Chapter 11
It didn’t take long for the shit to hit the fan, but Chase hadn’t really expected it to. He was standing in the locker room, changing into his uniform when someone reached over his shoulder and smacked his locker closed. The clang echoed around the suddenly quiet room.
“What the fuck were you thinking?”
Chase turned to see Logan standing behind him. “About what?” he asked in a level voice.
“Are you really gonna act like you don’t know what I’m talking about?”
Chase only shrugged, leaning back against the locker and watching Logan carefully. He wanted to make him say it so that everyone on the team would know what was going on.
“You think you can just start dating Claire and not say anything to me about it?”
“Yeah, I do. Why does it bother you?”
Logan stared at him, seemingly at a loss for words. “You think it wouldn’t bother me?”
“It shouldn’t,” Chase said. “You can’t shut up about how over her you are, so why would you give a damn that she’s seeing me?”
“I...”
“I’m waiting.”
“I...we’re supposed to be friends,” Logan said furiously. “Maybe that’s the problem.”
“Look, we weren’t friends and you know it. We just play football together. I’d like to be able to keep this professional here, because we’re both pretty damn good at it.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be fucking her! I heard that neither one of you came home last night!”
“And maybe you should quit worrying about who your ex goes out with. Or when she comes home.”
Logan’s whole body went tense and he slammed his hand against Chase’s locker again. “So you are fucking her?”
Chase sighed. “I didn’t say that and you know it.” He didn’t mind Logan knowing, hell, he didn’t mind anyone knowing, but he also knew that Claire wouldn’t want him broadcasting what they’d done all over the locker room.
Logan stepped forward, getting right in Chase’s face. The last time that had happened, Chase had stepped back. This time he stayed right where he was. He outweighed Logan and he was taller by a full two inches. He wasn’t about to be intimidated. And maybe Logan needed someone to put him in his place.
“Is this really worth it?” Chance asked. “Because I’m gonna give you five seconds to decide and then if you’re still standing here, I’m not going to be responsible for what I do to you.”
“Fuck you.” Logan snarled before he turned and walked away.
Chase leaned back against the lockers and pushed his hands through his hair. The rest of the guys in the locker room stared at him.
“Are you really dating his ex?” Mike asked in a low voice.
Chase shrugged. “Yeah.”
“I always heard she was a complete bitch.”
“Me too,” Chase said, trying not to get annoyed. “Then I met her. Obviously he’s not taking their breakup well, so maybe take that into consideration.”
“Hey, I’m not trying to get in the middle,” Mike said quickly. “And I’m a hell of a lot smaller than you, so remember that.”
Chase grinned in spite of his tension. “What did you say down there?”
“You might not be able to hear me all the way up there, but I bet you can see this.” Mike flipped him off and the rest of the guys laughed, effectively breaking the tight feeling in the air.
Chase decided that now was as good a time as any to explain himself. “Yes,” he said after a few seconds. “I am seeing Logan’s ex. No, she doesn’t seem to be a crazy bitch. No, I don’t plan to let it cause problems for the team. Yes, Logan has lost his shit.”
“Thanks for the synopsis,” Ricky said with a grin. “But we got all of that from the yelling match.”
Chase shrugged. “I just want everybody on the same page.”
“Nobody here plans to say a damn thing about Claire until we get the okay,” Evan said. “Other than that, as long as it doesn’t affect the game, I don’t care who you date. Logan can be...intense...but he’ll get over it.”
Chase glanced around. The other guys nodded and he felt a surge of relief and gratitude. It could have gone a lot worse. “Thanks.”
****
That night, Chase dropped by Claire’s house. Not to study, but just to make sure that she was okay. And to find out if what they’d had was just a one night stand. They hadn’t really talked about where they stood after they’d woken up that morning, and he found that he really needed to know.
“Hey,” Claire said when she opened the door. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She stretched up to give him a hug. It was a tight one and she clung closely.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking down at her.
She sighed. “I’m just worried about Ellie.”
“Your roommate?”
“Yeah. She’s been seeing Logan and I can’t help but feel like it’s not going to end well. I tried to talk to her, but she didn’t believe me. And that only made things worse.”
“With Ellie?”
“Sort of. I mean, she’s avoiding me even more than before. But mainly with Logan.”
“He’s still texting you?”
Claire flinched at Chase’s sharp tone and he swallowed hard to get it in check.
“Is he?” he asked in a lower voice.
She nodded. “It doesn’t bother me that much anymore.”
“It bothers me!” he said roughly. He’d hoped that the confrontation in the locker room would be enough to get him off of Claire’s back. It seemed like Logan wasn’t smart enough to take the hint. “Why don’t you just block his number?”
Claire sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Because at first I needed the reminder that he was a jerk so that I didn’t make the mistake of missing him. Then I just got sort of...paralyzed.”
“And now?”
“Now...it’s more of keeping a check on his mental state. Sort of knowing the enemy.”
“Claire, I really think you need to tell somebody about this. Besides me, I mean. Because I can kick his ass, but I’m not even sure it’ll do any good.”
“First of all, I’m not trying to get you benched. And for another, who would I even tell?”
“What about Coach Davis? If anyone can make Logan understand that he needs to back off, it’ll be him.”
“I can’t do that. He’s a good quarterback.”
“So?”
“So...” she trailed off. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it, okay?”
“Okay. In the meantime...” He reached out and tugged her hair. “Can I kick his ass?”
“I’m afraid not. “They” probably wouldn’t like it.”
“I’ve got a question about “them” actually.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. Are “they” home?”
She smiled. “As a matter of fact we’ve got the place to ourselves.”
“Just what I wanted to hear.”
They didn’t talk much for the rest of the night, but later, as Claire curled against him and closed her eyes, he said, “Don’t go to sleep.”
“Why?” she asked without opening her eyes.
“Because I’ve got something I want to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“What is this to you?” Chase did his best to keep his tone light. “Are we just friends with spectacular benefits? Or do you see something more?”
She went still. “I...what do you think?”
“No fair, I asked first.”
“Come on, be a gentleman!”
He grinned. “Okay fine. I really like you. And the benefits. But I guess...I’m not really friends with benefits kind of guy.”
“Are you asking me out?” Claire asked, looking up at him, her eyes shining in the low light.
“It seems kind of backwards to be asking when we’re already naked,” Chase said. “But yeah. I am.”
She wrapped her arms around him and cuddled close. “I’d love to go out with you, Chase.”
He rubbed his hand down her back and kissed the top of her head. “I’m starting to think that you don’t want to see me beg after all. You keep missing your chances.”
Claire laughed against his shoulder. “I’m just biding my time.”
He rolled her underneath him and pressed his lips to hers. “Sneaky woman.”
She twined her arms around his shoulders, looking surprised. “Again?”
“Only if you want to.”
From the way she drew him down, he assumed that she wanted it just as badly as he did.