Enlightened (Red Flags) (24 page)

Chelsea turned in the couch, sitting on her knee as she took in the near fight brewing between both guys.

"I don't believe you for one fucking second!" Chase spit out. "You're a conniving asshole.  You showed your true colors with Cara, and now, you're showing 'em with me."  He tore his gaze away from Jason and looked at me.

"Cara, after everything this fucking guy has put you through, you just run back to him?  I thought you were smarter than that."

"You have…"

Jason cut me off.  "First of all, I don't give two fuckin' cents what you think or say about me, but you will not stand here and talk to her like that.  You don't have the first damn clue about what's going on with us.  You'd be better off shuttin' the fuck up and walkin' out of here, before I throw you out."

I watched as Jason's chest moved up and down.  His temper that he had been working so hard to contain was flaring up and I knew, more than anyone else in the room, just how bad things could get when he was pushed to that level of anger.  I'd watched him pummel Jacob back in Heath, and from the looks of things, Chase was setting himself up to be the next Jacob.

"Chase, that's enough," I said, stepping between the two of them.  "I'm terribly sorry that I've been so occupied, but I need to deal with some things in my life right now, I promise, I will call you later on tonight."

Chase didn't budge.  I'd never seen this level of anger in him before, and for a second, it worried me. 

A faint smile traced Chase's lips, but his eyes were still blank. 

"I don't even know why I care.  You two obviously fucking deserve each other."  His tone was laced with malice and the look he passed between Jason and me was starting to make me angry.

"What do you mean by that?"  I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. 

"Just what I said, Cara."  He ran his hand through his hair again.  "I have no damn clue why I've been pinning for you for so long. You obviously prefer control freak jack asses that sleep around and knock up their ex-girlfriends." 

My eyes sprang open and my heart began beating its way out of my chest.  Chase had never, in all the time that I had known him, stooped so low, or deliberately hit below the belt in an attempt to try and hurt me, or anyone else for that matter. 

Jason stepped into Chase's face, his own face turning a deep shade of red, and I watched him raise his hands and shove Chase backwards.  Chelsea quickly got up from the couch and walked over near me.  Her eyes were bulging as she stared at Chase, looking just as confused as I was that he had worked himself into such a frenzy.

Chase caught himself as he was falling, and pushed Jason back sending him barreling towards me. 

"Enough!  From the both of you!"  Chelsea yelled, stepping in between both of the guys who looked like they were ready to rip each other's heads off.  She held out both arms in an attempt to keep them away from each other, looking back and forth between them as she did so.  "Chase, you should really just go and let Cara call you later."

"I don't need her to call me later.  I don't see the point in wasting my time on her any further.  If she likes asshole guys, let her have the asshole guy."  He turned towards me.  "But I'm telling you, Cara, when this prick lies and breaks your heart again, don't expect me to be there to pick up the pieces like I've done so many times before. I'm done playing second fiddle.  I'm done."

"And you've been the model guy the entire time I've known you, Chase?"  I asked, having had enough of him and his cavalier attitude.  "You seem to forget that you weren't always the perfect guy-friend that you seem to be to everyone else."

"Cara…" Chelsea called out, warning in her tone.

"No, Chels.  He wants to act like he's never done a damn thing wrong.  I need to remind him."

Chelsea looked over to Jason, worry etched in her face.  She slightly nudged her head in Jason's direction, indicating that I probably didn't want to do this in front of him.  Chase had driven me over the brink of caring, so I rolled my eyes at her and fixed my stare back to him. 

"Freshman year ring a fucking bell, Chase?"

"That was a long time ago, Cara." he responded.

"Yeah it was.  And it took me a long time to get over what you did to me."

Jason's eyes lowered.  He stepped behind me, but kept his tenacious stare fixed on Chase.  "What the fuck happened?" he growled angrily, now directly in my ear.

Chelsea gave me another warning glance, but Chase had taken things too far, and I was sick of listening to him act like her was the perfect guy who had a right to air someone else's dirty laundry.

"I lost my virginity to Chase."  I heard Jason let out a deep, somber filled sigh.  When I turned and looked at his face, he looked like someone who had just lost a piece of himself.  "I wanted Chase more than anything, and for a while, he wanted me.  That is, until his girlfriend from home found out.  He lied to her, telling her he had only slept with me once and that it meant nothing to him."

"I was young and dumb, Cara," Chase replied, trying to defend himself.

"Yeah.  Only, you continued to lie to her about everything, trying to make me out to be the scandalous whore in the process."

"Cara, I've apologized over and over again.  What the hell more can I do?"

"You could have just been my friend when I was finally well enough to let you back in, instead of trying to be with me.  I forgave you, Chase, but I've told you, I couldn't go there with you again.  You really hurt me.  You ruined my reputation.  Apparently, a large chunk of our SSDU friends knew Casey, and thought I was such a bitch for knowing you had a girlfriend and pursuing you anyway.  I guess she was like a damn Mother Theresa and here I was, wrecking something for the most awesome girl to walk the planet."

Jason stepped from behind me and back in front of Chase.  I looked over to Chelsea who had her eyes closed and her head hung low, as she stood quiet, never once looking at any of us.

"You have the fucking nerve to try and throw my shit in my face, most of it being lies, and you have all of this shit buried in your closet?"  He shook his head and stepped even closer to Chase.  "I didn't get my ex-girlfriend pregnant.  For all I know, her kid could yours.  And I damn sure never cheated on Cara."

"Get the fuck out of my face.  You have no clue about the details."

"I don't need any fuckin' details.  I've heard enough.  You seduced a fucking virgin while you were in a relationship with someone else and then turned the tables on her to save your sorry ass.  I'm standing here in disbelief that Cara even accepted you back into her life after that shit."  He looked back at me with anger and confusion etched into his face.

"I've made amends with both girls.  I was dumb and I messed up, but I wanted Cara.  I still want Cara."

Chase's words sucked the air out of the room.  Chelsea and I were both aware that Chase still wanted to be with me, and that he hated Jason with every ounce of his being.  Even though Jason always insinuated that Chase wanted me, the words had never come out of his mouth in Jason's presence.

"You can hang those pipe dreams up, pretty boy.  Cara ain't going anywhere near you."

"Jason!" I yelled.  "I can speak for myself." 

He looked at me and just as he was fixing his mouth to say something, he closed his eyes tightly, but remained silent.

"Chase, I told you when I finally forgave you that we'd never go back there.  You hurt me.  I can't forget about that."

"But you can just overlook everything that he's done to you!" Chase yelled, waving his hand at Jason.  "You are a piece of work, Cara.  I've admitted to my wrongs, and I worked every day of that next year trying to show you that I was sorry and that I meant it, and yet, he can do everything he's done and you just willfully accept him back into your life.  I thought you'd wised up."

"It's time for you to go, Chase," I said, walking closer to him and taking him by the arm.  "You have no right to make judgments about something that you only have partial knowledge about."

"You only gave your side, Cara.  What else was I supposed to do?"  He stared back at Jason as I walked him to the front door and then looked down at me with sadness in his eyes. "You're going to get hurt again."

We stopped just before the door, peering fixedly into each other's eyes. 

"Then let me."

I opened the door and Chase stepped out.  He looked back at me and rubbed his head as he shook it.  Without another spoken word, he angrily walked away.

When I returned to the living room, Chelsea was seated on one end of the couch and Jason on the other.  They were engaged in some sort of discussion, but stopped just as I approached.  Jason stood and took me in his arms, rubbing my back as he held me tightly to his chest. 

"So sorry about that, babe.  I had no idea you two had that sort of history."  I looked up into his warm brown eyes--they exuded nothing but love and compassion.  "Guess that explains why Mila and Ryan hate him so much."

I took a couple of deep breaths and pulled away from Jason.  "I never wanted to rehash that, but he pushed me, and I lost it."

"You don't need to apologize, Cara," Chelsea chimed in.  "I saw the changes Chase has made sense then, and honestly, I didn't think it was still brewing inside of you.  So, you know what?  I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked.

"For trying to get you together with him.  If I had known you were still deeply harboring that, I would have never tried."

Jason stepped around me so that he could better see Chelsea.  "You hate me that much that you would try to get her back with a guy that did that to her?  Damn, Chelsea, I'm an asshole, but come on."

"I'm sorry, Jason," Chelsea said, actually looking apologetic.

Jason just sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.  "Oh well.  That's over and done with."  He walked back towards me and tried to take me in his arms again, but I was still reeling from Chase and our showdown.  I wanted no physical closeness whatsoever.  I really just wanted to be alone. 

"You okay?" he asked, looking hurt and confused.

"Not really.  I just destroyed a friend of mine.  I just destroyed a piece of me.  I just want to be alone."

"Cara…"  Jason pleaded. 

"I'm sorry, Jason.  Can you just go?  I really just want to be alone."

Jason watched me a minute longer and then looked back to Chelsea, who sat idly on the couch.  "Alright," he said, then leaned down and kissed my cheek.

"I'll call you later," I called after him as he walked to the front door.

"I'll be waiting for it," he responded, then walked out, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Chelsea walked up behind me and put her hand on my shoulder.  "You wanna talk about it?  You can bitch me out, yell, scream--whatever you need to do."

I smiled lightly but pulled away.  "I really just want to be by myself right now, Chels."

She nodded her head and I walked up the stairs and into my bedroom, so that I could ponder how everything in my life seemed to be coming together and falling apart all at the same time.

<>

I awoke to Chelsea standing over me, looking visibly irritated.  After blinking a few times, I finally forced my heavy eyes to focus on my cell phone that she was holding in her hand. 

"This shit keeps going off, Cara.  Every few minutes, it beeps. 

I took the phone out of her hand and looked at the screen, only to feel my stomach turn itself upside down.  It was Damian, and he was sending a series of angry text messages.

*Damian*

Where are you?  Meeting in 5.

*Damian*

You have work to do.

*Damian*

Don't let that prick be the cause of you losing your job.

*Damian*

I don't get blown off, Cara.  And your job is depending on this.

*Damian*

Can't wait to let William know about this.

*Damian*

Hope Bradley wants to take care of you.  After this, you may no longer be on this account.

There were a few more, but I just decided to stop looking at them.  If I really wanted to, I could use his text messages as evidence that he was using personal issues to threaten my job.  As smart and savvy as he seemed to be, he was a bit stupid in this department and, leaving enough ammunition for me to ruin his career.  I briefly thought about it, but it made me physically ill.  I'd had enough manipulation swirling around me to last a lifetime and, I was in no way going to thrust myself into that ring right along with it. 

"It's Damian," I told her, feeling drained from the past couple of days' events. 

"What the hell does he want?  I'm not sure texting you all day is in your contract.  That's borderline crazy."

"I was supposed to meet with him and this web designer, Ben."

"When?"

"Today."

Chelsea's eyes shot open.  "Cara, I know you've got quite a bit of shit going on, but you can't just blow off work."

"What work, Chels?" I asked, sitting up in my bed.  I won't have a job come Monday morning.  So, I blew it off, end of story."

"Is this about him and Jason?"

"Yes.  I told you about it yesterday.  I'll be going in on Monday to pick up my walking papers.  I'm pretty much done with the bullshit.  I'm not going to let him drag me through anymore unnecessary headache."

I sat looking and feeling completely worn down.  The week had been an utter mess. With having to deal with Damian, William, Jason, and Chase, I felt like they were sucking the life out of me.  My morning had started out so promising and had somehow gone off in the wrong direction. 

Chelsea sat down on the end of my bed, looking at me sympathetically.  "What do you want to do, Cara?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean with this male testosterone problem you have."