Page 102 of Lead Me On
Chase shook his head and shifted from foot to foot. “I stole a truck from my boss—”
“Oh, perfect!” She laughed, throwing her hands in the air. “A thief! No wonder you fit in so well with my family.”
“I wanted to go to Grand Junction for the weekend, and I didn’t think he’d miss it. He reported it stolen and I was picked up on my way home. My boss accepted my apology and the charge was lowered to criminal mischief. I did community service and paid reparations to the company. It was no big deal.”
“No big deal? Then why didn’t you tell me about it?”
Chase’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding, right? After all the stuff you kept from me? Christ, you aren’t the only one who struggled through shit as a teenager. I was pissed off, too. And I figured I’d poured all my money into rent and groceries since my very first job, so I decided I deserved a little joyride. Get over it and stop being self-righteous.”
“I’m not being self-righteous, I’m saying I want to be with a man who’s never seen the inside of a jail cell! Is that too much to ask?”
Chase shook his head and sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it. I didn’twantto tell you about it.”
“So you kept it from me on purpose.”
“Yes. Do I look like a fucking idiot? I knew you’d use it as an excuse, and that’s exactly what you’re doing now. It’s an excuse, Jane. We’re good together, and you said yourself that I was a good guy.”
“It doesn’t—”
“And you were right about one thing. Nothing’s changed. The way you feel about me hasn’t changed, and I still love you. But that doesn’t mean I have to take this kind of shit. I’m going to go, and you can call me when you’re ready to talk like a grown-up, all right?”
“No!”
“Put some ice on that hand, Sugar Ray.”
“Chase…”
He gave her a perfunctory wave and walked out. After a moment of stunned silence, Jane locked the door and checked all the windows. The police had already found the key in Greg’s pocket, thank God. Jane wasn’t planning on calling a locksmith.
Still, she felt nervous as she walked around. Her eyes drifted toward the sofa where Chase had offered to sleep.
She’d made the right decision. They needed a clean break. There was nothing she could do about the past, but she could damn well do her best not to get it mixed up with her future.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
HALFWAY THROUGH THE WEEK,Jane couldn’t stop thinking about Chase. She’d thought of him a lot during their fling, but now it was pathological.
She wanted to call him. Wanted to call and say, “My mom is at my house!” But then she’d have to explain that her mom had never been to Jane’s condo before, and that would sound awful, considering she lived twenty minutes away.
Jane poured two glasses of lemonade and went to sit next to her mom on the couch.
“So Jessie looks good?”
Her mom nodded. “He does. Really good, actually. And if he keeps up the good behavior, his lawyer says he’ll probably be out in six months. That’s not so bad.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Are you gonna go see him? He can receive visitors until eight on Thursdays. You’ve still got an hour.”
She looked into her mom’s hazel eyes, noticing how deep the lines were getting beyond the mascara. “I don’t think so, Mom. I sent him a letter a few days ago, though.”
“He told me he got it. And thanks for paying for the attorney. She was real good. I’ll try to pay you back someday.”
“Please don’t. I wanted to do it.”
“Thank you. But I’ll still try.” Her mom sipped her drink and looked nervously around. “It’s real pretty in here, Jane. Like something on TV.”
“Thank you.”
