Blurred Lines 1: CHASE
Chapter 30

-Sofia-

"Do you think it's too early for me to go out with another guy?" I asked Jessica, I was in the kitchen, setting the boiling pot half filled with water on the stove. This one-bedroom apartment is twenty minutes' walking distance away from Montiero Holdings. Upon entry, my humble living room with a couch set, a coffee table, and a TV set will greet you. The furniture. comes with the lease. Since I didn't own much, the shelves remained empty. I bought new bedding and curtains to give it a little touch of home. A breakfast bar separates the living room and kitchen. There was a large window in the living room that allowed good ventilation. The apartment was located on the fifth floor. High enough to keep the buzz of the street and high enough to have a sunset view of the city. Of course, it's not as impressive as the view from Chase's penthouse.

There's only one thing I need to get used to. The walls are thin. Last night, I couldn't get enough sleep. My neighbors had been busy screaming each other's names. They have stamina. They didn't finish until after one a.m.

"Why? Will you be sleeping with him?" Jessica said, not lifting her gaze from her computer. She was also in her kitchen, with a box of pizza, Chinese take-outs, and a bottle of dom spread on the side.

Leaving the water to boil, I brought the bowl and spinach to the breakfast bar. "What?! No!" I said, plonking on the stool, and began plucking each leaf from the stem. "We don't sleep with a man on our first date." "Uh-huh," she hummed. "And you are the only one who stayed true to that pact, Soph," she giggled.

That's true. Jessica was more spontaneous when it came to dating. I can't have sex without expecting a cuddle after, which is not usually included in the package of one-night stands.

Images of Chase and me in the middle of the dance floor crossed my mind. Since that night, I can't stop thinking about him, of how he touched me, how I moaned and trembled in his hands. I haven't seen him since. He had been busy with the Fortaleza plantation. I shuddered at the thought of seeing him for his interview this week.

"Why are you blushing?" Jessica asked, brown eyes trained on me.

I shook my head, reaching for the glass of iced water. The ice swirled as I took a sip. "Nothing..."

"I know you... spill," she insisted, eyes narrowed to slits.

'Oh no.'

"Uhm... I have to check the water," I reasoned. I sighed. The water isn't boiling yet. I turned, and Jessica's eyebrows were pointing at the ceiling.

"Spill," she demanded.

Grumbling under my breath, I flopped back on my seat and continued plucking the spinach leaves. "Can we not talk about it? I'm still confused," my best friend tilted her head to the side, dissecting me. "I saw Kyle and Katerina at the fundraiser. Georgia forgot to mention that?"

I was lucky enough to evade Georgia's cross-examination. She spent the rest of her weekend with Rafael. The only chance we got to see each other was at the airport, Jessica shook her head, sipping her wine. "Nope. She was too occupied with damage control to go into details."

"Damage control?" I brought the bowl of spinach to the sink and washed them.

"Figures..." Jessica murmured. "Of course, you weren't checking the updates on them. News about Katerina's pregnancy got out, and paparazzi have pestered her wherever she goes. Now they're looking at scheduling the wedding after she gives birth." "Yeah?" No wonder Jessica is working on a Saturday. She murmured something as she grabbed a bite of her all-meat lover's pizza. "What?" I asked, placing the pan on the stove.

I glanced over my shoulder. Jessica swallowed and took a sip of her wine. "You still owe me an explanation about Chase and this guy who asked you out on a date.," she stuck out her lower lip. "Please tell me things. I'm so out of the loop with your love life." Olive oil in a pan; I chopped the garlic and tossed it in, and the fragrant smell floated in the kitchen. On the side, I dropped the pasta into the boiling water. I added the spinach to the skillet, seasoned it, and waited for the greens to wilt. Adding the bowl of leftover grilled chicken I had for dinner last night, bacon, and sausages in the morning, I stirred until they were well incorporated

"As if I have a love life," I grumbled under my breath.

"It's Chase!" Jessica's voice rose an octave higher. "You said you'd never marry anyone but him. The universe is making a move, Soph. You two met at the perfect time!" she said excitedly.

Stirring cream cheese into the skillet with pasta boiling water, I added parmesan cheese and nutmeg and waited for the sauce to simmer.

I faced Jessica with a grimace. "I can't be with Chase, Jess."

"Why? He's single, and you are single," she pressed, not giving up. "That guy always had a soft spot for you. Why don't you show him the moves you learned over the years, huh?" She wiggled her brows.

I chuckled, drained the pasta, tossed it in the pan, and combined.

"Shut up," I said, thankful that I had the pasta to be busy about because if not, Jessica would see how red my cheeks were. I wish I could tell her that Chase and I kissed twice. Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on FindNovel.net. Visit FindNovel.net to read the complete chapters for free.And the second time was much more. intense because I came into his hand in the middle of a club. But I want to keep things to myself for now. At least, until I could say that I am not affected by what Chase said... that he and I cannot be together. He ended things before they even started.

Setting the plate of pasta on the breakfast bar, I pulled a carton of orange juice from the fridge, filled one glass, and sat in front of my computer again.

"Bummer," Jessica groaned. "What about Andre then? What was he like? Can I see a picture of him?"

I grunted, taking a spoonful of my food. "Can you give it a rest, Jessica? This is my first time going out, and I just want to have fun. Forget about seeing Kyle and Katerina, and forget about Chase!"

"Oh..." her eyes squinted. "So there was something you needed to forget about Chase, huh?"

I dropped my hand on the counter, the cutlery ring as it hit the plate. "Jessica..."

"No," she shook her head. "There is definitely something there. I remember Georgia asking me who Chase is. Of course, I didn't tell her anything because we haven't talked yet, and God, I'm glad I kept my mouth shut-"

"We kissed, okay?!" I raised my hand in the air. "Twice! There... happy?"

The notification of my phone stopped Jessica from responding. It was Andre.

Andre: Hey, is seven pm a good time to pick you up for our date?

Sofia: Sure. See you later.

Andre: Laters, Sofia.

When I glanced back up, Jessica was watching me, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"That was Andre checking in."

"Uh-huh... now back to Chase-"

Deep by Binoculars cut her off. My brows furrowed. It was a ringtone I set on Chase's number, one

of his favorite songs. I let it go to voicemail. I'm going to listen to that tonight. But then a knock on my door echoed.

I glanced up at Jessica. "Andre?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No." It was only forty minutes past noon.

"Sofia, open up." Chase's voice was muffled by the door.