Stealing Harper (Taking Chances #2)(14)
Author: Molly McAdams

“No, I don’t f**king know that! She was a virgin, and not even a month and a half into their relationship, she’s not? He’s supposed to take care of her and he’s not!” I opened the door to leave, and he planted both hands on it and slammed it again.

“Like you wouldn’t do the same given a chance with her? I doubt you two would have even lasted this long, and you probably wouldn’t be half as decent about it! Brandon doesn’t let any of the guys talk about her like that, and he never talks about what they do. Whether they’re screwing or not is between them, and he’s keeping it that way. You should at least be thankful for that. He’s not making her out to be some whore; he’s protecting her still despite what they’re doing! You’re the king of talking about all your conquests. I can’t see you being tight-lipped about someone like Harper.”

I shoved him away from the door and pointed in his face. “You don’t know anything about her or what she is to me. You got that? I’m not giving up until she’s mine.”

“You’re ruining any chance with her by trying to fight her boyfriend almost every day!”

I heard Brandon, Derek, and Drew all yelling from the other side of the house and flung the door open, stomped down the hall, and pushed against Zach when he tried to stop me from getting out in the living room. Derek and Drew were doing the same with Brandon, and he looked pissed. Good.

“So, I heard you know now!” I called over to Brandon. “She feels real good underneath you, doesn’t she, brother.”

Zach and Brad started yelling at me to shut up while Brandon was saying he was going to kill me, and Derek and Drew were yelling at him to calm down. He tried to charge again, and the guys took that as their opportunity to force him back down the hall and to his room.

“Go!” Brad shoved me toward the front door. “Get out of here until you calm down!”

Leave, or sit here and listen to them screw each other? Yeah, no thanks. “Gladly.”

I wasn’t scheduled, but I went to the shop anyway and told Brian the whole thing. He was siding with Brad. Bastard.

“Chase, bro, you’ve got to fight for her, but fight smart. You’re taking a step forward with her every Sunday, but then you do shit like this and take two steps back.”

“I just can’t stand the thought of them being together, it—God it just pisses me off all over again thinking about it.”

My phone rang, and I answered without looking, “Yeah?”

“Chase!” Bree screeched. “What the hell did you do to her?!”

I sighed deeply and leaned against the counter at Brian’s station. “I didn’t do anything to her.” Brandon, on the other hand. . .

“Brandon just showed up here at the dorm, looking for Harper. She’s not here, and obviously she’s not with him, and he was ranting about you when he left. So what. Did. You. Do to her?”

“Shit, she was at the house with Brandon when I left! Where would she go, Bree?”

“I don’t know, Chase! What did you do to her?”

I ran out of the tattoo parlor and shoved my keys into the ignition of my truck. “I didn’t do anything to her, I did—shit, I said something to her.”

“What did you say?”

“I was being an ass, she was mad because I was ignoring her, and I said something about the fact that she has a list of guys, and I’m just one of them, but I’m not getting the benefits of f**king her, too.”

Bree gasped and relayed everything to someone she was with, “Chase Grayson! You are such an a**hole! Why would you even say something like that to her? You know she’s a virgin! No wonder she left! You embarrassed her again!”

I huffed a laugh, “Virgin. Right.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Was, is more like it. I heard all about her and her friend from back home, and how she’s screwing Brandon.”

“I don’t care what you heard, you’re wrong! She doesn’t even like Carter! He kept trying to kiss her, and she was pushing him away and telling him to stop! And she’s not hav**g s*x with Brandon, you dumb-ass! She and I talk about everything, so I know exactly what they are and aren’t doing, and I can assure you she is not hav**g s*x with him! You are such an a**hole, I can’t believe I’m related to you. Find her and make this better!”

“What do you mean she’s not hav**g s*x with Brandon?”

“I mean exactly what I said. What does it matter to you?”

I pulled the phone away from my ear and cursed loudly. “Bree, if he finds her, let me know. I have to go.” I ended the call and dropped it into one of the cup holders. “Son of a bitch!”

“HARPER.” I BREATHED and bit back a groan when those gray eyes flashed their hurt before she could turn to walk the other way.

I’d already gone back to my place by the time Brandon called Derek to see where he’d taken her Thursday night, so I knew she was safe, just like I knew she had spent an entire weekend in a hotel room with Brandon. But I wasn’t going to keep assuming anything about her. She’d spent entire weekends with Brandon in his room, and according to Bree, she was still a virgin. So I was praying a hotel room didn’t change that. Bree called out Harper’s name, and I knew I only had a few minutes before she would be gone for most the day. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop.

“Princess, stop walking and just talk to me.”

“Why? So you can let me know again how much of a slut you think I am?”

“I don’t.” God, could I have been more of a dick to her? “I don’t think you’re a slut. You just caught me on a bad day.”

“Let me guess, Chase; you hurt me because you were just so damn mad . . . am I right?”

Her bruises flashed through my mind when she threw that line back at me, and I felt sick. I backed her into the wall and brushed the hair that had fallen in her face back so I could look at her stormy eyes. “This is why I told you I would never be good enough for you, all I do is hurt you, Princess.”

“This isn’t about your being or not being good enough for me. I just want to be your friend, and you’re making that impossible.”

“Friend.” That one word hurt so much, I could barely make it out to be more than a whisper. Could she not see that I needed all of her or none of her? Because being friends with her just left me with the hope that I could change that, and I was aware that, for her sake, I never could. Her eyes did that pleading thing again, and I knew I was gone. Anything for that look. Always. I grabbed a fistful of hair in exasperation and spoke on a rough exhale. “Okay, fine, we’re friends. But I need you to stop approaching me around my house and at school.”

She recoiled like I’d slapped her. “What? Then that puts us exactly where we’ve been the last three weeks; that doesn’t change anything.”

“It needs to be that way.” I turned away as I tried to force myself to say something to make her run. Let her go man, just let her go. The ache that instantly speared my chest halted my thoughts, and I turned to face my world again. “Sundays are the only day I get you. Those are the only days when you’re here with me.” She started to speak, but I stopped her, “No, I know you’re not here for me . . . but you’re here. And he’s not; I need these days with you, Harper. But every other day, you’re his, and it’s not a good idea for us to be around each other then. So stay away. Please.”

“Chase . . .”

“If you think acting like you don’t exist isn’t the hardest thing I’ve ever done, you’re wrong. I hate not talking to you, I hate not bickering like we’re an old married couple, and I hate not spending every day right next to you. But this is how it has to be. Brandon hates me, and, Princess, trust me when I say he has every reason to. So if after everything I’ve done to you, you’ll still even consider being my friend, then it has to be Sundays only.”

“Brandon won’t care if we’re friends.”

Ah, Princess, you are sassy and sweet as hell, but you aren’t dumb. “I know you’re not that naïve.” Mom and Bree walked out the front door, and I sighed, knowing the majority of my only day with her would be spent without her. “Now go have lunch with Mom and Bree, then get your ass back here so I can have my few stolen hours with you.”

“Chase?” she asked after walking a few feet toward the entryway, her back still to me.

“Yeah, Princess?”

She took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder, capturing my eyes with hers. “Will you please stop hurting me . . . in every way?”

Fuck. I can spend the rest of my life making up for everything I’ve done to her, and I still won’t forgive myself for the shit I’ve put her through. I walked quickly up to her and pulled her into a tight hug, trying to memorize the way she felt in my arms. I inhaled her vanilla scent and wished I could promise her that I would never do anything to hurt her again, but we both knew that would be a promise I could never keep, “Go eat, sweetheart.” I squeezed her tight before releasing her and turning to walk up the stairs.

Chapter Seven

“HI, HONEY! I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight. Aren’t your friends having a party?”

“Uh, yeah? Why wouldn’t you be expecting me? It’s New Year’s Eve.”

Mom’s eyes went wide, and she gave Dad a quick glance, “Well, you haven’t been around much. We only saw you for about an hour on Christmas . . .” She trailed off and looked at me for an excuse.

I didn’t have one; well, I did, but I didn’t feel like sharing with them. Brandon had taken my princess to Arizona for the first half of winter break. He’d taken her home. I knew he loved her, and I knew they were serious. But I wasn’t ready for them to be this serious. I’d spent every free moment surfing or at the tattoo parlor these last two weeks, so I could try to do anything but think of Harper. And as soon as Mom started crying on Christmas because Harper’s presents were still under the tree, I was gone. I already had to deal with the fact that they were gone and falling more in love with each other, and I didn’t need my family reminding me of that. But she was coming home tonight, thank God, and my sister had made her promise to be here for New Year’s. I’d have her for two weeks without Brandon, and I couldn’t wait.

Looking back up, I noticed that Mom and Dad were still waiting. I shrugged. “I’ve been busy, but I’m not anymore.”

They hugged some more people who walked in, and I did the polite hellos, but I didn’t care about everyone showing up tonight, just one.

“Are Bree and Harper back here yet?”

“I don’t even know if they’re coming here; I thought they were going to your house.”

My house. I didn’t want to spend New Year’s Eve with Harper and a bunch of wasted coeds. “I’ll text Harper. I don’t want them going to that party tonight.”