Page 7 of Committed to You

Chase

“Are you home now?”I text Vivian. It’s around one in the morning. She’s been at Charlotte’s but said she was going home.

“Yes.”

“Great. Let me in.” I step out of the cab.

“Let you in?”

“Yes, hit your button so the door opens. Then I’m going to get in the elevator, walk down your hall, and when I knock on your door, you’ll open it, and I’ll walk in,” I tease her.

“You’re here?”

“Yes, and it’s freezing out. Can you buzz the door before I turn into an icicle?”

“It’s one in the morning.”

“Yes, I can tell time. Still turning into an icicle out here.” I’m not exaggerating; my breath is coming out in white fog, and I’m bouncing up and down trying to get warm.

The buzzer rings, and I quickly open the door and head to the elevator. Within seconds, I’m walking down the hall to Vivian’s apartment.

She’s standing outside the door with a robe and slippers on.

My pants become tighter, and I tell myself to cool it so she doesn’t kick me out.

“What are you doing here?” Vivian cocks an eyebrow.

“That’s no way to welcome me back,” I tease her again.

“Chase, I’m not in the mood after the night I’ve had. What are you doing here?” She folds her arms over her chest.

“That wasn’t a great way to end our date.” I step so close to her, I can smell her, and she backs up against the wall.

“We weren’t on a date.”

I arch a brow. “We weren’t?”

“No, we weren’t,” she insists.

I’m tempted to step even closer, but instead, I use it as an opportunity to saunter into her apartment.

“I don’t think I invited you in,” Vivian says, but it’s soft and nervous, not mean and accusing.

I spin back to her and cup her face in my hands. “Tell me to go, and I’ll go. If you really don’t want to see me,” I add quickly.

Her eyes scan mine.

“You don’t want to see me?” I ask her softly.

Please don’t tell me you don’t want to see me.

“I didn’t say that,” she says quietly.

I caress her cheeks with my thumbs. She looks nervous, and I don’t want her to be. Holding myself back from her lips, I kiss the top of her head, then step around her to shut and lock the door.

“Can I stay if I promise to be good?” I don’t define what “good” means.

“You want to stay?”

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