The Stand-In Boyfriend (Grove Valley High #1)(26)

“What? No! I don’t ditch.” He completely ignores me and tugs my hand so hard it actually turns me away from the table. “Chase,” I hiss, reluctantly standing. “You’re making a scene.”

He just shrugs, like he doesn’t notice the eyes on us. “Just finishing what you started, Chapman.”

If possible, my face gets even redder. He has a point. I did just go up and attack his mouth in front of everyone, but that was to get Jessie’s attention. I have that now—I can’t leave!

Chase must get tired of me staring at him in disbelief because he tugs me over to his side, throws his arm around me, and turns us. “Let’s go.”

“Wait, Livy!” I freeze at the sound of Jessie’s voice and turn back to them. Chase levels him with a stare too, his expression unreadable, and Jessie quickly looks away, turning to me. “We have Sollomon next. You’re really gonna skip?” he asks in disbelief.

I shrug like I’m not concerned although the hammering heart in my chest is definitely telling a different story.

“I mean, where are you even gonna go?”

Sophie decides to jump in at this point. “Probably somewhere dark where they can be alone.” She winks over at Chase. “Am I right, Mitchell?”

“But you were gonna go over the homework with me before class…”

I feel Chase stand up straighter at this but I don’t look away from Jessie’s pleading eyes. I did say I’d help him with it earlier this week, and now I’m helping him with math too. Thing is, lately my “help” has felt a lot more like just doing it for him.

“Let’s go, Chapman,” Chase says.

“Get out of here, Liv,” Sophie instructs, sending me an encouraging look but then ruining it by raising her eyebrows suggestively and telling me, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” So that rules out nothing then.

“But—”

“Forget it, Stephenson,” Chase says sternly. “She’s mine for the afternoon.”

Jessie’s jaw locks, and this time he doesn’t hold back his glare when facing Chase. He’s pissed—really pissed. I go to open my mouth to say I’ll stay and help him, but Chase pulls me away, and that’s when I glance around and notice that all eyes are fixed on us. Fuck. When Chase pulls me toward the exit again, I don’t resist, because honestly, I want to just stop making a scene and get out of here. I turn away from Jessie’s eyes; somehow I feel like I’m betraying him as I let Chase walk me out.

“Get it, Chapman!”

My eyes widen in horror and I just know that came from one of my soccer teammates. Sure enough, when I look over, they’re all grinning at me, raising their eyebrows suggestively. Yup, everyone can see me leaving with Chase Mitchell.

Get it, Chapman. Oh Jesus.

I glance back at Chase’s table, and their eyes are on us too. Aaron and Brendon and the rest of the guys are grinning, the girls have their mouths hanging open in shock, and Abigail is glaring at me with a look so full of disgust I have to turn away and quicken my pace, desperate to get out of the cafeteria and away from all the scrutiny as quickly as humanly possible.



Chase still has his arm around me as he leads us to his car, and I stand there completely immobile as he throws our bags into his trunk while I relive the last twenty minutes and try not to have a panic attack over what just occurred. All I had to do was sit there and not get wound up by Courtney and Jessie. It’s not as if I haven’t done it before—I’ve had months of practice—but no, not today. Today I had to react, and now I’ve gone and kissed Chase Mitchell and encouraged him and his stupid idea.

“You need to stop freaking out.”

“What?” I ask distractedly. He’s by the passenger door now, staring over at me. He doesn’t say anything else, simply opens the door and jerks his head toward the seat, indicating that I should get in.

I stare for a couple of seconds, contemplating what to do, and then step forward and climb in with a sigh since there’s really not any other option at this point. Chase rounds the car, climbs in, and starts the engine.

“Wait, stop.”

He dutifully lowers his hands from the steering wheel. I can see him looking over at me out of the corner of my eye while I keep my gaze fixed on the school building ahead of us. I should be thinking about heading to class right now.

“We’re not actually going to ditch are we?”

“Why not?”

“Because we could get caught?”

Chase quirks an eyebrow.

I rush on. “Sollomon could report my absence to the principal, who could then speak to any future scouts who come to my games, and then they could decide I’m not a good enough student to deserve a scholarship and I could wind up not going to college and then my whole future falls down the drain.”

There’s a couple of seconds of complete silence…and then he bursts out laughing.

“What?” I demand. “I’m being serious.”

He shakes his head, the widest grin on his face. “I know you are, that’s why it’s so funny. Haven’t you ever ditched before?”

“No!”

His jaw falls open. “Seriously? It’s senior year and you’ve never skipped a class?”

Of course I haven’t. I shake my head.