boobs. These babies cost my daddy a fortune. Why's he wasting his time with that one?"
"Maybe he's started drinking during the day and has had one too many."
"Or ten too many." The girls' laughter rang out, cutting through the noise of the busy bookstore. "Don't worry. A couple of days and Chase will be on to the next girl."
"Hopefully he'll be on me." They giggled again at the joke.
The girls' voices trailed off as they wandered out of the room and disappeared into another one across the hall. Julia's head spun as she watched them leave while thoughts of Mrs Dupree and Rebecca came rushing back to her. That's why they both threatened her—they were marking their territory because they didn't want to share him with yet another girl.
Tali had tried to warn her when she said Chase didn't stick with one girl long. How could Julia be so stupid not to see what was so clearly on display the entire time? Chase was a player. He didn't care about her. He just wanted her because she was something new and different to try out.
Julia's stomach rolled. She held onto the nearest bookshelf and took in deep gulps of air. She'd been so stupid to think a guy like Chase would be interested in a girl like her.
Well, she wasn't going to get played anymore. She didn't need Chase. Thank God she'd quit her job already since Chase obviously would have only kept her around for a few more dates before ditching her anyway. Now he wouldn't get the chance. This time, she would leave on her own accord and not because she was told to. This time, she would take care of her own needs before worrying about some guy.
Julia stood up straight and squared her shoulders. She would walk out of here with her dignity. Chase couldn't take that from her.
Julia had already done a loop of the entire bottom floor but hadn't seen Rebecca or Chase anywhere. That meant they had to be in the back storage room—exactly where she needed to go to collect her things before she could leave. She didn't want to see either of them again. Maybe she could sneak into the back unnoticed.
As she crept up to the door, raised voices came from inside the back room. Praying the hinges wouldn't creak, she gently pushed it open a crack. Inside the room, she could see them standing by the boxes of books waiting to be put on the new display shelves.
"Chase, I can't believe you would do that to me." Julia heard Rebecca say, sounding as though she spoke through heavy tears.
"I'm sorry you saw us together. I know it's not appropriate for me to be kissing the new girl since I'm the boss."
"You're right it's not. She's been here like thirty seconds, and you're already making out with her in the travel section?"
"I know that kiss was wrong and I promise I'm going to rectify the situation with Julia immediately."
Rectify the situation? Is that all I am to him — a situation?
"I don't care about that stupid girl, Chase. I care about you. Why can't you see that after all of these years?" Julia watched as Rebecca stepped closer to Chase and put her hand on his chest. "You," Rebecca said. " You , you clueless idiot. It's always been about you."
Chase didn't say a word. He simply stood with a look of confusion on his face. Apparently, he had no better idea what was going on with Rebecca than Julia did.
"I—I don't even know what to say." He took a step back and ran into the bookshelves behind him.
"Then don't say anything." Rebecca closed the gap between them again. "I love you, Chase. I always have. I know you love me too."
"I do love you," he said so softly Julia almost wasn't sure she'd heard him.
She froze, horrified by the sight of Rebecca grabbing Chase and pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss. His hands appeared on her hips and Julia struggled not to be sick.
She was such an idiot. Why hadn't she been smart enough to listen to Tali's warning about him? He was a player and he'd played her like the naive outsider she was. He probably saw her as an easy target since she wasn't
"Maybe he's started drinking during the day and has had one too many."
"Or ten too many." The girls' laughter rang out, cutting through the noise of the busy bookstore. "Don't worry. A couple of days and Chase will be on to the next girl."
"Hopefully he'll be on me." They giggled again at the joke.
The girls' voices trailed off as they wandered out of the room and disappeared into another one across the hall. Julia's head spun as she watched them leave while thoughts of Mrs Dupree and Rebecca came rushing back to her. That's why they both threatened her—they were marking their territory because they didn't want to share him with yet another girl.
Tali had tried to warn her when she said Chase didn't stick with one girl long. How could Julia be so stupid not to see what was so clearly on display the entire time? Chase was a player. He didn't care about her. He just wanted her because she was something new and different to try out.
Julia's stomach rolled. She held onto the nearest bookshelf and took in deep gulps of air. She'd been so stupid to think a guy like Chase would be interested in a girl like her.
Well, she wasn't going to get played anymore. She didn't need Chase. Thank God she'd quit her job already since Chase obviously would have only kept her around for a few more dates before ditching her anyway. Now he wouldn't get the chance. This time, she would leave on her own accord and not because she was told to. This time, she would take care of her own needs before worrying about some guy.
Julia stood up straight and squared her shoulders. She would walk out of here with her dignity. Chase couldn't take that from her.
Julia had already done a loop of the entire bottom floor but hadn't seen Rebecca or Chase anywhere. That meant they had to be in the back storage room—exactly where she needed to go to collect her things before she could leave. She didn't want to see either of them again. Maybe she could sneak into the back unnoticed.
As she crept up to the door, raised voices came from inside the back room. Praying the hinges wouldn't creak, she gently pushed it open a crack. Inside the room, she could see them standing by the boxes of books waiting to be put on the new display shelves.
"Chase, I can't believe you would do that to me." Julia heard Rebecca say, sounding as though she spoke through heavy tears.
"I'm sorry you saw us together. I know it's not appropriate for me to be kissing the new girl since I'm the boss."
"You're right it's not. She's been here like thirty seconds, and you're already making out with her in the travel section?"
"I know that kiss was wrong and I promise I'm going to rectify the situation with Julia immediately."
Rectify the situation? Is that all I am to him — a situation?
"I don't care about that stupid girl, Chase. I care about you. Why can't you see that after all of these years?" Julia watched as Rebecca stepped closer to Chase and put her hand on his chest. "You," Rebecca said. " You , you clueless idiot. It's always been about you."
Chase didn't say a word. He simply stood with a look of confusion on his face. Apparently, he had no better idea what was going on with Rebecca than Julia did.
"I—I don't even know what to say." He took a step back and ran into the bookshelves behind him.
"Then don't say anything." Rebecca closed the gap between them again. "I love you, Chase. I always have. I know you love me too."
"I do love you," he said so softly Julia almost wasn't sure she'd heard him.
She froze, horrified by the sight of Rebecca grabbing Chase and pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss. His hands appeared on her hips and Julia struggled not to be sick.
She was such an idiot. Why hadn't she been smart enough to listen to Tali's warning about him? He was a player and he'd played her like the naive outsider she was. He probably saw her as an easy target since she wasn't
Similar Books
