Asshole.
Still, I summoned up my best professional smile. "Oh, there you are."
When his only reply was a cold stare, I added, "I figured you'd want to go over the plans for the demolition derby. I mean, as far as awarding the trophies."
He moved forward until we were standing so close, I swear, I could feel the energy pulsing between us. I had to crane my neck to stare up at him, but I refused to back away.
Sure, he could break my heart, but he couldn’t break my spirit.
In a low voice, he said, "Fuck the trophies."
I forced a laugh. "Well, you can if you want, but that won't get you the kind of publicity you're looking for."
"Fuck the publicity."
My jaw clenched. No. Fuck you, Chase Blastoviak. But I didn’t say it, because unlike him, I wasn't going to throw fuel onto the dumpster fire that had been our fake relationship.
Summoning all of my self-control, I asked, "Are you done?"
He replied, "I might ask the same."
I made a sound of annoyance. "I don't even know what that means." And then, fearful of losing my composure, I made a move to sidestep around him.
As I did, he asked, "So, are you gonna tell me why?"
I stopped and slowly turned to look. "Why what?"
He crossed his arms. "Guess."
Oh, please. He wasn't the one who'd been wronged. I was. "Do you seriously want to have this conversation?"
"Hey, I'm up for it if you are."
"Yeah, well maybe this isn't the time or the place."
"Why not? You're here. I'm here." He smirked. "We might as well get it over with, right?"
It wasn't even noon, and already, I was exhausted. But then again, I hadn't been sleeping so great, not since Chase had ripped out my heart and stomped all over it. With as much as nonchalance as I could muster, I said, "But it's already over."
Just then, Emory Hawthorne of all people happened to pass by, only to stop in her tracks when she saw me and Chase in mid-conversation.
She turned back and sidled up to Chase. And then, she looked to me and asked, "So, where's your boyfriend?"
I knew exactly who she meant, and it wasn't Chase Blastoviak. Obviously, she'd seen all those pictures of me with Bryce. But this, like so many other things, was none of her business.
Chase spoke up. "I'm right here. What of it?"
Oh, for God's sake. Once upon time in Hazelton Hall, he'd pretended to be my boyfriend in order to save me from embarrassment.
Or had that been just another ploy?
Probably.
I told Emory, "He's joking."
Chase spoke up. "The hell I am."
Emory looked from me to Chase and back again. After a long moment, she said, "You know what? You two totally deserve each other."
She was wrong. There was a time when I’d believed that Chase was way out of my league. Now I knew the truth.
I was way too good for the likes of him, because unlike Chase Blastoviak, I wasn't a lying, faking, jackwagon.
But Emory still wasn't leaving. She gave me a smug smile. "So how is Bryce, anyway?"
My mouth tightened. "Fine." I looked back to Chase. "Are we done?"
"Not by a longshot." He turned to Emory and said, "Now beat it. We're talking."
At the stunned look on her face, part of me wanted to cheer. But I refused to be sidetracked. "No, we're not." I gave Chase a no-nonsense look. "We're done."
He looked at me for a long, tense moment before gritting out, "So you said."
Yes. I had. Because we were done. The only upside was that purely by dumb luck, I'd gotten the chance to dump him before he dumped me. And yet, it offered zero comfort as I devoured the sight of him.
From the haunted look in his eyes, I could almost believe that our relationship had been real. In some ways, maybe it had. At least my feelings had been real, even if I had never confessed them.
Thank God for that at least.
Once again, Chase looked to Emory. "You're still here."
Emory sighed. "Yeah, but so is she."
Chase stared at Emory for another long moment. And then, he glanced at me before turning back and telling Emory, "Yeah, but she's the girl I love. You're not."
Chapter 72
Chase
Shit.
I hadn't meant to say it. Or maybe I had. I shoved a hand through my hair and tried to think.
In front of me, Mina looked first stunned and then horrified. So did Emory, as if it had never occurred to her that I might fall for a girl like Mina Lipinski.
But didn't Emory get it? A girl like Mina was worth a million of the other kind. And in my heart, I'd come to realize something. Mina wasn't the type to run off with another guy, especially someone who was married.
That wasn't her. And the fact I'd even entertained such an idea, well, it made me feel like an asshole.
Or maybe I was going soft and stupid, like countless other guys before me.
Deliberately, I turned my back on Emory and looked to Mina. I kept my gaze locked on hers. Say something, will you?
Finally, she did. "Nice try."
My heart sank. What?
But already, she'd turned and walked away, leaving me staring after her. The old Chase would have let her go. Her loss, right?
But it wasn't her loss. It was mine. I strode after her.
As if sensing me following, she stopped and turned around.
I moved forward and closed the distance. In a low voice, I asked, "Is that it?"
"Sure, why not?"
I stared down at her. In spite of her casual words, there was nothing casual about her demeanor. Her posture was stiff, and her eyes were glassy. She looked on the verge of losing it.
I couldn't let that happen. I tried again. "Don't you want to talk?"
"Fine. You wanna talk?" Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, we'll talk, alright." She glanced
