Crawling Into His Captain's Bed

Three years of chasing Chase Blackwood, and all I got was a front-row seat to him tonguing my "sister."

The old me would've cried. Begged. Made a scene.

The old me also ended up dead.

Funny how a second chance at life gives you clarity.

So here's what's different this time: I'm done being the pathetic ex. I'm done playing nice.

I'm throwing champagne in his face and climbing into bed with Asher Hayes—his best friend, his rival, his worst nightmare.

And Chase? He can rot.

Serena's POV

Chase Blackwood had his tongue down my "sister" Chloe's throat.

Inside the Alpha Sigma frat house, EDM pounded so hard the floor vibrated.

I stood at the second-floor landing, staring down at the disgusting scene in the center of the living room.

Chase Blackwood—Saint Jude High's most popular quarterback, the guy I'd chased for three years—was pinning Chloe Vanderwill against the wall.

His palm pressed against her ass, practically lifting her off the ground.

Chloe, the Vanderwill family's long-lost real daughter who'd been found seventeen years later, my supposed sister, had her arms hooked around his neck like a cat in heat.

The crowd screamed and hollered.

"Holy shit! Chase and Chloe are FINALLY together!"

"Does that lapdog Serena even know? HAHA!"

"Blood always wins over charity cases!"

Charity case.

They were talking about me.

Three months ago, Chloe was found. The entire Vanderwill household erupted in celebration, like they'd finally recovered some lost treasure.

And me? The adopted daughter who'd lived with them for seventeen years instantly became "the fake taking up space."

Everyone's attitude toward me changed overnight.

Chase changed too.

He started "running into" Chloe constantly, flirting with her right in front of me without shame. Every time I confronted him, he'd say, "She's your SISTER. You should be more generous."

In my past life, I was generous.

I tolerated their affair. I tolerated the whole school's mockery. I tolerated my adoptive parents' increasingly obvious favoritism.

Finally, on prom night, Chase publicly announced Chloe was his girlfriend.

While I was locked in a dark equipment room all night. The next day, dazed and confused, I ran out of school and got hit by an out-of-control truck.

The pain of death still lingered in my bones.

Half an hour ago, I jolted awake from that nightmare, drenched in cold sweat in a second-floor guest room bed.

Then I heard cheering from downstairs.

I walked to the stairs and saw THIS.

In my past life, I would've run down crying and begging Chase not to leave me.

But this time—

Fuck that.

I grabbed a champagne flute from the bar and slowly descended the stairs.

The noisy living room fell silent. Every eye locked onto me.

Chase finally released Chloe and turned around.

When he saw me, a smug smile crossed his lips as he casually wiped the lipstick off his mouth.

"Serena, finally decided to come down?" He spread his arms, his tone dripping with condescension. "Come here. Apologize to Chloe for snapping at her earlier, and we'll forget about it."

I stopped three steps away from him.

Chloe bit her lower lip, her eyes reddening. "Serena, I really didn't seduce Chase... He kissed ME first... But I really DO like him... I'm sorry..."

Whispers erupted around us.

"Serena's definitely gonna cry this time."

"Just wait. She'll be on her knees in a second."

Chase pulled Chloe tighter and kissed her forehead.

"Don't say that, Chloe." His voice was so gentle it made me want to vomit. "Serena and I were never like that. She's been following me around for three years on her own. What am I supposed to do?"

He turned to me, impatience flickering across his face. "Serena, you need to wake up. I never said I'd be with you. You chasing me is YOUR business, but don't get in the way of Chloe and me."

In my past life, after hearing this, I dropped to my knees.

In front of everyone, crying and begging him for another chance.

But now—

"Chase," I said.

He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "What? Finally realize your mistake?"

"Yeah. I realize my mistake." I nodded and walked forward.

His smile grew wider. "Then hurry up and—"

Before he could finish, I threw the entire glass of champagne in his and Chloe's faces.

Golden liquid dripped down Chase's cheeks, soaking his custom white shirt.

Chloe shrieked, her makeup instantly ruined, looking like a drowned rat.

The room went dead silent.

"My mistake was chasing you for three years," I set down the glass. "My mistake was treating you like a HUMAN BEING."

Chase froze for two seconds, then wiped his face, veins bulging on his forehead. "Serena! Are you FUCKING INSANE?!"

He lunged forward to grab my wrist. I stepped back.

"I'm perfectly sane." I met his furious gaze. "Starting today, I'm DONE chasing you."

"What did you just say?" Chase stared at me in disbelief.

"I said," I enunciated each word, "we're FINISHED. Did you hear me clearly, Chase Blackwood?"

Gasps echoed around the room.

Chase's face turned crimson. "Who the HELL do you think you are?! If you walk out that door today, even if you BEG on your KNEES later, I'll NEVER look at you again!"

"Perfect."

I smiled.

"Hope you two rot together."

With that, I turned and walked out, ignoring the roar behind me, into the cold autumn rain.

Cold wind mixed with rain pelted my face, soaking through my T-shirt.

But I'd never felt more free.

In my past life, I'd humiliated myself to dust trying to keep Chase, trying not to get kicked out of the Vanderwill house.

What did I get? Public humiliation at prom and a car accident that killed me.

This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake.

Standing in the rain, I pulled out my phone and scrolled to a number I'd never called before.

Asher Hayes.

Saint Jude High's hockey captain. The other extreme on campus.

Cold, violent, a trust fund kid whose family money made even the school board nervous.

In my past life, when Chase publicly humiliated me once, Asher coldly told him to get off the ice rink. Not long after, the two best friends had a complete falling out.

As for why, I died without ever knowing.

But I remembered at my shabby funeral, he was the ONLY person who showed up.

I pressed dial.

The phone rang three times before someone picked up.

A deep male voice came through. "Talk."

"Asher, it's pouring."

I paused. "I'm stuck outside Alpha Sigma. Can you pick me up?"