Crazy Love
Chapter One
Every. Day. Every frickin’ day!
“I can’t believe Chase Malone actually grew up here,” Misty exclaimed, her brown eyes glued to the TV as she lifted the remote to turn up the volume. “Did you know him? Did you go to school with him? Was he always so sexy?”
Yes. Yes. And, hell yes.
Krista’s cold fingers gripped the steel edge of the door to her locker. She wanted so badly to bang her head against it. Knowing that, as appealing as that sounded, it wouldn’t actually make her feel better, she refrained.
One day. Was that too much to ask for? Just one Chase-free day. One day that she wasn’t reminded of him. One day that she didn’t hear his name. His songs. See his face. One day that she didn’t feel like her heart was breaking into a million pieces all over again.
“We went to school together, but he was a couple years ahead of me.” Krista gave her patented “Chase Malone” answer as she pulled out her purse and slammed the locker shut, spinning the dial on the combination lock.
Whenever the subject of the rock star came up, Krista tried to downplay her knowledge—which was biblical!—of him as much as possible. It wasn’t too terribly difficult, considering that the only people who ever uttered his name around her were ones who didn’t have any idea about their history.
Except his mom, of course.
Abby Malone talked to Krista about her son a lot. Krista made it a point to stop by and check on Abby, who rarely left her home and suffered from depression, several times a week, and inevitably, the conversation would turn to Chase. She knew Abby missed her only son more than life itself. To say that Abby and Chase’s relationship was complicated was like saying that the Grand Canyon was just a hole.
The flat screen, that was mounted on the wall of the small employee lounge, blared—thanks to Misty maxing out the volume!—making it damn near impossible to tune out the entertainment news correspondent’s voice.
“Chase Malone has once again sold out an impromptu performance. After announcing only two hours ago via social media that he would be playing at the Emerson Music Hall in Memphis, Tennessee tonight, all 4,700 seats have been snatched up. Tickets are now being sold for upwards of $500, and even those are hard to come by.
“After leaving his band of seven years, Midnight Rush, and embarking on his solo career just ten months ago, Chase has played over a half dozen venues, each time to a sold-out crowd and each time announcing his appearance only hours before his show. Still no news on when dates will be released for the mysterious and elusive rock star’s much anticipated North American tour. Bringing you the latest in entertainment news, this is Kat Vargas signing off.”
“I would do anything to see him perform live!” Misty clutched the TV remote to her chest. Swiveling around on the stool she was perched on, the pretty blonde asked, “What was he like? Does he ever come back and visit?”
Krista knew she should have made a break for it while her new coworker had been enthralled by the report, thereby avoiding more questions. Unfortunately, Krista herself had been interested in what the ‘latest news’ on her ex was and had not made it the four steps it took to leave the room and be safely out of the tell-me-everything-you-know-about-Chase-Malone zone.
As much as she tried to distance herself from Chase, telling herself that she wasn’t interested in anything that had to do with him, reminding herself that she was over him, her brain, heart, and hormones all had differing opinions on the subject. Krista hated that her body betrayed her logic. When she set her mind to something, it got done.
She’d obtained her DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) degree in two years as a postgrad. Normally, the program took three. She was currently in a clinical residency program working towards her board certification. As of today, she was just three hundred hours shy of completing the two-thousand-hour requirement to achieve her goal.
Her eye was on the prize. She didn’t allow distractions to take away her focus. Over the years, she’d been in and out of relationships. Some more serious than others. But school, her residency, her goals always came first. Focus plus discipline had equaled success.
The only exception to that equation was the Chase Malone factor.
The hours she’d wasted on that man were too numerous to count. Of course Krista could blame the media, television, magazines, and radio. But if she did that, then she wouldn’t be facing the truth, which was something she’d always strived to live for—her authentic self. If she were being totally honest, then she would have to admit that, more than anything or anyone else, she alone perpetuated her unhealthy attachment to someone she hadn’t even had a conversation with in over ten years.
Every. Day. Every frickin’ day!
“I can’t believe Chase Malone actually grew up here,” Misty exclaimed, her brown eyes glued to the TV as she lifted the remote to turn up the volume. “Did you know him? Did you go to school with him? Was he always so sexy?”
Yes. Yes. And, hell yes.
Krista’s cold fingers gripped the steel edge of the door to her locker. She wanted so badly to bang her head against it. Knowing that, as appealing as that sounded, it wouldn’t actually make her feel better, she refrained.
One day. Was that too much to ask for? Just one Chase-free day. One day that she wasn’t reminded of him. One day that she didn’t hear his name. His songs. See his face. One day that she didn’t feel like her heart was breaking into a million pieces all over again.
“We went to school together, but he was a couple years ahead of me.” Krista gave her patented “Chase Malone” answer as she pulled out her purse and slammed the locker shut, spinning the dial on the combination lock.
Whenever the subject of the rock star came up, Krista tried to downplay her knowledge—which was biblical!—of him as much as possible. It wasn’t too terribly difficult, considering that the only people who ever uttered his name around her were ones who didn’t have any idea about their history.
Except his mom, of course.
Abby Malone talked to Krista about her son a lot. Krista made it a point to stop by and check on Abby, who rarely left her home and suffered from depression, several times a week, and inevitably, the conversation would turn to Chase. She knew Abby missed her only son more than life itself. To say that Abby and Chase’s relationship was complicated was like saying that the Grand Canyon was just a hole.
The flat screen, that was mounted on the wall of the small employee lounge, blared—thanks to Misty maxing out the volume!—making it damn near impossible to tune out the entertainment news correspondent’s voice.
“Chase Malone has once again sold out an impromptu performance. After announcing only two hours ago via social media that he would be playing at the Emerson Music Hall in Memphis, Tennessee tonight, all 4,700 seats have been snatched up. Tickets are now being sold for upwards of $500, and even those are hard to come by.
“After leaving his band of seven years, Midnight Rush, and embarking on his solo career just ten months ago, Chase has played over a half dozen venues, each time to a sold-out crowd and each time announcing his appearance only hours before his show. Still no news on when dates will be released for the mysterious and elusive rock star’s much anticipated North American tour. Bringing you the latest in entertainment news, this is Kat Vargas signing off.”
“I would do anything to see him perform live!” Misty clutched the TV remote to her chest. Swiveling around on the stool she was perched on, the pretty blonde asked, “What was he like? Does he ever come back and visit?”
Krista knew she should have made a break for it while her new coworker had been enthralled by the report, thereby avoiding more questions. Unfortunately, Krista herself had been interested in what the ‘latest news’ on her ex was and had not made it the four steps it took to leave the room and be safely out of the tell-me-everything-you-know-about-Chase-Malone zone.
As much as she tried to distance herself from Chase, telling herself that she wasn’t interested in anything that had to do with him, reminding herself that she was over him, her brain, heart, and hormones all had differing opinions on the subject. Krista hated that her body betrayed her logic. When she set her mind to something, it got done.
She’d obtained her DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) degree in two years as a postgrad. Normally, the program took three. She was currently in a clinical residency program working towards her board certification. As of today, she was just three hundred hours shy of completing the two-thousand-hour requirement to achieve her goal.
Her eye was on the prize. She didn’t allow distractions to take away her focus. Over the years, she’d been in and out of relationships. Some more serious than others. But school, her residency, her goals always came first. Focus plus discipline had equaled success.
The only exception to that equation was the Chase Malone factor.
The hours she’d wasted on that man were too numerous to count. Of course Krista could blame the media, television, magazines, and radio. But if she did that, then she wouldn’t be facing the truth, which was something she’d always strived to live for—her authentic self. If she were being totally honest, then she would have to admit that, more than anything or anyone else, she alone perpetuated her unhealthy attachment to someone she hadn’t even had a conversation with in over ten years.