Bad friend

CHAPTER SEVEN

I INHALE DEEPLY as I come to the surface of my

slumber. I try to move but am hindered by the heavy weight on my chest. Tilting my chin upwards, my eyes slowly open to see the white ceiling above. Morning light was streaking in through the open windows, and the sheer white curtains were lightly flowing in the wind.

I glance down at my chest to see a head of curly brown hair lying on my chest. My waist was wrapped up tightly in his arms as he hugged me into his body. Our legs were entangled beneath the sheets, the sheets being the only material I could feel on either of our bodies.

Oh s**t.

My eyes widen as snippets from last night slowly begin to flood into my brain. How many damn times did we f**k last night? I honestly can't remember, but I'm pretty sure it was more than twice. I was still pretty buzzed from the copious of alcohol I had consumed so some things were blurry.

All I can remember his hands and lips against my

body, digging up a feeling within me that I thought

was dead and forgotten. I remember his lips on mine,

on my neck, stomach and thighs and....more sensitive

areas. I feel heat spread across my cheek as the memories enter like a damn tidal wave this time. Chase mumbles against the skin of my chest and hugs

me tighter. My heart was torn because half of me wanted to stay wrapped up in him for the rest of the morning while the other half new that this was a bad idea. This is exactly what I was afraid of.

Ok, plan of attack; somehow unravel from Chase's limbs, get to the bathroom and shower. I always think better in the shower and my shower thoughts are honestly Nobel Peace Prize ideas. Okay...that's a fat lie. My shower thoughts usually go along the lines of 'we never stop clapping, the time between claps just get longer'.

I count to three in my head before attempting to untangle myself from Chase. I didn't want to, I didn't f*****g want to at all. But I knew if I did stay, I'd ruin Chase. That's all I seem to do. I've seen quotes where it's a guy talking about a girl being his saviour while he's her destruction.

But it's the other way for me. For us.

After a few minutes of attempting to move, Chase thankfully rolls onto his back and takes his arms and legs with him. I pretend to be asleep for a couple seconds, hoping he would assume that I was actually passed out. I open one eye to check and find that Chase's was still away in dreamland.

Sitting up, I press the white sheet to my chest while I glance around the room. Vera's floral robe lay over the armchair on my side of the room. Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I reach across and pull the floral robe flush against my chest.

I hold it there, covering just the very very naked front of my body, and begin to make my way to my suitcase

which was in the walk-in closet. However, me being me, I accidentally trip on my converse and almost fall over. But luckily I manage to catch myself.

I glare down at the converse before picking up because no doubt I'd trip on it once more.

"Jones?" I hear a groggy question from behind me and

I'm not sure why it scared me, but it damn well did.

I flip around instantly, screaming as I yeet the converse at the bed. It hits Chase square in the face and I quickly run from the room, shrieking like my f*****g head was on fire.

Luckily no one was in the hallway so I make a beeline for the bathroom. Once I was inside, I close the door behind me, lock it and then rest my forehead against the wooden slab. I try to came from erratic heartbeat and breathing a I close my eyes.

After a few moments of silence I push off the door and stumble to the vanity. I drop Vera's robe to the floor as I glance at myself in the mirror. You've got to be f*****g kidding me.

I could see two love marks on my collarbone, a few on breast and one on my lower stomach. I turn around and push my hair over one shoulder to notice another on my left shoulder blade and one on my mid back. What the f**k did we do?

Well gosh, I don't know, each other?

I place one hand to the marble top of the vanity to steady myself as I face palm into the other. I sigh out heavily as I tilt my head back, picking up what was left of my damn dignity as I glance back into the mirror when I notice something else.

I had gotten use to my scars. I only really notice them if I look hard enough in the mirror. However, I am reminded when I wear a bikini or a small dress because I see other people staring and whispering. Some people have actually recognised me from news articles.

Shaking my head, I swallow the fear and disgust that was slowly climbing it's way up my throat and make my way into the shower. I step inside the glass box, turn the water on and slowly slide down against the wall.

This is now my box of shame and misery and now I shall live here.

I wipe away the water residue from the mirror before throwing my wet hair up into a towel turban. I felt slightly better after the shower but the apex between my legs still ached and so did my back. I always forget how horny my drunk alter ego gets. Damn her.

As I leave the bathroom, I slightly startled by a smiling Vera who stood right outside.

"So..." She trails off as he smile somehow grows bigger,

"Do we need to change the sheets?"

"I'll change them." I huff as I slip past her. She follows me to out bedroom, squealing and clapping her hands.

"Ah! Spencer and Noah are going to freak when I tell them that the Chayden love boat is smooth sailing down love river once more!" Vera giggles behind me as I flip around just in front of our bedroom door.

"V, please don't tell them or anyone for that matter." I plead to her, "I don't want to make a big deal out of this. I mean, I'm not even sure how Chase is feeling right now. It's just so f*****g confusing."

Vera then drags her finger across her lips as if it were a zip, "My lips are sealed, darling. I will not tell another soul until you're ready."

"Thank you." I give her a small smile before hesitantly reaching for the handle of the door. I push it open, thankful that the bed was now empty and all that remained were the sheets that held the shameful memories of the previous night.

"I can help make sense of it all though." Vera remarks as she stands in front of the door, holding her inflated belly, "Talk to me, Hay. Let me see what chaos is running amuck up there in that pretty little head of yours."

I sigh as I sit down on the edge of the bed, "I just-f**k, this is going to make me sound so stupid."

"Hey, hey," Vera rushes forward and crouches below me as she places her hands to my knees, "I'm here with an open mind and an open heart. I just want to help you, my love."

"Ok, remember that weekend I was heading to LA to surprise Chase?" I question as she nods, remembering the four hour phone call we had just before I boarded the plane, "Well, I got to the airport expecting to catch an uber to his apartment when I notice someone was waiting for me."

Vera frowns, "Who?"

"One of his grandfather's henchmen." I answer with a bitter and foul taste in my mouth....

flashback

"Hayden Jones?" The man in the fancy suit and hat questions while holding a whiteboard with my name written on it. I pull my headphones from my ears as I frown at him.

"Uh yeah?" I question as I let my suitcase stop next to

me.

"I work for Thomas Everett. Please follow me." The man orders and like the dumb b***h I am, I follow him. Maybe I was tired from the flight but all I really wanted to do was see Chase. I hadn't seen him in a couple weeks and I wanted to surprise him.

Mr Fancy Suit guides me to an even fancier car. It is sleek and black and the doors opened up backwards, I mean how f*****g cool is that? My suitcase is loaded into the back and I slide onto the smooth leather seats as the door is shut behind me.

I lean forward towards the small window separating the front from the back, "Ah, Mr Fancy Suit, where exactly are we going?"

"Mr Everett has asked to meet with you. After, I am instructed to drop you off at the residence of his grandson, Chase." He answers as he moves the car away from the curb, "Please relax, Miss Jones, and enjoy the complimentary snacks."

"Snacks?!" I questions as I turn around and notice the small shelf of snacks ranging from nuts to chocolate to tiny marshmallows There was complimentary waters, cokes and orange juice as well as a few tiny bottles of alcohol I move back to the window and fold my arms on top, "Mr Fancy Suit, are you free everytime I come here?"

He chuckles softly as I go back to eating all of the snacks. By the time the car had come to a complete stop and the driver informs me we had arrived, I honestly thought they were going to have to roll me out. But I eventually manage to climb through the opened door and back into the world.

My eyes widen as I stare up at the building before me. Wait a damn second, this is where Chase works when he's at his university? Mr Fancy Suit orders me to follow him once more and I do. He leads me to an elevator and I step inside. He pushes a button, steps back into the lobby and the doors close between us.

What the hell was happening?

I gulp as I watch the electronic grows higher and higher. When it lands on floor 52, a light ding echoes through the small box and the doors open once more. I step out.

"Miss Jones?" The redheaded lady at the contemporary marble desk questions as she stands from her chair, "Mr

Everett is waiting for you."

She gestures for me to follow and I do as she leads me down the hall and to a large room that was basically a glass box. In the middle was a long table with numerous chairs and huge windows overlooking downtown LA. Seated at the head of the table was none other than Thomas Everett.

The lady opens the glass door for me and I step in.

"Hello Hayden." Thomas greets in a very professional manner as he does every time.

"Hi."I give him a small smile as I stand awkwardly at the end of the table. I felt even more stupid when I noticed there was a chocolate stain on my unzipped grey hoodie. Thomas then gestures for me to take a seat and I do, instantly.

"We have something very important to discuss." Thomas explains as he intertwines his hands together and rests them on the table. He lens forward slightly, "Now, were you aware that in the past year Chase has handed in only four of the nine assignments he was meant to?"

My eyes widen and I can only shake my head.

"His professors are quite worried about him, as am I." Thomas purses his lips as he narrows his eyes on me, "One of them was a compulsory assignment and he missed it. Any idea as to why?"

I shake my head once more.

"He was visiting you in Rhode Island." Thomas answers as I let out a deep breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"L..." I trail off, "I didn't know."

"No, of course you wouldn't." Thomas replies and I could hear the sarcastic twinge to his words. Trust me, I'm no stranger to that type of tone. "Were you also aware, Miss Jones, that Chase gave up a 1.6 million dollar deal to build an art gallery for Glass Animal Galleries?"

I gulp at the familiar name.

"You're familiar with that company right?" Thomas questions and I nod, "Yes, Chase informed me how poorly they treated you when you were an intern there. Two weeks and you quit, correct? Not to mention they're also the sworn enemies of Marchland Galleries who you now work for."

"He's never told me any of this." I answer truthfully as I grip onto the strap of my shoulder bag so hard that my fingers were turning white.

A small smirk stretches across Thomas's face, "You're not a selfish girl, are you Hayden?"

I had no f*****g clue how to answer that. Any answer I give him will just play right into his trap.

"I'm not here to make you feel bad but only to open your eyes." He explains softly, "You're ruining his life, Hayden. Anyone could see that Chase is struggling to keep up with school work, with his work here, and with his relationship with you. The easiest solution to his misery is to take one out of the equation."

I connect the dots in my head at lightening speed and I frown at him, "You want me to break up with him? End the relationship?"

"Of course I do." He smiles at me as if it were so damn easy, "I mean, you have one measly nightmare and Chase drops everything to rush to your rescue as if he doesn't have his own life to worry abo-"

"Don't you dare belittle my trauma." I lean forward as I

narrow my eyes, "You have no f*****g clue, Thomas."

"Right, do forgive me Hayden I didn't mean for it to come out that way." Thomas apologises and I can only scoff as I fold my arms across my chest and lean back into the chair, "All I'm saying is that if you love him, you will see how much pain your causing him. I can see it on his face as clear as day and, quite frankly, I think he's beginning to wonder if it's all worth it."

Fuck, there it is. I felt like I had just been run over my a forklift and then said forklift had reversed back over me. I had always wondered that too, if I was worth it. But when Chase looked at me, every little doubt washed away with all the traumas of the past. What if it was pity that I was just misinterpreting?

What if. What if. What if.

"If that's not enough to change your mind then I have prepared this." Thomas announces as he places a white envelope on the table, "Inside you will find twenty thousand dollars and a check for another two-hundred and eighty thousand dollars. I'm sure that will be enough compensation to mend your broken heart..."

End of flashback

Vera now sat criss-cross apple sauce on the ground as I told her the events of that meeting. She stared up at me in silence, listening and processing every word I said.

"Did you take it?" Vera questions.

"f**k no." I shake my head at her as I take the towel turban from my head and my wet hair falls onto my shoulders, "I told him to shove it up his ass."

"That's my girl." Vera winks at me as I chuckle. She then frowns again, "But then why did you and Chase still break up?"

"I don't know. I feel so stupid for letting what Thomas said get to me but some part of me knew he was right. Chase was giving up all his dream, goals and happiness for me. I couldn't sit by and let him do that." I explains s Vera tentatively grabs my hands to hold. I could feel the tears forming but I manage to c***k a smile, "I mean, that's what they say right? If you love it let it go."

"Oh my baby." Vera pouts as she rolls onto her knees and wraps her arms around my shoulders, "My heart is aching for both of you."

I open my mouth to reply but instead am distracted by the opening door. Levi steps one foot into the room.

"Hey guys, we kinda need some help downstairs. Spencer is currently kicking out everyone who spent the night and it's hilarious." Levi cracks a grin at us as he slowly surveys that room, "Whoa, what the f**k happened in here-wait, are those Chase's board shorts?"

Both Vera and I follow the line that his finger was pointing to see that the pair of board-shorts lying on the ground next to my bikini top were indeed Chase's. Just f*****g peachy.

authors note

shorter update this time, sorry about that but i hope you still enjoyed it.

now you know a little bit more about the break up? hopefully some people can sympathise with hayden and if not, that's totally fine. i know she should've learnt her lesson, but some people take longer to heal and grow and i didn't want to put a timer on that when it came to hayden.

ok, f**k, i just had a massive mind blank. i just realised that not only is chase's grandfather called thomas but so is the dude hayden met at the party, please don't get them confused, the one in this chapter is chase's asshole grandad.

anyways, leave your thoughts!