Page 102 of Mine Forever
“I know I heard a few things about that, but I also know how these rags work. Want to tell me what really went down?”
I sigh and lay my forehead on the bar for a moment, enjoying the cool, smooth surface against my skin, before lifting up again and almost falling backward off my stool.
“Long, long, long story short. Between the video of me fighting with Ty, Heather’s family suing me—even though it was thrown out of court—plus all the lies Ty and her family spouted to whoever would listen, the media hada field day participating in the downfall of me and my reputation. The story got twisted to make it sound like I caused the crash.”
“But I didn’t think you were the one driving.”
I shake my head, and the room tilts around me a bit. “I wasn’t. Heather was.”
“Then…why do they think you caused it?”
I sigh. “I made the mistake of trusting her family and told them the details when they asked for them. We’d been arguing just before it happened. She’d told me she was pregnant. And it wasn’t mine. It was Ty’s. She wanted a divorce.”
His eyes widen. “Holy shit.”
I nod so much I think my head might roll off my shoulders. I point a finger at him. “Yep. See why your life is better than mine? And don’t forget, your heart and body isn’t owned by a fucking woman you can’t have because you and Charley made it work.”
Eden’s face pops into my brain and the world spins around me.
As I start to fall off the stool, Nate comes up underneath my shoulder and props me up. “Come on, Chase. I’ll take you home.”
I pat his shoulder—at least I think I do. “You’re a gurd friend, dude.”
For some reason, I start laughing. Nate half drags, half walks me to his truck and pours me into the passenger seat.
The last thing I remember is the image of Eden swimming in my mind before everything goes black.
TWENTY-TWO
chase
Somethingcold and wet hits my shoulder.
Annoyed, I grunt and swipe at it to make it go away.
There’s a tiny growl just before a swat of needle pricks hits my face.
“What the fuck?”
Where the hell am I?
In spite of the little drummer boy playing a rocking drum solo in my skull, I crack open an eyelid and slam it back shut with a moan when light pours in, causing my stomach to lurch.
Son of a bitch. What the fuck did I do last night?
A tiny mewl rings in my ear before something soft lies under my chin.
“Looks like she likes you. I can’t understand why though.”
I jump when I hear Lucas’s voice.
“Jesus, do you ever make any noise when you move?”
I slowly open my eyes again, and my vision is full of gray fur. “What is on me?”
He chuckles and the ball of fur is lifted away. “A kitten.”
When I don’t feel like I’m going to lose the contents of my stomach, I turn my head to survey my surroundings.
