A Hope and a Chance(49)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“What? Buffy, you’re crazy. I couldn’t do that.”

“Sure you can. If it’s nothing I’ll see it for myself, but I’m pretty sure I have things all figured out now. Come on, Hope, let’s go.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me out the door.

She pushed me ahead of her and watched as I sauntered over to Chance. He looked up and saw the tears in my eyes, before I couldn’t say a word. She would hear me anyway. As ordered, I wrapped my arms around him. At first he didn’t react, but as I pulled away I felt his arms going around me. I knew that she was watching, but I still pulled myself out of his hold and looked into his eyes. His concern was all I could see. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

“I think that both of you need to get your asses over here and explain some things to me right now,” she demanded.

Immediately Chance knew. He looked so hurt as we walked over to the picnic table.

She stood up and began pacing back and forth. “So how long has this been going on?” She asked.

“What are you talking about, Buffy? What’s going on?” Chance acted like she way off base.

“Don’t you dare do that, little brother. I’ve known for weeks that you were different. I sat up at night wondering what could have changed in your life. You never go out and you don’t have any friends anymore. Then when I got back from my vacation, I went into the pool house and found your dirty laundry. I discovered a bra under your bed that was white lace and a bag of sandy bathing suits, one of them belonging to me.”

“So what. I took Hope to the beach. That doesn’t mean anything,” Chance argued.

“Did you hear me say I found the bra?”

I sat there shaking with my hands up to my face.

“Yeah, so what? I brought some chick home from the bar. I told you that.”

“That isn’t how I figured things out, Chance. The other night I pretended to be asleep when we were watching movies. I saw you two so close and I know you were holding hands under the covers. Then last night I was in the kitchen and saw Hope getting you inside the house. I checked and your bike was nowhere to be found. You obviously came home together.”

“So what. We’re friends, Buffy. That is it.” I’d never heard Chance act so defensive.

“Hope, look at me,” Buffy ordered. “Are you and Chance just friends?” I hated to be put on the spot, because I was a terrible liar.

I looked from Buffy to Chance. He appeared to be furious. “I said leave her alone, Buffy.”

“Just one more question. Hope, how many times have you slept with my brother?”

Chance put his body in between mine and Buffy’s so that I couldn’t see her. “Leave her the fuck alone!”

“Calm down. I just wanted you to admit it.” She sat back down across from me. When she looked in my direction she could see that I was crying. “Did you guys really think you could hide this forever? If Mark discovers this he’s going to flip.”

“Are you going to tell my father? Please don’t, Buffy,” I begged.

“Of course not. He would kick Chance’s ass and make him move out.”

“Thank you,” I whispered quietly.

“How serious is this thing between the two of you? Is this just something fun for you, Chance, because I can’t let this continue if you’re just using her?”

Chance looked over at me. He sat down beside me and took my hand. “She’s never been a game to me, and for the record we fought this. We tried so hard to avoid each other when she first moved in, but we’d already been together and…”

Buffy cut him off. “What do you mean? How did you know her?”

I lay my head down on the table, while coming to grips that this was actually happening. “Remember when we first met, and you and Dad said I could look around? Well, I kind of walked into the pool house when Chance was getting dressed,” I explained but Chance cut me off.

“Then when she left I went out for some smokes. She had pulled over to the side of the road and this guy was harassing her. He was trying to coax her into his truck. I got him to leave and stayed with her until she could calm down.” Chance said as he looked over to me. “Then, you and Mark took me out to that bar.”

“Okay, you’re losing me. You told me you hooked up with some random chick.” Buffy stated.

Chance looked toward me and winked. “That wasn’t exactly the truth. You see, Hope’s stupid friend scored them some fake I.D.s. I spotted her in the bar and let her know that you and Mark were there too. She’d been drinking and her friend wouldn’t leave, because she met some guy. I brought her back to the pool house so that she could sober up, but one thing led to another and the rest is history,” Chance explained.

“Oh my God. You two hooked up before Mark introduced you? So this had nothing to do with you living here together?” She asked.

“No, in fact up until last weekend we barely even talked, but finally we couldn’t stand it anymore. At least that’s how it was for me,” I could feel my cheeks burning as I confessed.

“I love her, Buff. This whole time I’ve been trying to protect her from this.” It warmed my heart hearing him say that.

“So, my brother is in love with my soon to be step-daughter. Should we call the Maury show now or wait until your father finds out?” Buffy asked.

I was freaking out. “He can’t find out. He won’t understand. Please Buffy, if you care about me at all you won’t tell him,” I begged.

She shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. “You guys are really putting me in a bad situation.” She got quiet for a second. Chance held my hand and rubbed his thumb against mine. “This is what’s going to happen. I don’t want to see it. Do not do anything that would make him think there is something between you. And that goes for you, Hope, I saw how you looked at him and that’s how I tied it all together. He can’t know. When you turn eighteen you two can decide what to do. I am not going to let this ruin my wedding. Do you both hear me?”

Chance and I both nodded our heads.

“For the record, I think you are made for each other, but if anyone else asks I will lie.” She then left us outside alone.

Chance turned to face me. “Are you okay?”

“Maybe, I’m just dreaming. Did that really happen?” I asked.

He kissed the top of my head. “It happened, but she won’t tell. I considered telling her a while back, but then you moved in and it just wasn’t that easy.”