Work Wife

Red Flags

I am about to drop into one of the plush leather chairs Chase has across from his desk but I watch him stride over to the wall of windows instead and slump against the pane before sliding onto the floor against the mountain view. I follow and drop down onto the hard floor next to him. I am glad I am in a long casual cotton dress and not a tight skirt or this would not be comfortable. 

The last time we sat against the glass with our legs and sorrows out in front of us was when Chase put Duke down. He sat tucked away from view almost all week and I would drop down beside him to check on how he was holding up.  

He finally releases a sigh, one that sounds like it's been pent up for days finally glad to escape. He pats my thigh as he asks, "Are you okay?" I snap my eyes over to him and blurt out, "Me? What about you?" 

"You left Cabo without telling me why. Something awful must have happened for you to leave." 

I bite my lip as I look at him and wonder if Logan told him anything. He came all the way into the office to talk to me and that's what he starts with? Nothing about what caused him to leave? I look away from him as I ask, "Did you talk to Logan? He saw me before I left for the airport." 

"Yeah, I talked to him. But I want to hear about what happened from you." 

I scoff out a laugh, "Chase you ran away from your wedding and you're asking about what happened to me? You know I have been in agony since Sunday, right? I haven't heard from you or Logan. Eloise just said you vanished and Ainslee was distraught. I know it's not like me to walk away from a work function, but it certainly isn't like you to leave your own event. I also wasn't expecting you in Denver. I thought for sure you would have gone to Connecticut to be with your parents." 

Our eyes meet and his brown eyes hold mine for a second before he breaks away. He drops his head against the glass and then says, "Trust me, my parents wanted me to go home with them and let this blow over, but I wasn't sure if Ainslee was going to come back here and burn my house to the ground."

"So, things still aren't good there. Wedding is still off?"

"Oh yeah," Chase says with a scoff. "I didn't feel like me the whole time I was in Cabo. Like I did, but I didn't. I kept waiting to get excited but this knot in my chest never subsided." 

"The barrel of whiskey you drank didn't loosen the knot?" I joke but he doesn't laugh. 

"I was drunk the whole damn time," he mutters as if he can't believe it himself. "Ainslee got pissed that I was drunk at the rehearsal dinner. My parents weren't thrilled either. My mom asked if I was going to be hung over at my wedding and I answered that I intended to stay drunk. She said if I needed to be drunk to get through my wedding, I was marrying the wrong girl." He looks back at me and then rubs his hands down his face. His hair is still slightly wet from his shower and it's weird not to see it slathered with gel. Chase looks normal for once. Casual. Vulnerable. It's...weird. 

"Were you marrying the wrong girl?" I gently ask as I look at him but his gaze is now on the opposite wall. He's silent as he ponders my question and he finally nods. 

"I got swept up in it. I was shit-faced when I proposed, still drunk when I bought the ring. I hardly remember it all. And then she's announcing our engagement on Facebook and I thought if I stayed swept up in the excitement and romance that I would eventually stop feeling... regret." 

"I'm not going to lie, I was a little hurt when I found out you were engaged through social media. The whole thing seemed to happen so fast."

"Trust me, I was shocked when I saw it. I started getting texts and calls of encouragement and excitement. I was nursing a hangover when the reality of what I did set in. I kinda kept thinking you'd step in and say something..."