Brooke and Chase, Amicia Bianchi [free romance novels TXT] 📗

with Brooke and because of the mixed signals I sent she had begun to pull away. Knowing that I had to salvage the situation I have since only done things that would help my cause and I didn't feel that I had the luxury to take for granted her feelings. My recurring dream reminded me that I couldn't afford to slip up or I'd lose her. Thus I simply had to grin and bear these kinds of situations because I should be more focused on strengthening our relationship then being jealous. So if I had to seem like I didn't really care or "accepted" her relationship/friendship with Eric when honestly on the inside I really didn't like it I would do what I had to. The way I see it, I've done everything in my power to insure that I wouldn't be in jeopardy of her being swept away by anyone else.

 

So, I would leave her to handle warding off the advances of whoever she wasn't interested in, trusting that she'll pick me. I feel rewarded as she silently agreed to be my girlfriend when all of this bet stuff was over, making me feel justified for all of the fights with my wolf up until now.

 

I had never been so excited about an approaching weekend but this one couldn't come soon enough. The goal for all of my work was finally here and I could have what I'd been craving. Although I'd been thoroughly tempted from the beginning I'd never allowed myself to indulge but this time I'd give in to my opportunity. Brooke hadn't said anything but somehow I just knew as though we had an unspoken understanding. Amanda clearly wanted to stay together and had been alluding to that fact for a while now but that wasn't happening so I've been trying to avoid being alone with her.

 

Eventually they said their goodbyes and left. Even though my reputation for being serious was probably ruined with Chuck and Merelyn I couldn't find myself caring because just being in Brooke's presence calmed and soothed me.

 

"It's all over. So I'm pretty sure it's okay to relax, now that it's come to an end. Plus that's why you've been using your evasive maneuvers to give Eric the slip, isn't?" I teased her with a wink.

 

I watched her as she laughed, letting her joy wash away all my negative thoughts and worries, reminding myself that this was all ending soon enough, as I'd had to do a lot since this agreement started.

 

Recently, she tended to hang out with her other friends at school, since she was technically everybody so basically anyone, spontaneously in an attempt to shake off Eric and she's been doing this more often and sometimes eventually linking up with me somewhere along the way. Seeing that her attention was in high demand he'd take the hint and go away.

 

As she tucked her hair behind her ear I noticed the bracelet that I won for her at the amusement park and smiled, she'd taken to wearing it every day since then.

Chapter 15

 

[Brooke]

 

By now Chase and I had an unspoken understanding about where our relationship was going. He didn't have to say anything at this point because he had taken steps to let me know how he felt on the subject.

 

"Actually, on the contrary, it'll be over this weekend, we still have all of today left and since Eric has a knack for finding me I still need to stay vigilant and keep my eyes peeled." I retorted.

 

We started walking to class as we continued, hopefully, lowkey flirting since we were, technically, still in "relationships" with other people. Often times, much like now, our mutual attraction flowed freely between us to the point that it was hard not to act like we were already together. As the party had drawn nearer we'd been talking about it and Chase feels similar to me that parties are really not our scene but we were both anticipating the last day of the bet and thus the party too, by default. I could tell he is just as excited as I am about the significance of it and ultimately the end result.

 

"Well, I say we should relax the rules a bit. It's the last day. Come on, what do you say?" he asked with a sneaky smile.

 

"I don't know why you're trying to, I don't think that's a good idea. Especially since I don't think your girlfriend would go for that," I teased back, laughing.

 

"Maybe..." he started as he stepped closer to me until we were mere centimeters apart. He'd been maintaining eye contact with me the whole time but when he broke it to cast a glance down at my lips I stepped back. We still needed to make it to first period and if I gave in to his temptation I doubt that we would. He simply smiled as his eyes met mine again. "By this same time tomorrow my 'girlfriend' will be all for my plans," he closed the distance once more, placing a hand on the wall next to my head.

 

"Maybe," I whispered. His girlfriend today is Amanda and she would be against his making conspiratorial plans with me and his salacious commentary, that wasn't something that would be changing, be it today or next week let alone tomorrow. Therefore, he clearly was implying that I'd be his 'girlfriend' by this same time tomorrow and with no third party to be against it I would most likely be for whatever he was planning.

 

The meaning of his words were disarming, but just as he was about to take advantage of it Jennifer and Sophie rounded the corner, stopping just short of running into us. Even though they'd caught us in the middle of a moment they didn't even bat an eyelash when they saw us. Surprisingly, there was no "we caught you red handed" moment, no teasing, they simply said hi and walked by.

 

"That was easy, the way you're always trying to hide and rush me I thought they'd give you more of a hard time," Chase commented when they were gone.

 

"Don't count on it. This was an exception," I told him about the interrogation I was subjected to at the lunch table the other day and he thought it was the funniest thing.

 

Chase and I had started texting each other frequently during the day and we'd call each other at night, more often than not, staying up for hours talking. Later that day, as we were texting, I happened to mention that I had study hall when he was complaining about how mundane his class was as they had a substitute for the day and no work to do. I didn't think anything of it when he inquired about where I was until the next thing I knew he'd been coming down the hallway toward me.

 

"What are you doing? You have a class right now, did you walk out?" I asked incredulously

 

"I needed out," he shrugged and my jaw dropped, "he already took attendance and we only have a few minutes left." Chase's idea of "a few minutes" was baffling.

 

"So what are you aiming to do, head home early?"I questioned dryly.

 

"While that is ideal, staying here with you sounds nice too, so I think I'll settle," he teased.

 

"Really? Wow. And I guess I'm supposed to be flattered by that?" I responded sarcastically.

 

"Of course," he answered humoring me, "how could you be anything less than ecstatic?" I shook my head laughing at him.

 

We ended up sorting out our plans for the party, Chase even tried covertly slipping in some potential future date plans and tried to get me to agree to it under the guise of studying for an upcoming math test and collaborating for our science project, starting tomorrow. He was making all of these plans for "next week" or "later", when I'd presumably be his official girlfriend. He'd started doing this kind of thing more and more recently but since I currently wasn't his, Amanda was and if she heard him now she would vehemently object. However, he felt I should agree because by that time I would officially be his girlfriend but he was asking right now while I wasn't. I opted for an air of nonchalance as I didn't feel at liberty to agree to such things right now, knowing his intentions.

 

"That sounds like a dangerous proposition, don't you think?"

 

"How dangerous can a little math and science be?" he pretended to be innocent and unaware of any mischievous or untoward meaning behind his words.

 

I didn't answer him, If he refused to acknowledge his implications then he didn't need a response. If he wanted a date he could ask for it once he was free to do so. If he wanted a date next week he could ask next week or as early as tomorrow but for now I'd think of it as him wanting to spend a lot more time together, hanging out but not as a date.

 

When school was over we both went home to get ready. Even though I'd known about the party in advance I still hadn't figured out what to wear. I laughed at myself, for Chase's birthday party I'd picked out what I wanted by the first day he'd told me. Typically I would've already put my outfit together by now, albeit not as fast as I had for Chase's birthday. It was all about sending the right message and I'd been rather reluctant to do it this time because I had mixed feelings. You don't want to look too happy by pulling out all the stops since that'd send the wrong message but I couldn't dress too casually either.

 

As I was getting ready to leave I went to my kitchen to grab a bottle of water from my refrigerator to take with me, I'd gotten into the habit of bringing something to drink whenever I went with my friends to parties like this, which wasn't very often. However, on the occasions that I did, someone always turned every beverage option that there was to drink into an alcoholic one, if they all hadn't been from the start.

 

Suddenly my chef, Wanda Curle, came over to check up on me. The staff tended to check in with me regularly to make sure I was doing okay since I'd told them not to worry about showing up everyday but rather at their leisure. She inquired about how I was, what I was doing in school, and confirming that some of the housekeeping staff would be coming over to clean. She'd noticed that I was dressed up and asked about my plans for the evening so I told her I'd be going out for a bit.

 

By the look on her face I think she assumed that meant I'm going on a date with Chase. She'd been staring at Chase and I during his birthday party with a particularly curious expression whenever she saw us together. I knew that look well, as it's the same one Jennifer and the rest of my friends give me. I didn't bother to say anything, I was learning that it tended to make me look suspicious for being the one to bring him up first, unprompted. For now I'd let her believe what she wanted to and if things went the way