Trust (11 page)

In the elevator ride up
to the penthouse I'm fuming, but unsure whether I even have a right to be.  I
don't even know if anything is going on between Chase and Denise.  The fact
that I'm going to come off like a crazy, psycho if I start throwing around
baseless accusations is not lost on me.  I can totally see Denise setting me up
for coming off like that by acting all cagey about why they got together.  It
truly could have just been something as simple as getting coffee with a friend.

But that still doesn't
make sense to me.  Based on the texts and phone call Chase had before he left,
I was obviously not supposed to know about this meeting.  True, Chase knows I
don't like Denise and maybe that's why he didn't tell me he was meeting her. 
And the text from Denise about ditching me could have just been her being the
bitch that she is.  And I didn't see any funny business between the two of
them, although most of their meeting was obscured from my view.  Yet I still
can't shake the feeling that there is something else going on.  The best I can
do is try not to act like a lunatic that has missed a few doses of medication.

"Hey, where'd you go?"
Chase asks as soon as I open the door.

"That's funny,"
I say with a clenched jaw.  "I had the same question for you."  I
feel guilty for already setting a trap but if he just tells the truth it will
set my mind at ease immediately.

"I just went down to
get us some dinner.  I thought it might be nice to have something different
than what's on the room service menu."  His eyes motion over to the
plastic bag I saw him carrying a few minutes ago, which is sitting on the
table.

My eyes close and I let
out a slow breath before I say anything.  When I open them, he's looking at me
with a quizzical frown. 

"You okay?"

"I know you met
Denise."  My voice is as flat and emotionless as I can manage.  I'm
disappointed and angry, but still unsure how much is justified.

Chase's shoulders wilt
slightly.  "You were following me?"

My anger is bubbling up
now.  "Don't try to turn this around.  I happened to see her text the
other day when your phone was in my purse.  When I woke up earlier, I heard you
talking to her.  What the hell is going on?  Are you two still fucking?"

"What?" he
looks genuinely shocked, but I know how well he can manipulate his emotions. 
"God no!" 

"Then why were you
sneaking down to see her?  Why did you just lie about it when I asked you where
you were?"

"Because you hate
her, and you already think she's still pining after me.  I didn't want to give
you any reason to worry.  I would think you would understand that, given your
conversation today with Harrison." 

So he had heard some of that.

"That's
different," I say, shaking my head.

"Really?  Because
from what I heard, it sounded like you still have some feelings for him."

I shake my head again. 
He's trying to deflect.  Change the subject away from Denise.

"He's not the man
you think he is, Lila.  You really need to be careful with him."

"What the hell do
you know about Harry?" I snap. 

Chase looks like he's
about to say something, then stops himself.  He's quiet for a moment. 
"Just don't forget how we met.  How easy it was for him to risk losing his
girlfriend in a poker game."

"Oh I won't forget
that," I say, my anger still boiling.  "Just like I won't forget the
equally sleazy move of the asshole who tried to win a girlfriend in a poker
game!"

This time it's Chase who
shakes his head.  "Lila, you don't understand..."  He takes a step
toward me and touches my arm, but I shake it off.

"What the hell is
going on with you and Denise," I demand again.  I refuse to let him try to
maneuver the conversation away from the real subject.

"There's absolutely
nothing going on between Denise and me, Lila, I promise you."

I want to believe him,
but things still don't add up.  Yet his sincerity softens my anger a little
bit.

"So why did you want
to meet with her?  She said it was your idea."  I wince as I admit to
actually talking to her.

"You spoke to her? 
Lila, what did you say?"

"I asked her why she
was still after you.  She said you called her for a private get together.  Is
that true?  You told me that you guys don't see each other socially.  What the
hell, Chase?  What am I supposed to think here?"

Chase sighs, and then
takes a step back to lean against the couch, rubbing his head with his hands. 
"Shit, Lila, it's not what you think."

"I told you, I don't
know what to think.  I need you to tell me what's going on."

"Denise is just
fucking with you.  You're right, she is a bitch.  But she has good taste, and I
guess I trusted her to help me with something when clearly that was a bad
idea."

"What?  What was a
bad idea?"  My mind is racing through all sorts of bad ideas, each one
worse than the next. 

"It was supposed to
be a surprise." He says with another heavy sigh.

I'm totally confused
now.  I don't even have any more words, I just stare at him, waiting.

"I wasn't completely
honest with you last week," he says.  Here it comes.  He's going to admit
to still having feelings for Denise.  They're still fucking.  Or maybe they're
in love.  Shit, they don't have a child together do they?   I reach out to put
my arm onto the wall to steady myself, waiting for the knockout blow.

"You know that dress
that I brought up to the room last week, the one that I said I had to stop and
buy for you since I thought you would look stunning in it?"

What?
 
What the hell does that dress have to do with his secret love child?

"That's not how it
happened," he continues.  "I wanted to take you out, and I wanted to
get you a dress, but I honestly don't have a clue what would look good on
someone without actually seeing them in it.  I went into a shop downstairs and
had one of the sales women recommend something based on a picture I took of you
and had on my phone."

I know I'm staring at him
dumbly now, but I can't stop myself.  I'm completely confused.  Who the fuck
cares about the stupid dress?

"Anyway, my point is
that I don't really have great taste in buying really nice things for someone
like you.  So I needed help with that dress.  And then the other day I decided
I wanted to get you something else.  That's why I met with Denise.  She has great
taste in jewelry, far better than mine.  I asked her to meet with me to go over
what I wanted to get for you, and she was going to pick something out.  I'm
sorry, it was supposed to be a surprise."

I collapse back against
the wall, closing my eyes as the realization hits me.  The only asshole in this
room right now is me.

Even with Chase trying to
reassure me that it's no big deal, I can't help feeling like a complete fool
for the rest of the night, and the feeling hasn't been shaken by the next day,
either.  Each time I apologize for being a lunatic and a stalker, he just
laughs and changes the subject.  I know he's being kind, but I still feel
terrible about ruining his surprise and not trusting him.  Besides, as he
pointed out, I have my own ex-boyfriend baggage that I'm still carrying around,
so I shouldn't have been so quick to judge.

"What should we do
today?" he asks.  We're sitting on his couch, both dressed but without a
plan for the day.   Chase is fiddling on his phone, and has been most of the
morning while I've moped around the room feeling guilty.  I can tell he's
anxious to do something.

"I'd like to just
take it easy today."  Yesterday was more excitement than I usually see in
a week.  Between the motorcycle, the skydiving and then our argument, I'm
drained.

"How about we just
sit by the pool?"

I shrug.  "I don't
really want to spend the day in the shade as fans hover over us asking you for
autographs.  Can we go use the pool at your place again?"

Chase takes a deep breath
and gives me a look before smiling.  "I thought you might suggest that. 
Go get your stuff together."

Less than half an hour
later his driver drops us off and we head into the kitchen where Chase throws a
few drinks into the empty fridge.  "I don't want to stay all day,
though," he says.  "I was thinking maybe we could go and catch a
movie later?  It's been forever since I've been to a theater.  I thought it
would be fun, and still relaxing."

I make a noncommittal
sound as I head out back to the pool.  I really just want to be alone with
him.  After all of my accusations last night I feel like our relationship could
use some us time.  I was even considering talking to him about where this whole
thing is going.  I think part of my insecurity is just that this relationship
is still undefined, for the most part.  I want to know whether or not he really
meant that girlfriend comment he made the other day.

We get into our bathing
suits and I stretch out on the lounge chair as I watch the tattoos on Chase's
back stretch vibrantly in the sun as he dives into the pool before disappearing
under the blue water.  He does laps for about ten minutes before climbing out
and laying down in the lounger next to me.

"Refreshing,"
he says.  "You going in?"

"Maybe in a little
bit."  I don't get as much chance to work on my tan back in Toronto. 
Especially not in October.

"So what do you
think about that movie idea?"

"Chase, we just got
here!"

"I know, I'm not
saying we go now.  In a little bit."

"I just want to
relax for a while.  Don't you ever sit still?"

"I seem to recall a
couple of days you and I spent in my hotel room without leaving the room once. 
Doesn't that count?"

"No, because I
wouldn't call what we were doing during that time sitting still," I
giggle. 

"I dunno," I
can hear the grin on his face even with my eyes closed against the Vegas sun. 
"I did feel pretty relaxed each time we were done."

"Well give me some
time to soak in some rays and you might get to feel relaxed again."

"Deal."

To his credit, Chase kept
himself quiet for at least long enough for me to fall asleep.

"Shit, Lila, wake
up!"

My eyes struggle to open
and I have to blink a few times against the sun.  "What?  What?"

"We fell
asleep!"

"So?  What's wrong? 
Did I get a burn?"  I look down at my skin and it is looking a little
tanned, but not pink thanks to the sunscreen I applied before we left the
hotel.

"No.  I mean,
nothing's wrong, I just didn't expect to fall asleep as well.  But it's been
over an hour."

"Is that all?  I
could use another hour."  I yawn and lift my arms over my head.  It feels
good to sleep in the sun.  This is exactly how I wanted to spend the day
anyway.

"We should get going
if we're going to catch a movie."

"Are you kidding
me?"  I sit up now and look at Chase.  His hair is a bit tussled from
falling asleep on it while it was still wet, but he looks just as gorgeous as
always.  "Chase, I really don't feel like going out to a movie.  I could
use a drink though."  I stand up and walk into the house and he follows.

"I just think we
should do something else," he persists, as I hand him a bottle of water
before taking one for myself. 

"What is wrong with
staying-" I stop as the I hear the front door lock click.  Both Chase and
I turn just as it opens and watch as a middle age couple walk in.  The man is
wearing a polo shirt and slacks, and the woman is wearing an orange blouse and
long dark skirt.  They look just as surprised to see us as we are to see them.

"Who the hell are
you?" I blurt out immediately.  Despite my accusation I step back against
Chase, not that the couple look physically threatening.   Both of the strangers
gawk at us for a moment and I realize I'm standing here in a fairly revealing
bikini.  I pull my arms up against my chest, suddenly feeling even more
vulnerable. 

"Young lady,"
the man says, his facing turning red.  I'm not sure if it's anger or
embarrassment, but by his tone it could be a bit of both.  "I believe it's
my right to ask
you
that question.  This is my house."

"What?  No it isn't. 
This is Chase's house."

I turn to look at Chase,
expecting to see a mirror of the same indignation I feel, but as usual his face
is a stony mask of
unreadability
. 
"Chase?  Tell them."

His cool blue eyes shift
from the couple to me, and then back to the couple but he doesn't say anything.

"Were you swimming
in our pool?" the woman asks.  I turn back to see they've walked further
into the house now.  The woman has stormed over to the door leading outside. 
She turns back to her husband.  "Henry, they have towels out there.  They
were swimming in our pool."

"What the hell is
going on, Chase?" I demand.  He still hasn't said anything.

"The two of you
better get out of here this instant, before I have you arrested for
trespassing."  The man is definitely more angry than embarrassed now, but
I'm still completely confused.

"Chase, what the
hell is going on?" I repeat.  "Is any of this true?  Is this really
their house?"

Our eyes lock together
and I finally see a crack in his armor as he takes a deep breath and lets it
out slowly.  There's something in his gaze now that I've never seen before. 

Chase slowly nods. 
"Yes, it's true."

I feel my heart sinking
as I look at the man I've spent almost every minute with for the last week and I
wonder if I really know him at all.