Blurred Lines 1: CHASE
Chapter 53

~Sofia~

Wednesday came and I was still waiting for a message or call from Chase. I occupied myself with work. Even Rafael was a no-show, but he replied to my email about the gossip site. He said they got everything under control and discovered the author behind the negative articles about Chase. It was Janelle, Chase's previous publicist. Why am I not surprised?

Apparently, her company learned about her blackmailing stunt against Chase. They let her go and put what she did on record. It ended her career. Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on FindNovel.net. Visit FindNovel.net to read the complete chapters for free. No PR company would hire someone with that kind of record in their file. No wonder she was particularly targeting Chase.

"Hey, how's Andre?" I asked Mich, stirring my coke with the straw.

We are at an Italian restaurant a few blocks from Montiero Holdings, having our late lunch. We just finished running over Chase's busy schedule for next week. It's his birthday week. We have lined up charities, outreach programs, and radio and TV guestings. "He's been in a grumpy mood since the club," Mich answered, taking a spoonful of her mushroom risotto. "What happened between you two, anyway? We thought you were finally coming along."

I shrugged. "Andre is only a friend," I murmured, sipping my coke.

"Why?" she pressed, dabbed the white napkin over her lip and peeked at her phone. "Hillary just won't give up," she groaned and typed away before setting the device screen down on the table.

I giggled and twirled the pasta with my fork. "Sorry about that."

It was my idea not to let Hillary get another seat with Chase after the stunt she pulled. Although the aftermath of her action favored me, I didn't want to risk any more chances with her.

"It's alright. She's too eager for my taste," she agreed and reached for a slice of triple cheese pizza.

Work addict and love for food, Mich and I have that in common. We stuff our bodies with calories without a care in the world. It made working with her a lot better. We can do a working break or lunch, or like now, a food trip after finishing a gruesome task of fitting a lot of events in one week.

Humming, I reached for a slice of pizza as well. "Oh, speaking of Andre. What's with him and DJ Arkie?" I remembered Andre's bitter expression at the club when the latter was mentioned.

Mich swallowed. "Arkie was his bandmate," she explained. "And now the fiance of his ex."

I nearly choked. "Damn."

Mich nodded. "Yep. But Liz, Andre's ex, cheated on him with another guy before she got engaged to Arkie. It's the reason they broke up. We had no idea who the guy was, though. And if Arkie is there, Liz is not far. Ana and I were truly surprised he went clubbing with us. Which proves how much you meant to him."

Guilt squeezed my throat. I swallowed, recalling how Chase marked his territory in front of Andre. "You're my friend as much as Andre is mine. I don't mean to sound like Hillary, but is there really no chance for you and Andre?"

Her comparison to Hillary made me smile. "I'm... I'm into someone else, Mich. It's still pretty new," I sighed, my shoulders slouching.

"Oh..." she hummed. "No wonder you've avoided Andre like a plague."

I gasped. "I did not!"

"Yes, you did," she insisted.

"Really?"

Mich nodded, which made me feel worse. "I just didn't want to give him the wrong signals.

"Which was fine," she said. "Anyway... tell me about this guy. Do I know him?"

That caught me off guard. "He's someone from my past, and we recently reconnected." That wasn't totally a lie. "I'm not even sure where I stand with this guy or if there's a future for us."

Talking about Chase this way made me feel a lot of things. Beneath my worry, I wonder why he hasn't contacted me. To top that, I hate that we have to hide what we have. And the next question was, what do we really have?

"Well, I hope things clear up soon. You deserve better, Sofia."

"I hope so, too," I sighed, subtly inserting my query about Fortaleza. "Any news about the plantation?"

"Rafael said they've settled things without needing to draw blood. You know how Rafael is," she rolled her eyes. Rafael is fun to be with. He's playful, and sometimes his child-like attitude gets out of control. But when it came to work and protecting Chase, he's like a dog with a bone. "Turns out, Rogelio already got a cut from the sale and wanted more from his dad. So he tried to harass the farmers and thought he could do the same. with Chase."

"Really?" I asked, bewildered. Now I'm genuinely wondering why he hasn't communicated with me.

"What happened to you?" I asked Derek, noticing the light abrasions on his knuckles. They looked fresh.

We were dining at a beachside seafood restaurant waiting for our fish tacos. Derek smothered the seafood platter we ordered in mere seconds and was still hungry.

He looked down at his hand, clutching it so tightly. His eyes darkened, but he blinked it away and picked calamari. "From the gym. Sparring session got out of hand." My brows creased. "Gym?"

He nodded and sipped his beer. "Found it on Monday morning when I went for a jog. I have to keep myself in shape," he explained.

"Sparring without gloves?"

"Uh-huh. I spar with men, not kids, Sofia."

"Why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?" My eyes slanted. "Is this the part where you'll tell me I should've seen the other guy?"

He picked another calamari, pointed it at me, and shoved it in his mouth, grumbling a yes.

The server arrived with our fish tacos. The plate hadn't even touched the table's surface, and Derek had already reached for one. I rolled my eyes and sipped my sprite, concealing a smile. I never thought I'd miss his monster-like appetite.

I dreamt of Chase every night since Saturday, missing him so much... his smile, his touch, and even his arrogant smirk. I miss him so much that it kept me awake at night. Is this how it will be once we end things? Once I go back to Boston? I may not be able to end what we have when the time comes..

I was finally falling asleep when I felt eyes on me. Maybe was dreaming. Maybe I was turning half-mental. But when the bed dipped, I knew I wasn't alone.

Goosebumps covered my skin. Fear made my heart race thought of what to do. My phone was on the nightstand. I could reach for it.

'Yes. That's the best course. Deep breaths... deep breaths... deep.'

Trembling, I scrambled to reach for my phone.

Big hands clutched my wrist. A huge body hovered over me and kept me pinned down.

"Get away from me!" I screamed, my voice cracking from fear. I squirmed, flinging my head from side to side as I struggled to free my wrist from the intruder's hold. "Sunshine."