Perfectly Lonely - Jessica Marin Page 0,30

Cal Harrington.” Rhys could always see through people’s bullshit. Even though I wasn’t bullshitting him about having Cal as our celebrity endorser benefitting us, he was right to assume that was not the only reason.

“Fine, it’s because of Layla,” I finally admitted to him.

“Who’s Layla?” Rhys asked, annoyance in his voice from the knowledge that I’m still here for a woman.

“She’s the one I slept with that night in Las Vegas - the one who told me about Cal and Jenna.”

“Jenna’s best friend? The widower? You’re staying there to try to sleep with her again to get more information out of her?” He then proceeded to laugh in a bitter, mocking way. “Are you fucking kidding me? Wow, you really have reached a new low, Chase.”

“No, I genuinely care about her, Rhys. The more I’m around her, the more I see what an incredible woman she is. I’m falling for her,” I admitted and this only seemed to make him laugh harder, which in turn, made me livid. “Fuck you, Rhys! You don’t know shit about my life here! You haven’t been in my shoes, nor have you even met her, so stop making judgments.”

“You aren’t fooling anyone, Chase! You aren’t in love with her. You might be in lust with her, but it isn’t love. You’re convincing yourself that you’re in love with her, when really, you still feel like the deplorable human being you were for doing what you did to her. You still feel guilty and that’s what you are confusing with love.”

“No, you’re wrong, Rhys!” I yelled into the phone.

“Leave her alone, Chase! Get your head out of your ass and get the fuck back to Vancouver!” And with that, he hung up on me again.

As I sit watching the calmness of the water of Lake Michigan, I wonder when my brother got to be so bitter. While he was the quiet and emotionless one, he was never bitter. I know being at the helm of Wilson Enterprises is doing this to him.

YOU did this to him!

Your lack of stepping up and not facing your rightful place in the family has made him bitter!

I groan and hold my head in my hands, his words playing through my head like a broken record. I know I need to go home. It’s the right thing to do, despite my reluctance. And it isn’t because of the beautiful woman I’m trying to pursue here.

I don’t want to go back to the desolate offices of Wilson Enterprises.

I don’t want to see the hopelessness on the faces of the remaining employees.

I don’t want to see the hurt that is still evident in my mother’s eyes from my father’s betrayal.

I don’t want to see the coldness and hatred in my brother’s eyes at me for leaving it all on his shoulders.

The list of reasons to not want to go home are continuous, but I have to stop running. I’ll go home, but before I leave, I will accept Cal’s offer to watch over Jenna and spend my remaining free time with Layla. With my decision made, I start heading back to the gym and decide to call her while I walk back.

“I’m still working, Chase,” she says, as soon as she picks up.

“Ah, you programmed my phone number so you know it’s me when I call. Progress!” I boast to her.

“What do you want?” she asks, but I can hear the smile in her voice.

“What time are you getting off of work?” The need to see her in person is so strong that I’ll go wherever she is just to see her face.

“Hopefully not too late as I’m tired. Why?” she asks, suspicion laced in her voice.

“It has been a trying day and I was hoping I could see your beautiful face to cheer me up. I can come to wherever you are for a drink. Will you have just one drink with me?” Silence is her answer back and I start to think we got disconnected.

“Layla?”

“Okay Chase, I will have one drink with you tonight. I’ll text you the address of the bar to meet me at once I’m done with my last appointment.”

“See you soon, Angel.” I hang up and start to run, not wanting to be late for my very important date.

14

Layla

I sent Chase the address to my last meeting for the night, which is at a posh rooftop bar on the top of a boutique hotel in downtown Chicago. For a Thursday night, the bar is crowded with