Stay With Me (She's With Me #2) - Jessica Cunsolo Page 0,72

that I need to figure out a way to tell Aiden that I’m leaving soon. And with everything so tense lately, Julian had the great idea of going paintballing to blow off some steam and have some fun. Under other circumstances it would’ve been fun, but now, I don’t know.

Give a bunch of stressed out people guns and tell them to shoot each other—what could go wrong?

“I call me and Jackson as team captains!” Jason exclaims as we’re putting jumpsuits on over our clothes.

The teams end up being me, Jackson, Mason, Annalisa, and Chase against Jason, Charlotte, Julian, Aiden, and Noah. Chase watches Noah showing Charlotte how to use her paintball gun but quickly looks away, kicking at the dirt floor.

Charlotte rode with me, Aiden, and Annalisa to the paint-ball arena and told us on the way what happened with Chase. After our talk this morning, Chase went up to shower then talked with Charlotte while we were dealing with the mayor. She told us that Chase basically told her that he’s been in love with her since forever but was always too scared to say or do anything about it because he couldn’t bear to hear her say that she didn’t feel the same way.

And then she made those fears a reality. She told him, through tears, that she loves him but she doesn’t have the same feelings he has for her. When he asked if it had anything to do with Noah, she said no, telling him that she doesn’t understand her feelings for Noah. She doesn’t think he believes her, but he didn’t press the situation any further.

The conversation ended with Chase telling her that he still loves her and that he’ll always be there for her, and that he doesn’t want their relationship to be strained or awkward because of his confession. Of course she agreed, but she told us that he wouldn’t call her Charlie during the conversation like he always has, and that hurt more than she thought it ever could’ve. Even if she still hates the nickname, his refusal to say it means something in their friendship has permanently shifted.

As for Chase and Noah’s relationship, that’s still up in the air too. Chase gave Noah a mumbled, half-assed apology that no one really thinks he meant. Before Noah could say anything, though, Chase stormed off. Noah’s been trying to talk to Chase all morning, but Chase has been avoiding him, which I think is starting to annoy Noah.

Compared to all this drama, my Mason secret should probably stay well buried for now, as we’ve been through enough already on this vacation. I know Aiden still thinks I should tell him, but there’s just so much going on. Can I really be the person who ruins someone else’s vacation?

Now, my friends are in teams on opposite sides of the arena, waiting for the horn to blow, paintball guns in hand. The losing team is on cooking and cleaning duty for the next three days, so all of our adrenaline is pumping, everyone wanting to demolish the other team.

Since Aiden and I are on opposite teams, he promised me before the match that he’d shoot me last, you know, like the gentleman he is. I smiled at him and told him that I’d love to see him try.

The horn goes off and we scatter. We paired up so the team could split up, and Mason grabbed Annalisa and Jackson before I could even say a word to him. That left Chase and me together, which of course I don’t mind. We’re going to kick ass.

Not even two minutes in there are paintballs whizzing by my head, and Noah’s diabolical laugh pins him as the culprit. Somehow, Chase and I get split up, leaving me on my own, but I come across Jason crouching behind a pile of tires, his back to me.

Can I shoot an innocent nine-year-old?

Jason hears me and turns around, gun raised to shoot, and I automatically shoot him right in the chest, pink paint splattering all over his torso. He takes off his mask and gives me the look of a wounded puppy.

“You would do me like that, Amelia?” He pouts.

“Sorry, bud, find me again next round for revenge!” I tell him with a devilish smile before running off.

I turn around the corner and run right into a solid chest that I would know anywhere. I back away and Aiden and I point our guns at each other, neither one of us