Page 24 of Trainer

“Don’t judge me,” she whispered to me. “He’s a bit of a douche, but he’s hot and it’s been a while.”

“I’m in no position to judge anyone,” I told her.

“I’ll tell him to go,” she said. “Me and you can have a girls’ night.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said quickly. “I appreciate it, but I really just do want to go to sleep. I’ll be miserable to hang out with.”

“You sure?” she asked. “Because I’m sure he’ll still wanna hang out with me again even if I send him home.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Have a good time. We can have girls’ night tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Natasha said with a smile. “But if you change your mind and you need me, I’m right out there. Just come get me, okay?”

“Okay,” I nodded. She was a good friend and I was lucky to have her.

She gave me a pinch on the butt that caused me to jump and then left the room and shut the door behind her. I heard her date say something—he sounded annoyed—then the sound of the TV being turned down and they both went quiet.

I should have brushed my teeth or taken a shower or wiped off what little makeup I had on, but instead I just wrapped myself up in my blanket, grabbed my pillow, and tried to go to sleep.

But sleep didn’t come—not right away. All I could think about was Chase. His touch, his scent, his warmth, and worst of all…

…the way he felt inside of me.

Despite it all, I still couldn’t get that experience out of my mind. And why should I even expect to? It was my first time, for God’s sake! And I’d gone ahead and thrown it away, giving myself to some playboy jerk who probably had a thousand notches on his belt (or more).

Kill me, I thought as I lay there. Kill me.

I woke up to a hand on my ankle. I opened my eyes and glanced at my phone, which was charging on the window sill:

4:42 AM

“Nat,” I groaned. “Just let me sleep.”

“It’s not Natasha,” Chase’s voice said softly. “It’s me.”

My heart leapt and I rocketed up to a seated position. I tried to scream but Chase slapped a hand over my mouth and silenced me.

“Shhhh,” he whispered. “Don’t scream. I’m not here to hurt you. I came to explain.”

Explain!? Is he serious!? He sneaks into my room, wakes me up, and wants to explain!?

“I know Melinda came to the house,” he said slowly. I thought about biting him to get him to let go, or clawing at his face. After all, he had broken into my apartment, right? Who does that!?

“But she was lying to you, Cady,” he said. His voice was firm, steady, and intent, like he was desperate that I believe him—but not the kind of desperation that you get when someone is lying.

“Nothing Melinda said about me is true,” he continued. “She wants me and will do anything to try and get rid of you. She heard about my ‘new cute tennis instructor’ the other day and that’s why she threw that surprise party for me at the apartment.”

A war was raging inside of me. I was terrified at having been woken up like this, and was also still feeling the pain of the fresh wound I’d been given by Melinda, but I also desperately wanted to believe him—to hear anything that would make me believe that I hadn’t made the biggest mistake of my life by trusting him.

“I’m going to take my hand away now,” he said slowly. “Please, don’t scream.”

He hesitated a moment. Although the room was dark, I could see his eyes from the glow of the streetlight coming in through the window.

Why does he have to be so good-looking!?

“Please, Cady?”

I nodded slowly and Chase took his hand away from my lips.

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