Center Chase

Chapter 1

Lindsey

I never thought I would do it. I never thought I would leave my hometown in Upstate New York, leave my family, all of my friends, everything I've ever known, and move over two hours away to the big city. It has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I'd picture myself living it up in NYC, strolling through the streets like I owned the place, partying on the weekends with my fabulous girlfriends and our hot boyfriends (because, of course, my dream boyfriend would be sexy as fuck). 

My imagination ran wild with all the little details of what my life in NYC would be like. Everything was perfect, and I was so incredibly happy in those musings. For the longest time, that's all I ever wanted, and I was dead-set on making it my reality.

Then, I met Lucas. He became my boyfriend senior year of high school. He was charming, charismatic, popular, and ridiculously attractive. So, I was a goner from the moment he approached me and charmed his way into my life. I couldn't resist his playful smile, the way he'd look at me with those big brown eyes, or the way he'd run his hands through his dirty blond hair. He lured me in with his charm and devastatingly good looks and made me fall fast and hard.

Many of my female classmates would lust after him. Some would even flirt with him while we were together. Not that I blamed them. With his charisma and good looks and the fact that he was captain of the football team, who wouldn't want him? 

You'd think that it would have made me insecure, but back then, I was so confident in myself and my relationship that I didn't consider for a moment that he would be unfaithful. And he made me believe that he would never hurt me. So, I trusted him.

I trusted him so much that I started to lose myself in him. When the weekend would roll around, we would always do what he wanted to do. We would always hang out with his friends, go where he wanted to go, do what he wanted to do. When we would talk about the future, he would criticize my dreams and say they were unrealistic or that moving so far away was selfish and I should think about the other people in my life (namely him) before I plan something so "crazy". 

I applied to several universities, including some in NYC, and when the time finally came to choose where to start my future. I narrowed it down to two choices-one in the city and one where Lucas wanted to go close to home. I wanted to pursue my NYC dream, but I loved Lucas, and I didn't want to be selfish. So, I chose the college that Lucas wanted and ditched my NYC dreams in the process.

Before Lucas, I was so confident in myself and very outgoing. I held my head high and knew exactly what I wanted out of life. When I saw something I wanted, I went for it without a second thought. Somehow, in the five years I dated him, I changed drastically. I became timid, confused, and much less confident. I lost almost all my friends because I isolated myself from them for so long. 

The only one who stuck by me was Nadia. Since freshman year of high school, she was my best friend, my ride or die, my other half. She was admittedly the only one of my friends who didn't try to warn me away from Lucas. She supported our relationship. She would even come to hang out with us when we just wanted to laze around and watch D-list movies. She and I were so close that we rented a house together after college graduation.

I thought I could trust her. I thought she would always have my back. I always believed her when she said no guy would ever come between us. Then, I got off work early one day and came home only to find my supposed best friend straddling my boyfriend on our couch. Both stark naked, groping and grinding on one another like there was no tomorrow. 

Turns out, they had been doing it for years. Apparently, he couldn't resist her, and she got off on the thrill of sneaking around behind my back. I was devastated.