“Why not? I mean it’s not like you’re a gold digger. I have the money and I want to make sure you don't have to be near that little prick.”
She closes her eyes for a moment and I can see her taking long, deep breaths then exhaling them. “Thank you for the offer Chase, but I don't want you or anyone taking care of me like that. I would feel like a whore.”
“But that is not...” I try to say but she shakes her head.
“I know that, and you know that, but no, please understand, I don't want you to. I like where we are heading with our relationship. But I don't want that to happen, okay?”
I nod my head but I am so not fucking happy right now. I don't want her anywhere near that fuckhead, and I know her complaint wasn't a plea for me to pay her way but I wouldn't mind. But I also don’t’ want to scare her away by forcing the issue. Lord knows the last thing I need is her thinking I’m as big as a fuckwad as Ethan is.
I stop browning the burger and look her straight in the eyes. “I am in this for the long haul Avery, you need to know that.”
“So am I,” she says and gives me a tight but meaningful smile.
Chapter Seventeen
Avery
My paid sick leave is up and if a miracle doesn’t happen soon, I’ll have to accept Ethan’s job offer. I don’t want to. I feel like it’s going to screw things up with Chase if I do, but I’m out of options.
The internship hasn’t come through. I talked to my instructor after class yesterday and he told me he wasn’t sure what was going on with the internship but as soon as he heard something he’d let me know. Until then, Ethan let my old position get eliminated. So it’s either work for Ethan as his personal assistant or be jobless and penniless.
I can’t risk truly being down and out.
When Chase offered to help me, to take care of me, a part of me really wanted to accept his offer. I swear something inside me started screaming and crying when I turned him down. It would be so easy to just let him take over, to let him solve my problems for me. But if he gave me money I would owe him. I know I would feel like I owe him, like I’m indebted to him, and it could completely change the dynamic of our relationship.
I like Chase a lot. Too much, even. I want to see where things go with us and I want to keep money out of it. Sure, I’m staying at his place with my cat but it’s because he likes his place better than mine. I’m not living with him. I’m just sleeping with him. We’re not that official.
I’m afraid that if I let Chase give me money, if I start to feel indebted to him, I may resent him for it. I resent Ethan a little bit. I feel stuck to Ethan, even though all he’s done is help me out. But with Chase it could turn out to be so much worse.
What if he felt like he was stuck to me?
I’m still getting to know Chase, getting to know what makes him tick, what his motivations are. So far it feels like we’re a good match. But what if things don’t work out between us? What if the flames die down? Then what? I could end up on the streets. I don’t think he’d do that to me, throw me out… but would I just want him to take care of me out of a sense of obligation? Fuck no.
I want things to work with Chase, I need things to work with him. He’s so amazing…. He’s everything I want that I didn’t know I wanted. He’s everything I need. And what we have is pure, it’s real. I don’t want anything, especially money to tarnish it.
I feel like I need to protect what we have from the dirty outside world.
So I’m going to work for Ethan if nothing else comes through. I’m going to swallow my pride and accept his offer and hope it doesn’t fuck things up with Chase too much. Because everyone deserves a second chance, right?
And I don’t know what else to do.
Chase
I have to ask around the campus where the Financial Aid office is after I drop off Avery for class, I haven't been here before and it is turning out to be a bit of an issue. You’d think it would be in the main building but no, it’s all the way on the other fucking side.
I spy a few girls as I walk across the campus and if the looks I have earned are any indication, the bruises must be in the ugly green stage.
“Hey there, I need some help if you have a moment,” I say to the cute little blonde behind the counter of the office when I finally find my way in.
Hmm, cute as hell but couldn't even touch Avery with how insanely hot she is.
“Sure. How can I do you... Crap, I mean help you!” the girl blushes deeply as she looks away.
I smile and say, “Well, my girlfriend asked me to drop off a check for her for her tuition.”
“Oh, um, what’s her name?”
And just like that I just made sure Avery won't have any tuition issues for the rest of the school year. Yeah, I may have had to flirt a little and smile like I was interested, but Avery will hopefully be less stressed out now and I can properly fuck her. She’s been tense as fuck with worry lately.
Paying off her tuition for the rest of the year and leaving some for all the books she needs is probably not the best thing I could do, but if it means that Avery can relax a bit and not be near that bag of dicks named Ethan, then I am a happy man. Anyways, the less she has to worry about paying her tuition, the more time we can spend being happy with each other.
Fuck Ethan rings in my head as I sign my name on the check and hand it to the cute little blonde behind the counter. Now this was my type of girl before I met my raven-haired goddess. Short, blonde and big tits. She looks like she would have been more than willing to give me her number before I thank her and walk out the door.
Avery, though, has taught me the error of my ways. I've never dated a girl quite like her. She's just plain out meant to be for me. She is sexy, smart as fuck and really up front with who she is. I like that in a girl. She isn't about the games so far, at least that's how it feels. She hasn't once tried to hit me up for money or anything like that.
Dad was right when he said when it’s the right girl you just know. With my Mom, he just knew it was right. He told me he knew it the moment he saw her. He asked her out and never let go from that day. I don't think he has let go even now, either.
Hopefully Avery understands that I just want her happy. I know money can't buy it but it sure as fuck makes things easier.
Avery
Chase dropped me off at school today, and because he’s having a light day, he’s going to pick me up. Today I have Algebra and I’ve decided since it’s been two days since my last paid day off, if nothing happens by tonight, if Chase doesn’t have anything set up for me and I can’t figure something else out, I’m going to text Ethan and accept his offer.
I can hardly sit still in class just thinking about it. I keep anxiously checking my phone. Still, I’m praying for a miracle. Praying that now that the universe knows I’m going to actually go through with this, that I’m planning to accept Ethan’s offer, the paid internship will suddenly come through so I don’t have to.
Instead, in the middle of class I receive an email from school. The email freaks me out because it claims to be from the financial aid office. It must be an error because it says all my tuition and fees for the rest of the year have been paid for in full.
Fuck, I hope they didn’t try to charge my account without my authorization and forced me into overdraft. The fees will eat up all the money I’m saving for rent.
The instructor releases us and I head straight for the financial aid office forgetting that Chase is going to pick me up. Just as I’m walking into the office, Chase sends me a text asking me if I’m out of class. I shoot him a quick reply telling him I’ll be out in a couple of minutes then approach the front counter and ring for help.
In the back, towards the cubicles that have been set up there, I can hear a couple of girls giggling about some hot guy. I’m not normally impatient or rude but today my nerves are frazzled so I ring the bell again until one of them shows herself.
“Oh, hi.” A pretty blonde girl about my age appears, blushing profusely. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you waiting. How can I help you?”
“Hi,” I smile at her and try my best to be polite. If I’m bitchy because I’m stressed out, I’m sure she’s not going to want to help me. “I just received an email that said my tuition was paid in full while I was in class. I think it must be an error and needs to be corrected.”
“Okay,” she says, and gives me a look like she thinks what I just said is weird. She pulls the keyboard on the counter closer to her. “What’s your name and student id?”
I rattle off my name and student id and her fingers tap across the keyboard. “Hmm,” she frowns while she stares at the computer screen. “It does say your tuition was just paid in full about ten minutes ago.” Her lips quirk to the side as if she’s thinking then she turns her head and calls out, “Hey Ashley, can you come here a minute?”
Ashley appears, another pretty blonde about my age, and she’s still giggling from whatever the two girls were discussing a moment ago. “What’s up?” she asks as she steps up to the blonde and peeks over her shoulder at the computer screen.
“That guy you just helped? Is this the account he paid?” The girl helping me asks.