Kiss Me if You Can — Chapter 12

HMPH!

STOP!

WAKE UP, MR. MILLER!

PHEROMONES...!

UGH...!

I HAVE TO MAKE IT STOP...!

MY MIND IS GOING BLANK BECAUSE OF HIS PHEROMONES...

UGH!

...?

...CHASE?

DON'T TELL ME...

HA!

DID HE FALL ASLEEP?

AFTER MAKING A MESS OF ME?

AH...!

HUU...

NOW THIS...

I HAVE TO HANDLE IT ON MY OWN...

I'm so fucking pissed...

FIRST, I'LL ERASE THE CCTV FOOTAGE AND THEN I'LL GET OUT OF HERE.

NO ONE SAW, RIGHT?

NO, THE REAL PROBLEM IS ME GETTING SWEPT UP IN ALL THIS SHIT AGAIN.

I KNEW DAMN WELL WHAT CHASE WAS LIKE WHEN HE'S IN THIS STATE...

I SHOULD TAKE SOME TIME OFF.

CALIFORNIA, JOSH'S MOM'S PLACE.

JOSH, COME HERE.

DADDY!

PETE! I MISSED YOU! MOM, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?

I GUESS I’M INVISIBLE NOW?

PETE, DID YOU GET TALLER?

I HOPE YOU CAN RELAX WHILE YOU’RE HERE. HOW LONG IS YOUR VACATION?

I HAVE TO GO BACK TOMORROW NIGHT.

JUST ONE NIGHT? THAT'S IT?

THE GUY I'M WORKING FOR IS FAMOUS, SO MY SCHEDULE IS TIGHT.

DADDY, YOU'RE LEAVING AGAIN?

I'LL BE BACK SOON, PETE.

REALLY?

OF COURSE! I PROMISE.

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I JUST SAW CHASE,

BUT PETE REALLY DOES LOOK LIKE HIM.

WILL PETE MANIFEST AS AN ALPHA LIKE CHASE TOO?

I'LL FIND OUT BEFORE HE TURNS TWENTY,

BUT THE THOUGHT OF MY SON GROWING UP TO BE LIKE CHASE...

JOSH'S IMAGINATION, A 16-YEAR-OLD VERSION OF PETE:

STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS, DAD!

PLEASE JUST LET HIM LOOK LIKE CHASE AND NOTHING ELSE.

OH, RIGHT. JOSH, SINCE YOU'RE HERE, CAN YOU MOW THE LAWN?

THERE'S A LOT TO FIX AROUND THE HOUSE, AND EMMA AND I CAN'T DO IT ON OUR OWN.

SURE. WHERE'S YOUR LAWNMOWER?

I'LL GRAB IT.

PETE, WANNA STAY WITH GRANDMA FOR A BIT?

MHM, DADDY!

AT LEAST THIS NEW ASSIGNMENT IS CLOSE TO HOME.

MOM'S HAPPY SHE'LL GET TO SEE YOU MORE OFTEN.

I'M NOT SURE WHEN I'LL GET ANOTHER BREAK, THOUGH.

MOM CASUALLY TRIED TO ASK IF YOU'RE SEEING ANYONE THESE DAYS.

IS THAT SO?

ISN'T IT HARD RAISING A KID ALONE?

DON'T YOU HAVE A FRIEND THAT CAN INTRODUCE YOU TO SOMEONE? OR IS THERE ANYONE DECENT AT WORK?

I DON'T DATE COWORKERS.

AND PETE'S PAPA...

BE HONEST. YOU'RE LYING ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTACT HIM, RIGHT?

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT?

SOMEONE AS METICULOUS AS YOU WOULDN'T JUST SLEEP AROUND AND END UP GETTING PREGNANT.

IT'S WEIRD THAT YOU HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO HIM AFTER ALL THIS TIME.

...I'M NOT THAT METICULOUS.

I JUST DON'T SEE THE NEED TO MEET HIM AGAIN.

I HAVE NO INTENTION OF RECONNECTING WITH THAT GUY.

...AND EMMA, DON'T FORGET

I WAS THE STAR QUARTERBACK IN HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE I MANIFESTED.

OH, I REMEMBER. YOU WERE SO POPULAR.

YOU'D KISS ONE GIRLFRIEND IN THE MORNING AND HAVE A DATE WITH ANOTHER BY DINNER.

THAT'S BECAUSE I BROKE UP WITH MY GIRLFRIEND AT LUNCH,

AND GOT ASKED OUT BY SOMEONE ELSE AFTER CLASS.

We're done, Joshua Bailey!

You broke up with Julia? Wanna go out with me?

Yes~ Yes~ Got it~ Mr. Hot Guy~

SO YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS TO HAVE ANOTHER GIRLFRIEND?

THERE ARE WOMEN WHO WOULDN'T CARE THAT YOU'RE AN OMEGA.

NOT UNTIL PETE'S OLDER.

NO PLANS TO HAVE ANOTHER KID EITHER.

CHASE MILLER WAS THE EXCEPTION FOR ME AS SOMEONE WHO ONLY DATED WOMEN.

OF ALL PEOPLE, IT JUST HAD TO BE THAT ASSHOLE.

THE WORST PERSON JOSH HAS EVER MET.

WHAT?

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

FUCK OFF.

WON'T PETE START ASKING ABOUT HIS DAD ONCE HE GETS OLDER?

PROBABLY, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES OUT THERE.

HE'LL COME TO UNDERSTAND.

AND THAT GUY CAN KEEP LIVING HIS LIFE HOWEVER THE HELL HE WANTS.

HOWEVER HE WANTS...

JOSH? WHAT'S WRONG?

It's nothing.

I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT SOMEONE.

ANYWAY, I'M NOT LOOKING TO DATE ANYONE RIGHT NOW.

WELL, IF THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL.

...I SHOULD'VE PUNCHED CHASE WHEN HE KISSED ME.

I CAME HERE ON VACATION TO STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM, BUT THAT DAMN KISS WON'T LEAVE MY HEAD!

STUPID JOSHUA BAILEY! YOU'RE SO WEAK FOR THAT PRETTY FACE!

ONCE THIS IS OVER, I'M MOVING TO THE EAST COAST FOR GOOD.

WATCH ME NEVER COME BACK TO CALIFORNIA AGAIN!