in his seat, arms crossed as he stared out the window at the view of Hollywood. We drove separately, but no way I was going to leave my best friend like this.
I’ve been staring at the clock, knocking my thumb lightly against the extra-long glass meeting table, waiting for him to speak. But finally, when I can’t take it any longer, I break the silence. “The promo tour will be grueling, but the filming schedule is reasonable. Most of it is scheduled in the U.S., so you stay closer to home, which you wanted, right?” I ask Chase.
He looks at me out of the corner of his eye. “That was for Noa’s benefit. I guess it’s no longer necessary.”
“Are you thinking about her?” I ask.
“I’m always thinking about her.” Chase gestures to the empty table. “This whole deal, all the money, all the positive publicity, it’s all because of her. I want to thank her. I want to celebrate with her. But she asked me not to call.”
It’s been nearly two months since they broke up and my friend looks worse for wear. He’s not using drugs, women, or parties to numb the pain. He’s letting himself feel it all, and it’s showing.
“You can’t call her as a friend?”
“She thinks space will help her get over me faster.” Chase lets out a humorless laugh that sounds more like he’s choking. “How fucked up is that? She’s working so hard to forget me, and yet I’m going to think about her every day for the rest of my life.”
“So go get her, man,” I say, patting Chase on the back. “It’s been two months. The shock is over. I’m sure she’s missing you, too. You didn’t cheat on her. There’s nothing between you and Kayla. You’re just being a good dad. And Noa’s not faulting you for that. She just wants you to be the best version of yourself. That right there is a woman who loves you.”
He looks at me from the corner of his eyes. “And how do you know so much about what Noa thinks?”
“Uh…”
Chase scoffs. “Yeah, I know who you call ‘baby,’ just so you know.”
“No, you don’t.”
Chase pivots in his chair, facing me and widening his eyes. “Uh, yeah. I do. Red hair, buggy green eyes, large breasts… Ring a bell?”
I clear my throat. “Nope.”
Chase rolls his eyes. “Amani Rhodes is your freaking screensaver. You’re not slick.”
Dammit.I forgot my screensaver is on a changing camera roll. I vaguely remember Amani and me taking a few selfies together. “Why are you looking at my phone?” I ask, trying to deflect.
“Why are you lying to your best friend?”
Flipping over my phone, I check my notifications. Not a word. I’m sure if Amani had good news, I’d have a text message with the confetti effect by now. This time, I wish my gut feeling wasn’t so accurate, but something tells me Amani is alone, sad, and needs me. I need to wrap this conversation up.
“I don’t think she wants to make a big deal out of us in case things don’t work out. Plus, I didn’t want to make you feel worse by dating one of your ex’s best friends.”
Chase runs his hand down his face. “You don’t need to worry about me, Adam. I’ll be okay. Plus, I have this theory.”
“Being?”
“For a long time, especially back while I was dating Kayla, I was a bad guy—”
“You were never a bad guy, Chase. You were caught up in the industry, a little too fond of cocaine, and hopelessly in love with a wrecking ball of a woman who made cheating on you a sport. Sure, you coped with all the pressure and pain in reckless ways, but I’ve never seen you be cruel to another human being.”
“I was cruel to myself,” Chase says softly. “I didn’t do the things that fed my soul. I did the things that financed my career. There has to be a balance, you know?”
I nod along. “Sure.”
“Family is everything to Noa. So all I can do is try to earn her by being worthy of her. My daughter deserves a dad who is excited that she exists, not regretful. Regardless of who her mother is, that’s my baby, and I’ll spend the rest of my life protecting her and putting her needs first. Right now, that means making sure her mother makes it through this pregnancy safely. I’m trying to live like Noa would want me to. Maybe that will bring her back. And if not, at least I’ll know she made me a better person.”
I know Chase isn’t trying to accuse me, but his heartfelt explanation makes me feel instantly guilty. Eight years ago, I didn’t do what was best for my little banana. I coped with my heartbreak by anger and resentment. It never occurred to me to put what was best for Liv and the baby first. She betrayed me in the worst way, and all I felt was fury, not empathy.
“Kayla’s almost seven months along now, right?”
Chase shrugs. “Something like that. They count pregnancy months weird. Month one is before you even have sex—I don’t know. All I know is Kayla’s hips are hurting because she’s so little and the baby is getting really big. She’s having trouble sleeping. Jay brought her a walker thing to get around, and Cici bought some heating pads and rubs her back. For hating Kayla, you guys sure are supportive.”
“We support you, Chase.” I smirk at him. “Which is why I stopped calling Kayla the spawn of Satan.”
He laughs. “I’m sure she appreciates that.”
“There’s a pregnancy pillow that worked wonders for Liv. If her hips are hurting now, it’s likely she’s going to develop pelvic girdle pain. The pillow will help her get some rest.”
“Thanks, man,” Chase says, eyeing me cautiously, no doubt because I’ve probably mentioned Liv no more than five times in the past eight years. “I forgot how much you know about this stuff.”
“Can I ask you a question—man to man?”
“What’s up?”
“Was I wrong to leave Liv the way I did?”
Chase draws in a deep breath, then exhales. He reaches for the hat he’s not wearing. It’s his tell. He always pulls down the bill of his hat to cover his eyes when he has to say something uncomfortable.
There’s a small knock on the door before it creaks open. Ally, LMC’s receptionist, is red-faced and looks out of breath. “Adam, Chase, I’m sorry, but there’s another big meeting in here in five. I think the Sunset Bay room is open, though, if you need more time?”
“We were just leaving,” I respond. “We’ll be out in five.”
“Thank you,” she whispers and shuts the door behind her.
“Just say it, man. I can take it,” I instruct Chase.
“Well, it’s almost been a decade. When you think about it now, how do you feel?”
My eyes fall to the table, scanning the glass for fingerprint smudges. “Guilty,” I finally say. “Like I abandoned my kid.”
Chase nods. “I don’t think you did anything wrong with Liv. She cheated, then you left. But I think you loved that baby, even if she wasn’t yours.”
I hang my head as my stomach twists. A tight ball forms in my gut. “Her name is Summer, by the way. Liv’s cousin told me.”
Chase screws up his face. “Wait, wasn’t that your—”
“Yeah,” I say, matching his incredulousness. “Thank you for that reaction. Fucked up, right? She used my pick.”
Chase rises, scooting his chair out. “Want to call Jay, Mark, and Cici? Let’s go grab a beer or something. It’s been a while since we had a guys’ night.”
I stand as well, my chair screeching as it drags against the marble floor. “You want to invite Cici to a guys’ night?”
“She’s an honorary dude.”
I laugh as we head to the door. “Don’t tell her that unless you want to get punched in the throat. And anyway, I can’t. I have to get to Amani’s. Please don’t tell anyone about that, by the way.” I pause as I reach for the door handle. “Especially not Noa. Amani will kill me.”
Chase clasps his hand around my shoulder. “Believe me, if Noa were to take my call, you’d be the last thing we’d speak about.”
“Fair enough.”
Chase lets out a long exhale as he trails behind me down the long hallway, past all the executive offices. “It’s Friday, though. I know exactly what she’s doing.”
“What’s that?” I ask over my shoulder as we head to the elevators. Chase beats me to the button, pressing the down arrow. Funny, this is the exact spot I met Noa almost five months ago.
“Noa, Amani, and the rest of their friends have this long-standing tradition. Every Friday night, they get together and order these tasty curry pastry things. Samosas, I think? They make that wine with the fruit in it—”
“Sangria?” I ask.
“Yep. Then they watch reruns of Sex and the City. Except they don’t really watch it. They put it on in the background and talk over the show. Every single Friday night.” Chase laughs. “When I was living with Noa, I’d hide upstairs. There’s only so much Mr. Big drama a man can take, you know?”
I laugh to myself, picturing Chase at a girls’ night as the elevator doors open and we step in. Noa must’ve really had him whipped.
“I wonder why Amani never mentioned it.”
“Well, she’s the odd man out living in L.A. now. They’re cult-like about their Friday nights, though. I’m sure she misses it,” Chase says.
And just like that, in case it’s bad news…
I know how to cheer my girl up on a Friday night.