Page 46 of I Despise You
Okay, one problem less. I hate having to hide stuff from my mom, but if she knew the truth, she’d freak out, and I still need to talk to her about what Brittany said, which I’ve been avoiding because my sisters are always around.
Meeting Chase’s family sounds fun. Maybe I can find out more about him that way.
***
THE DRESS COMES WITHmatching high heels, and I’m shocked by the softness of the silky material. The high heels look uncomfortable, but they’re not.
A knock sounds on the door, and I open it. Chase opens his mouth, but he doesn’t say anything as he stares at me as if he’s seeing me for the first time. His eyes take me in, and his silence makes me nervous.
“Breathtaking,” he says. “You’re going to be the most beautiful woman at the party.”
“Thanks.” I give him a small smile. Somehow, in his black suit, he’s even more handsome than ever, his hair carefully combed but still messy.
He offers me his arm and I take it. We go to his car, and I’m not afraid at all. Even the school administration knows where we’re going. I’m not going to be in any danger.
Our ride takes about two hours, and when Chase pulls over in front of a five-star hotel, my stomach fills with uneasiness that screams I should be here because I don’t belong.
I ignore it as the valet opens the door for me. Chase is quickly by my side, and I loop my arm through his once again as we make our way to the entrance.
I squint because the lights are so incredibly bright, and there’s too much gold color that shines even more. We go through the lobby and enter a spacious room with tables and a dance floor.
I feel Chase’s body go stiff, and I follow his gaze. He’s looking at a man with dark hair who is standing in the middle of a group of people and smiling, everyone’s attention on him.
When the man’s eyes lift to us, he waves.
Chase audibly inhales before leading me toward the man.
“My son’s here,” the man says, opening his arms.
Chase steps away from me and lets his father embrace him.
Everyone’s looking at me, as if they’re trying to figure out who I am. It’s like they’re judging every breath that I take.
“This is Liliana,” Chase says.
“Nice to meet you.” His father offers his hand to me, his gaze scanning me up and down. His face stays cordial and smiling, and I have no clue what he thinks about me. But it doesn’t really matter.
As someone asks his father something, Chase catches my hand and pulls me a little away from the group, and I’m grateful about it. I don’t think I’d be able to keep a conversation with rich businesspeople, unless they only ask me about school.
Chase grabs two glasses of champagne from the tray that a waiter is carrying, and he hands one to me. I raise an eyebrow at him. We’re too young to be drinking, and we’re surrounded by adults, including Chase’s father.
But no one even blinks when Chase downs the contents of his glass.
“I didn’t know you had a son,” someone says.
Chase presses his lips into a tight line.
“Oh, yes,” his father says. “He lived with his mother. I wanted to keep his existence a secret until he’s a bit older. You know how paparazzi and the media can get. I didn’t want my boy to suffer because of my work. He deserved a happy, worry-free childhood. But now he’s almost an adult, so I think he’s ready to be introduced to the world.”
Chase pulls away from me, dumps his empty glass on a nearby table with so much force it’s a surprise it doesn’t break, and storms off.
I put down my glass too and go after him. I have no idea where he’s going, but I don’t want to be all alone and surrounded by strangers. It’s funny that I feel safer with Chase, but it is what it is.
I follow Chase all the way to a terrace. He leans on the railing, his shoulders tense, his head bowed.
“Hey,” I say softly. “Are you okay?”
He turns around. “No, I’m not.”
