Forever Kind of Love

Chapter 31

"Hey Amelia," Chase says like I'm not on the phone. I don't want to be rude so I just smile and nod at him before turning around to give him my back. Unless there's a bomb somewhere nearby, I'll be finishing my conversation with Kai.

Whatever Kai was going to say takes a back seat though. "Who's that," he basically growls into the phone. Uh oh, this is probably not the best time for him to be hearing another guy with me, even if nothing is going on. Before I can formulate an answer, there's a hand on my arm. I give a strangled gasp and jump away, flashes of Cameron dancing in my brain.

Chase gives a little chuckle at my reaction, obviously misreading my terror for simple surprise. "Sorry Amelia, I just needed to talk to you in private for a second." My mind is moving slowly and it takes a few seconds to place where I am after the fear settles. "Oh, I'm sorry Chase. I just need to finish this conversation with my boyfriend."

Chase frowns a little bit at this, and it brings out the serious lines on his forehead that make him look much older than a sophomore in college. "So it's true then," he says. "What?" "You have a boyfriend. After you left the table everyone started talking about some guy that never leaves your side. I just didn't think it was true."

Well, what am I supposed to say to that? I decide on silence and give Chase a blank stare. I'm not good at confrontation, but it's been a stressful day and I'm reaching a breaking point. He better think carefully about what comes out of his mouth next.

Chase's frown deepens as I let the awkward silence descend.

"Umm, anyways I heard he's not even in music."

"Yeah."

"How could you date someone that doesn't understand you? He must not be able to appreciate your talent at all."

"Look, Chase, I just want to finish talking on the phone."
"Amelia, he's not worth the effort."
And there's my breaking point for the day. I have my phone in a death grip as I stomp up to Chase and put my finger in his face.

"Don't you dare talk about him that way. You don't even know Kai. He's the sweetest, smartest, most generous, loving person I know. I'm the lucky one, not the other way around." The words just keep pouring out of me and Chase looks shocked.

I don't typically go off on people, but that can't stop me now. "It's going to be me that screws our relationship up, not him. He's selfless and makes me feel safe and loved. It doesn't matter that he isn't studying music because he sees all of me and accepts it. He appreciates in a way nobody else ever has."

I pause to breathe and Chase's face goes red. I'm about to keep going and probably start cursing Chase's descendants with early baldness when Kai's car pulls up right in front of us. Kai storms out of the car, breathtakingly handsome as his gaze latches onto mine before swiveling to Chase.

Whatever Chase sees there has him backing up a couple steps from me and looking around nervously. People are watching us from the windows in the cafe, but it doesn't matter because I realize that Kai's holding his phone that's still connected to my call. He heard everything. At this point, I'm not sure if I should be more worried about Chase's safety or Kai's reaction to everything I said.

The answer is clear as he grabs my hand and pulls me back to his car after casting Chase one more withering glare. I said a lot in that rant and I'm unsure what Kai's going to want to unpack first. Kai silently seethes as he buckles me in and heads to his own door. He runs his eyes over me before starting the car, like he has to make sure I'm all there before we go.

It isn't until we're parked at my apartment that Kai speaks. "Why did you say that you're going to be the one to mess up the relationship? That you're the lucky one?"

This was exactly what I had been avoiding all day, but I guess I couldn't run from it any longer.