Page 70 of Lead Me On
“Nothing. Get in.”
“Christ, he really got your panties in a twist.”
“Shut up, Jess.” She didn’t know why she felt like throwing up. All that stuff she’d done as a teenager, all the ways she’d degraded herself… It had happened, whether Chase had known about it or not. But it had been like an old movie before. Now the memories felt like true memories again. Right there. Reminding her of exactly who she was.
“Oh, God.” Jane sighed, then forced herself to take a deep breath. Okay, so he knew the truth about her. Maybe it wasn’t that big a deal. He had no reason to tell anyone, and she wasn’t tied to him.
She’d kept it casual. She’d kept him at a distance. Her original plan had been to use him for sex and then walk away. Despite Lori’s little pep talk, Jane had to stick to the original plan.
This thing with Chase was officially over.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
IT WAS SNOWING. May 20 and it was snowing. Jane stared at the fat flakes drifting past the window. The snow was like an order for her to relax and have a perfect night at home. She’d already ordered pizza, and her pay-per-view movie was starting in two minutes.
Tonight the outside world didn’t exist. Her condo was muffled by the snow, a protective blanket keeping out all the craziness of her life.
Her butt hit the couch, but as soon as her fingers touched the remote, a sharp knock sounded on the door.Pizza.One nice thing about being single and lonely—she could order any toppings she wanted. Spicy sausage with mushrooms, jalapeños and green olives. And leftovers galore. Maybe she wouldn’t leave her apartment for days.
Jane grabbed her wallet. She opened the door with a smile, but that smile froze when she spied the man standing there. Apparently fluffy snow didn’t make for a good enough shield. The outside world was standing smack on her doorstep.
“Hello,” Chase said, his eyes drifting over her sweatshirt and ten-year-old leggings. Her own eyes swept down his body in turn, and the sight of him sent turbulence shivering through her nerves.
Every time she’d seen Chase he’d been wearing jeans and some version of a T-shirt. But tonight he wore black slacks and a gray blazer brightened by a deep blue shirt.
“Oh,” she said. He’d dressed up. For a date they weren’t going on.
“I take it you weren’t expecting me?”
“No,” she answered flatly just as a car squealed up to the curb. A painfully tall teenage boy jumped out and rushed toward her with a pizza box. “I was expecting him.”
“Ouch.”
She completed the pizza/cash exchange, then stood there, holding the hot pizza and looking up at a new version of Chase. He was even hotter than the pizza, and the sight of him was breaking her heart.
“Did you forget about our date?”
“You know there’s not going to be a date.”
“No, I’m pretty sure I don’t. If I’d given up on the date, I wouldn’t have gone shopping for big-boy clothes today.”
That almost made her smile, so Jane narrowed her eyes in defense. “We’re not doing this. I can’t see you anymore, Chase.”
“Yes, you can. Nothing’s changed.”
“Everything’s changed.”
“Just because I know about your past? I’ve known about it for days now.”
“Yes, but nowIknow. And I just… I can’t get past it. I was so desperate to leave that girl behind that I changedeverything.My appearance, my name, my behavior. I’ve practically given up my family just so I won’t ever have to think about who I used to be.”
Chase crossed his arms, then uncrossed them, then took the pizza box from her hands before she could shift it out of his reach. “Let me bring this in for you.”
“No!” She dived for the box, but he slipped past her, invading her little bubble of movie-night peace. “Damn it!” she screamed.
“Wow.” Chase shot her a look of amazement. “Did you just say that, Miss Jane?”
“Shut up and get the hell out of my house!”
