Kiss Me if You Can — Chapter 54

CHASE MILLER,

PETE IS THE CHILD WE CONCEIVED THAT NIGHT.

...DID I...

DID I FORCE MYSELF ON YOU?

WHAT?! NO, NOTHING LIKE THAT!

I SLEPT WITH YOU BECAUSE I WANTED TO. BECAUSE I LIKED YOU.

CHASE, YOU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG!

...I’M SORRY.

I’M SORRY I NEVER TOLD YOU THE TRUTH AND KEPT LYING TO YOU ALL THIS TIME.

...THANK GOD.

I KNEW I'D SLEPT WITH SOMEONE THAT NIGHT.

BUT NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED, I COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT WHO IT WAS...

SO I CONVINCED MYSELF THAT MY MEMORIES OF BEING WITH YOU HAD ONLY BEEN A DREAM.

BUT...

IT REALLY WAS YOU.

ALL THIS TIME, BECAUSE OF WHAT GRAYSON TOLD ME, I THOUGHT I'D DONE IT WITH A DOG...

NO!

YOU NEVER DID ANYTHING WITH A DOG!

GRAYSON'S BEEN LYING TO YOU THIS ENTIRE TIME!

WHAT...?

GRAYSON LIED TO ME...?

HE SAID THAT BECAUSE YOU KEPT TURNING DOWN HIS OFFER.

HE TOLD YOU THAT YOU'D SLEPT WITH A DOG JUST TO MESS WITH YOUR HEAD.

THAT CRAZY SON OF A BITCH, GRAYSON...

I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL HIM!

I'LL BLOW A HOLE THROUGH THAT BASTARD'S SKULL RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!

Wait!

NO MURDER, CHASE!

BUT IF YOU WANT, I CAN HAVE HIM KIDNAPPED SO YOU CAN BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM YOURSELF.

AAARGH! THAT FUCKING BASTARD!

Aargh!

WELL? HOW DOES THAT SOUND?

MOTHERFUCKER!

GOOD.

...WAIT.

THEN THE PERSON YOU SAID YOU SLEPT WITH BUT COULDN'T REMEMBER YOU... DON'T TELL ME...

YEAH. IT WAS YOU, IDIOT.

MM...

PETE, IF YOU'RE TIRED, GO BACK TO SLEEP.

AH...!

...I COULDN'T SAVE THAT DOLL YOU LOVED.

SORRY...

IT'S OKAY...

H-HE JUST... SMILED AT ME...!

I TOLD YOU HE'D LIKE YOU.

Pete's beloved doll, Jason.

BUT WASN'T THAT HIS FAVORITE FRIEND?

IT WAS, BUT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE HE LIKES YOUR FACE EVEN MORE.

...JUST LIKE YOU DO, RIGHT?

WHAT? LIKE ME?

BECAUSE MY FACE IS THE ONLY THING YOU LIKE ABOUT ME, ISN'T IT?

IDIOT.

EXCUSE ME?

IT'S A PART OF YOU.

ALL THAT YOU ARE BELONGS TO YOU.

Besides, when you think about it...

IF I HADN'T FALLEN FOR YOUR FACE,

I DEFINITELY WOULDN'T HAVE STOPPED HITTING YOU WHEN I DID.

YOU'RE SAYING YOU WENT EASY ON ME BECAUSE OF MY FACE?

I DIDN'T ROUNDHOUSE-KICK YOU, DID I?

YOU REALLY...

MAYBE IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOUR FACE.

OR MAYBE IT WAS YOUR PHEROMONES.

AND NOW?

NOW...

...I LOVE YOU.

I LOVE YOU, CHASE MILLER.

JOSHUA...

DADDY...

MM... NO PEAS. HATE 'EM...

HAHA-!

YOU'LL GET USED TO IT SOON -

HAVING A CHILD.

NONE OF THIS WAS SOMETHING I EVER EXPECTED,

BUT EVERY BIT OF HAPPINESS I HAVE CAME FROM YOU, CHASE.

AND NOW I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT SAME HAPPINESS, TOO.

MARRY ME, CHASE.

...ALL RIGHT, JOSHUA BAILEY.

I'LL MARRY YOU.

I'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY, CHASE MILLER.

WHAT? THEY WANT TO EXTEND C'S SECURITY CONTRACT?!

NO WAY! HOW DO WE KNOW IT WON'T BE OUR HEADS INSTEAD OF OUR STOMACHS NEXT TIME?

YOU SAID IT ONLY GRAZED YOU.

FUCK YOU! WHY DON'T YOU TRY GETTING SHOT, THEN?!

THEY WANT US TO STAY WITH THE CURRENT SECURITY TEAM UNTIL FILMING WRAPS.

IF WE FINISH THE ENTIRE CONTRACTED PERIOD, WE'LL GET THREE TIMES THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT.

DOES THAT BASTARD SERIOUSLY THINK MONEY CAN FIX EVERYTHING?!

WAIT... DOESN'T THAT COME OUT TO $450,000 DOLLARS EACH?

YEAH. WITH THAT KIND OF MONEY, YOU COULD PROBABLY TAKE AN ENTIRE YEAR OFF.

450 GRAND...!!

COME TO THINK OF IT, WHERE'S JOSH?

I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM SINCE YESTERDAY.

I GAVE HIM SOME TIME OFF.

HE SAID HE WANTED TO SEE PETE.

SUSPICIOUS... DON'T YOU THINK HE'S BEEN DISAPPEARING A LOT LATELY?

DON'T TELL ME THAT BASTARD'S GETTING READY TO QUIT?

WHAT?! NO WAY!! WE'D BE SERIOUSLY SCREWED IF JOSH LEFT THE TEAM!

I DON'T KNOW. MY MONEY'S ON HIM SEEING SOMEONE.

WHAT?!

Why are you so shocked?

WE'VE ALL SEEN PLENTY OF STAFF CONFESS TO HIM ON SET, HAVEN'T WE?

WANNA BET, MARK? MY MONEY'S ON SOMEONE FROM THE PROP TEAM.

I'M NOT TOO THRILLED TO BE BETTING ON OUR COWORKER'S DATING LIFE,

BUT MAYBE IT'S THAT NEW PRODUCTION STAFFER WHO CONFESSED TO HIM RECENTLY?

SETH, WHO DO YOU THINK IT IS?

HMM... FOR ME...

MY GUESS IS THAT JOSH IS DATING C.

WHAT? MILLER?!

CAN'T YOU TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY FOR ONCE, MAN?!

I'LL EVEN DOUBLE MY BET! SETH, JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!

SUIT YOURSELF.