chasing love ;; cth

Chapter 32

"She isn't." Is all he says, patting a steady beat against his thighs with the palms of his hands.

"So if she dumps his sorry ass I'd kinda like to be there to see it." I let a chuckle slip, looking to Ashton for a reply, but he's to focused on his new rhythm.

"See that's the thing though," He mumbles, his beat coming to a stop, "Do you really think Valerie seems like the 'dump his sorry ass' kind of girl? She still cares about Adam and feels loyal to him. This is her first real relationship."

"So what? Are they just going to stay together forever and get married, and grow old and she'll have to spend the rest of her life unhappily?" My voice raises louder, Ashton sending me a warning glare.

"No," He reassures me, "But I have a plan. And if things go right, both of you will win in the end."

Before I could ask him about his evil scheme, Valerie bursts through the door a weak smile present on her face, "He's busy this weekend, so he says the party has to be Friday night or he won't do it."

"That's tomorrow!" Ashton exclaims, jumping up from the couch and to the door, tripping over his feet, "I need to go buy a nice shirt."

I shake my head, laughing at his weird behavior. He is an odd child, there is no doubt about it, "You're a loser," I joke at him, but by that time he's already out the door.

"So what are we doing tomorrow?" I send a warm smile to Valerie as she sits down beside me on the couch.

"Going to the party," She chuckles like it's obvious.

A smirk finds its way onto my face, my arm stretching out behind her, resting on the back of the couch. Her eyes dart back at my arm and then back to me. I can tell she feels uncomfortable, as if she thinks Adam could walk in and see this, but she doesn't say anything. So the arm stays put. I like it there, I feel like with it there I can keep her safe from anything and everything. I would prefer to have it around her, but I would never put her in that situation. She would hate me if I did. I'm willing to wait till she's ready, she has to be at some point, "What do you say we skip the party?" I propose, letting my eyes find hers, "We can have a movie marathon and I could make popcorn. We can watch White Chicks, 21 Jumpstreet, and Scary Movie 3, your favorites if I recall? Or we can watch romantic comedies, whatever you want, we'll watch it."

"Even though I hate parties and that offer sounds really great, I'm gonna have to take a raincheck." She sighs, and I pout, "On the phone I made it seem like I was the one who wanted the party, not Ashton. Adam is going to get suspicious if I don't show up."

"Okay," I frown.

Another point for Adam and none for me.

Adam: 1 million
Calum: 0

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**Valerie's POV**

"Hey, how are you?" I ask, when I am greeted by Adam at the front door of his fraternity. He kisses me quickly, I find myself struggling underneath his lips. I'm 99% sure that isn't supposed to happen but I don't say anything. Anyone that was paying attention would have been able to feel the wave of awkwardness that just took over the room. But it didn't make a difference, they were all too wasted to notice.

I hated it here. I wanted to be anywhere but here. I wanted be laying on Calum's bed right now, head snuggled into his chest, as we watched so many movies we would forget about reality and the rest of the messed up world.

"Are you coming?" Adam's voice snaps me back to reality, but I don't want to be in reality. I like my daydream better.

"Coming where?" I ask.