Trust (16 page)

I
wash down the pasta with some water.  Both of us have sworn off wine for the
time being.  
“
So what
’
s the plan for to
night?
”

I
’
d promised to help her start packing
tonight, anxious for anything I can use as a distraction.  Any time I have a
free moment, her words from the other night echo through my head.  It
’
s true.  Not all lies are equal, and I
don
’
t have to judge t
hem as such.  Evelyn clearly thinks I was blowing things out of
proportion, and I fear she might be right.  What if she was?  What if I made a
huge mistake in
leaving?
  It’s
a thought I have no interest in dealing
with right now, so much so that helping he
r pack
seems like a fantastic alternative.

“
I think we have to tackle my closet
first.
”

I
make a sound with my throat and Evelyn counters with a glare that I know is
just a tease. 
“It
’
s not that bad.
”

“
Really?  Did you have a team of
organizers work on
it while I was in Vegas?
” 
Evelyn has the master suite of our
apartment and her closet is a walk in.  Last I saw it, it was a disaster. 
Packed so full of clothes and shoes and who knows what else that she could
barely squeeze her thin frame through the d
oor to get
anything.

“
Shut up, you offered to help.
” 
She sticks her tongue out at me right
before finishing the last bit of pasta in her bowl.

“
I know I did, but I forgot what I was
getting myself into.
”

“
Too late,
”
she laughs. 
“You
’
re committed.
” 

I
open my mouth for another reply but I
’
m interrupted by a knock at the door. 
Evelyn leaves to answer it, turning the corner of the hallway as I finish the
last of my supper.  I hear voices and a weird sound from Evelyn before she
comes back around the co
rner.  The look on her face
is wide eyed and she
’
s
biting her lip.

“
What?
” I ask.  “
Who was it?
”

“
It looks like Vegas
didn’t
stay in Vegas,
”
she replies as Chase Anderson follows
her into our dining room, a familiar half smile creeping onto his lips as s
oon as he sees me.

“
How the hell did you find me?
” 
My anger at Chase has dissipated a bit,
but this is still a big surprise.  I
hadn’t
expected to see him again so soon.  Or
ever, really.

The
smile fades from his lips and he lifts a rose he
’
s hold
ing,
tilting it toward me.  I
hadn’t
even noticed it until now.  He ignores
my question and surprise. 
“
I
couldn’t
let you go like that, Lila.  I can
’
t stop thinking about you and I needed
to see you again.  Can we please talk?
”

I
stare at the rose that h
e
’
s still holding.  It
’
s red and perfect.  I don
’
t know what to say, though.  Evelyn
finally breaks the silence by clearing her throat to remind me that she
’
s still standing there.

“
Oh, right, Chase, this is my roommate
Evelyn Silver.  Evelyn, meet Chase
Anderson.
”

I
’
m pretty sure that Evelyn is actively
trying to keep the drool in her mouth as she shakes Chase
’
s hand and acts like a total fan girl,
letting him know how she
’
s seen him on television and how he
’
s such a fantastic player.  Chase is
very kind
in return, but barely takes his eyes off of
me as he speaks to her.  I don
’
t think she notices though, as she turns
to me with a huge grin.

“
So um, I guess
I’ll
let you two talk for a bit. 
I’ll
go
…
uh, start on my closet.  In my room.
” 
She gives one la
st fleeting glance at Chase and then leaves us alone. 

“
Why are you here?
” I ask.  I
’
m ignoring the rose, although I do think
the gesture is sweet, particularly since he only brought a single flower.  I
think a whole bouquet is
cliché
.  A single rose is
much classier
and meaningful.  It makes it harder to stay mad but, even still, a flower
isn’t
going to make up for lies and betrayal.

“I
’
m serious, Lila.  I haven
’
t stopped thinking about you since you
left.  I wanted to come sooner, but I thought I shoul
d
give you some time.  And I wanted to finish things with the house.
”

“
The house that we were trespassing in,
you mean?  The house that you told me you owned so that I would be a party to
your break and enter thrill ride?
”

“
Lila, please.  It
wasn’t
break
and
enter.  Each time we went I had Denise clear the time with the owners for a
walk through.  The only part that was disingenuous was that she was supposed to
be with us on all of them.  Make sure we
didn’t
break or steal anything.  Obviously
that
wasn’t
my intention.
”

“
Oh really?  That
’
s the
only
part you were disingenuous about?
”

“
To them.  To you, you
’
re right, I
s
houldn’t
have claimed
I owned the house in the first place.  I
regret that.  I just felt like your feelings about poker players being dege
nerate gamblers would have been justified if you thought I
just lived in a hotel.  I was trying to impress you.  At first because I wanted
to prove to you that I was more than that, that I was stable, but then when
things got more serious I
didn’t
know how
to
come clean.  I should have just told you the truth.
”

“You
’
re right, you should have,
”
I reply, but a lot of the fire has left
my voice. 
“
But that
wasn’t
even the biggest issue, Chase.  You
were sneaking around with Denise.  I get that it
’
s because sh
e
is your agent now, but she
’
s also your ex-girlfriend and a complete bitch who still
thinks you
’
re going to get back together with her
one day.  The fact that you were spending time with
her…
behind my back
…
that hurt more than the issue with the
house.
”

Chase
sighs and rolls his eyes. 
“
I know.  I
’
m
sorry.  You
’
re right.  And I
didn’t
get that at the time, but I should
have.  I do now. 
I’ve
already told her that as soon as everything with the house
is wrapped up that it is best if she and I don
’
t speak
anymore.
”

“
Really?
”  I
’
m surprised. 
“
How did she take that?
”

He
shrugs, his lip curling up a bit in his familiar grin. 
“
About like you expect.  I don
’
t think she believes I
’
m serious, but I promise you that I am. 
As soon as the house closes
I’ll
even
get a new phone number.  I
’
m done with her.  You were right about
her, I just
didn’t
see it.
”

“
Why do you now?
”

“
She admitted that she was goading you,
trying to piss you off.  She said she was just trying to help, because she
didn’t
think you were
right
for me
.  I know that
’
s bullshit.  Whether it
’
s because she wants to get back together
or that she
’
s
jealous of you, or just that she’s
a complete bitch, I don
’
t know, but enough is enough.
”

I
take a deep breath and turn slightly from him, looking at the
dinner table with our empty plates and a bowl still filled
with pasta.  I
’
m relieved that he finally sees Denise for who she really
is, and it
’
s hard to stay mad at him.  I don
’
t
want
to be mad at him. 
“
You hungry?
”

“Starving.”

“
I’ll
get you a plate.  S
it down.
” 
I pluck the rose from his hand as I pass him on my way to
the kitchen.  No sense letting it die just because I still don
’
t know what to do with the famous blond
poker playing hunk that
’
s standing in my dining room.  I don
’
t have any vases, so I
put it into one of the empty wine bottles from the other
night which are still sitting on our counter. 

“It
’
s a good thing I made extra,
”
I say as I come back with his plate and
start heaping it on.  I
’
m just talking now, and I know it, trying to avoid s
aying anything of substance because I have no idea what to
say.  Chase is sitting in Evelyn
’
s seat, but suddenly his hand reaches
out and closes on mine.  It
’
s warm, firm, and insistent.

“Lila,”
he says softly.

“Chase,”
I reply, slowly shaking my head. 
I
’
m not sure what I
’
m still objecting to, though.  His touch
has sent sparks through my body. 
I’ve
missed him more than
I’ve
wanted to admit, even to myself.  It
’
s taken seeing him again to realize just
how much.

“
The whole thing with the house, initiall
y, was to prove something.
” 
His voice is soft, just above a whisper,
and I stand very still next to him as I listen.  His hand is still holding onto
mine and I have no intention of trying to break contact. 
“
At first it was to prove something to
you - tha
t I
wasn’t
who you thought I was.  That there was
more to Chase Anderson than some famous poker player who lived his life out of
a suitcase and moved from game to game.  But since then I have
c
ome to realize that, in fact, for the
last few years that
’
s act
ually what my life has
become. 
I’ve
been living for the moment, fearful of settling down
because I thought I
’
d get bored.  But after I met you, I realized something.
” 
His grip tightens, pulling me toward him
as he stands and my gaze finally raises to mee
t his. 
His blue eyes seem deeper than normal, like an ocean with a tide that is
drawing me in to try and drown me in its depths.