Unpredictable

Chapter 19

I quickly walk through the small corridor and stand at the girls lockeroom. "You wait out here, I'll be quick." Chase nods and slides down the wall to the floor, sitting right next to the door, "I'll protect your highness."

Laughing, I shake my head, "Yeah, just bark if you see anyone approaching." He glares at me and starts mock growling while I enter the lockeroom. Maybe it won't be so bad having him around today, it'll make cleaning fish tanks a bit more interesting.

After changing into a very unflattering blue collared shirt with black Khaki pants, I hurry back out before Chase can get bored and into trouble. Of course he's already up and talking to Kat, my beach blonde gorgeous coworker. I feel a tight clutch in my stomach and decide to blame it on the lunch I had earlier at school, and not on the flirtatious smile Kat is sporting right now.

Trying not to let any of my uneasiness show, I walk straight past them - my eyes straight ahead. Before I get very far I feel his hand grab my wrist as I'm passing by, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Wait, maybe I'm going to do my job, you know, what I get paid to be here for?" I say, and even though I tried my hardest to keep the bitterness out of my voice, his furrowed brows hint that I didn't succeed.

Kat, who I honestly completely forgot was still standing there, lets out a cough to regain the attention she had lost for a second too long, "Call me and we'll figure out a way for you to repay me." With a provocative wink that I could never pull off she smirks and sashays down the hall.

"Wow, I leave you for five seconds and you're already impregnating my coworkers." Now, obviously I know that talking with someone of the opposite sex isn't exactly the same thing as impregnating them, but in the moment I was so confused and shocked at how much seeing Chase flirt with other girls was affecting me that I didn't have full control over the words coming out of my mouth.

Chase's furrowed brows and annoyed expression turn into a mischievous and knowing smirk, "Didn't know you were the jealous type, buttercup."

I can feel red crimson filling my cheeks and I try my hardest to turn my face away from his scrutinizing gaze, "Pshh, jealous? Me? Listen, if you want to whore around with every girl that passes you go right ahead. It's not like I'm hanging out with you out of my own free will, so if anything I hope you find someone to keep your attention so that I can go on with my life."

I regret the words as soon as they escape, and even more so when for a millisecond I see the hurt that they cause in his eyes before his arrogant facade rises up to cover it, "You'll have to keep waiting then, my full attention is taken at the moment." His eyes hold mine for a second too long before he turns and starts walking in the opposite direction of where I'm supposed to go. I don't move, my mind going over everything that just happened, and I feel myself sinking into a depths of an overthinking teenage girl. This was never supposed to happen. I need it get it together.

"Get a move on Emerson, we don't have all day." Just like that I'm annoyed again and begin walking to my first work assignment, making sure that kids weren't falling into the open air stingray exhibit. However, just like clockwork Chase is grabbing my wrist again and pulling me behind him.

"What part of 'I'm here for work' do you not understand?" I say and try my hardest to get my wrist free from his abnormally strong grip. Not surprisingly, I'm unsuccessful. If I'm going to keep spending time with this guy I need to invest in one of those finger muscle exercise contraptions.

"If you would listen instead of being so possessive over me, you'd know that I was convincing Sam to take over your shift today, which she agreed to do." Chase says while sporting a proud smirk.

"First of all, her name is Kat not Sam. Second of all, how did you get her to agree to do that?" Chase shrugs his shoulders and responds, "What can I say, the ladies love me."

If I could've rolled my eyes any harder they would have been considered a part of the solar system.

The next hour flew by, and I unexpectedly had a lot of fun showing Chase all of the different exhibits and aquatic life that we have to offer. I also got a glimpse into another side of him, one that was less conceited and arrogant. There was a child-like amazement in him that rarely gets a chance to come out, but it did today. Especially when we got to the penguins.

I have never seen someone get so excited over some Macaroni penguins, or someone laugh as hard as he did when I told him that the species of penguins were called Macaroni. When he finally stopped laughing, he got up as close as he could to the glass and just observed as the penguins swam underwater. I stood farther back and observed this Chase, one that I could see myself liking. I was terrified.

After I finally dragged him away from the penguins - which was a good thirty minutes later - I led him to one of my favorite exhibits: the Moon jellyfish. It is a room in which there is no artificial light, and all the walls are made of out of glass. On the other side of the glass there are thousands of tiny translucent white Moon jellyfish swimming around, shining brightly against their dark surroundings.

"Isn't this beautiful? It feels like I'm in space, watching the stars float around me," I say, completely mesmerized by the natural phenomenon in front of me, "Sometimes, these jellyfish take on a pink, purple, or orange hue. It's truly incredible." Not hearing him answer, I look behind me where Chase is standing. His eyes are also full of curious fascination, but he's not looking at the jellyfish. His eyes are transfixed on me.

Before I can catch my breath Chase is right in front of me, his long fingers grazing my own, "It is beautiful." His eyes seem to be burning a hole through my own, and I start to think that maybe he isn't talking about the jellyfish. Once again, my face begins to burn, and alarms begin to go off in my head. His warm hands are now caressing and holding my cold ones, and his lips are inches away from my own.

How can one human be so incredibly gorgeous. It doesn't make sense. His brilliant emerald eyes were full of an emotion I have only ever seen in those cheesy chick flicks where the guy finally realizes what an absolute butt he's been and that the girl in front of him is the one he's been waiting for. However, there is absolutely no way this is actually happening to me, Chase could literally have any girl in the world.

As Chase's lips come closer and closer to mine the alarms in my head get louder and louder. I've never been in such close proximity with anyone in my life. What if I'm a horrible kisser, what if my lips feel like sandpaper? Before I even know what's happening I hear myself say, "Moon jellyfish have four gastric pouches you know, they're like stomachs."

Chase's lips were literally two centimeters from my own when I blurted this out, and a loud groan escapes him as I stand there in utter horror. "Jess, can you please save your bizarre animal facts for moments in which I'm not trying to kiss you?"

If my face was red before, now it was an actual tomato. I hide my face with my hands and sit on one of the black benches that are sprinkled throughout the large room. "I'm sorry, I can't help it." I feel Chase sit next to me and he gently take my hands to uncover my face. The understanding and genuine expression in his gaze surprises me, and the words escape me before I can stop them, "I've never kissed anyone. I'm afraid I might be horrible at it."

Chase shakes his head and smiles, "That's impossible." With his right hand he lifts my chin up closer to his face, and all I can see is the kindness and sincerity in his eyes. His gaze searches my face, and finally lands on my lips. Slowly, oh so slowly, his lips come closer and closer to my own, and I instinctively shut my eyes. I feel his warm lips graze mine, and it's such a foreign experience that I'm surprised by how natural it feels. He gives me the softest kiss possible and then pulls away, and I feel myself pulling him back in.

What am I getting myself into?