like you’ve moved on quite smoothly in your life, Kim,” he says, turning to me.
“Chase, you need to leave my apartment. You can’t just barge in here unannounced. I didn’t invite you in.”
“Why haven’t you been answering my texts?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“We were supposed to meet up!”
“I’ve been busy at work,” I say with a sigh.
He’s right, I have been ignoring his last few texts because it’s the same thing over and over again. He wants to know how I’m doing, when we’ll meet up. I’ve told him repeatedly that I’ll let him know when I have the time, and honestly, I never really wanted to see him again.
I was happy with letting that chapter remain closed.
“Too busy to have a drink with me? One drink? What about tonight? What were you doing tonight?”
“I came home late, but it doesn’t matter; you can’t interrogate me like this!”
Chase comes up to me so furiously that I’m forced to take a step away from him. He glares, and I glare right back.
“Who is he?” he hisses. My brows furrow. What is he talking about?
“You’re not making any sense.”
“I saw the photos. Who is he?” he growls.
Photos? What photos?
“So you’re saying you haven’t seen these photos before?” Chase asks. He is standing next to me, looking over my shoulder as I scroll through the photos on his phone. There aren’t that many. Just three, paparazzi-style, published on some obscure tabloid website. I don’t think anybody will actually see these unless they go hunting for pictures of me online. Which is clearly what Chase was doing.
I look up at him, trying to appear as calm as possible.
“No, I didn’t know about these.”
“Who is he?” he asks, snatching his phone back.
I clear my throat. I feel the urge to cover my belly with my hand, but I don’t want to alert him to anything.
“He is my boss,” I reply.
“Is that how you spend time with your boss?” he snaps, his eyes narrowing.
Technically, there isn’t anything untoward about the photos. Kirk and I are walking out of an upscale restaurant downtown. It was clearly taken a few days ago when we went to dinner after work. There’s a big giddy smile on my face, and I’m looking up at him admiringly while he is deep in conversation.
“It was a work thing. We went for dinner; there were other people there with us,” I say. I’m hoping I’m a good liar. I know Blaire would have been able to see right through me, but Chase has never known me as well as Blaire does.
He’s studying my face, trying to decipher the truth.
“You’re lying!” he growls.
I turn away from him.
“It doesn’t matter. You need to leave because none of this has anything to do with you.”
“You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you? You’re sleeping with your boss.” He hisses the words out through gritted teeth. I decide to put some distance between us. I’m not sure yet if I should be afraid of him. I look at him again and see how he has clenched his fists.
“Please go, Chase, before I have to call someone.”
“Two years we spent together, in an actual relationship. I was your boyfriend and you refused to sleep with me, and now you’re sleeping with this guy? Why? Because he’s rich? Because he’s making you do it?”
My throat feels dry. I stare right at him, hoping he doesn’t see how anxious I’m feeling. His words are hitting home. Why am I sleeping with Kirk? I’m pregnant with his baby now. What will I do with his child? How will I raise a baby alone?
“Go. Now!” I shout and point to the open door.
Chase stands there, staring threateningly at me for a few moments. I don’t know what he’s going to do, but eventually, he turns and leaves, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
I run over to shut the door, and my first instinct is to call Kirk. I want him to be here. To make me feel safe. But I can’t call him now.
I don’t know what I’ll do next.
When I wake up the next morning, I am unbelievably thirsty. Somehow, I manage to drag myself to the kitchen and pour a glass of water. I’m standing here in my kitchen, drinking water and literally shaking because I can’t believe it.
I think last night, a part of me assumed that I would wake up in the morning and realize it was all a dream. The pregnancy. Chase here in my apartment losing his shit. The