Trust by Aubrey St. Clair Page A

told you, I don't
know what to think.  I need you to tell me what's going on."
     
    "Denise is just
fucking with you.  You're right, she is a bitch.  But she has good taste, and I
guess I trusted her to help me with something when clearly that was a bad
idea."
     
    "What?  What was a
bad idea?"  My mind is racing through all sorts of bad ideas, each one
worse than the next. 
     
    "It was supposed to
be a surprise." He says with another heavy sigh.
     
    I'm totally confused
now.  I don't even have any more words, I just stare at him, waiting.
     
    "I wasn't completely
honest with you last week," he says.  Here it comes.  He's going to admit
to still having feelings for Denise.  They're still fucking.  Or maybe they're
in love.  Shit, they don't have a child together do they?   I reach out to put
my arm onto the wall to steady myself, waiting for the knockout blow.
     
    "You know that dress
that I brought up to the room last week, the one that I said I had to stop and
buy for you since I thought you would look stunning in it?"
     
    What?  
What the hell does that dress have to do with his secret love child?
     
    "That's not how it
happened," he continues.  "I wanted to take you out, and I wanted to
get you a dress, but I honestly don't have a clue what would look good on
someone without actually seeing them in it.  I went into a shop downstairs and
had one of the sales women recommend something based on a picture I took of you
and had on my phone."
     
    I know I'm staring at him
dumbly now, but I can't stop myself.  I'm completely confused.  Who the fuck
cares about the stupid dress?
     
    "Anyway, my point is
that I don't really have great taste in buying really nice things for someone
like you.  So I needed help with that dress.  And then the other day I decided
I wanted to get you something else.  That's why I met with Denise.  She has great
taste in jewelry, far better than mine.  I asked her to meet with me to go over
what I wanted to get for you, and she was going to pick something out.  I'm
sorry, it was supposed to be a surprise."
     
    I collapse back against
the wall, closing my eyes as the realization hits me.  The only asshole in this
room right now is me.
     
     

 

     
     
    Even with Chase trying to
reassure me that it's no big deal, I can't help feeling like a complete fool
for the rest of the night, and the feeling hasn't been shaken by the next day,
either.  Each time I apologize for being a lunatic and a stalker, he just
laughs and changes the subject.  I know he's being kind, but I still feel
terrible about ruining his surprise and not trusting him.  Besides, as he
pointed out, I have my own ex-boyfriend baggage that I'm still carrying around,
so I shouldn't have been so quick to judge.
     
    "What should we do
today?" he asks.  We're sitting on his couch, both dressed but without a
plan for the day.   Chase is fiddling on his phone, and has been most of the
morning while I've moped around the room feeling guilty.  I can tell he's
anxious to do something.
     
    "I'd like to just
take it easy today."  Yesterday was more excitement than I usually see in
a week.  Between the motorcycle, the skydiving and then our argument, I'm
drained.
     
    "How about we just
sit by the pool?"
     
    I shrug.  "I don't
really want to spend the day in the shade as fans hover over us asking you for
autographs.  Can we go use the pool at your place again?"
     
    Chase takes a deep breath
and gives me a look before smiling.  "I thought you might suggest that. 
Go get your stuff together."
     
    Less than half an hour
later his driver drops us off and we head into the kitchen where Chase throws a
few drinks into the empty fridge.  "I don't want to stay all day,
though," he says.  "I was thinking maybe we could go and catch a
movie later?  It's been forever since I've been to a theater.  I thought it
would be fun, and still relaxing."
     
    I make a noncommittal
sound as I head out back to the