FOR THE NEXT two hours, I felt like a piece of meat being sold at an auction for the rich and wealthy. Every where we went my father would stop and talk to people and introduce me to them. Not once was my place of education mentioned but I wasn't expecting any less. I mean, to anyone normal it sounded like I was fucking crazy—which would not be entirely false—and that I had to be locked up. So I don't really blame him for keeping that part of the equation out. 

I learnt that my father loved to blur the lines between the truth and the not so truth. 

I had only seen Chase a few times when we passed the bar and Nancy the cheeto lady was still there. Chase would pass me a very disgruntled glare and all I could do was giggle at him before moving onto the next rich people my father wanted to introduce me to. 

There was an extensive amount of people on this boat. They ranged from small social influencers to CEO of multi-billion dollar companies. It was quite intimidating, especially when they suddenly boast about their net worth half way through conversations about painting or even just something mundane like apples.

 I also learnt that rich people love telling you how rich they are. 

My father had finally left me but only to talk to someone else. He also left me standing by a small bar table across from Zachary, a guy I didn't even know existed until tonight. He was one of the many social influencer aboard this boat and he was also a massive asshole. All he could talk about was his damn instagram page.

"Yeah, I only have five-hundred thousand followers but that's close to a million." He boats as he leans back against the wall with folded arms. His suit jacket looked uncomfortably tight around his bulging biceps, "It's usually just fitness videos that I post, y'know, showing off my killer abs and biceps." 

I glance down at the half-drunken glass of champagne in my hand, "Yeah, as you've said about ten times in the past five minutes." 

"Your father did say you were a feisty one." Zachary replies in an intrigued tone. As I glance up at him my gaze drifts over his shoulder, through the gap between the crowd and to the bar on the other side of the room. I could see Chase and Nancy sitting extremely close, with Nancy super-model like legs—still orange nonetheless—pressed up against Chase's as she whispers into his ear. "He also said you're a swimmer, right? I like my woman more athletic." 

"Yeah...I am..." I reply slowly as all voices drone on in the background. I watch as both Chase and Nancy laugh at whatever the hell she had just said. Oh come on Everett, it can't be that fucking funny.

 He leans forward, "Can I see you in your swimsuit?" 

"Sure...." I mumble as my eyes lock with Nancy or Nadia or whatever her bitchass name was. She smiles at me before she leans forward once more and whispers into Chase's ear to which he replies with another laugh. 

"Wait. Really?" Zachary's voice perks up as Nancy continues to smirk at me in a very arrogant manner. "Because you obviously have a fucking sexy physique and even if I could get a picture with you it would just boost my following—" 

"Will you excuse me for a moment?" I question, not even letting him reply as I slip past his wide body. I push through the crowd and towards the bar, my eyes set on my boyfriend and the fucking bitchy Cheeto Lady. 

Chase's face lights up as he sees me and an easy smile graces his lips, "So you managed—" 

He doesn't get to finish his sentence as I grab a hold of his face, tilt it up and place my lips against his. He was shocked to say the least but soon begins to kiss me back and places a hand at on my waist. When I pull back, he smiles up at me with a dazed expression. 

"Hi." He mumbles as I turn a sharp glare towards Nancy as she stares at me with a gobsmacked expression. 

"You should really go find my father, you know....your husband." I remark as I place a hand to Chase's shoulder. She rises from her seat and struts away without another word as I slowly sink into her seat in front of Chase. 

"We were just talking. You know that right?" Chase questions as I fold one leg over the other and fold my arms. I raise an eyebrow at him as Chase chuckles, "I just can't help that I'm irresistible." 

"Trust me I know, you asshole." I smirk as I lean forward and place my hands on both of his sturdy shoulders. I move my face closer to his and watch as his eyes drop to my lips, "What a terrible life you live being so damn  hot, huh?" 

"Fucking terrible...." Chase mumbles back as my lips come dangerously close to his. We were so close until a voice interrupted us. 

"Uh, Hayden I think it's time for you boyfriend to leave." My father speaks suddenly as he stands before us, his Cheeto wife draped over him as she smirks down at us. I frown as both Chase and I stand up in unison. The party continues around us, acting as background noise to this conversation. "I can tolerate you being here, Hayden. But what I can't tolerate is your boyfriend flirting with my wife."

"Flirting?" Chase exclaims with a scoff.

 I place my hand to his chest, keeping him back, "I think there's some confusion here. Chase wasn't flirting with Nancy or whatever her name is but it was actually the opposite." 

"Are you going to let her speak to me that way, baby?" She whispers into his ear as my father instantly scowls at me. 

"Her name is Natalia and I'm not enjoying your tone right now. You will show us the respect we deserve." My father chides and I can't help but roll my eyes. Oh, so now he wants to play the upbraiding father after eight fucking years. 

"Respect?" I laugh at him as both Natalia and Dad nod in reply, "You lost the right to any respect when you left me and my mother who was suffering from cancer eight years ago. You lost respect when you didn't contact your own flesh and blood even for her damn fucking birthday. And you lost my respect when you chose everything over being my father." 

People around us were starting to notice the tense nature of the conversation and some were moving closer to eavesdrop more clearly. My father and Natalia start to self-conciously glance around. 

My father pats the air, "Please keep your voice down—" 

"Oh because it would be such a shame for all you friends to learn just how fucking horrible you really are, wouldn't it?" I gesture to the room as more and more people begin o listen in and the volume background noise decreases dramatically. My father was becoming increasingly anxious as his green eyes dart around the surrounding room. 

"Is this boy forcing you to do this, to act like this?" My father points at Chase who was standing behind me. Of course, leave it to him to try and place the blame on someone else. "Is he hurting you in anyway? You can tell me right now and I can take you away from him. Keep you safe." 

"Come on Harrison, we both know you're not the one to play daddy. You lost that privilege a long time ago—in fact, I don't think you ever had it." I tap my chin cockily as Natalia scoffs and rolls her eyes at me. I turn my sharp, narrowed glare to her, "Really bitch?" 

"Don't lie to me, Hayden. Is this young man putting you in danger. Is this why your acting out?"  Harrison continues to speak, each word giving me yet another fucking headache. He was still trying to shift the blame which wasn't all that surprising. 

"Let's be real here, baby. Why on earth would he ever go for anyway?" Natalia butts in,  twirling her bleach blonde between her fake acrylic nails that looked like bird talons. She was eyeing up Chase, biting her vivid rip lips as she shamelessly looked him up and down; mentally undressing him. 

I wanted to pounce on her, to slap her, to rip her fake extensions right out of her head. But I breathed in heavily, calming myself down as I waited for my father's reply. 

He chuckled darkly, "You know, that's exactly what I was thinking." 

"Look at her," Natalia  giggled as she gestured to me, "Clinging on to him like a desperate slut." 

Oh that's fucking it. 

I started forward, my arms raising to rip her fucking eyeballs out of her inflated head, but Chase's arms quickly wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. I struggled against him, until he stepped in front of me. 

"Mr Lauder, the only one here hurting  her is you" Chase grumbled out, his hand still wrapped around mine from behind. I held it tightly, peering over his shoulder. "And if you really want to know why I'm with her, it's because your daughter is the most beautiful person I have ever known, both inside and out. And I doubt that has anything to do with your fucking upbringing." 

My father steps forward, the scene quite comical as Chase was a good head taller than him, "Look I don't think you have any clue who your talking to—"

"With all due respect, Mr Lauder, I think I do." Chase challenges my father as I watch the scene unfold over Chase's shoulder, even though I was wearing heels he was still fucking tall. I was whole-hertedly expecting a brawl to happen between the two men however, two large security men push their way through the watching crowd and stop in front of us. 

"Is there a problem here, Sir?" One of the men questions as an easy smile falls across my father's face and he steps back, turning around to face the massive pair. 

"It seems there is, unfortunately. Would you mind escorting these two people off the boat. Tell the captain to pull into the nearest Marina." Harrison explains easily before turning to the surrounding crowd and opening his arms up as if he was announcing something oh so important, "And to everyone else, continue to enjoy yourselves. The night is still young!" 

Everyone then returns to talking as some people move away, leaving the six of us standing by the bar. The security guards were waiting for us and Chase squeezes my hand and begins to follow them. 

"I was hoping we could put the past behind us Hayden, I really was." My father says with fake pity as Natalia smirks at me from over his shoulder. 

"But you know what they say, the past comes back to bite you in your ass." I smirk back arrogantly, "Go to hell, Harrison." 

And with that, I turn and follow Chase, finally leaving my past behind.

♤♤♤♤

Chase and I remained quiet as we waited on the surrounding deck of the boat. It didn't take long for the boat to pull safely into the Marina and the security guards opened the small gate for us. I march out first, along and the jetty and into the near empty car park. Chase had given me his suit jacket to keep me warm and I wrap my arms around myself. 

I had held it together and yet when I stepped one foot off the boat, the tears started rolling. 

"Well we still have the bottle of this expensive as fuck champagne." Chase mumbles, referring to the bottle I had snatched of a waiter as we were escorted out. I stop and glance over my shoulder at him to see his hopeful smile turn quickly into a frown as he notices my wet cheeks. He rushes forward to me, "Hey, hey, hey." 

"I'm so fucking stupid." I mumble as I cover my face with my hands. Chase comes to a stop before me and places the bottle at his feet. 

He wraps his arms around me, "No you're not, Jones." 

"I am! I'm a total fucking idiot." I exclaim as I pull my hands from my face and stare up at him, "I'm an idiot that he had changed, that he was different. And I'm an idiot for trying to prove that I wasn't a total screw up! That I was fine, no fucking thanks to him." 

Chase looked at me with pity and so much love. An expression I had never seen on his face before. I wanted to kiss him and I also wanted to bawl my eyes out. I guess I was going with the latter. 

I start crying once again and press my face to Chase's chest. His warmth envelops me as he holds me tight against him, letting me cry and ruin his really nice shirt with my tears. 

"He's not worth your tears, Jones. He's not fucking worth anything in my opinion really." Chase explains as I pull back and stare up at him through blurry eyes. Chase slowly brushes a strand of blond hair out of my face and tucks it behind my ear, "You can't blame yourself for him being an asshole, Jones. I won't let you do that. You are strong and smart and so fucking amazing without him." 

I push up on the my toes and wrap my arms around his shoulders as my lips meet his. His hands fall to my waist as I arch my back up into him. Our tongues explore each other slowly and my fingers run through the back of his dark hair. We pull back as Chase rests his forehead against mine, the both of us breathing heavily. 

"And fuck that lifestyle anyway, their hors d'oeuvres sucked shit." Chase scoffs and I laugh. It wasn't even that funny but in that moment I thought it was the funniest thing ever uttered. It was also really sweet that he was trying to make me feel better. 

We were both laughing and then of course, I had to go and fuck it up. 

"I love you." I say before the words process through my brains and both our laughter comes to a sudden halt. After a few seconds of silence, I place my hand over my mouth as if to keep any other embarrassing confessions from slipping. "Oh shit." 

Chase's expression was blank and I hated that he was so good at that. The one time I wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling. 

"Hah, uh, you don't have to say it back. It's totally fine. I don't even know why I said it. It just slipped right out, like I wasn't even thinking about it and then blahhh. If you want we can pretend like I never said the thing I just said and we can just carry on. That sounds like a fantastic idea to me, don't you think?" I turn and push off Chase, ready to march right across the parking lot and go die in a deep, deep hole somewhere, "We should probably go grab a cab and find our way back to you ca—" 

Chase grabs my arm and spins me back into his chest. I stumble over my feet as Chase slips his fingers under my chin and tilts my face up, "I love you." 

Our lips meet once more, this time with a little more passion and a little more gusto. I lock my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me. It's like we were trying to get as close as possible to each other, gently yet rough at the same time. My love for this man, this amazing fucking man, was burning brightly inside me. I was in love with him.

"I love you." Chase whispers between sloppy and hasty kisses and I end up smiling like crazy against his lips. 

"I love you." I reply back as we continue kissing. Then, as the Cliche Gods up in the fucking Cliche Heavens wanted it, it started to rain. But it wasn't like the cute little shower as seen in the movies, it was torrential and heavy and fucking freezing. We break apart as we stare up at the black sky, the rain hitting me in the face as we begin laughing, "Oh shit." 

"We should probably go." Chase chuckles before wrapping his hand around mine and we run across the parking lot towards the road. I was smiling like there was no tomorrow. I was more happy than I had ever been. And I knew it was because of him. 

I knew that even though I had never been in love before, Chase found a way to show me that it was possible and I couldn't possibly be more thankful.

awwwww, they finally said it!

it was a big deal for both of them to say it and i'm just so happy after writing this chapter. 

fingers crossed i'll be able to update soon!