Page 61 of Unwrapping Chase

“How do you know? You only met them two days ago.”

That was true, but I wasn’t sure how to explain the all-consuming feeling I had for Nyx and Tam. “I know, but I love them, Jared. Both of them just fit with me.”

“What are you telling me, Chase?”

“I’m going to leave with them.”

“What? Today? Chase.”

Worry was evident in his tone, and it made me wince. Jared had basically raised me, and I’d made him worry more than was probably fair, especially with the whole Elijah fiasco. Still, I couldn’tnotbe with Tam and Nyx. They were part of me.

“I love them, Jared.”

Jared took a deep breath. “I’m worried about you, but I recognize this is your choice.”

“I promise they are different.”

“How do you know that, Chase?”

“Nyx and Tam paid my debt.”

“No,” he growled. “They paid for your time.”

I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see it. “No, they let me keep that money. They paid the debt off. No strings. Nothing. They want me to keep the money for these three days as backup, to make me feel safe.”

Silence was blaringly loud in my ear. It went on for so long that I looked at my comm to double-check that Jared hadn’t disconnected, but eventually, he asked, “What?”

“Nyx and Tam paid it off. No questions. Well, Tam did demand Elijah’s name, so they could kill him,” I replied, chuckling.

“He deserves it.”

“He does.”

Jared sighed. “Are you happy?”

I thought back to this morning and the pure comfort of waking up with them pressed against me. “Yes.”

“You’ll call me?”

“Yes.”

“You won’t let either of them have access to your account?”

“No.”

“Fine. I won’t say a word against it,” Jared said. “But if they treat you badly, I want you to come back here right away. At the first sign, Chase, not as a last resort. Do you understand?”

I smiled. “Neither of them will be mean to me. Well, except for how I like them to be mean.”

“Ew. I don’t want to hear about that.”

That made sense, but I burst into laughter.

“I haven’t heard you laugh in a while.”

“There hasn’t been much to laugh about,” I commented, rubbing a hand over my thigh.

“I want to meet your Nyx and Tam when you come to get your stuff.”