Chapter6
Chase left with Maddie.
And I was left to deal with the security guards alone.
No matter how I explained, they wouldn’t listen.
They grabbed my student ID and barked, “Sierra Hayes, right? You better bring the money by tomorrow. If not, we’re reporting this to the School Board. One call, and they’ll cancel your SAT
scores for misconduct.”
With that, they walked off, leaving me speechless.
I had no way to prove my innocence. So I went home, hoping to figure out a plan.
But as soon as I walked through the door, my mom exploded.
“Can you just be an adult for once? Hooking up in hotels, drinking, and now destroying public property? Grow up, Sierra!”
She threw a wad of cash at me.
“You’re mad because we didn’t take you on vacation, right? Fine. Take this and go pay them. We
can’t afford more embarrassment.”
Maddie sat nearby, watching the scene unfold like it was entertainment.
I clenched my fists. “I didn’t do it. Maddie was the one who rode into the sign–and into me.
I lifted my skirt to show the bruise and scrapes on my knee.
Dad slammed his hand on the table.
“How dare you blame this on your sister?! That five thousand–half of it is from her own allowance! She’s offering to cover it for you, and you want her to take the fall too? Is this what being an older
sister means to you?”
The heat rushed to my face.
All my life, whenever it came to Maddie, they never cared who was actually right.
I was their daughter too.
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So why was I always the one left behind?
“No, I didn’t do it. And I don’t want Maddie’s money.”
I said it loud and clear, then turned around and walked out.
I returned to the site of the crash, checking every angle. Finally, behind a row of gingko trees, I found a security camera.
I snapped a photo of it and headed straight for the police station.
Just as I reached the steps, Chase grabbed me from behind and pulled me aside to the park nearby.
“What are you doing at the station?” he asked, frowning.
“I found footage from a security cam,” I said. “It proves I didn’t crash the ad board.”
His expression instantly shifted.
“You can’t let this escalate. It’ll make everything worse. I already paid the guards. It’s done, okay? Just let it go.”
His words made something crack inside me.
“Chase… Maddie lied and blamed the accident on me. she did it. And you want me to let it go?”
He looked away, clearly guilty, and held my hand.
“You told me your parents always coddled your sister. She’s fragile–she can’t take blames. But you’re different. You’ve always been stronger. A few harsh words don’t break you.”
I stared at him, stunned.
Had he really just said that?
I remembered the night I broke down in his arms, crying that my parents only cared about Maddie. That they never saw me.
He’d held me close and whispered, “Sierra, I’ll be your family. I’ll love you forever.”
He’d promised to choose me–when no one else ever did.
Now?
Those words felt like a joke.
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I pulled my hand away.
Chase seemed to realize how cruel he sounded. He knelt down and checked my injury.
“Your leg… does it still hurt? I brought medicine.”
“I don’t need it.”
He reached out anyway, holding my leg firmly. “Don’t move. Let me help.”
He applied ointment carefully, almost tenderly.
But I felt… nothing.
No comfort.
No warmth.
Just numb.
When he finished, I stood and stepped back.
“It’s getting late. Go home. I want to be alone.”
He grabbed my wrist. “I know you’re upset. Let’s see a movie. Take your mind off things.”
Before I could refuse, he dragged me into a private screening room.
Popcorn. Soda. Cozy lighting.
The movie started–and it was very much not PG.
My face turned red. I reached for the remote, but he pulled me into his arms.
“We’ve done more intimate things than this, haven’t we? No need to be shy.”
The film got even steamier. His hands started to wander.
I shoved him away.
Chase’s voice dropped low, husky with lust. “I’m sorry I hurt you last time. I didn’t know what I was doing. But this time… we’ll learn. I promise I’ll make you feel good.”
He dragged me into his lap.
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Chapter6
