Enjoying the Chase (Guarded Hearts 2)

I showered quickly, and then called them to make sure I could go there. As I walked out of my bedroom, I frowned, looking around my messy apartment; Rosie had certainly hit the nail on the head when she’d called me a slob.

I had moved out of my parents’ place when I was eighteen, sharing this apartment with Ashton, and I had never quite managed to master the art of clearing up after myself. It had gotten worse when he moved out a few years back. At least when we shared the apartment, he used to tidy up after me a little, but now things just piled up on the side.

Before leaving the apartment, I decided I should start making a little more effort. I wouldn’t ever be able to invite Rosie over while the place was in this state. I picked up the cups and plates from the table and put them in the sink, before grabbing a trash bag and discarding all of the old newspapers, junk mail and magazines that I had just casually ‘stacked’ on the floor.

After making a small dent in the pit that I called home, I headed over to Ashton’s place at about eleven. When Anna opened the door I immediately swept her into a hug, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around in a little circle. She laughed, gripping my shoulders as I kissed the side of her head, setting her down onto her feet again.

“What was that for?” she asked, shaking her head at me as if I’d lost my mind.

I grinned, shrugging as I closed the door behind me. “That was for having the most amazing best friend in the world.”

She raised one eyebrow. “Rosie?”

“Yep, Rosie. Or as she is also now known as, Nate’s girlfriend!” I gloated, ruffling her hair as I turned towards the lounge.

She gasped and grabbed my hand, making me stop and look at her. “You and Rosie? Seriously?”

I smirked at her smugly. “Yep!”

Anna frowned. “Nate, you know I love you, but-”

I smiled and held up a hand, cutting her off before she could finish. “Anna, look I know you have feelings for me, and to be honest, who could blame you. But the thing is, you’re married to my best friend so nothing can ever happen between us,” I joked.

“Ha-ha. You’re funny.”

“I know.”

“I’m being serious here though, Nate. If you hurt my best friend, you’re going to lose the ability to reproduce,” she warned.

I laughed and tried not to wince at the hard look in her eye. “Why is everyone assuming that I’m going to hurt her? Maybe she’ll hurt me.”

Anna’s eyes narrowed. “What are you up to, Nate Peters?”

I put my hand over my heart, faking hurt. “Annabelle Taylor, you know me better than to think I’m up to anything!” I scolded playfully. She opened her mouth to say something, so I slung my arm around her shoulder and shook my head. “Look, I like her. She’s great. We’re taking it slow. I asked her out last night and she said yes. Stop looking at me like I just ran over your cat.”

She sighed and slipped her arm around my waist. “Fine, but, just so you know, if you hurt her I’m gonna get my husband to kick your butt.”

“He could try,” I teased, puffing out my chest, trying to look manly.

She laughed and rolled her eyes, pulling me into the lounge.

“Are you cooking today?” I probed, praying she’d say yes. I rubbed my stomach and gave her the look that she always seemed to fall for, the look that made my mom break out the homemade pie when I went round to visit. “I haven’t eaten anything nice in ages. I think I’m starting to get anaemic through lack of nutrients.”

She shook her head. “I’m actually going out today, but Ashton will cook for you.” She giggled wickedly.

I groaned and shook my head quickly. I’d lived with the guy for four years; I couldn’t eat another thing that he cooked.

“I’d rather just take an iron pill,” I grumbled.

Ashton appeared from nowhere and punched me in the top of my arm hard enough to make me wince. “Stop bitching about my cooking,” he instructed, smirking at me.

“Stop cooking and I’ll stop bitching about it.”

Anna just held up both hands to silence us. “I’m going. You boys look after my baby and no fighting or playing killing games on the PS4 while he’s in the room, he’ll have nightmares,” she said sternly.

“Where are you off to?” I asked, watching as she gripped the front of Ashton’s T-shirt and pulled him closer to her. She kissed him, and his arm looped around her, his hand snaking down to her butt as if they forgot I was in the room. I cleared my throat loudly. “Mind if I tape this and put it on YouTube?”

Anna pulled back from Ashton and smiled. “I’m going to visit my best friend, who apparently is also now known as Nate’s girlfriend,” she stated, winking at Ashton as his mouth dropped open in shock too.

I frowned at her answer. Anna got to go there during the day, yet I had to wait until after hours? That hardly seemed fair! “Really?” I frowned.

“Yep. DJ wants a picture drawn on his cast and-” she stopped talking suddenly and her eyes widened.

“What?” I asked, prompting her to carry on.

“You do know about DJ now, right?” she winced.

“Yeah, I know about DJ.”

She blew out a big breath. “Great, okay, I know she was waiting to tell you, I didn’t want to open my mouth and drop the news before she did.”

“Stop worrying. I know all about her little brother and his broken arm,” I deadpanned. Anna looked suddenly nervous. I burst out laughing. “Your face! I know he’s her son.”

She scowled at me and slapped me in the chest with her purse. “That wasn’t funny! Damn it, Nate!” she scolded.

I held my hands up innocently. “What’s with all the beatings today? This is physical abuse. I came here to visit my godson, and I’ve been punched in the arm twice, had the threat of poisoning,” I smirked in Ashton’s direction when I said that, “and hit by a girl, twice. This is really going beyond the call of a best friend’s duty you know. I think I’m going to have to report it.” I shook my head sadly to make my point.

Anna rolled her eyes. “Okay whatever, I’m going. See you later.” She kissed Ashton again before turning for the door.

“Okay, Rick’s just downstairs waiting for you. Love you,” Ashton called, as she shot him a little wave and picked up what looked like a bag of art supplies before heading out the door.

When I turned my attention to Ashton, I saw he was looking at me sternly. “You’d better not hurt her, Nate. Rosie’s awesome. She has a lot of problems to deal with, she doesn’t need you dicking her around.”

I nodded. “I know she does, I heard all about that Josh guy.”

Ashton snorted, muttering the word prick under his breath when I said Josh’s name. “So you’re serious about her then?” he asked, as I made my way over to the little bassinette in the corner and looked at a sleeping Cameron.

“Yep, she’s great,” I confirmed. I looked back at Ashton. “Can I pick him up?”

He nodded and settled with his hands behind his head on the sofa. “Yeah, but if he cries then you can get him back to sleep.” He smiled challengingly, and I was suddenly unsure if I should touch him. Ashton laughed. “Go on, pick him up, he won’t wake up for another hour when he’s due for his food. The boy eats like me; he only wakes up when he’s hungry.”

I smiled and winced as I slipped my hands under him and picked him up. He didn’t even stir as I jostled him to get him comfortable in the crook of my arm.

Ashton motioned at Cameron. “You need to get you one of those.”

I snorted. “Gonna take me a while, even if I wanted one. I’m not gonna be getting any for a while,” I muttered, frowning and playing with Cameron’s hand.

Ashton sat forward. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I launched into the whole tale of Rosie not sleeping with a guy unless she was in love with him. When I got to the part where I’d promised to wait for her, he burst out laughing. I quickly covered Cameron’s ear softly as he jumped slightly in my arms.

“Shh, dude! I don’t know how to get him back to sleep if he wakes up!” I hissed worriedly, praying Cameron would stay asleep. This, of course, made Ashton laugh harder.

“Peters, you’re not gonna last,” he stated, shaking his head animatedly.

I frowned. Does no one have any confidence in me?

“I will. I won’t cheat on her. It can’t take that long to fall in love with someone. A few weeks at most, right?” Ashton snickered in response and nodded. Oh shit, that doesn’t look good. “Two months?”

He shrugged. “Took Anna five months to realise she was in love with me.”

Five months? Wow that’s a long time to go without sex! This is going to kill me. Still, she was incredible, and I wasn’t going to blow my chance. If it all worked out, then five months of being celibate would be worth it in the long run.

I put my head back on the sofa and pictured her face, her smile, and the way she tasted when she kissed me. She was totally worth the wait, I could tell that about her. “It’ll be fine,” I said confidently.

He patted my shoulder and smiled. “If you really like her then I’m pleased for you. She’s a really great girl and has been an incredible friend to Anna. DJ’s great too, isn’t he?” He smiled fondly at the mention of Rosie’s son.

“I haven’t met him yet. I saw him at the hospital when he hurt his arm, but I didn’t stick around.” I winced as I thought about me running off and going straight to the bar and, well...

Two hours later Ashton and I were still playing on the games console when Anna came storming back in, slamming the door behind her, scowling murderously. One glance at her and I decided to keep my comments to myself for once in case she turned that anger on me. She looked ready to kill.

“What’s up, Baby Girl?” Ashton asked, as she plopped down next to him.

“Ugh, Josh!” she scoffed, waving her hand in a buzz off gesture.

Josh? Rosie’s ex-boyfriend?

“What about him?” I asked, interested now.

She frowned. “He turned up there while I was there. God, I hate that guy!” she hissed angrily. “I left right after he showed up; I can’t even stand to be in the same room as him.”

Jealousy started to build in my chest, but I quickly reminded myself that this wasn’t about me; he wasn’t there to see Rosie, he was there to see his son.

“He was there?” I inquired, trying not to sound too bothered, when, in actual fact, my hand was itching to grab my cell and call Rosie, just to say hi and check she was okay.

Anna’s nose scrunched up in distaste. “Yeah, he came to see DJ. He’s such an ass. He was pretending to be this great guy like he usually does. Man, he sucks!”

I nodded. I had never even met the guy yet I wanted to punch the crap out of him, so I wholeheartedly agreed with that statement. “But at least he was there to see his kid,” I said, grudgingly admitting that he was doing the right thing.

“Yeah, and trying to get back in your girlfriends pants,” Anna rebutted angrily.

My body stiffened and this time I actually did pull my cell from my pocket. “What does that mean?” I asked, scrolling through for her number. I had no idea why, but I was doing it anyway.

She snorted. “Josh is the type of guy that just can’t help himself. He wants what he can’t have. When he had her, he blew it big time. But as soon as she doesn’t want him any more, he’s trying to win her back. He’s been the same for the last three years. You don’t need to worry though, she wouldn’t ever go there again, even if she wasn’t with you.” Anna smiled reassuringly, patting my knee.

I frowned. I still didn’t like the thought of him being alone with Rosie though, even if she wasn’t interested in Josh any more. “He sounds like a freaking jackass!”

“He is. Like I said, the guy can’t help himself. He’s like you, Nate, but on speed.”

“Thanks,” I muttered.

She grinned and snuggled into Ashton’s side, taking his controller out of his hand. “Let me have a go, I’m so annoyed I need to kill me some zombies to calm down,” she stated, looking at the screen and shooting randomly into thin air.

I laughed wickedly. “Why don’t you just go make us some food instead? That’ll calm you down. You know you suck at this game,” I teased, dodging the pillow that she threw at my face.

Standing outside Rosie’s apartment door, I was so excited that I could barely stand still. To an outsider, I probably looked like one of those jumpy perverts up to no good in the subway.

Finally, she opened the door. She was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a red V-neck top that just hinted at what was underneath. She had her hair up, and a sexy little pair of black-rimmed glasses rested on her nose. All I could think was: wow.

“Oh yeah, I have one hot little girlfriend,” I observed, raking my eyes down her body.

She leant on the doorframe, crossing her arms, making her br**sts rise up and pull together. My mouth started to water. “Really? Did you bring her with you?” she teased.

I laughed and stepped into her place without waiting for her to invite me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her to me, bending my head so my nose brushed against hers softly. Her body melted against mine as she smiled up at me.

“I’m loving these glasses,” I whispered, touching the frame gently.

She blushed and immediately took them off. “I forgot I was still wearing them. I only wear them to read. I had a bit of a headache earlier,” she said, obviously embarrassed.