Chase Lovett Wants Me

by Helena Hunting

I glance to the right, where a pint-sized girl with a hood covering half her face climbs the stairs next to me. Someone on their phone nearly collides with her, but she pulls a Matrix move and ducks out of the way. She mutters “excuse you too, dickface” and continues up the steps.

She pauses, head turning, chin tipping up. Gray eyes lift to meet mine. I feel her gaze like a shot of tequila to my soul. And other parts. “After you.” I motion her ahead of me. Her eyes flare. Her mouth opens and closes. Someone almost bumps into her from behind. Other bodies stream past us. She murmurs a barely audible thank you and scurries past me. I lose her in the crowd, disappointed because she has a face I want to keep looking at.

“I tried to get Colby to switch me rooms, but it’s all drama downstairs so we’re stuck with each other for tonight at least. If I had somewhere else sanitary to go, I’d stay there.” If I could melt into the bed, I definitely would. “Sorry I’m not cool enough for you,” I mumble. I should have accepted defeat an hour ago and called Essie, but it’s officially the middle of the night. His eyes flare. “Whoa. Hey. That’s not what I meant.” He holds up both hands. “I just mean that I’m a dude and they probably made the same mistake I did, thinking your name meant we both had swords instead of tulips.” “I’m sorry, what?” “You know.” He motions to his crotch. “Sword.” Then he points to me with one hand and his mouth with the other. “Tulips.” I pull my hood over my head and roll onto my side, laughing uncontrollably. “I’m not wrong,” Chase grumbles. It takes me a good two minutes to calm down enough to sit up. I wipe my eyes and sigh. “No, Chase, you are not wrong.”

Never in a million years did I imagine I’d be making a bed with Chase Lovett. Or sleeping in the same room as him. Our eyes meet across the bed. My vagina tingles and my mouth goes dry.

I avert my gaze back to the bed. “They’ll probably think we had swing-from-the-rafters sex on it.” The sudden additional awkwardness is as uncomfortable as an itchy wool blanket. I can feel Chase’s eyes on me. “Why the hell would we have swing-from-the-rafters sex on a shitty pullout couch when there’s an enormous, probably super comfortable king bed right there?” He thumbs over his shoulder. I keep my eyes fixed on the broken sofa bed. “So no one would have to sleep in the wet spot.” Why can’t I just keep my stupid mouth shut? “That’s actually a good point.”

I’m still lying on the floor, mostly because I’m trying to recover. I’m also processing what just happened. Weird little Cameron has suddenly turned into weird, fuckhot Cameron. There’s literally nothing to her and she just flipped me over her shoulder. I’m six-four and two hundred pounds. There’s nothing quite as sexy as a tiny woman who can kick ass.

“I’m sorry. You scared me. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Her arms pinwheel, the too-long sleeves of the hoodie flopping around. I hold up a hand. “I’m okay.” She takes it as a sign that I want her assistance, shoves a sleeve up, and wraps her small hand around mine. The contact isn’t unwelcome, but the jolt it sends through me is foreign. It happened the first time, too. Maybe she’s a staticky person. I let her help pull me to my feet. She tips her chin up. “I’m really sorry.” “Where’d you learn how to do that?” I straighten my shirt and run a hand through my hair, trying to be cool about the fact that she just laid me out and I’m kind of a lot turned on by it. “My sister and I had to learn how to fight young because my dad wanted us to be able to defend ourselves. I had a black belt in karate by the time I was fifteen.” “That’s fucking hot,” I blurt. Cameron blinks up at me, cheeks turning pink. “Uh, thanks?”

I don’t know how I missed how pretty she is. Her bottom lip is fuller than her top lip, pouty and suckable. I try not to think about what it would feel like to have those luscious lips wrapped around my precious. And fail.

We must sit on opposite sides of the lecture theater in bio.” That’s the only explanation for not knowing her before now. She scoffs. “You literally sat on me during the first week. Like you didn’t even see me sitting there, and your ass was in my lap.” “Oh shit. That was you?” I remember that.

My throat suddenly feels tight. I want to keep pushing, but clearly she’s done with me.

How fucking oblivious am I that I completely overlooked her until last week? How many times have I walked right by her? How many opportunities have I missed to walk with her to class? Every beat of my heart sounds like a bass drum right now.

but I think…I think I actually like her. Like yes, I want to get naked with her and just—” I stop before I admit more than I want, but based on their expressions, I’m already over the line. “Like I want to hang out with her while also fully clothed…and get to know her better.” I prop my fists on my hips. “I’d rather be in the room with her right now than here with you guys.”

“Yes, but even if she doesn’t want to fuck, I would still want to hang out with her.” I’d actually be sad if she didn’t want to at least make out again, though. Those lips will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. “So you like her,” Brody states. “Yes.” I rub the back of my neck. “I do. Fuck. Shit. How do I handle this?”

“But this is different. Yes, I want her prec—soft parts wrapped around my cock. One hundred percent. But I actually wanted her to come down for breakfast so you could meet her.”

My brows shoot up. “Uh, I mean, I guess if Aragorn and Legolas were real people I would jump into that scenario, but mostly I don’t like my attention on more than one person at a time.” His shoulders come down from his ears. “Okay, good. That’s good.” I shove his shoulder. “Oh my God. Were you jealous for a hot second?” “Pfft. No.” He runs his hand through his hair and side-eyes me. “Yeah, actually.” “You really do like me.” I’m mystified as to how this happened, but also my ego is really enjoying this. Chase Lovett, who should be way out of my league, is into me.

He tips his head back to look at me. “Can I touch your tatas?” “Only if you never call them tatas again.” “Never again.” He inhales deeply and raises his hands but stops just shy of cupping my breasts. He touches his cheek first. “Temperature check. Cold hands are the worst.” “That’s the truth.”

He lies on his back and adjusts the pillow, then beckons me closer. “Bring that precious over here.” “You don’t have to keep calling it that.” “Yeah, I do. It’s part of the scene. Bring it hither.” “Please never say hither again.” “For the love of God, Cammie, put a desperate man out of his fucking misery, and sit on my face.” Well, when he puts it that way… “Sir, yes, sir.”

I realize I’ve never done this before. Tried to make someone I like feel included, and based on how unhappy Cammie looks, I’m not all that great at it. But I could get better.

For the past two months, most weekends have included a party. I’d meet some girl, we’d have some fun, and at the end of the night, I’d go home with my friends and the girl went home with her friends and that’s that. Maybe I see a former hookup on campus and wave and say hi and then make an excuse about having class or practice. Shit. I’m kind of a douchebag.

She smiles, but it looks sad, and I don’t like it.

“But what about the deal we made? I owe you another orgasm.” I know this is the wrong thing to offer, but I’m unsure how to fix this. I thought I had more time with her. What if this hotel room is all we’ll ever have?

“I’ve been at the library working on assignments,” I offer weakly. He arches a brow. “And avoiding me?” “I didn’t want to make it awkward.” Guess I failed at that.

The message is still there. Didn’t you sleep in your room last night?” His jaw tics. “What’s this?” I poke his cheek. “What’s what?” “There’s a muscle jumping in your jaw.” His nostrils flare and he leans in closer, dropping his voice to a whisper and brushing his lips on the shell of my ear. “I like you. I missed you.” I feel him take a deep breath before continuing. “And the idea of someone else touching your precious when I want it to be mine makes me unhappy.”

I lick my lips and glance down at his crotch. “Don’t do that; he’ll know you’re looking and embarrass me,” he whispers.

He also mentioned that not everyone is a high-level extrovert like myself, and that sometimes it’s important to check in on my quiet friends to make sure they’re not swimming in a mental lake of terror when they’re put in situations that are outside of their comfort zone,”

“Lovett, Lovelock, if you do that on the other side of the door, no one has to witness it,” Colby shouts from not very far away. I free my lips from Chase’s and pull my hood up. Chase’s lips press into a line and he gives Colby the death stare. “I’m helping you out here, man. Your buddy Gage just snapped a picture. You’re welcome. If you need condoms, you can visit the health center.” He saunters past us, wearing a satisfied grin. Chase thumbs over his shoulder. “I’m going to go beat up Gage.” “Good luck.” “Thanks.” He kisses my cheek and grabs his bag, rushing down the hall as he shouts, “Steele, I’m coming for you!” I can’t stop smiling. I have so much to tell Tally.

“I don’t want to spend the next four years racking up a ridiculous number of one-night stands,” I say, and mean it. I thought a lot about what Cammie said about my reputation and it just isn’t what I want for myself.

She tips her head up and I bend, but she leans away. “What are you doing?” “Saying hi.” “People are going to think we’re a thing.” “Good. I want us to be a thing.” I stroke her cheek with a single finger. “Can I please kiss you?” “Right now?” She glances around. “Yeah. Right now.” She’s so cute. I can’t remember the last time a girl didn’t want to kiss me in front of everyone. It’s refreshing to be wanted for more than my athlete status.

“So I’m going to go back to my room and hopefully Brody is out so I can deal with my situation.” “I could leave my room for a few minutes if you’re concerned.” Chase’s jaw flexes. “Don’t offer me that. I’ll probably fuck your pillow.” He glances at my bed and swallows thickly. “I’ll definitely fuck your pillow.”

“I hope you’re good and hungry tomorrow night, Chase, because my pussy is on the dessert menu.” I suck his bottom lip, dragging it between my teeth before I release him. He stumbles backward two steps. “For the love of God, Cammie, close the fucking door.” I do. And turn the lock. The knob rattles. Chase makes a desperate sound on the other side and pounds on it with his fist. I flip the lock again and open it two inches. He’s on his knees in front of the door. “Don’t forget, I have a black belt; I can take you down.” He grips the jambs. “The next twenty hours will be the most delicious torture.” “Sweet dreams, Chase.” I wink and close the door again. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Lovett?” “Fuck you, Gage.” “Chase? Are you okay?” a female voice asks. “Barbiebelle, I’m not in the mood.” A few moments later a door closes heavily down the hall. Fifteen minutes later my phone dings with a message. Chase I’m going to need another one of those cloth things because I have to wash this one and then it won’t smell like you anymore. I hug my phone to my chest and grin at the ceiling where Legolas and Aragorn stare down at me. “He’s a little obsessed with me.” It’s a heady feeling, having someone as amazing as Chase want me with such fervor. And I think I like it.

“It’s your first date and you’re choosing to end it at a party.” We have another stare-down. He connects the dots because I’m apparently an idiot. “Where everyone comes to hook up.” “Shit.”

Dougie was annoyingly stereotypical. He asked who I came with. When I said Chase, he laughed like he didn’t believe me. Sure, he was drunk, but that’s when people’s filters disappear. He was just speaking his drunken truth.

“That’s not really the point, though. It’s fine when it’s just the two of us. But when we’re with your friends I don’t feel…included. I disappear to you just like I do with all of them. You didn’t introduce me to half the people who said hi to you,” I explain. “I didn’t remember their names,” he admits. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because honestly, it really doesn’t.” He nods slowly, maybe absorbing my words. “I can see why that would be problematic.” He rubs his bottom lip with his thumb. “I’m sorry I brought you here.” “I don’t want you to be sorry for bringing me to a party, Chase. I can see how they could be fun. I just need you to remember to try to include me.” I shore up my courage to say the last part, because it’s the hardest to verbalize. “I just want to feel as special when we’re out together as I do when we’re alone.” His breath leaves him on a whoosh, and he steps in and cups my face in his cold palms. “You are special. So special. You’re the only girl I’ve ever felt this way about.” He presses his forehead to mine. “Give me a chance, please? I’m new at this, and clearly not great at the whole boyfriend thing, but I can learn. I want to learn. I want to be a good boyfriend. More than that, I want to be your boyfriend.” My heart stutters and gallops. “I want you to be my boyfriend, too,” I whisper.

He takes my face in his hands and presses his lips gently to mine. “Are you sure this is how you want this to happen? I could take you to a hotel, get champagne and rose petals. It should be special, Cammie.” “It’s you. It will be special.” I finger an errant curl at the nape of his neck.

His jaw tics and his gaze darkens in the most delicious way. Especially since it contrasts with the gentle way he touches me. Fingers brushing along my cheek. “Tell me you’re okay.” It’s as much a plea as a demand.

“I’ve had enough of their crap.” He takes two long strides back toward the arena. I rush around in front of him and put my hands on his chest. “Do not make me lay you out. Especially not on cement.” His right eye twitches and his nostrils flare. I arch a brow. “Fuck, you’re hot.” He runs a rough hand through his hair. “It’s not cool that they were chirping you.” “I know. And I dealt with it. You can’t fight my battles for me, Chase.” “People can be such assholes, though.” “Agreed. But you going in there and sticking up for me won’t change anything.” I pat his chest. “My insecurities are mine, Chase. Only I can deal with them.” He captures my hand and kisses the palm. “I’m really fucking proud of you.” “I am pretty proud of me, too.” He pulls me into him and folds me in his arms. “Let’s go home and celebrate.” “With sex, right? That’s what you mean?” “Yes, Cammie. That’s exactly what I mean.”

“I am proud of her. I told her that.” “Good. Keep telling her. And still get her flowers.” “Real ones, though. From an actual store.” Gage points his fork at me. “Not the ones from the garden behind res,” Mac adds. “I only did that once.” They arch a brow at me in tandem. “Okay. Twice. Got it. Flowers. Praise.” I feel like I’ve just gotten a crash course in being a boyfriend from three of the unlikeliest people.

Sometimes we have to choose to live life scared, or we’re not really living it at all.”

It’s better to live life scared than not live it at all.

I wink and she smiles. Brody elbows me. “Stop looking at your girlfriend like that when her parents are right beside her.”