the kink club • luke hemmings ✔️

37. the one where lophie is a mess.

chapter thirty-seven:
the one where lophie is a mess.

"Someone looks a little pissed."

"Fuck off."

Chase just chuckles, pouring me a drink as I try desperately hard to keep my eyes on the bar. I don't know how many I've had. I lost count after he told me that it maybe wasn't a good idea to drink so much.

"You look awful,"

"I feel awful."

There's a slight pause. "Your make-up's still nice, though,"

"I'm not wearing any." I frown.

"Then you have a good face, be thankful for it," a small smile crosses my lips as Chase grins, holding his hand out. "Now, you've been quiet for the past five beers or so you've had since walking through those doors. You ready to tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm tired to the death," I take the alcohol from him, chugging half of the pint with a slight grimace on my face. I hate beer. "Are you working late tonight?"

"Nah, I'm off in literally half an hour. I could give you a ride home, if you want."

"Would that be okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be? I'm not about to let you get a subway downtown on your own this late at night."

Sighing, I put the glass down before wiping my lips. "Thanks, Chase." I say, forcing an apologetic tone into my voice. "And I'm sorry for being so snappy."

"Oh, forget about it. There's obviously something bothering you."

"Yeah," I sigh again, this time to myself.

"You wanna talk about it?" he gets a seperate glass, holding it under a Stella Artois dispenser. When he pulls up a chair on the opposite side of the bar, I know he's about to join me.

"Depends, you want to listen to me bitch about something I can't change?"

"Did he cheat on you?" Chase asks bluntly. I'm somewhat thankful that we're close, but not too close; friendly enough to pull up a stool at 1am in the morning and get a few drinks, but not friendly enough to feel like being too straightforward is inapproriate.

"No."

"Did you catch him about to cheat on you?" I shake my head. He takes a sip. "Then what's up?"

I guess I owe Chase this much; after all, he didn't question or go against me the second I stumbled into the club with a face desperate to drink. I also told him to fuck off, so it's a wonder as to how he can even tolerate me right now.

"He knocked a girl up."

"Oh, damn." Chase sucks in a deep breath, the hint of an uncertain wince playing on the corners of his mouth.

"Yup," I sigh.

"Is she keeping it?"

A part of me wants to scold him for sounding so insensitive, but the other part reminds me that there's no other way to say it. "I think so."

"Do you want her to?"

I scoff. "That's not my decision to make, Chase. Just because I'm dating the Dad doesn't mean I get to decide whether or not he gets to be the dad."