Chapter 64-3

She yawned and rubbed her eyes when she saw him. “Ugh. When did you come in? I didn’t even hear– whoa LaCienega.” Her eyes widened, and if Krislynn was half asleep before, she was certainly completely awake now. LaCienega responded to her surprise with a glare, but after standing still for two seconds started to sway and stumble. Krislynn quietly moved aside as Chase helped LaCienega to a seat and although it didn’t seem like LaCienega liked her any better than the last time they saw each other, she tried to be helpful for the sake of being polite. “Are you doing okay?" She asked, noticing the smell of alcohol almost right away. "Can I get you something LaCienega? Some tea with honey and lemon maybe?” “You can get me something that rewinds time,” she muttered in monotone. “Even if I can’t change the fate, at least I want to keep reliving the memories we made and the days Jace and I spent together.” Krislynn bit her lower lip, a bit petrified at LaCienega’s makeup smudge face and her attitude before turning to eye Chase. He shrugged and then grabbed Krislynn’s arm. “Alright, so lemon tea with honey it is. Come on Piglet, let’s go make it.” Inside the kitchen, they both hissed loudly at each other as if the kitchen was soundproof and nothing they said in there would ever slip out into the living room. “What is she doing here? Where’s Jace?” “I don’t know. He left!” “He left?” “C’mon Piglet, you think they want to see each other after breaking off their engagement? She didn’t want to go home! And she can’t go to her parents until she explains to them she got dumped – and she’s not ready for that – so I offered– ” Krislynn immediately rolled her eyes and stomped one foot on the ground. “You offered?! Chase! You know we don’t get along! She’s like a tiger! And I’m like a peanut!” He laughed which only generated a low hiss out of her. “Chase! It’s not funny!” “It’s just that out of all the things you could have picked! I don’t think tigers even eat– Okay, alright.” He was sharp enough to notice the impending doom looming over her face and cut his teasing short. “She’ll just stay for a few days so just… be civilized. You can manage that, can’t you?” “Oh I can manage it,” she snapped. “But the problem is can she?” “She’s not that bad.” Krislynn made a face at him, but instead of putting up a fight, made LaCienega’s tea. She was antsy that LaCienega would be staying with them, but she also, somewhere in her heart, felt bad that her whole relationship had just toppled over in one day. She could, at least give LaCienega the benefit of the doubt for a couple days, even if she got on her high house and rode all around the house. When tea had been served, and LaCienega seemed more sober than Chase had seen her all night, he quickly decided the rooming order. “Since I took the bed out of the only other guest room, I guess you’d have to take Krislynn’s room.” LaCienega frowned. She had had a chance to go to the washroom after drinking some tea and now her face was free from the any makeup residue, but that didn’t make her any less beautiful than with her makeup on. It was all in her gaze when she looked at the person she was speaking to, and right now, it was even a bit intimidating to Chase. “I will not be sharing a room with her,” she said, politely, and as if, unquestionably. “You won’t have to,” he muttered. “You can have the whole room. There’s even a private bathroom in there. Knock yourself out.” “Then where do I go?!” Krislynn shouted. Chase averted his eyes from her. “You can just… you know, stay with me.” “Why?” LaCienega muttered. “What do you mean why? She’s my girlfriend.” “She’s your fake girlfriend,” she corrected. “Or are you guys not done pretending? Didn’t I tell you your gig was out a while ago? Unless…” She turned and eyed Krislynn. “You were so cheap to sleep with him just because he gave you shelter and all. That’s no better than a gold-digger. Or a beggar. I’ve heard that you’re an orphan, and that’s a pity, but you really shouldn’t.” “Just shut up,” he hissed. “Don’t forget why you’re here too.” Krislynn felt her cheeks burning, but she didn’t know if it was from the embarrassment of it all or the utter shame that most of what LaCienega said was actually true. Here she was living with a guy she hardly knew, who she was sleeping around with, and try as she might to convince herself that she was working hard to pay Chase back for his generosity, the truth was the cost of feeding her was probably more than what she was cleaning his house for. “I’ll just sleep outside tonight,” she mumbled. “I was gonna anyways.” Chase groaned as Krislynn made it her determination to get out of there in Olympic record time. He called after her, but she continued without any heed until she disappeared from his sight. He turned a choleric stare at LaCienega who only looked on apathetically as she blinked at him. “Look,” he grunted. “I get it that you’re not in the best mood right now, but that was uncalled for. You didn’t have to– ” She interrupted him. “I’m going to do as you say.” “What?” “Letting Jace go,” she said. “I’m going to do it. Exactly as you say.”