Blurred Lines 1: CHASE
Chapter 59

-Sofia-

Rafael parked in the apartment complex's back parking lot. Glancing around, memories of Chase and me a few days ago flooded my head.

We were happy, inseparable, doing what lovers do. We couldn't even get our hands off of each other.

I've done an excellent job of holding my tears in. I won't cry, at least not until I reach the safety of my apartment.

Rafael obviously knew what had happened. He was unusually quiet. He asked me where I wanted to go, and that was the extent of our conversation.

"Thank you," I said and opened the door.

"Sofia," Rafael called before I could slip out.

"Yeah." My voice was raspy. I faced him when he didn't answer right away.

Lips set on a hard line, he kept his gaze straight ahead, clenching his jaws. His knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel tightly. Rafael had a say in everything and this was no different, but he's doing a good job of keeping his lips shut. "I'm okay," I said reassuringly, reaching over to pat his arm.

His jaws remained tight. Pity clouded his eyes when he glanced at me.

"I'm so sorry. You don't deserve any of this." Touched by his sincerity, I blinked back the mist that clouded my sight.

"I knew this was coming." I wiped my tears roughly.

In Chase's defense, he didn't promise me anything. We were not in any sort of relationship. I knew what I was getting into. What we had was supposed to be fun and exciting. Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on FindNovel.net. Visit FindNovel.net to read the complete chapters for free. It was my fault for assuming there could be more, that he could give me more, that I could change him. It was ironic and pathetic.

He's a womanizer. How could I have forgotten that? That was the reason he hired me in the first place.

A low growl rumbled from Rafael's throat, but he kept his mouth shut. I took that as a cue and exited his car. The wheels of his Audi skid on the concrete, leaving burn lines in his wake.

I sighed and moved on autopilot. Inside my apartment, I dropped face down on my bed and let my pillows catch my tears.

The rumbling of my tummy woke me up. It was already dark. I must have fallen asleep from exhaustion and crying.

When I looked in the mirror, the redness of my eyes didn't surprise me anymore. I washed my face, changed into my sleepwear, and pulled my robe on. My stomach growled as I rummaged through the fridge for dinner.

I was too lazy to cook. Besides, it was already ten in the evening, so I ended up with peanut butter and jelly. I hadn't even taken my first bite when a commotion erupted outside.

I abandoned my sandwich, secured the robe belt tightly around my waist, and headed to the door. My heart hammered in my chest when the voices became clearer. The hallway magnified the angry voices and I thought I heard Chase and Derek.

Chaos greeted me when I stepped outside. Maria, Joe, Julia, and the other tenants on my floor were in the hallway, dressed in pajamas with sleep evident in their eyes. Joe tried to get between Chase and Derek. He looked like a kid trying to pacify two bears who wanted to claw each other's throats.

Julia was standing on the side arm in arm with Maria. The poor lady had a hand pressed against her chest. "What is going on?" I asked, wincing. My throat felt like sandpaper from all the crying and dehydration, but I had to step in.

Joe sighed when he saw me, stepping aside as I reached them. Derek and Chase remained glaring at each other.

"Derek, Chase," I lowered my voice, meeting the worried eyes of my neighbors. "What's going on?"

As though they didn't hear me, Derek moved closer to Chase until their noses touched. "Let's finish this outside."

I don't understand what's happening. This was not how I imagined them seeing each other. There's no warmth in their eyes but pure rage.

"I'm not here for you," Chase snarled.

Derek poked him in the chest. "I warned you. Leave Sofia plone. What happens next is not my fault anymore." "Hey-" my question died down when Derek shoved his fist into Chase's gut.

Chase's quick reaction was to jump back. I gasped. Joe covered Maria and Julia with his body as Derek. aimed a straight at Chase's face. Using his forearm, Chase blocked Derek's assault and retaliated with an uppercut, hitting Derek straight in the face. My brother groaned. Blood dribbled from his lip, but he countered. by shoving his boot on Chase's stomach. The latter slammed into the wall.

"Stop it! Chase! Derek!" I yelled, but they were in their own world, determined to kill each other.

None of my neighbors wanted to get between them. Honestly, who would want to get between two mindless. beasts determined to bite off each other's heads? So I did the first thing that came into my mind. I went inside my apartment, came out with a pitcher of iced water, and threw it over at Chase and Derek.

"Fuck!" they cursed in unison and glared at me. Their chest heaving up and down.

"What the hell, Sofia?" Derek snarled, skimming a hand over his face to wipe off the excess water.

I ignored his anger and pointed a finger at the two of them. "You two, why are you throwing punches at each other?"

Chase's face had fresh bruises, and Derek's lips were bleeding. They looked the other way, avoiding my eyes. If I wasn't so pissed at them, I would have laughed. Just seconds ago, they looked like cavemen fighting for their lives, and now they looked like children being scolded for brawling.

"Leave." Derek was first to speak and faced Chase. "Now"

Chase kept his eyes on me. His wet hair covered his forehead. The pain of what I saw this morning came crashing back at me when our eyes locked. "I won't leave until I have a word with you," he said, ignoring Derek.

My brother obviously didn't like that. He fisted Chase's shirt and shoved him into the wall. "What part of staying away from her didn't you understand?" He gritted his teeth. "Wasn't it enough? You want to see her break down? You want to ruin her completely?" Derek's words didn't make sense, but Chase seemed to understand. He shoved Derek back and glared at him. "I'm here for Sofia. Don't compare her to Letty."

I hadn't heard that name in a long time, which confused me further. "Guys, what the hell is going on?" I pressed.

"I'm here because you're about to ruin my sister's life," Derek spat.

Chase huffed. "No. You are here because of Letty when you don't even know the truth!"

"Truth?" Derek let out a humorless laugh, raising his hands in the air. "Go on then. Tell me how you two stabbed me behind my back. Remind me how you fucked her while I was away!"

Chase shook his head. "This is not the time to talk about this." He turned to me. "Sofia, please, I need to speak with you in private."

"No," Derek stood between Chase and me. "You've done enough. Leave her alone."

"Derek, I'm not a child. I can decide for myself if I want to talk to him or not." Chase's blue eyes danced with satisfaction, but they quickly faded when he saw the look in my eyes. "I'm not ready to talk to you, Chase. Leave." His face fell. I spun on my heels, and my chest caved at the pain that crossed his face.