Chasing Red (Chasing Red 1)

I frowned. “What other things?”

“Justin said she was faking her panic attacks.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She played you, man. She’s been faking them to get you to go to her.”

“Why would she do that…” My voice trailed off, my eyes widening in horror. I immediately thought of last night, the events playing in my head like a movie.

She’s in love with you, Red had said.

My heart thundered in my chest. Had Beatrice-Rose planned what happened last night? Had she pretended to have a panic attack to get me to drive her home? To get me to stay with her?

I went numb. She knew me well enough to know I was different with Red. Maybe she’d even figured out that I was in love with Red, but she still kissed me while I was asleep. Did she deliberately do that to…break us up? Beatrice-Rose knew me, knew what buttons to push to make me stay.

She wouldn’t dare.

The information came from Justin, and everyone knew he got off on spreading lies about people. But what if it was true?

The headache was drilling a hole in my head now, and anger was filling it. If Beatrice-Rose had manipulated me, I didn’t know what I would do to her. Last night had cost me the only girl I loved.

I had to hear the truth from Beatrice-Rose. But not tonight. I’d had enough. I was drained.

“I need to shut down for a while. Got anything here I can demo?”

He laughed. “Sorry, no. Got a new video game, though,” Cameron offered, clapping me on the back.

“Thank God.”

“Let’s go, then. If you’re going to be in my crew, try to keep up this time. I’m tired of covering your ass.”

I raised my brows. “You’ll be covering this ass with kisses when we’re done.”

“That’s what I told your mom last night.”

Thank God for best friends.

* * *

I didn’t go home. There were too many memories of Red at my apartment, and I wasn’t sure I could handle them tonight. Video games helped me shut off my brain.

When I’d lost count of how many beers I’d had, I told Cameron the rest of the story. I didn’t really expect him to say anything, but then he spoke.

“Some people are more work than others, but hell, if she’s worth it, then go back and fix it.”

“Then why didn’t you fix things with Kara?”

He was silent for a moment.

“Because,” he said quietly, “I’m not worth it.”

He got up and told me he was going to bed.

I stared at the ceiling for hours, torturing myself with thoughts of her. Thinking about what Cameron had said.

Red was, without a question, more work than anyone I knew.

Was she worth it?