The Stand-In Boyfriend (Grove Valley High #1)(62)

He shakes his head in amusement. “Well I happen to think you’re really hot.”

I snort. I am not really hot. The Abigails and the Sophies and the Sarahs of the world are really hot, not me.

“No, really,” he insists, his voice sincere. “I think you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

I burst out laughing. He must think I’m really drunk if he expects me to believe that. I am such a disaster right now. I caught sight of myself in the mirror when I went to the bathroom and my eye has turned black and blue like I expected, my nose is sunburned from the afternoon outside, and my legs have been cut to shreds. “I look a mess,” I tell him.

His hand reaches up and gently touches the bruise on my eye. He does it so softly I question whether or not he actually made contact. “Does it hurt?”

I shake my head and he moves so he’s no longer leaning against the side but standing in between my legs, stepping into me, and I automatically make room for him. His eyes find mine, almost as if asking if this is okay, but I just smile back. I like Chase and if he wants a closer look at my bruise, who am I to argue?

“It’s kinda hot,” he declares. “Like a battle wound.”

I grin back. It is a battle wound, and I’d take a hundred more of them if it meant I got another dose of that feeling I felt when the whistle blew.

“I was really proud of you today,” he tells me.

“Shush, Chase,” I whisper, again fighting the giggles. “There’s no one around…you don’t have to say that.”

He shakes his head before glancing away briefly. For a second, I think he’s going to step away, so I instinctively hook my legs around his waist, stopping him from leaving. He turns back to me with an eyebrow raised and a question on his face.

“I think,” I tell him, my eyes trained on his lips, which I’ve only just realized are the perfect shape, “you should stay right here.”

A smirk covers his face. “I wasn’t going anywhere, Chapman.”

I grin and his eyes meet mine. We don’t say anything, just staring at each other for what feels like the longest time.

“So now that you’ve got me here, what are you gonna do with me?” he eventually asks.

I bite my lip, not taking my eyes away from his mouth. I tug with my legs, pulling him in slightly closer. I know what I want to do with him, and I know we’ve done it before, I just never thought I’d want to instigate it with him. Suddenly, though, it feels like it would be a crime if I didn’t get to kiss Chase right now.

“I was thinking I could cash in on one of my kisses.”

A smile plays on his lips and his hands find my hips. “But there’s no Abigail or Jessie here.”

I frown. “Well, if you don’t want to—”

“I didn’t say that,” he shoots back instantly, edging in closer to me.

I glance around the room. It’s fairly busy and a few people are glancing our way, but nothing major. I guess people really do think we’re a couple now and just doing what couples do. “I mean, I know Jessie and Abigail aren’t here, but they’d definitely probably hear about it,” I tell him, like I’m trying to convince myself—not that I need to. I already know exactly what I want to do.

He nods, playing along. “Without a doubt they would.”

I lick my lips, the rest of the party drifting away. All I can focus on is Chase’s mouth, and I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or the victory, but I’m suddenly very happy that it’s Chase here in front of me.

“Livy,” he whispers, pulling my attention away from his mouth and the smile curling his lips.

“Huh?”

“It’s your turn,” he tells me. “If you want this to happen, you have to make it happen.”

He wants me to kiss him. He doesn’t want to instigate it this time. He wants it to be me who makes the first move, and sitting here, looking at that handsome face I’ve just realized is so damn good-looking, I don’t have to be asked twice.

I bend my head and capture his mouth without a second thought.





I SPOT CHASE BY HIS car, talking to Aaron and Jackson, and I almost blush thinking back to the last time they saw me—when I was wrapped around Chase and kissing him like we were the only ones in the room on Saturday night. Hands were definitely roaming, and it was becoming more and more heated. If Tia hadn’t started chanting my name, I don’t know when I would have stopped. The sight of everyone watching us soon sobered me up and I was absolutely mortified, but Chase wouldn’t let me back away from him. He just laughed and pulled me into his side then didn’t let me leave for the rest of the night. He even ordered me an Uber home and rode with me so he could walk me to my door. Things got kind of weird so I just thanked him and quickly went inside, and for the first time in a long time, it wasn’t Jessie I dreamed about.

But, that was then, before my mind drifted back to Jessie and the kiss after the soccer game, back to the reality that Jessie and I shared a kiss.

Where the hell was he on Saturday night? No matter what’s been going on between us, he’s my friend and should have been there to celebrate with me.

I fired off a quick text yesterday morning.

Me: Where were you last night?

No doubt about it, in the cold light of day and with a hangover bigger than I had thought possible, I was pissed at him for not showing up. Saturday night was my night, and he should have been there, even if he was freaked out by that spontaneous kiss.