The Stand-In Boyfriend (Grove Valley High #1)(65)

I stand there and wait for him to speak, because it’s not me in the wrong here. Yes, maybe I shouldn’t have said that stuff about Abigail, but he’s the one who changed the game by bringing up my father.

Eventually he sighs. “I’m sorry.” He’s genuine; I can tell by his tone. “I shouldn’t have brought your dad into it. That wasn’t fair.”

I nod, looking away. I can’t stand the way he’s looking at me.

“I mean it, Livy. I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

“I trusted you with that stuff. I never tell anyone about it.”

“I know,” he whispers, “and it’s tearing me up that you might not forgive me for bringing him up that way.”

My eyes find his. We haven’t spoken all day. I’ve avoided him like the plague, stayed away from him at lunch, and when he tried to talk to me by my locker, I just muttered that I didn’t have time to speak to him. News about our fight must have gotten out. I heard whispers about it in my classes, and Abigail smirked at me whenever I saw her, totally pleased with herself. Aaron also asked me in chemistry what I’d done to make Chase walk around like a zombie, but I wouldn’t get into it with him.

“Jessie is not a replacement for my dad,” I tell him firmly. He’s not. He might have his faults, but I don’t have feelings for him for some messed-up reasons that have anything to do with my dad.

“Okay,” he agrees instantly. “I’ve clearly been watching too much therapy shit on TV.”

I let out a small smile at that. It sounds like something I would do.

“I know you don’t like Jessie,” I start, because suddenly it’s really important to me that he knows Jessie isn’t this asshole he’s clearly labeled him as. “I know for some reason you’ve never liked him, and yes, he can be an idiot. He’s oblivious and lazy and takes advantage of me way more than he should, but he’s a good guy too.” I sigh. “He let me cry on his shoulder for weeks after my dad left.” Chase bites his lip but doesn’t say anything. “I broke my leg the summer before high school started and he hung out with me the whole time, waiting for me to hobble along beside him and never leaving me on my own because he knew I’d be miserable stuck indoors.” I pause. “And he taught me to drive. I was so bad at it. I was literally so bad that Ray even gave up on me, but Jessie would drive me two hours upstate to where there’s nothing but empty roads and he spent hours and hours patiently teaching me how to drive and never snapping at me. He did that for weeks, giving up his weekends so I could pass my test.”

Chase is looking back at me but his face is unreadable.

“So yeah, Chase, he can be a selfish douche, but he’s also kind and caring and my best friend, so I’m not in love with him because he fills some void left by my dad. I’m in love with him because of him, because he’s Jessie.”

Chase drops his head. “You’re really in love with him, huh?” He doesn’t look up.

I sigh. This whole thing has gotten confusing. “We just need to stick to the plan, Chase.”

He nods.

“Look, I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have said that stuff about Abigail.”

He looks back up at me. “You have a point. I definitely haven’t treated her as well as I should have.”

“I thought you’d worked it out with her.”

He shakes his head. “I tried talking to her, said I want us to be friends, but she just keeps dragging up the past.”

I get the feeling there’s more to it than that. There’s obviously something in their past that has made him feel guilty and responsible for her, but I’m not going to push him on it. Whatever’s between them is obviously as deeply rooted as me and Jessie.

“I’m sorry for what I said about Abigail and what I said about the other girls you’ve dated. You’re a teenage guy—you can’t help it if the female population for some reason finds you irresistible.”

He smirks at that, and it feels good. This is how it should be between us—fun and carefree and easy.

“Obviously that’s none of my business,” I continue. “I was just mad. I’m never like that.”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m glad you said it. I never want you to think you can’t say what you’re thinking to me.”

I’m touched. He can be so sweet. I honestly find it hard to match this Chase he shows me with the one he obviously is with Abigail.

He grins. “We were definitely arguing like a real couple, huh?”

I return his smile. Yeah, that definitely felt like a real fight. I had no idea I could get so worked up.

“Everyone thinks we broke up,” he tells me.

I raise an eyebrow. I definitely knew we were the topic of conversation today, but nobody came right out and asked me about it. “I guess now would be a good time to do it then. We both have soccer championships, and I dunno, I guess the rest…” I trail off when I see the look on his face.

“I didn’t think you were a quitter, Chapman.”

What?

“I mean, is Jessie still with Courtney?”

I roll my eyes. He knows he is. She was eating his face by his locker today, and he hasn’t even mentioned our kiss to me. I’m beginning to feel like it never happened.