The Quarterback, Outcast and Me ✔

Chapter Seventeen - Playing Dress Up - Part Two

I was watching Zeus wrestling with a pile of autumn leaves in the backyard when I heard someone walk up behind me. I turned my head to the side and when I saw who it was, I immediately turned it back around and continued watching my dog play.

"So how was costume shopping?" Jace asked. He didn't seem afflicted by the fact that no more than an hour ago, I had been screaming in his face because he was talking trash about Caleb. I folded my arms tightly across my chest; otherwise I was afraid of what my hands might do to that pretty little face of his.

"Uneventful," I replied. The more Jace was in my presence, the more my anger from before was resurfacing. Suddenly a hand touched my shoulder, gently, but I shrugged it off of me and stepped to the side. I heard him sigh, but I didn't want to look.

"Chloe, I came to apologize about earlier. I was being a dick and I had no right to say what I did." Now that made me look at him. His blue eyes were trained in on me and I could tell he meant it. His face was that of someone wanting forgiveness. His eyebrows were slightly raised, giving him that innocent almost puppy dog expression. I opened my mouth, but quickly shut it again. Curse me and my lack of spinal cord. I was ready to forgive him right then and there. And the worst part of it all? I wanted to forgive him. I didn't like being mad at him when I lived in the room right next to him.

"Just, don't go saying stuff like that about him, not when you don't know anything about him," I said and watched as his eyes lit up. Before I could do anything, Jace walked over and scooped me up into his arms, crushing my against his muscled body where I had no choice but to inhale his all too musky and delicious scent. I might have drooled on him.

"Thanks Chloe," he said and put me back down. I stood stiffly in front of him, unsure if I had possibly broken any bones in the hugging process.

"Hey, how about I take you girls into Charlotte tomorrow, after school? There's no game on, so I'm free." I let out a strangled laugh. What a coincidence.

"What's so funny?" He asked, eying me as I tried to compose a decent expression.

"Carrie, she uhm, she was thinking the same thing, only I haven't asked you yet and now, well..."

"And now I beat you to it," Jace finished. He was grinning also. "Well, Carrie had the right set of mind. So that's settled then? We go costume shopping tomorrow."

I whistled for Zeus and turned to walk back up towards the house. Jace followed.

"You need a costume also?" I asked as we went across the wide-open yard, brown leaves scattered all around us. October was chilly, but manageable here in NC.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Jace replied. We were walking close enough for our shoulders to occasionally brush against each other.  

"Maybe I should invite Taylor along?" Jace said as we walked up the granite steps to the terrace. I looked over at him and chuckled, knowing what Carrie would think of that. He looked back at me questionably.

"You do know what happened between them at Stacy's party, right?" I asked. I didn't even need to specify whom I was talking about. Jace caught on right away and a smug grin appeared on his face.

"Oh they are so in for it." We both started laughing, just standing there on the terrace, laughing. It was actually quite nice.

After we got inside, I hung up my jacket and scarf.

"I guess I better text Carrie the plans," I said, still with a smile on my face. Jace nodded and said he would do the same to Taylor.

Friday, lunch time.