Page 34 of Keep Me Never
“Wait.” Cam jumps in front of Chase. “First we need your schedules cleared for Tuesday. We’re going to a live show. Paige’s grandpa hooked us up. Be at her dorm by 5:50. You might have to take your clothes to practice with you.”
“Damn, Cam, take a breath,” Ari teases. “But what she said, and Noah’s coming!”
“Hell yeah.” Brady grins. “I look good in slacks. Wait. We gotta wear slacks, yeah?”
“Yeah.” I chuckle. “It’s business casual, but I think Cameron is going full-on red carpet, so you should match her energy.”
Mason sets Deaton down, and he runs up to his mama, wrapping his arms around her legs.
She bends, kissing his puckered lips with her own. “Hi, baby. Did you have fun at the pizza place with Daddy?”
“Yep! I winned all the candy.” He tugs from her arms, having no idea every person in this room is staring at him like the precious little thing he is.
He runs over to me next, pulling me down by the hand.
I sit on my knees in front of him, and he smiles, running his little hands over the sides of my head and tangling his sticky fingers in my hair.
“Hi, Paige.”
“Hi.” I smile.
“Me and Uncle Chaser like your hair,” he says.
My eyes widen, cheeks heating, and my gaze snaps up when not only Mason but also Brady cough to cover their laughs. Not really following, I still play along. “Well, I likeyourhair. So curly.”
“Do you like Uncle Chaser’s hair, too?”
A low laugh leaves me, and I look over at Chase, who is staring at me with that same frown I can’t quite read. “Yeah, I like his hair, too.”
“Oh,” is all that Deaton says, releasing me and running back down the hall, disappearing from sight.
I shake my head, smiling at Payton as she tells Mason he better go with us to the show.
He tries to refuse, but she whispers something, and he grins, spinning my way. “I’m in.”
Ari scoffs, shaking her head. “Chase? How about you?”
He seems to snap out of his frozen state and remembers he was leaving, swiping his keys from the coffee table. “Nah, I can’t make it. Sorry.”
Disappointment swoops in, tightening my ribs a little, so I stand to stretch them out. “That’s okay. Maybe another time.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he mumbles. “Bye, little D. Uncle Chaser is leaving!”
“Bye!” Deaton screams but doesn’t come into the room.
Chase nods and heads for the door, so I turn away, trying not to look bothered by his strange behavior. “Hey, Payton, do you have a charger I can borrow? My phone’s been off all day.”
“Yeah, one sec.” She heads into the hall, and when I turn around, I find Chase is standing there staring at me, the door wide open and his body halfway out.
He opens his mouth but closes it and shakes his head. His eyes soften, but he just gives a pinched smile and leaves, though I’m pretty sure I hear him cuss himself out as he does.
Frowning, I move toward the couch and sit down, realizing the boys are staring at me, both seemingly fighting a laugh. “What?”
“Twenty bucks says Chase is miraculously able to go to the show,” Brady says.
Mason throws his hands up. “I was going to bet her!”
“Too slow, my man.” Brady smirks, thrusting his hand out to me.
