The Replacement Girlfriend

Chapter 27

27. Alone Together, You & I (Part One)

After several more hours on the beach, Chase found himself sitting at the dinner table in the cozy, little bungalow Seth had rented out for the weekend. It wasn’t nearly late enough for dinner, but Michelle had made plans for everyone to go to Pacific Park, the amusement park out on the Santa Monica pier after the sun sets, and nobody in their right mind would go and challenge her.

Still full from wolfing down a couple hotdogs down at the beach, he sat across from LaCienega with unease and counted down the seconds until dinner was over and they could leave. Not that he needed to hurry out of her sight for the fear of running through another guilt trip – he had long realized she wouldn’t even glance in the direction of where he was sitting. Instead, Chase was more annoyed by the persistent display of affection she had for Jace, all dreadfully playing out right in front of him.

Every time she smiled at something he said, which was always some sort of dorky response to what Pete was raging on about, Chase wanted to roll his eyes. Every time she praised Jace for being intelligently superior and gazed at him like he was God’s greatest creation, he wanted to add in a smartass comment just to make Jace look bad, but bit his tongue and held back. After all, he had known Jace since they were both in diapers. It was hardly difficult to bring up one of Jace’s embarrassing childhood stories and Jace had many of them— even more than the average chubby kid who was always bullied in school.

Chase had no idea how long until his jealousy would get the best of him and in a fit of uncontrolled bitterness, let his tongue slip. All he knew was there was a timer on his bomb, and nobody was even attempting to deactivate it.

Grumbling quietly to himself, he turned his head to his left and watched in disgust as Krislynn stuffed her mouth full of cake. He couldn’t believe how much of a pig she was. Not only did she devour three plates during supper, now that dessert was served, she was hogging the entire layered cake all to herself while the rest of them were content with a tiny slice or opted out of dessert completely.

“Slow down,” he mumbled, giving her foot a sharp kick beneath the table. “You make it seem like I’ve been starving you at home.”

Krislynn chewed feverishly and swallowed before sighing in utter romance. “It’s so good,” she gasped dramatically. “I could live off of this stuff!”

Michelle snickered as Seth nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, the kiwi filling in that cream cake is to die for,” he said, “but it’s pretty fattening stuff.”

“Yeah,” Chase scoffed. “Trust Seth to be the one watching his figure.”

“You can’t blame him,” Pete teased. “He’s been looking a little fat on camera lately.”

“Oh ha ha! You guys are so freakin’ funny!” Seth rolled his eyes and flipped them the bird in a jest. “At least I’m good-looking enough to be on camera you fugs.”  

“That’s weak,” Chase shouted. “And obviously untrue. I mean, have you looked at this baby?” Jokingly, he ran his hands down his body from the top of his chest to the base of his abdomen and Michelle gagged loudly in response.