Brat (13 page)

A tear rolled down my cheek and wet the front of Chase’s shirt. “You’re right,” I said with a sniffle. “It’s the perfect solution. Thank you, Chase.”

“For what?”

“For letting this be an option. It’s your baby, too … I’m not the only one giving something up here.”

Chase stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. “I didn’t let you do anything, we made a decision together. It’s what parents are supposed to do.”

I choked back a sob at the mention of parents. “What am I going to do?” I whispered. “My parents pay for everything—my education, my rent. I need them.”

Chase pulled away a bit and took my face in his hands. “No you don’t,” he insisted. “Come on, where’s that fiery girl I met this summer who doesn’t take shit from anyone? Your dad thinks that taking away his money will break you. He wants you to do things his way and he’s trying to force you by dangling money in front of you. Don’t let him win. You show him that he’s wrong about you. Show him you have what it takes to make it on your own.”

I smiled up at him and nodded. “You’re right. Screw him and his money.”

“That’s right. You don’t need it or him.”

“No,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around his waist. “I don’t need him or anybody. Not when I have you.”

He drew a sharp breath at that. “You do? I mean … of course you know you do, I just mean … you want to have me?”

I grinned up at him and stood on my tiptoes, touching my mouth to his. “Nobody has ever stood up for me the way you did,” I said, nuzzling his nose with the tip of mine. “It made me realize that I’ve been holding back for nothing. I’ve been hurt, Chase, so badly I thought I would never come back from it. I have been afraid ever since, and holding back from being serious about anybody because of that fear. But tonight, you showed me that you would never hurt me. You showed me that you would never let anything else hurt me either, not even my own parents.”

His hands tightened at my waist, pulling me closer. “Of course I wouldn’t,” he said lightly. “You’re my baby mama.”

I laughed, pinching his shoulder playfully. “I’m being serious here.”

He chuckled. “So am I. I was afraid too, you know. When I first came to Austin and made that phone call asking if you wanted us to be something more, I was panicking the whole time. But I knew what I wanted, and that was you.”

We kissed, our lips melding in a perfect meeting of flesh. His tongue invaded my mouth, engaging mine in a sensual slide that left me reeling and dizzy from the sensation. I clung to him, my body pressed tightly to him from chest to hip.

“Well, I guess that means I have to start wooing you now,” he said, his voice low and husky as we pulled apart.

I tugged gently on the unruly curls kissing the nape of his neck. “You’d better start saving up then,” I teased, “because I’m not a cheap date.”

That night we got a room in a hotel on the edge of town. It was too late to drive home and we’d had an eventful day. Nothing was like it was supposed to be, but it was easy to pretend it was after taking a hot shower and hunkering under the covers with Chase. I closed my eyes and let him wrap his arms around me from behind while we lay there, talking about the kind of parents we wanted for little Blob.

“They have to be well off,” I insisted. “Not rich, but still able to give him everything he deserves.”

“They should be Democrats,” he said.

I glared at him over my shoulder. “Seriously?”

He shrugged. “Fine, I’ll take moderate Republicans who care about the environment.”

Shaking my head, I ignored him and moved on. “They should live in a good school district.”

“Pets … the baby should have a pet. But no cats. I instinctively don’t trust them.”

“Agreed. Cats are the spawn of Satan. So, dog people?”

“Dog people for sure, but none of those little rat terrier things. Nothing small enough to fit in a handbag.”

Sitting up, I turned to face him. “What? What’s wrong with a teacup dog? I had a yorkie named Mr. Kensington growing up and I adored him!”

Chase propped himself up on one elbow and gave me a mocking smile. “Did you carry him around in a Coach purse?”

I pushed him, causing him to land on his back and then straddled him, folding my arms over my chest, and staring down at him murderously. “Of course not. He had his own little carrier for when he went to the groomer’s.”

Chase laughed uproariously as if I’d just told him the funniest joke in the world. “That’s just what we need, isn’t it? A miniature version of you walking around with a teacup poodle in a purse.”

“It was a yorkie,” I insisted with a scowl. “And better a spoiled kid with a dog inside of a purse than a self-righteous tree hugger.”

My insult only made Chase laugh harder. “Maybe a nice blend of us both: a tree-hugger who likes fashionable handbags that aren’t made from animal products and participates in meatless Mondays.”

“I could live with that,” I decided with a shrug.

He grabbed my waist and flipped me, looming over me as my head hit the pillow. “Talk time is over now,” he murmured, his lips brushing against mine. “I’ve got some wooing to do, remember?”

Before I could respond, his mouth was on mine—warm, firm, and sure. His weight was solid over me, his hips a perfect fit cradled between mine. My body roared to life at his touch, tingles of awareness starting at my scalp and working their way steadily downward. He pressed me to the bed, our bodies as close as two people can be with their clothes still on, his fingers tangling in my hair. He pulled his fingers gently through the strands, breaking his lips away from mine to study them.

“You know you can’t dye your hair until after Blob is born, right?” He grinned mischievously. “I can’t wait to see you with your natural color. Your roots are showing already.”

I scowled at him. “If you’re trying to woo, that is so not the way to go about it.”

His grin turned wicked. “Sure it is,” he said. “Because then I follow it up with this.” Chase dipped his head until his nose was nestled in my hair, his lips inches away from my ear. He inhaled deeply, his fingers curling around the tendrils possessively. His breath tickled the side of my neck when he spoke. “You smell so good,” he murmured. “I wonder what will happen if I kiss you here.”

I gasped as his lips grazed my pulse point. My hold on his shoulders tightened as he punctuated it with another kiss. The rasp of his tongue there forced another gasp from my throat.

“I like that,” Chase mused out loud, “but I wonder what this will do.”

He caught my earlobe between his teeth, biting down before suckling gently. His hips flexed against mine, allowing me to feel that he was just as cranked up as I was. I whimpered, my fingers threading through his curls as he moved lower, his mouth working a burning path down my throat. I tried to bite back another low moan, but it escaped when his hands found their way beneath my shirt, creeping up over my ribs.

“Should I stop?” he asked suddenly, staring up at me. I could tell it took everything in him to hold back, his arms trembling from holding up his weight, his eyes heavy-lidded and filled with lust.

I smiled and tightened my hold on his hair, pulling him back down to me. “I’m already knocked up,” I whispered, returning the favor by pressing a kiss just above his collarbone, “there really isn’t much else you can do.”

Chase breathed a heavy sigh of relief, his hands swiftly gripping the hem of my shirt and pulling it off over my head. “Sure there is,” he whispered, his eyes locked on my pale pink, lace bra, and the soft flesh it concealed. “There’s so much I don’t even know where to start.”

He cupped me, squeezing gently, his thumbs circling and causing the lace to tease my nipples. I couldn’t hold it back this time; his name came on out a breathless cry.

“Chase.”

He grinned, lowering his head and pausing just where the lace met my skin. He glanced up at me through the curls fallen into his eyes. “There,” he said huskily, his breath tickling me through the lace. “Let’s see how many times I can make you do that before the night is over.”

I lost count after seven.

Chapter 8

“This is a newspaper.”

Eyeing Chase over my lunch of fried pickles and curly fries, I raised my eyebrows. “And this is ketchup,” I said, gesturing toward the bottle sitting between me and Jenn on the table. We’d sent the guys on a Hooter’s run and were enjoying a lazy Sunday at home.

Chase plopped the paper down in front of me and pointed. “The Classifieds,” he continued. “Also known as the place where people go to look for jobs. You’re going to need one by the time this month’s allowance runs out.” He frowned at the Hooter’s carryout boxes scattered between us on the table. “And what are you doing eating takeout? I thought we talked about this on the way home, Chloe! Less spending, more saving!”

I covered my fried pickles protectively. “You’re not going to take these away from me, are you?”

He took the chair across from me and snagged a curly fry. “You already paid for it, so no use crying over spilled milk.”

Eyeing the Classifieds, I could feel a cold knot of dread settling low in my gut. None of the jobs were any good, and the only ones I was qualified for were for very little pay. The slim pickings made me want to retreat back to my little cocoon of happiness in that Dallas hotel. If I could have held on to those hours where it was just Chase and me, happy together, I would have done it forever. Anything to keep from thinking about the harsh reality that my life had become. My parents were abandoning me … in a few weeks I was going to be out of money and out of luck.

“You should consider setting up an EBay seller’s account, too,” Chase said, dunking a handful of fries into the ketchup. “You have clothes in your closet with the tags still on them. It could make you enough money to get by until you get your first paycheck.”

I paused, a Ranch dressing-soaked pickle inches from my mouth. “I’d rather sell a kidney,” I growled.

“You may be reduced to that before long,” he warned.

“You should see if the newspaper offices have anything available,” Jenn said between bites of hot wing. “It would look great on your resume.”

I nodded slowly as I went back to eating. “That could be worth looking into,” I relented. The truth was, I didn’t have the slightest notion how to go about getting a job. I’d never worked a day in my life, and had been counting on my mother’s connections to get me onto the Dallas fashion scene and in with La Mode. I didn’t want to say that out loud, though. Considering my situation, it was downright embarrassing to admit I had no job or interview skills.

“Hey guys.”

I glanced up as Luke sauntered in, guitar case slung over one shoulder. Even with his gig at Hole in the Wall, he needed his guitar lessons to help make ends meet. He was just coming from one now.

“Hey,” Chase and I answered in unison.

Jenn didn’t even so much as look at him. Head still lowered over her takeout box, she continued shoving wings down her gullet, pointedly ignoring her boyfriend. I frowned, glancing back and forth between her and Luke.

He rolled his eyes, setting his guitar gently down on the couch in the living room before entering the kitchen. “Jennifer, how long are you going to do this to me?”

If looks could kill, Luke would have been a pile of ash on the linoleum. “I don’t know, Luke,” she answered, her voice harsh and biting. “I’m sure you can find one of your little groupies to console you in the meantime!”

My gaze snapped toward Luke, who was blushing with embarrassment. “It’s not what you think,” he muttered before turning his attention back to Jenn. “Groupies? I think you’re being just a little dramatic.”

Jenn grabbed a handful of wet naps and tore them open, quickly cleaning her hands. “Dramatic, huh? Okay, maybe next weekend when we go to Hole in the Wall, I’ll take off my top and start dancing on tables. When the guys come up for a grope, I’ll just let them all get a handful and we’ll see how you like it.”

“Damn it, Jenn, it’s not the same thing!”

She shot to her feet, tossing her wet naps down onto the table. “Oh yeah, the rules only apply when you’re the lead singer of a band, right?”

“It’s just a performance, it doesn’t mean anything,” Luke argued, running a hand through his hair. “For God’s sake Jenn, I wrote that song about you.”

“And sang it to a bunch of drunk girls who couldn’t keep their hands off your belt buckle!”

Turning on her heels, Jenn stomped off, storming out of the kitchen and heading for the front door. Luke stood to go after her, but I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Whoa there,” I said, pushing him back into his chair as I stood. “You’re the last person who needs to go after her. You’re in enough trouble as it is, and in typical guy fashion you’re only digging yourself in deeper.”

“But I need to explain—”

“I think I’ve heard enough,” I interjected. “You’re a hot lead singer. Last night’s performance got a little sexy, the girls got handsy, and Jennifer is jealous. Can you blame her?”

Luke huffed, blowing the long strands of his hair out of his face. “I’ve apologized and begged, I’m not sure what else she wants me to do.”

“That’s where I come in. Sit and eat a pickle. No, not from that container those are mine!” Snatching up my box of fried pickles, I turned and left to the two guys at the table.

I found Jenn in her and Luke’s apartment, digging through the freezer for her go-to comfort food: mint chocolate-chip ice cream.

“Got any vanilla in there?” I asked Jenn’s butt as she bent over, rifling through frozen pizza boxes in search of her favorite dessert.

She emerged a few seconds later with two pints. One of them was vanilla. Blob did a little happy dance on my bladder as Jenn opened the container. Shoving it toward me along with a spoon, she cracked into her own pint and started going to town. I let her get a few mouthfuls down before I said anything.

“Okay, spill it,” I said.

“That’s really disgusting.”

Glancing down at the container of pickles next to my ice cream, I shrugged. “This baby is just plain weird,” I remarked, dunking a pickle in Ranch and popping it in my mouth. While chewing, I went for a scoop of ice cream. “But we’re not talking about my problems, we’re talking about yours. What did he do?”

“Nothing, okay?”

I lifted my eyebrows and gave her a pointed stare. “Right,
nothing
is what has you all in a lather right now.”

“Look, I’m fully aware of the fact that I’m being irrational. Luke was just being Luke and I—”

“Finally realized how your life is going to be if Luke gets what he wants and becomes famous someday,” I finished for her. “Only on a much larger scale.”

Sighing, Jenn nodded, dropping her spoon onto the counter and lean against it, running a hand through her hair. “I know he’s just performing, and he doesn’t give a shit about some random drunk chick clawing at him, but … Chloe, what if he does start to care? What if all this attention goes to his head? Some of those girls were really gorgeous, and … well, I’m just plain old Jenn.”

“If Luke wanted a different girl, then he’d have one,” I pointed out to her. “He’s crazy about you and everyone knows it. I could see that when I moved in here and saw him making moon eyes at you from across the room. It went on forever before you even realized he was in love with you. Trust me, what you guys have is solid. If the attention starts going to Luke’s head, then beat him with his own guitar. That’ll get his attention.”

Jenn snorted. “I was tempted to do that last night.”

“That bad, huh?”

“There were three of them in the front row, and Luke jumped down off the stage and onto their table.”

I cringed. “Wow.”

“Yeah, that’s when they stood up and started pawing him and salivating like a pack of horny dogs.”

“And of course he did nothing to discourage them.”

Jenn shrugged. “Not exactly. I was mortified.”

“Hmmm, I say you let him dangle a bit before you forgive him. Another day or two of the silent treatment ought to do it. You know, just to drive the message home.”

She grinned. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

I polished off the pickles and closed the takeout box, continuing on with the ice cream. “I never get tired of hearing it.”

Jenn watched me closely for a moment before speaking again. “So … adoption, huh?”

I nodded, still shoveling away at the ice cream. “Looks like it,” I replied. “It’s for the best. Could you imagine me as a mom? That poor kid.”

“I don’t know, I think you could be a great mother.”

“Someday,” I protested. “Not now. For God’s sake, I don’t even have a job and my financial river is about to run dry. This couldn’t be a worse time for me to become a mother.”

“Well, we have your back no matter what. You know that.”

“I do, but don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You should be more worried about Kinsley. I know I am. Something is seriously wrong with that girl.”

Jenn’s expression shifted swiftly and I could see that she was worried, too. “It’s the whole Aaron thing,” she said. “And the whole cheerleading thing, and her parents. So really, it’s everything.”

I frowned. “What’s going on with cheerleading and her parents? I don’t know anything because she doesn’t talk to me. You’re the one she confides in.”

“It’s not that she doesn’t trust you,” she said. “It’s just that we were so close already before you moved in. It takes her a while to open up and she doesn’t like to admit to imperfection.”

That’s for damn sure. Kinsley is a type A personality to the core. Perfection is what she strives for, and anything less than that makes her feel like a failure. That girl is way too hard on herself.

“Well,” Jenn continued, “you know why Aaron dumped her don’t you?”

I shook my head.

“He told her he was bored. She was too perfect and too ordered and he wanted spontaneity.”

“That asshole! He wasn’t exactly Mr. Interesting himself.”

“You can say that again,” Jenn scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, I think he found someone else, but I never told Kinsley my theory. Anyway, ever since the breakup, she’s been so dead set on controlling everything. It’s like the breakup made her zany little case of OCD even worse.”

“If she feels in control, then the pain isn’t as bad,” I murmured, leaving the spoon inside the empty ice cream carton. “I get that.”

“Yeah, except now other things are starting to fall apart for her and she can’t deal. Her parents are splitting up, and there’s a new head coach for the cheer squad this year. She’s a real bitch and she’s been riding Kins about her weight.”

I scowled. “She’s a perfect size eight, what’s the problem?”

“Apparently size eight is too large,” she said sarcastically. “She’s been telling her it could jeopardize her spot on the squad if she doesn’t lose at least twenty pounds. This is Kinsley’s last chance at the regional and state competitions, and she’s determined to get there.”

“Twenty pounds? That’s insane!”

Jenn nodded in agreement. “I know, and I told Kinsley that. She said she wasn’t going to do anything unhealthy, but I’m worried about her, too. She isn’t really talking to me much these days either. She’s been so moody, hot and cold, I don’t even know what to say to her.”

“Maybe she just needs space,” I offered.

“If it were you we were talking about, I’d agree, but this is Kinsley. It’s not like her at all.”

“People change. Just give her time and space to deal with all of the changes in her life and I’m sure she’ll snap out of it.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she answered reluctantly. “Now come on,” she added, lifting the newspaper I’d laid on the counter between us, “let’s find you a job!”

“Rise and shine, princess.”

I opened one bleary eye and peered through the strands of hair that’d fallen into my face. Finding Chase on the other side of the platinum strands, I groaned and snapped my eye shut again.

My voice was muffled as I buried my face in the pillow. “Go. Away.”

“No can do,” he replied, snatching the blanket away from me, causing me to curl into a tight ball. “You have job hunting to do before class today.”

“Job hunting later,” I grumbled. “Sleep now.”

“It’s eight-thirty and I have to get to work. Now are you going to get up, or am I going to have to physically remove you from the bed?”

I rolled onto my back and forced my eyes open. “I hate you so much.”

Grinning, Chase sat on the edge of the mattress and pushed my hair back, kissing my cheek. “No you don’t. You better get used to this, people with day jobs have to wake up before noon. Now eat your eggs before they get cold.”

I sat up slowly to find a plate sitting on the nightstand. “You made me eggs,” I said. “I take it back, I don’t hate you.”

He laughed in that hearty way of his that I was coming to love. “I have to leave for work in a few minutes, but I wanted to wish you good luck on your first day of job hunting.”

Reaching for the plate, I snagged a piece of bacon and took a big bite.