The Stand-In Boyfriend (Grove Valley High #1)(29)

It’s two steps to go and I’ve almost made it. I feel the familiar exhilaration that washes over me when I know I’ve given it my all, when I know I’ve given it my best performance, and then I feel arms wrap around my waist in a tackle and I tumble onto the grass outside Chase’s house with him tumbling down on top of me.

“You cheated,” I cry out, flat on my back. I was definitely about to win that race. Ideally I’d jump straight up to show him that last mile hasn’t affected me at all, but it’s all I can do to spit the words out.

Chase laughs and shifts his weight so he’s not on top of me. He’s propped up on his elbows, looking down. “Damn right I did.” His breathing is as jagged as mine, and a small part of me is proud that I managed to push him so hard. “I have a rep to uphold—can’t have you showing me up the first time you come around here.”

Our eyes meet and I burst out laughing. It feels good as I turn my attention back to the blue sky overhead. The sun is beaming down and I’m dripping with sweat from the exercise, but it’s nice to feel this carefree and I’m extremely grateful to Chase for pulling me out of my dark cloud. It’s been known to last for days, and this one run has cheered me up.

“You didn’t think I could run like that did you?” I ask, unable to keep the pride out of my voice.

“Oh, I knew, Chapman. We had gym class together when we were freshmen.”

I laugh at that; it’s something I’d forgotten. It feels good to know that the star athlete of Grove Valley High considers me a good competitor and knows I can hang. I stretch my legs out. My muscles already feel sore, but it’s a good ache; it means I know I put my all into that run.

Chase grins at me and leans farther toward me. “You good?”

I grin. “Yeah, I’m good.”

His eyes find mine and he shifts ever so slightly closer.

I blink in surprise but don’t look away.

His eyes drop from my eyes to my mouth and he licks his lips.

My heart rate, which had started to slow down after the run, immediately picks up again. I bite my lip but Chase doesn’t break eye contact, and he starts slowly leaning toward me, his intent clear. I’m completely frozen. Everything inside me is screaming that this is a bad idea and I should break the spell by saying something stupid or rolling away, but I don’t. For some reason, as his head gets closer to mine, I don’t move.

A throat is cleared above us. “Sorry, little brother—am I interrupting something?”





I JUMP AWAY FROM CHASE as though he’s the devil himself and scramble to stand up to find the female version of him standing in front of me. Aaron is smirking beside her.

Oh my God. Chase was about to kiss me on his front lawn and I wasn’t going to stop him. Christ. Exercise does strange things to my head.

With a sigh, Chase stands up next to me, and I automatically take a step away from him. My heart is still beating way too fast.

“Perfect timing as always,” Chase says dryly.

His sister turns to face me and I can’t help but feel intimidated. Here I am sweating in her shorts and sneakers after she’s just interrupted her brother and me doing I don’t even know what. I take her in. She’s so similar to Chase that I think if I walked past her on the street I would have known they were siblings. Her dark blonde hair falls halfway down her back, her makeup is perfectly applied, and her slim figure is decked out in designer clothes. I suddenly feel incredibly inferior and can sense myself cowering a little.

“So you’re Abigail’s standin?” she asks, eyebrows raised.

“Shut up,” Chase tells her. “Don’t be a bitch.” He nods at Aaron in greeting then takes a step forward. “Come on,” he says to me over his shoulder. “Let’s get something to drink.”

Aaron smiles at me encouragingly and I have little choice but to follow Chase in, all my happy endorphins gone now that his sister is here. I get the distinct impression she already doesn’t like me.

I follow him into the kitchen and just about manage to stifle my gasp of amazement at the sheer size of it as he grabs a couple of glasses and fills them with water before passing one over to me. I greedily gulp down the liquid, not pausing for breath as Aaron and Chase’s sister come join us at the island in the middle of the room.

“You want some food?” he asks me. I shake my head; I can never eat when I’ve just exercised. Chase turns to Aaron, who nods his head. “You know where to find it,” Chase tells him, and I almost chuckle out loud at the look on Aaron’s face at having to get it himself. Chase smirks over at me. “He’s here every day—he can make his own food.”

The beautiful blonde beside Aaron clears her throat, looking at Chase and then pointedly over at me.

“What?” Chase snaps.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to the girl you were about to make out with on the front lawn?”

If possible, my face burns even redder.

Chase sighs. “Rosie, this is Livy. Livy, this is my sister, Rosie.”

I kind of wave awkwardly at her then drop my hand because I know I probably look really weird.

She narrows her eyes at me. “Livy?” she asks thoughtfully. I nod my head. “What’s your last name?”

“Uh—”