“Already found some new friends?” the drummer asked without getting up from the couch.
Chase stepped back and put an arm around me. “Guys, this is Cara.”
“Wait, the Cara? Miss Fuck and Run?” The one female member of the band’s jaw dropped. I wanted to fall through the floor. Fuck and run?
Jade laughed nervously behind me. I didn’t say a word. This was all Chase. Maybe he was purposely trying to embarrass me.
“Wow, you do exist.” The drummer got up and walked over then held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Cara.”
I returned the hand shake and went through the motions of a greeting even though I wanted to be saying goodbye. “Same to you.”
“And who’s this?” He turned his attention to Jade.
I nodded at her. “This is Jade.”
“Lovely to meet you.” He kissed her hand. I wanted to gag. Who were these guys? “I’m Len.”
“I know who you are.” Jade’s voice sounded more like the one I knew. She was nervous around this guy.
“Oh yeah?” He smiled at her in a way that I think was meant to be disarming, but it seemed to have the opposite effect on her.
A look of panic crossed her face before she took a deep breath and returned her expression to normal. I needed to remember that trick.
“Cara and I have some catching up to do, so they’re going to hang out with us.” Chase gave all his bandmates a look, including the one who hadn’t spoken.
“She does have nice tits.” The previously quiet bassist looked at me, and all I could do was step away from Chase and cross my arms over my chest.
Chase gave me an apologetic look before shaking his head at the guy. “Uh, thanks for that, Zach.”
“Is that a sorority shirt?” the girl asked. “You hooked up with a sorority girl, Chase? This is too awesome.”
Jade stepped around me. “Hey, I’m a sorority girl too. Quit with the stereotypes.” Jade seemed a lot like me. It was easier to stand up for your friends than for yourself sometimes.
Len looked between us. “I don’t have any problem with sororities. Attractive girls aren’t a bad thing.”
“I don’t have a problem with them either.” The girl smiled. “But would you have ever expected Chase to sleep with one?”
At least she’d switched out fuck with sleep with. I definitely preferred that.
Chase put his arm around me again. “Don’t listen to Jessa. She doesn’t think before she talks.”
Jessa crossed her arms, causing a bunch of bangle bracelets to clang together. “It was more a statement about you than her.”
“Okay. If this is going to be an issue, I can just go.” I tried to pull away, but Chase tightened his hold.
“There is no issue here.”
“Chase here seemed to think you had no clue who he was. If that’s true, then how’d you end up at this show?” Len asked with a smile. He was enjoying the situation more than anyone else.
“Jade dragged me.”
The whole band laughed.
Len leaned toward me slightly. “Then this is either a giant coincidence or fate.”
“Fate?” Jessa groaned. “Please.”
“Come on. Chase gets it on with a girl who flees like freaking Cinderella at midnight. She pulls him from his writing funk, but that wears off after a few songs. Now he found her again. This is perfect.”
“I’m not using her to help me with my music.” Chase looked me straight in the eye. “Don’t listen to him.”
“That song was obviously about her.” Jade looked between us. “Is that what you mean about pulling him out of his funk?”
“Yeah. He stayed up all night writing after she ran off.”
“That’s pretty cool, Cara. You have to admit that.” Jade eyed me. She must have realized I was completely ready to bolt. With everything going on with Aaron, I wasn’t sure how much more drama I could take.
“It would be if I actually thought I had anything to do with it. It was the hook up that did it, not me.” My ability to handle embarrassment had officially hit its limit, and I slipped out of Chase’s arm. I headed back the way we came.
“Cara, come on, wait.” Jade followed me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her hold up her hand to tell Chase to wait. I didn’t stop until we were well out of earshot right near the stairs.
“Listen, I don’t want to ditch you, but I’m not putting up with that embarrassment. That girl said I did a fuck and run. You know it’s been a rough few weeks for me already.”
“I know, which is why you can’t just run away from Chase again. Why not hang out with him and see what happens?”
Chase stood a few feet away watching us. I assumed he was deciding whether to intervene.
“Why not? He’s just in town for this show, right? What good is going to come from putting myself through it?” I wrapped my arms around myself.
“Putting yourself through it?” She looked up at Chase and then back at me. “You really like him. You regretted running off. That’s why this is hard for you. You think you’re going to get hurt. That changes things.”
I sighed. “Why does it change anything?”
“It’s even more important you don’t leave.” She turned around. “Hey, Chase. Cara’s fine. She just wanted to make sure I was really okay with hanging out tonight.”
I groaned. Did Jade really think he was going to believe a word she said?
“Nice.” He jumped down. “How would you like to get something to eat?”
“Just us?” I asked. Looking at Jade out of the corner of my eye.
“Jade is welcome to join us. I just thought I’d spare you from dealing with my bandmates right now.”
I noticed Jade eyeing the stage. As frustrating as she was being, she was trying to help me. I might as well help her.
“Why don’t you ask Len to come?”
Chase eyed me skeptically, like he was trying to figure out whether I was into his brother, until he noticed Jade’s face light up. “Oh. Gotcha. Be right back.” He headed back to the stage. He turned around at the last second. “You’ll still be here in a minute when I get back?”
Jade waved him off. “I promise she’ll be here.” She waited until he disappeared to turn to me. “Thanks.”
“Not a problem. At least one of us should have fun tonight.”