Red Flags by C.C. Brown Read Free Book Online

alone.”
    “Well, we have the whole weekend Jason, why
can’t we go and hang out tonight?” I was justifiably perturbed that
he was sulking.
    “Cara, I just wanted to spend some alone time
with my girlfriend tonight, that’s all.”
    I stopped and stared at him -- my mouth
dropped. Did he just call me his girlfriend? How did we get here so
quickly?
    “Girlfriend?” I asked silently.
    He looked at me, eyes full of worry, “Yes.
We’ve gone as far as a couple can go, and I met your parents – what
else would you be to me?
    I didn’t answer right away. This was moving
rapidly and it scared me a bit. I looked over at him, weary of what
to say, and how to say it.
    “Um, I just didn’t know we were on this path
so soon.”
    He looked at me, eyes wide and full of panic.
“Cara, when it’s right, its right – and tonight, I’m just not
interested in sharing you.”
    I’m wasn’t really sure what to say, so I
didn’t say anything and we just rode in the truck in silence,
nothing on except for a sweet melodic country song playing on the
radio.
     
     

 
    <>
    We arrived at the apartment, and Jason came
around to my side to open my door. I stepped out of the truck, and
without looking at him, walked up to the door. He came running
behind me, and put his hand on the small of my back.
    “Hey, why are you so quiet?”
    I turned to look at him, not exactly sure of
my emotions at the moment.
    “I just don’t know what to say.”
    “Why don’t you say you are going to make me
happy and spend the night with me?”
    I turned and unlocked the door, walked in,
and found Chelsea and Hunter sitting in the kitchen laughing.
    Chelsea turned to me, with an empty bottle of
wine next to her and gave me her biggest, brightest
I’m-already-drunk smile. She was unbearably inappropriate when she
had been drinking, and I could feel the temperature in the room
rise.
    “Hey Cara,” she yelled. “Go get your heels on
so we can go.”
    I looked from her to Jason, who had a stale
look on his face.
    “We won’t be joining you tonight, but thanks
for the invite.”
    Chelsea turned to look at me, then back at
Jason. I started to fidget; she sensed her moment and pounced.
    “What do you mean you aren’t joining us? Cara
said you guys were. What happened?”
    Jason didn’t back down to Chelsea’s alcohol
fueled tantrum.
    “We have our own plans; Cara will be staying
with me at my place tonight. Go and enjoy your night Chelsea.”
There was authority in his voice, and Hunter stepped in.
    “Chels, let them have their night, we will
hang out another time.”
    She eyed Jason, then looked back at me.
“Thanks for ditching me Cara.”
    I looked at Jason who gave nothing away in
his expression. He walked into my room and left me in the kitchen
with an angry Chelsea and an antsy Hunter.
    “Chels, I wanted to go, but Jason insisted
that we have a night to ourselves. You understand how that is.”
    She looked at me with inebriation and anger
in her eyes. “Cara, when I said I wanted you to find a guy, I
didn’t mean I wanted you to lose me in the process.”
    My heart broke hearing this. Chelsea had been
my best friend for the past four years. I knew she was partially
drunk so her emotions we all over the place, but I couldn’t help
but feel a bit for her for thinking that I was replacing her with
Jason.
    I looked at Hunter, who took his cue from my
expression and grabbed Chelsea’s hand.
    “Hey baby. Let’s go lay down. We can do
Gaslamp another night. I think you’re tired and need to relax.”
    Chelsea looked up at me, then at Hunter, and
then back at me. “Have a fabulous fucking night with your uber rich
boyfriend Cara.”
    Just as she said this, Jason walked out of my
room with a duffle bag. I silently prayed that he didn’t hear her
comment, and when he didn’t even bother to look in her direction, I
sighed inwardly at an argument averted. I knew Chelsea well, and
while her mouth was usually on high alert when she was