Chapter 10

CHASE

Ihear her call out, and I know it's different. She needs me. She needs her Chase. The guy no one else sees. I pull out from her and flip her back over, kissing her deeply, devouring her lips as she wraps her thighs around me and, for the first time, she kisses me back. I slowly enter her again, this time fucking her differently, making love to her. Showing her how much I missed her, how much I know she missed me. Her hands tug my hair as she moans. My cock slowly pulls out and in again before I whisper against her lips.

"Come with me, Princess." She nods, tears falling from her eyes. I know how emotional this was for her, breaking her walls down for the first time since Nate. A pang of guilt hits me, but I push it down, needing to just be hers in this moment and not deal with anything else. I slowly push in and out of her repeatedly as I caress her cheek.

"Ready?" I whisper, and she nods. I don't push her for words now; she just needs this release and nothing else. She needs to feel like she's home. I feel her body tighten around me as I let my own release go. She hits that high as I kiss her slowly, sensually as we orgasm together for the first time since the night I took her virginity.

I gently pull out of her as she stills, and her hands go to cover her eyes as she curls up and starts crying. I pull her up toward me and into my lap, holding her, just letting the tears fall as she shakes against me. I just hold her letting everything drain from the feelings she has. She didn't blame me for Nate—she blamed herself. I know this. She just didn't know until now, and her tears are falling for all the guilt she feels. Her rejecting him and choosing me, the fight she had with him. The night he pulled her out of the way and got shot himself. The night his heart stopped beating because he saved her.

I pull her tighter toward me as her hands wrap around me, and she hugs me as tight as she can and sobs. Her whole body is shaking as her sobs turn to wails of pain. My heart breaks for her, but there's nothing I can say or do to make this better. She's spent weeks on a mission, blocking everything out, and now I pushed her body and mind to the point of exhaustion that she can't help but fall apart. I know my princess has changed. There's a darkness in her now, I know how that changes a person but what I know is I'll love her no matter what. I will love her till the day I die and maybe even after that.

She eventually stills and goes quiet, not a tear left in her body. I slowly move away from her without saying a word. Instead, I grab her dress from the floor. "Come on, baby girl, let's get out of here, okay?" She nods silently. "Arms up," I whisper, wanting to take care of her. She slips her hands through the straps, remaining quiet the entire time. My girl looks broken, but this is good because it means she can start healing. I pull the zipper up her back, kissing her shoulder gently, before I quickly get dressed, moving to get herself and me together.

I text Jax quickly as I watch her just sit on the bed, looking down at her hands, asking him to look after Harper and to get Nate's truck and drive it to hers.

I kneel down on the floor in front of her, pushing her hair from her face and wiping the tears and mascara from her eyes. She looks at me, so vulnerable in this moment.

"Ready?"

"Yes," she says quietly.

We need to talk and figure out what tonight means for us now, but I don't want to do that in this room, with a raging party downstairs.I hold her close as we walk out and down the stairs together. Jax is there waiting. He takes one look at us and knows what happened. He doesn't say anything, instead holds his hand out.

"Brooke, give Jax the keys to the truck. He's going to drop it off at your house, okay?" She nods, going into her purse. I see a loose bit of paper in there with writing on and I notice it's Nate's handwriting. Curiosity is building inside of me on what that could be, but I don't say anything. She hands the keys over to Jax, closing her bag again.

"Thank you," she says softly, and Jax smiles back at her.

"Anything you need, B, I'm here for you always," he replies, and I know that's true. My girl has a family here with us. He and Asher love her like they are her brothers, and they won't let anything hurt her and will be whatever she needs them to be. My appreciation for this found family I have grows in that moment.

"Thanks," I say.

"Anytime, just look after her, yeah?"

I give him a look as if to ask if he's kidding me, and he shakes his head, walking back into the party.

I lead my girl outside and open the door of my car for her, letting her slip inside before I buckle her in. I walk around the car, letting myself in, doing my seatbelt up.

"Where are we going?" she asks, and I smile.

"Our place."

I start the car driving us to the one place, I know we can be honest with each other.