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“What did you do?” I asked.
“Technically, Connor started everything when he invited us to Port Clinton,” he countered.
“What did you do?” I repeated a little more seriously.
“It turns out Heather’s dad owns a few condo complexes in Port Clinton . . .” Bryson allowed me to process his words while Jared laughed more behind me. “And she and her roommates will be there at the same time we will be.”
I chuckled. “You’re both idiots.” My eyes flicked between Jared and Bryson. When Bryson’s wide eyes were replaced with a cocky grin, I knew he was telling the truth. I threw my arms in the air, and my voice grew louder. “Why the fuck would you invite the gang of girls that together we both have slept with?”
Bryson mimicked my body language and cocked his head. “Too many people are going for us to fit in Connor’s place. I remembered that Heather had some property out there, and she was the first person who came to mind. It was one of the many things she babbled about while you tuned her out.”
“The first person?” I repeated. “And there were no other options? Man, we all tune Heather out, don't act like you don’t.”
“No one was trying to pay for a place,” Jared added. “Now more people can go. It’ll be fun.”
Bryson smiled and headed toward his bedroom. “It’s all good, man.”
Jared hopped off the couch and unwrapped the gift my mom had sent. He bit into a strawberry with an amused look on his face.
“I’m going down for a workout,” I said. I had only been home for ten minutes, and I already felt like I needed a breather. I ran into my room to change, and when I came out, Bryson and Jared each had a fresh strawberry in their hand. They stared at me, and we all broke into the same grin.
“Unbelievable.” I shut the front door behind me.
Chapter48
Maci
February 2016
I could hearDavid Nail’s “Let it Rain” as soon as I made it to the second floor of the apartment building. I cringed as I unlocked my door and wasn’t surprised to find Chase sitting on the couch.
“Chase!” I yelled over the music. He looked over the couch and sat up when he saw me. He shot me a small smile and turned down the sappy lyrics.
I plopped down on the couch next to him and stared at him innocently. “You have been doing this for two whole days now. Can we finally talk about it?”
Chase sat his tumbler down and ran his hands over his face. “Can I take a shower first?”
I gestured toward the bathroom. “By all means.”
As soon as the water went on in the bathroom, I scurried around the living room to tidy up. I cleared all of the empty take-out boxes and beer cans and filled up an entire trash bag. It was obnoxious how much shit had been left lying around. Katie and I were both very clean people, and it was painful to see our shared living space taken over by someone in Chase’s state. I dusted the coffee table and sprayed the couch with Febreze before I sank into the fresh-smelling cushions. It looked like a brand-new room.
I replayed Jaxon’s advice in my head one more time to prepare my dialogue. Hanging out with him at the bar was exactly what I needed before this moment. He made me feel calm and put together even when my world was falling apart. Being with him was easy, and even though he had only dropped me off a few minutes ago, I already missed being around him. I took a deep breath and kept myself focused on the task at hand.
When Chase emerged from the bathroom, he was in basketball shorts, a Henley, and his hair was styled with gel. He looked like a version of himself that I recognized.
“Nice to see you again,” I said gently and sat up a little when he took the seat next to me. I brought my legs to my chest, and he placed a hand on my kneecap.
“I’m sorry I’ve been such a buzzkill. I know you and Katie have your own stuff going on, and you don’t need to be involved in my shit. I’ll be outta here tonight,” he assured me and rested his feet on the coffee table.
“Chase, I'm not kicking you out,” I said sternly, and a puzzled look crossed over his face. “I’m trying to understand what is going on.”
His hand dropped from my knee, and he rested his hands in his lap. I imagined it was hard trying to start a story in which you were the bad guy. My heart sank as I watched the skin around his eyes turn soft. I knew he was hurting.
“What happened with Trey?” I pressed.
“I was at one of my work events,” Chase began, and I sat back to listen. “Trey and I have been rocky for a while, Mace. It’s like we both became adults and once we left college, we had to get serious about boring shit like bills and where each of us would be for work. I would look at myself in the mirror and try to see glimpses of who I used to be when we were together in college, and I couldn’t see it.”
He dragged a hand down his face. My eyebrows knit together as I processed his words. My shoulders fell, and I pictured Chase in his beautiful three-story condo with Trey, both avoiding each other because they were unhappy. It was the total opposite of what they presented when they had an audience.
