the kink club • luke hemmings ✔️

41. the one where chase kinda saves lophie.

chapter forty-one:
the one where chase kinda saves lophie.

"He's lying." Bailey says, shaking her head as she places her coffee mug down on the table. I frown from where I am; hovering in front of my three best friends, unable to take a seat because I'm currently working my last shift.

"You don't know that," Chloe says, staring at her with a look that screams skeptical. That, or she's just completely done with Bailey's pessimism.

"Of course I do. Don't you think it's a little coincidental? How three days ago, it was definitely his?" Bailey puts her hands in the air, mimicking defense. "I'm sorry you guys, but I just don't buy it."

"Nobody's asking you to buy it. That doesn't change whether or not Luke's telling the truth," Ashley states. Bailey rolls her eyes.

"Exactly. And in my eyes, Luke's spewing complete and utter bullshit."

"How did he sound, Soph?" Ashley turns to me, probably picking up on how uncomfortable Bailey has made this situation for me.

I blink back at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Did he sound like he was telling the truth?"

"I don't even know," I shake my head. Bailey smirks at her in triumph. "I didn't pay much attention. It all kinda just happened and there wasn't really anything to react to,"

"What happened after he told you?"

"I just asked him to leave," I say sheepishly and Chloe groans. "What? I panicked, I didn't know what to do."

"So you kicked him out? You didn't even let him explain?" she sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Sophie, I love you and all, but goddamn you make such shitty impulse decisions."

"You can't blame her," Bailey steps in. "I would have done the same."

"Did he leave?" Ashley asks. I sigh, flashbacks to the night before flashing in my mind; a quick reminder of how the worst is yet to come.

"No," I mumble. At this, all three girls perk up instantly, expressions changed and suddenly interested. "He stayed."

"Well, that was dumb," Bailey states. "What happened?"

I shrug. "Nothing. He just stayed in the living room, I stayed in my room. Halfway through the night I woke up and found him passed out on the couch," the girls nod, silently pressing me to carry on. "So I got a spare blanket out and put it over him."

"Aww," Chloe coos.

"I am disgusted." Bailey notes.

"Did you see him when you woke up?" Ashley's the one to ask, yet again. I shake my head.

"I had to leave before that to get to work on time," I say, and from the corner of my eye, I see my boss Sadie raising an eyebrow in my direction. Clearing my throat, I pull out a pad and a pencil, feigning work ethic. "Can I get you guys anything else to drink?"

The rest of my day is a blur, most of it spent emptying coffee pots and helping Ashton with the dishes at the back. Customer engagement wasn't necessarily the quietest today, confusing me to no extent whatsoever; it's funny, the day the coffee shop closes is the day we get the most business.

"You turning in early?" Ashton asks me, as we both untie our aprons and slip out of our barista shirts. I nod, my gaze catching Sadie slowly closing the blinds.

"Yeah. You gonna be home later?"

Ashton shrugs. "Might. Unless I work late,"

"Got a new client?"