One More Thing - a friends to lovers romance

S I X - Chase

          Bile rushes to the back of my throat when Emma throws her arms around me. I wish I didn't feel this way about my own girlfriend.

The look in Maddie's eyes causes me physical pain as I replay the look over and over, all while Emma grips my arm harder and harder, her nails practically piercing my skin as she speaks to me like I am a child.

I will admit it was bold on my part to publicly pull Maddie away from the group and ask her to talk when she and I both know this is the making of my current girlfriend's nightmares. I couldn't help it though; Maddie had a sort of magnetic pull about her. From the very first night I met her she had me hooked; her body, her personality. Everything about her pulled at my heart and made me want to get closer to her, and I did. Maddie has stayed by my side through all of it, girlfriends included. It wasn't until Emma though that I was finally forced to leave her in my past and I've hated myself every day since. I ruined it all and I know it, she is trying to move on and it's killing me. When she's back home I can push it away, but when she is front and center practically teasing me with the way she looks at me, I can't help but push myself closer to her like old times.

My mom always asks me why Maddie was never one of my conquests, but I couldn't do that to her. Every girl I've ever been with I go into it knowing it's a temporary thing, them not so much. As shitty as it sounds, I've known since I met the brunette girl, I would never allow her to be someone in my past and from there on I vowed I would never pursue her as more than a friend. That and Levi had sworn us all away from her. It didn't stop us all from staring though. Maddie is a smoke show and has somehow managed to become hotter each summer that passes. Sure, I have thought about her in not so friendly matters, but I am a man of self-control and even I can tell you it would end up nowhere good.

"Are you even fucking listening, Chase?" Emma spits and I feel the urge to roll my eyes grow. She was hot, sure. But she was only that, hot. This girl had no substance and that's why I knew she would be perfect for the position. My mom still isn't fond of her and the fact that Emma nitpicks at everything Maddie does, doesn't help her case with my mom.

I should've never let Emma tell me Maddie needed to be cut off, but the more I felt myself falling for her the quicker I knew I needed to get myself away from her before I ruined her.

"Yes, Em. Chill." I can practically hear the scoff before it comes, so I turn to look at Austin before I get myself in more trouble.

"You're such a dick." She's fuming now and I force my eyes Austin, pleading with him to find anything to get me out of this drama fest before Emma starts making a show, just what she's best at.

"Hey man, can you help me carry some cases in?" Austin must've picked up on my cues and before I know it, I'm prying Emma's fingers from my upper arm and following in suite behind him.

I'm practically kicking up dust when I stop and see Dean with his fucking hands on Maddie's waist. Rubbing his thumb across her bare skin and grinning like the fucking doofus he is.

"You coming?" Austin starts to question before turning to see what has caught my attention. "Ahh, I see. Ready to admit it to yourself yet?" He grins and I feel my blood boil. "You could end this game for all of us".

I shake my head at my oldest friend before I make my way to the truck bed, hoping to shake the sight of them together out of my head.

"There is nothing going on, and there will not be anything going on." I push myself to reply, more to myself than my red headed friend. "You could have that in a minute if you grew the balls to do it". He's gone without another word, and I'm left to carry the cases into the garage by myself. I catch a glimpse or two in passing and feel my heartbeat quicken each time I realize his hand hasn't left her, and to make it all worse she's grinning up at him like she's enjoying it.

Before I can stop myself, my feet are carrying me towards them. I am not quite to them when I feel her sharp talons pulling at my wrist. I groan in response before stopping dead in my tracks again and turning to look at her.

"Where are you going, baby?" She coos, as if none of our fights tonight had taken place. She runs her finger up my arm, and I know where this is going, her and I in my Jeep alone.

"Looking for you." I grin, hiding the annoyance in my tone. I hate myself for being like this and yet here I am pulling her towards me wrapping her into my arms, her fake blonde hair tickling at my nose.

I catch Maddie's eyes across the yard, and I suck in a breath when she leans up to Dean pushing her chest into him, grinning. He places a kiss to her temple in response and I don't mistake the look on her face when she turns back to catch me still staring.

Check Mate.