Page 92 of Chase
“Maybe this won’t completely suck then,” she says to us. This piques my interest.
“Why would this suck?” I ask her.
“I know that the owner doesn’t want me here and tried to get rid of me. It pissed me off. I thought for sure it was going to be turned into a frat house and there would be a bunch of rowdy teenage boys moving in. I was convinced they’d make my life hell.” She’s open and honest with us.
“You may change your mind when you meet the owner,” I joke. “We’re okay. But I can’t promise he won’t be a rowdy teenager.”
“I can handle one. Just not a pack of them,” she tells us.
“This is going to be funny to watch. Arden’s going to LOVE you,” Rhys jokes and nods towards Ella’s slippers.
Ahhh yes. The unicorn slippers. Arden is put together and his appearance is always impeccable. It’s obvious from first impressions. Ella is not. I predict that those two are going to clash.
Ella notices mine and Rhys’ silent exchange. She raises an eyebrow in a questioning way.
“Do you wear them out of the house often?” I ask, trying to determine if the girl standing in front of us is going to succeed in pissing Arden off without even trying.
“Whenever I have a chance. They’re comfortable and keep my feet warm. Why?”
“Just curious,” I respond. My phone vibrates with an incoming call from Yasmin.
“Would you excuse me? I have to take this,” I say politely.
“That’s fine, I’m leaving. I guess I’ll see you around,” Ella says disappearing through the door without waiting for us to say goodbye.
Oh boy. Next year is going to be interesting.
Rhys and I shake our heads. I answer my phone and head up the stairs to check out the rest of the house with Rhys.
Chapter Thirty-One
Yasmin
It’s Christmas day. Christmas has always been hard for me. Millie and I have never had a real Christmas day. Dad always worked and Mum was either drunk, hungover, or not even home. Chase promised this year would be different. And so far he’s been right. We’re all at Mumma Nat’s. Dad even managed to switch his shift so he could spend the morning with us and join us for lunch.
Millie and Julia are helping Nat prepare the food. and Dad and GW are setting up everything out on the deck while Chase, Arden, Rhys, Ally, and myself exchange gifts in the lounge room.
Arden already gave everyone else their presents but wanted to wait for Rhys and Ally to be here to give us our presents together.
Chase and I exchanged gifts earlier. He gave me a signed set of paperbacks from one of my favourite authors. Apparently, he stalked her on social media and with some help from Arden managed to get me a set. I loved it. Because it showed he listens when I go off on a tangent about books.
I bought him the socket set he’s been wanting. His eyes lit up when he opened it. I guess our gifts showed that we both listen.
We all exchange our gifts. Arden wanted to wait until last to give us our presents.
Of course he does.
Rhys bought me a limited-edition copy of Alice in Wonderland and Ally got me some new pyjamas. I love both my gifts. It shows me that my friends get me. Rhys also got Ally and I each a beautiful purple daisy book sleeve. It was incredibly thoughtful of him.
“Okay. My turn,” Arden says over-excited.
He turns the TV on and a video starts playing.
Arden is front and centre talking into the camera. He’s standing in the entry of the new house.
“Yasmin and Ally. I wanted to get you both something that you’d love and use every day. I really hope you enjoy this.” He heads up the stairs and through the hallway on the second floor until he gets to a door. If I remember from the plans this was the big empty space I wasn’t sure what he was going to do with.
