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I’m nearly running across the hall, flinging myself into my suite to escape the awkwardness. My hands slide down my face. Running into Atlas is the least of my concerns.
Chase will awake soon. I can only imagine how he’ll react, finding me gone from his bed. He’s going to be pissed, maybe hurt, and I don’t want to hurt him. I’ll take full responsibility for my actions last night, but I think it’s best if I avoid Chase for the moment.
A low buzz has me nearly jumping out of my skin. I look to where my cell sits on my nightstand and see it’s lit with a text notification.
Has Chase woken up and discovered I was gone already?
Hesitantly, I pick up my phone, groaning when I see who the sender is.
*Simone, love. Call me. This silent treatment has been going on for nearly a month. Give me the chance to explain myself.*
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Piss off already, Trent.”
I toss my phone back on my nightstand, ignoring Trent’s text like I’ve done every day since I left California. There’s enough on my plate as is without adding Trent’s pathetic groveling to the mix.
A shower sounds like a perfect distraction from my current situation. I stalk off to my en suite bathroom to do just that. I take my time, letting the steam from the scalding water fill me with a sense of peace—the calm before the storm.
What am I going to say to Chase? How can I gently tell him I’m not ready for another committed relationship?
I’ve finished drying my body, wrapping myself in my robe, when I hear a rapid knocking on my door.
“Shit,” I whisper.
“Simone, baby. Let me in,” Chase pleads on the other side of my suite’s door.
My eyes sting with salty tears, anticipating the hurt that lies ahead. I muffle my cry with my hands, but not fast enough.
“Numbers? Are you crying? Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” I choke out. “You did nothing wrong. It’s me. I did something wrong.”
I swear I can hear him panting on the other side of the door. “Don’t you dare say last night was a mistake.”
“It was,” I croak. “I shouldn’t have slept with you when I’m not ready to move on. It’s not fair to you.”
The handle rattles, but it’s locked. He can’t get in unless he has a key, which I hope he doesn’t. You never know with these bikers—they’re pretty territorial with the women they love.
Love.Chase said he loved me. I can’t deal with that, not while I’m still grieving for a life I once loved.
“Fuck Trent. He doesn’t deserve your tears, your thoughts, or your time. You deserve happiness. I want to give it to you. Let me in, Numbers.”
Let him in.I know he doesn’t just mean in my suite. He wants in my heart, mind, and soul. If I give in, Chase will work himself into every crevice of my body until we’re fused together as one.
It’s too much. Too soon.
“Chase, I need time. It’s not for him, but for me. I need to grieve before I can fully commit to anyone else.”
“You don’t need to fully commit to me yet,” Chase chokes in a louder voice, emotions getting the best of him. “I’ll take whatever you’ll give me till you’re ready. Don’t shut us down.”
“Chase, don’t say that. You’re worthy of so much more than a half-commitment.”
I don’t blame him for being hurt. I’d be hurt, too, if the situation was reversed. Hell, I am hurting. I can’t undo what I’ve done. The best I can do is stop whatever this is before I do more damage.
Tears are tumbling like torrents down my face. “I won’t use you, Chase. You deserve better than what I can give. You deserve a woman who’ll invest one hundred percent of herself.”
There’s a slap against the wall, probably from him. “I don’t want any other woman. I’ve had them. I’m done with them. You’re the one I want, have since the moment I laid eyes on you fucking months ago!” he shouts.
The rooms may be soundproof, but the doors are not. He’s bound to attract attention. I don’t want others knowing our business, but I can’t exactly reason with Chase after having ditched him.
