Brooke and Chase by Amicia Bianchi (good book recommendations .txt) 📕

"Are you okay?" he asked. I felt hot and whatever he was wearing was making my nose burn and the room was starting to spin.

"I think I need to sit down," I told him after he let me go and I'd began to sway. My balance felt off as if I were tilted, I was still nauseous from getting a whiff of the noxious odor coming from Eric, and now I was starting to feel really weird as if I were about to faint. Despite feeling dizzy I turned to head back toward Chase.

"Why don't we just lay down in one of the rooms and rest," he started steering me in the opposite direction. I happened a glance back, Chuck was walking into the door and Chase got up to walk towards him. They quickly became engrossed in another conversation so I figured it was safe to assume Chase would be busy for a little while.

"Okay but just for a bit since I'll be leaving soon," I allowed myself to be led away. I told Eric to tell Chase where I am and after I rest a bit to let him know to take me home. "Chase is my ride home so let him know that I'm back here laying down for a little while because I don't feel well. We weren't planning to stay much longer so tell him to give me like five minutes."

"Okay..." he assured me. He seemed displeased and as though he had more to say. "I don't think you should pay so much attention to Chase, especially in your position."

Although his aphoristic words seemed to be coming from someone simply more worried about me being sick he sounded disgusted and upset so I wasn't sure what really he'd meant.

"You should just cut ties with him and just be done," once in the room I sat on the bed and he continued talking.

"Wha-"

"He's a jerk who only cares about himself and you're better off without him," he went on, cutting me off.

"Why would you say that? I thought you were friends?" I questioned, confused by his suddenly confrontational tone.

"He has never considered me to be a friend, I'm 'too far beneath him'. If it weren't for certain circumstances that I'm forced into his company he'd never associate himelf with me," he informed me.

"Then why did you offer to help me get closer to him?" I inquired, furling my eyebrows.

"The only reason I agreed to help was so that you would get to see for yourself what kind of person he really is. And in the beginning you seemed to have seen a little and, probably even before my intervention, you were already pulling away. But before I realized it Chase started to throw a little charm and charisma your way and now he's seems to have wormed himself back into your good graces."

"He didn't throw 'a little charm' my way, I'm pretty sure he really wants to go out with me," I countered.

"Come on, Chase has been going back and forth playing games with you. He's not serious about you!" he made a quick motion with his hand and caught a hold of my bracelet, tugging so hard that it broke.

Realizing what he'd done and seeing my broken jewelry on the floor he calmed down, apologizing dejectedly as he put it on the nightstand. There was a long pause and I broke the silence.

"What makes you so sure he's bad?"

"All I'm saying is that he's not being completely truthful with you, and he is probably planning to drop you soon," he said matter-of-factly, raising his hands in resignation, as if to say 'I don't really want to get into all of the details but...'

"Why would you say that?" I was shocked and confused.

"Chase only acts on what is profitable to him in some way and he only puts in as much effort as he feels he needs to in order to get the outcome he desires," he said crypticly.

"What do you mean?" the more accusations he kept adding, the fog in my brain thickened. I was hoping once he'd fully explained himself I could process everything since for right now it seemed like I just couldn't.

"Take earlier for example, he has made efforts to woo you however, if you can be that distressed about him rushing you that's not a good sign because if he's not concerned about your well being when you're sick..."

"All I said was to make sure you tell him because I want to get home," I held my head. Being back here, since we were closer to the music I could feel it more so then simply hearing it and my head was pounding with each beat. "He's really not this horrible person you're trying to make him out be."

"Hmph, he's defiately not the person that you thinks he is. Chase isn't even human," he spat out.

"That's going a bit far, don't you think?"

"It's true," he said seriously. "And I think on some level you know that." He sighed heavily, "You probably won't believe me when I say this but it seems the real reason for his Chase's "change of heart" is, at best, because he feels offended and wants revenge, as his pride has taken a hit. The only thing that keeps him chasing after you is because he didn't get tears and groveling when he tried to toss you away."

"What are you really wanting me to do?" I asked wearily.

"Don't let Chase force or pressure you into anything because Chase likes to "control" things that's why all of this is because of an ego trip. He's only leading you on to assuage his ego just so he can drop you when he wants to and will not tolerate you walking out on him first"

"What makes you believe that?" I demanded.

"Think of the anticlimactic way that things have gone. Now imagine... just as he was about to finally kick you to the curb and get rid of you, you seemed all too ready to walk away, as if you hadn't been serious from the beginning. You had completely turned the tables on him, here he was thinking he was going to turn you down yet you'd ripped the carpet from under him like he was worthless to you. And for Chase that's not acceptable, you aren't 'allowed' to do things like that."

"And how do you know that what you're saying is true and he can't actually genuinely like me? What is it that you know that I don't?" I questioned.

"He has his reasons why he can't be with someone like you hence Chase is just going to be fooling around with you and will never get serious because he feels like he can't be serious with someone like you. Don't be 'that kind of girl' who's going to simply pursue him anyway despite the fact that he will always play you. You should focus on someone who will you treat you like that, you deserve better," he explained.

He then confessed that he had feelings for me, started saying how much he liked me, and how basically he was hoping that maybe we could be in a real relationship now, suggesting that I give up on Chase.

Although I refused he insisted that even if I didn't want to really get with him if I wanted out of my situation with Chase he'd be willing to help me as my 'getaway car' because he cares for me.

"No Eric, I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want you to get the wrong idea here, I've never thought of you that way so I really wouldn't want to-" I continued to refuse wearily as it donned on me that this is probably where he'd been going with this from the start.

"No, no you juts need time you'll see eventually," the way he'd said that made me worry and the smile he had on his face made me break out into a cold sweat and a chill ran down my spine. "In the end, we'll be together whether you like it or not..." I thought I heard him say.

"No..." I shook my head starting to protest but before I could say any more I passed out.

Publication Date: 09-24-2015

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