Chasing Leah (Journey Series) (8 page)

 He gives me a smirk as he
reaches for my hand with his free one and begins to lead me towards the exit,
“Well I guess you’re lucky we live so close to each other. I don’t give just
anyone a ride, gas is expensive nowadays
ya
know?
What happened to your boyfriend, Grant wasn’t it? He left in a hurry.” He says
to me over his shoulder.

“Mommy doesn’t have boyfriends,
silly.
Just me.”
Caleb giggles and buries his head in
Chase’s chest and I feel a pang of jealousy shoot through me. How’d Caleb get
so lucky? Maybe we should trade spots.

 “It’s Gage and we’re just
friends. And I’ve never told him about Caleb before so I think he was caught
off guard a little bit.” He looks at me with surprise as he holds the door open
for me on his jeep, grabbing me around the waist and setting me onto the
passenger seat. “Um I need to make sure you get the car seat in the right way,”
I say as Ally hands it off to him with a quick wave before skipping back to
Skylars
car. “Have fun Leah!”

“
Don’t
worry I’m like an expert with these things, I have a ton of little sisters and
I was always helping my mom out.” I turn around to watch and sure enough he
straps it in and more quickly than I do. He straps Caleb in and hops into the driver’s
seat.

“So he’s just a friend then?” He
shoots me a crooked grin and I nod my head at him. “Cause he definitely looks
like he wants to be more than friends.” I bite back a laugh before turning my
head around to look at Caleb. Passed out already, I wish I could fall asleep
that quickly.

“Well that’s all
its
going to be, even if he thinks differently. Which I’m
pretty sure after tonight that’s not the case. I have Caleb to worry about and
enough going on with work and school to be dating.”

“So is
Calebs
dad not in the picture at all? You do
everything on your own?”

I shake my head at him, “No I
was not on an episode of
16 and pregnant.
He’s my
brother,
my mom took off and left us when he was just a little baby. No clue on who the
dad is but I’m sure he’s a loser.”

“Wow Leah. He calls you mommy so
I just assumed,” he trails off as he gives me a sideway glance.

“Well he just started doing that
being around other little kids for the first time at daycare. And I’m not about
to correct him. I had a shitty upbringing and I’m going to make his life
better. He doesn’t need to know that his mom abandoned him.”

“You’re pretty amazing, you know
that?
Calebs
lucky to have you and in every sense you
are his mom. You’re the one taking care of him like a mother should.”

Chase pulls up to our complex
and we both hop out of the jeep and head into the building. “Well thank you and
for the ride. I’ll definitely have to try and make another performance, you
guys were awesome. I wish I knew how to play the guitar.”

“Really?
I could try and teach you some time. My mom was always having me and my sisters
try new things when we were younger. Guitar and soccer were the only two things
that really stuck.”

Wow soccer too. I really wasn’t
expecting that one. “I doubt I would be able to pick up the guitar. How many
sisters do you have?” He laughs and pretends to count on his fingers
.“A grand total of six.
Two older and four
younger, the youngest just turned three.”

“Oh wow I can’t imagine being in
a house with that many girls and I am one. I feel bad for you.”

“It’s actually not that bad. My
parents divorced when I was younger and then my mom remarried my step dad Chris
a few years after that and started popping all the younger girls out. Chris is
a good
guy,
he really loves me and my older sisters
like we’re his own. I’ve always been the man of the house, taking care of my
little sisters, no one messes with them or they have to deal with me.”

Well that kind of explains how
he’s so good with Caleb. He takes his hat off and runs his hand through his
short hair. “That’s
gotta
be tough not having your
mom around. I’m not afraid to admit I’m a bit of a
mamas
boy.” I grin back at him. “Now I really find
that hard to believe. I picture a
Mamas
boy still
living at home in the basement with his mommy baking him cookies and tucking
him into bed.” He shrugs his shoulders sheepishly, “
Naw
,
not the whole tucking in thing but she does bring me food over.
A lot.
I am a bachelor
ya
know.
And I sure as hell don’t cook. I would probably get food poisoning”

“Jeez
your
spoiled,” I tease. “Well I really need to get in, I have a little bit of
studying I need to do and I work an early shift tomorrow. Plus this little guy
needs to get to bed.” Chase leans his arm above my head against my door frame
looking back at me with his brilliant green eyes. “You are way too busy Leah. I
always hear you either coming or going from class to class or in between work.
Do you ever have any time for fun?”

I shrug my shoulders, “I have
some free time here and there but I’d rather spend it with Caleb really. I’m
just trying to save up money for school and concentrate on all of my classes so
I can breeze through the nursing program and get us on our feet.”

“Well when’s your next free
time? Let me take you out for some real fun. Just as friends and Caleb can come
with us,” he adds at the end.

Hmm, just as friends. Well I
don’t see that as a problem,
Allys
always pushing me
to go out more. “I only work a morning shift on Tuesday and I finish up with
class around 2:00. After that I’m free for the rest of the day.”

“Awesome that works out perfect
that’s my short day of classes.
Oky
wear something
casual and bring a bathing suit. Make sure it’s a sexy one,” he winks at me.

I punch his shoulder playfully,
“’Kay I’ll make sure to pull out my one piece. See
ya
then Chase.” I swing my door open and wave back at him as he heads across the hall
to open his door. “Can’t wait Leah I’ll be counting the minutes till then.”

I laugh and close my door behind
me. Well at least the night ended on a good note.

Leah

Ally, Caleb, and I went home to her
parents
house over the weekend so I didn’t get a
chance to run into Chase again.
Skylar
also tagged
along with us so he could be introduced to the James family. Ally was extremely
nervous about him meeting her mom and dad but the James
are
good people. The last thing they would do is make someone feel uncomfortable. I
know they wish Ally would bring someone home who’s a little more normal but
their pretty used to her eccentric taste by now.

I left Caleb with the James
family and stopped over at my grandmas while we were in town to pick up a few
extra boxes I didn’t have room for when we had moved into the apartment.
Grandma had left for Florida a few days before we had left for school. She was
a snowbird and was normally there through the end of August until about April
or May before Caleb and I had moved in so she was getting back into the swing
of things without having us around.

We got back to our apartment
late Sunday night after dropping
Skylar
off at his
townhouse that he shared with two other roommates. “I am really not looking
forward to class tomorrow, this weekend really drained me.” I say as we drag up
boxes and care packages that Mrs. James had sent with us. “See you should have
let me do your schedule. I was smart I planned all of my later classes for
Monday, gives me a chance to catch up after the weekend.”

Ally pushes our door open and we
toss everything into the living room. Caleb runs to our room to play with all
of the toys he missed playing with over the weekend. “At least you have Tuesday
to look forward to and your date with Chase.” I kick off my shoes and throw my
jacket onto the couch. “I told you it’s not a date. We’re just hanging out and
Calebs
coming too. Besides I’m sure Chase has enough girls
throwing themselves at him and they don’t have any extra baggage.” Ally rolls
her eyes at me
.“Whatever you are so oblivious sometimes Leah.
He had his eyes on you the whole time the other night at the
bar,
he didn’t even notice any of those other girls.”

“Well I’m really not interested.
He’s fun to hang around with
though
so.”
Even though I really wouldn’t mind dating Chase.
From the
small touches we’ve had, my whole body ignites. But Ally doesn’t need to know
that, she’ll have us married off in a heartbeat. I turn and give her a hug.
“Thanks for taking us with you this weekend. I’m going to give Caleb a bath and
then were
gonna
head to bed.”

“”Kay Leah.
Oh did you see if you’re free for that Halloween party my sorority is hosting
next weekend?” She asked before I was able to slip out. “You have to come!”

I groan out loud, “I did request
it off awhile back and Clarissa did say she was available. So I guess but I am
absolutely not dressing up.”

“Fine!
Just as long as your there that’s all I care about.”

“Kay night
Als
.”

                                               
                                                                               
**************************************

I woke up early Monday morning
for a day filled with classes. Ally was
right,
I
really should have thought that out when I jam packed Mondays with classes. I
threw on a pair of jeans, sneakers and an Indiana
hoodie
that
me
and Ally had purchased the first day we
arrived on campus. Shoot I really needed to hurry so I could get Caleb dropped
off on time.

“Come on little guy we are so
totally late it’s not even funny.”

He replies with a little giggle,
“I think
it’s
funny Mommy. I excited to go to school.”
I roll my eyes at him and bite back a grin. At least someone’s excited to go to
school. I wish I could finger-paint and play with blocks in place of classes
all day.

 I grab a red bull out of
the fridge as I grab my books. I am really
gonna
need
this today and rush out the door pulling Caleb behind me and run right into
Chases broad chest.

“Whoa Leah what’s the hurry?
Apartment on fire?”
He grabs my hips to steady me and I feel
a rush of electricity zap through me at the slight graze of his fingertips.
“Hey Chase. I don’t have time to talk, sorry.
Running
behind.”
I say as I stand up straight and head towards the stairs.

“Let me help you get Caleb in
the car, I’m heading over to campus too.” He scoops Caleb up and follows me
down the stairs and straps him in his car seat while I hop in the
drivers
seat. I stick the keys in
the ignition and nothing happens. Okay
lets
try this one more time.
Yup nothing.
Great.
I bang my head on the steering wheel. “Leah is there
a problem?” Chase asks as he leans in the driver side door.

“Yup my life.
The one piece of shit my mother leaves for me and I can’t even rely on it. I
might as well just skip classes today.”

“Here,” he holds out his hand to
me and gently pulls me out of the car shutting the door behind us and running
over to
unstrap
Calebs
car
seat. “You guys can ride over with me. I’ll take a look at your car later when
I get back.”

“Um okay that sounds good,
thanks.” I follow him over to the jeep and hop in. “So how was your weekend,
were you and Ally gone? I didn’t hear you coming and going at all. Not that I’m
spying on you or anything.” He grins over at me.

Wow I could look at his smile
all day. He is really completely different from Gage, who has more of the
preppy look. Chase is totally the bad boy who your mother warns you to stay
away from, well if you had a mother that actually cared. “Yeah we went back
home and visited with
Allys
family and I had to grab
a few things. We got in late last night and I’m about to crash.”

“Didn’t you say you lived with
your grandma? Did you get a chance to stop by and visit her?”

“Yeah I lived with my grandma
since I was a sophomore in high school. She didn’t really adjust her life much
when we moved in. She has a house in Florida that she spends almost half the
year at. That’s part of the reason me and Ally have always been so close, we
practically lived at her house.”

I see his jaw tense as he looks
back at me pulling over near the building of
Calebs
daycare that I had directed him to. He leans
over and brushes his finger over my cheek. His long slender finger is so warm
and sends shivers through my body. “I’m sorry Leah, you don’t deserve that. You’ve
taken so much on and haven’t had anyone from your family to lean on.”

I shrug my shoulders as I loop
my backpack on and hop out of the jeep, opening up the back door and letting
Caleb out. “Trust me Chase I’m used to it. I’ve gotten by just fine.”

We both walk towards the main
part of campus where the wide path is dotted with trees, the leaves beginning
to change brilliant shades of oranges and reds at the start of fall. This time
really is my favorite season; the smell of the weather changing, hot apple
cider, and pumpkins. Then the nasty snow has to come and ruin it having to
slush around and making everything a
gloopy
mess. I
really wasn’t looking forward to trudging through that to get from class to
class.