Pieces of Summer

“Dayum,” Whit says while fanning herself. “I didn’t believe you were over Chase until right this moment. That man would definitely be a way to get over someone.”

I throw up in my mouth and am forced to swallow it back down as Whit stares after Aidan. Sick.

Before I can correct her, a horn blares from outside the window.

“He won’t even come in and get me,” she mutters under her breath.

My lungs try to collapse, but I can’t fold now. I have to show him and Whit that I’m perfectly fucking fine, even though I’m anything but fine.

“Can I ask a random question?” she asks as we walk out of my office and near the front entrance.

I’m worrying about my heart hitting my spine and ribs with each thunderous beat while she casually makes conversation. Looking through the glass front doors, my eyes rake over the red truck, finding him in the driver’s seat. He’s changed so much.

“Yeah,” I whisper hoarsely.

“Why is the second eagle in the storage room out back? I thought you wanted it up here.”

Clearing my throat, I shake my head. Telling her this entire place is essentially a shrine to her boyfriend would just be humiliating and painful. Telling her about the bald eagle statues… that’s just down right pathetic. As much as it pains me to only leave one out, I can’t force myself to put the other one with it now.

“I decided only one worked. The other didn’t belong.”

She studies the pretty bald eagle before turning her atten

tion back on the door.

Mustering up all my energy, I walk out the door with her, leaving Chuck to lock up. I watch as Chase glares daggers at me from his truck. Those eyes… They were haunted when we were kids. They were constantly weighed down by the life he’d experienced and seen. Now they’re just burning with anger. I used to think those eyes could never look at me with that much hatred. How is it right that he hates me?

His windows are down, his arm is casually hanging out of it, and he’s wearing a black hat backwards. His sculpted shoulders are shown off, along with all his tattoos, considering he’s wearing a sleeveless shirt.

“Let’s roll,” Aidan calls from the car, putting an abrupt end to my gawking.

Chase’s eyes snap away from mine to stare at Aidan who is three parking spaces down from him. Something akin to fury crosses his features, but I ignore it as I make my way to the passenger side of my car.

“Asshole,” I grumble, slipping inside.

“Me or him? Because he’s still glaring this way. Is that who I think it is?”

I slump down in my seat just as Aidan pulls a piece of a straw paper from my hair. Damn it. How long has that been there?

“Yeah. Get us out of here,” I mutter.

His eyebrows go up in surprise, and he flips off Chase before backing up.

“Stupid fucker. I thought you said he was gone. That’s the only reason I agreed to let you move out here.”

Agreed to let me move out here? As if he had a choice.

“Apparently life hates me. Should have known,” I say under my breath as he drives.

Chapter 10

CHASE

“You going to acknowledge me or just keep staring at her?” Whit asks evenly, narrowing her eyes at me.

Cutting my eyes away from the unknown asshole with Mika, I give Whit my attention.

“Want to order a pizza or something?” I ask, aiming for casual.