Free Chasing Allie (Breaking Away Series #2) by Meli Raine

to try to get acting jobs, and I don’t mind. I’ll waitress or clean hotel rooms to have time to do what I need to do when it comes to auditions. 
    And then I’ll come home to Chase.
    At the end of the day, as long as we’re together, then our separate dreams in L.A. can combine. We can be together and pursue our passions. He can do stunts, I’ll try to land commercial and walk-on roles, and within a few years we can both break out.
    We can really work for our dreams to come true.
    And support each other all along.
    “Thanks for the beer, babe,” he says as I settle down next to him. 
    Marissa plops down on the floor in front of us and says, “I never thought I’d see my little sister with a boyfriend.”
    “You always teased me about David,” I say. Chase’s body tightens for a second. 
    Marissa laughs. “Until you told me...you know.”
    “You know what?” Chase asks, eyes alert.
    “He’s gay,” Marissa says.
    “He is?” Chase replies, drinking more beer. “Huh.”
    “No,” I correct her. “He’s not gay. He’s gender fluid.”
    Chase frowns. “You mean, like intersexed?” I’d expect a strong, dominant man like Chase to be more judgmental than this. Riding with Atlas must mean he sees constant harassment and jokes, stereotypes and bigotry on the road, right? Yet he’s having a perfectly civil conversation about David’s unconventional sexuality like it’s no big deal.
    A part of me falls for Chase a little bit more.
    “Not intersexed. More like he doesn’t identify as male or female. He’s exploring who he is.”
    “Then why do you call him a he ?” Chase asks. “Is that how he identifies?”
    Marissa and I give him equally surprised looks.
    “What?” Chase asks.
    “I’m just...surprised by how open-minded you are,” I explain.
    “We have a transgendered dude in Atlas,” he says with a shrug. “Whatever. I’m not judging who people are. If your outsides don’t match your insides, you should do what you gotta do to feel comfortable in the world.”
    Marissa openly stares at him, jaw practically on the floor.
    “Um, okay,” I answer, completely flummoxed. “David’s still going by he right now. It’s a small town. When he heads off to college in a few weeks, he’ll decide how he wants to be referred to. I don’t know, though. It’s more like David’s kind of androgynous. Pansexual, even.” 
    Marissa’s turn to look confused. “Pansexual? That’s a word I haven’t heard before, and I’ve been in L.A. for a while,” she says with a laugh.
    “Does that mean having sex with your sauté pan?” Chase asks. 
    I smack him. “Don’t make fun.” But he and Marissa are giggling. Chase is literally giggling, the sound like a little boy overcome with fun. It’s adorable. Freaking adorable, and contagious, too. I laugh with them and soon we’re doing that hard-to-breathe goofy choking gigglefest that makes my ab muscles hurt.
    “Sorry, Allie. Can’t help it.” Marissa clinks beer bottles with Chase and the two finish off their second beers. I follow, the cold, bubbly beer stinging my throat as it goes down. 
    “More power to David,” Chase says. “People should love who they love and that’s all that matters. The hard part is finding the right person.” He gives me a warm, searching look.
    “Round three?” Marissa asks as her phone buzzes, interrupting the mood.
    “I’ll get them,” Chase declares, collecting our empties and walking into the kitchen. My eyes can’t break away from watching his ass as he leaves.
    “You are a goner,” Marissa whispers as she checks her phone.
    “Yes,” is all I can say as I lean my head back against the couch and take a deep breath. My muscles feel soft and loose for the first time in days. All the tiny aches and pains are gone. Suddenly, every thought I have is so deep. Everything Marissa says is witty. Each look from Chase has a rich meaning that makes the world so much better.
    And it’s hot in here. I want to