“Why?” The man released a humorless laugh. “Look at you, man! You’ve got a fucking gun to my head! Of course, I took off!”
“And the license plates?”
“Same reason! Listen, man.” He paused to catch his breath. “I work freelance, okay? That means I have to take my stories wherever I can get them. But this job…I don’t exactly make a lot of friends doing what I do, if you catch my drift. Putting a fake plate on my car helps keep my identity safeguarded…usually.”
Chase processed everything from start to finish. Putting all the pieces together like a slow-motion picture. By the time he was all caught up to the present moment, he realized…
He’s telling the truth.
“Get up.” He kept the gun pointed toward the man just in case.
But when Levi Taylor turned around, and Chase caught sight of the front of his khaki pants, it became quite obvious the man wasn’t a threat.
“Yeah, yeah, I pissed my pants.” Taylor looked more embarrassed than pissed. “Can I please have my wallet back so I can go?”
He tossed the man his wallet. Bent down and picked up the fancy-looking camera. Rather than hand the expensive equipment straight over to the slimy piece of shit, Chase first removed the camera’s memory card.
“Hey! You can’t?—”
“You’re lucky I don’t bust the fucking thing in half.” He shoved the camera against the idiot’s chest. “Now get the hell out of here, and don’t eventhinkabout coming back.”
“It’s a public street, asshole. I can be here if I?—”
Chase grabbed the mouthy prick around his scrawny neck and swung him around, slamming his back up against his car. “If I see you anywhere near Scottie Cahill again, Iwillcome after you. And next time, pissing yourself will be the least of your concerns.”
With that, he lowered his gun, released his grip, and took a step back so the guy could leave. Taylor wasted no time jumping back into his car. Dumbass didn’t bother with his seatbelt before peeling off and speeding away.
Chase closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And another. And…another.
Feeling more in control of his ramped-up emotions, he did a quick side-to-side check for any of Scottie’s neighbors who could have possibly been watching the show. Luckily, there wasn’t a single soul in sight.
Thankful for neighbors who keep to themselves, Chase went back to get his truck, parking it in Scottie’s slightly inclined paved driveway. His adrenaline had every nerve-ending on edge, another reminder of how quickly their lives could turn.
He walked up to the door, tapped his knuckles against the stained wood, and when Scottie opened the door, looking like a freshly showered angel come to life, he couldn’t keep from blurting out?—
“I love you.”
Scottie blinked, her gorgeous green eyes growing wide with obvious shock. She stuttered her response as she took a step backward “H-hi. And…um…w-what did you just say?”
Chase stepped over the threshold and into her home. With his eyes locked on hers, he blindly kicked the door shut behind him. And then he did what he’d been planning to do from the moment he left work to come here.
He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her body flush with his. “I said…” He spun them around and carefully pressed her back against the recently closed door. “I love you.”
“Chase…” Moisture filled her confused, emotional stare.
Tell her everything.
“I’ve been in love with you for what feels like my whole life. Even when I tried to pretend I wasn’t, you were here.” He placed a palm over his heart. “You’vealwaysbeen here, Scottie.”
Fucking always.
She blinked again, a single tear escaping the corner of one eye. For a moment, he thought he’d totally fucked things up because she just stood there, not saying a word. But then Scottie brought a hand to his scruff-covered cheek and whispered back, “Oh, Chase. I’ve always loved you, too.” She blindly swiped another fallen tear away. “I never stopped.”
Thank you, God!
“I want forever with you, Scottie,” he stated bluntly. “Since high school, I’ve known this was where I should be. Thatyouare the person I was meant to be with. Hell, I can even prove it!”
A touch of humor flickered across her shimmering gaze as one side of her kissable lips curved upward. “You have proof that you want forever with me?” She chuckled.