Taking Chances (Taking Chances #1)(17)
Author: Molly McAdams

“Weird how?”

“Well we usually talk every day. But we didn’t talk at all yesterday, and the three days before that he wouldn’t answer my calls, he would just text me back right after. And now he’s asking weird things. I don’t know, it’s just not like him.”

“And nothing’s going on there?”

“No…I told you that. I just don’t understand what’s going on with him.”

“Well maybe he has a girlfriend now.” Bree reasoned, “I’m sure it would bug her if he was always talking to you. Does Brandon know about him?”

“He knows of him, but I don’t think he knows how close we are. Or were.” I trailed off, I didn’t know moving here would mean losing his friendship.

“Does he know about Brandon?”

“Yeah, well he knew we went on a date. I haven’t talked to him much since then.”

“Well there you go!”

I looked at Bree confused, “There I go, what?”

She propped herself up on her elbows, “I bet he likes you, and now that you’re obviously interested in other guys, he’s pulling away from you.”

“Nice try.” I laughed and sat up to take my shirt off, leaving me in only my tiny shorts and bikini top. “I’ve told you, it wasn’t like that between me and Carter. He dated a lot of girls while I knew him. It just hurts that he’s being distant. I mean we went from seeing and talking to each other every day, to this. I feel like I lost my best friend.”

Bree looked at me like I wasn’t getting it.

“Would you ever date Brad?”

“God no!” She said a little disgusted, “He’s like a brother to me.”

“Exactly. Carter and I were exactly how you are with Brad.”

She flipped onto her back, “Oh…well then I don’t know what to tell you. Just ask him next time you talk.”

“Hey babe!”

I turned to look at Brandon and smiled, “Hi! We thought we’d hang out for the day.”

He grabbed one of the towels and bent down to kiss me, “Should I thank Bree for this one too?” He trailed a finger along the fabric of the top. I nodded and he kissed me again, pressing his wet body to mine. If it hadn’t been for the rest of the guys coming back and talking loud, I would have forgotten we weren’t alone in his bed.

“Brandon,” Konrad walked over to us, “come help me get the coolers out of Bree’s car.”

“Coolers?” Brandon looked at me, his head tilted to the side.

“I brought lots of food for you guys, figured you’d be hungry after surfing.”

He kissed me soundly before jumping to his feet, “You’re pretty perfect Harper.”

My heart beat wildly as I watched him walk toward the car. My phone rang when they were headed back.

“Carter!”

“How’s my girl?” I could hear the smile in his voice.

“Well speak of the damn devil.” Bree muttered next to me.

“I’m good. I feel like we haven’t talked in a long time. Is everything okay?”

“It’s better than okay now.” He said mischievously.

“Really?” I smiled at Brandon as he sat down next to me. “And why is that?”

“I’m at the beach with some of the guys.”

I really had to focus on what he was saying, I was currently getting lost in Brandon’s brown eyes, “The beach huh? Glad you guys got out early for the weekend. Tell them I said hi.”

“I don’t think you know these guys, but I’ll be sure to pass along the message. So how’s your beach?”

I bit my lip as I looked at Brandon, “Amazing. Yours?”

“It’s got the best view. You know, I bet if I yelled loud enough, you could hear me from here.”

I laughed, “You’re so dumb.”

“No really…put down the phone and I’ll yell. You can tell me if you hear me or not.” He waited a few seconds, “Come on Harper, I said put the phone down.”

Rolling my eyes I conceded, “Fine, fine. Phone’s going down.” I put it down on the blanket and started to lean over to kiss Brandon when I heard someone yell.

“BLAZE!”

I sat back quickly. That definitely hadn’t come from the speaker of the phone. Grabbing it, I brought it to my ear, “What the hell?”

“Shall we try that again?” A few seconds later I heard a distant voice yell Blaze again.

Glancing at my phone I realized he’d ended the call and I turned to look behind Bree.

“You okay Harper?” Brandon asked.

“Did you hear someone yell ‘Blaze’?”

“Yeah,” he nodded to something behind me, “the guy back there did.”

I turned around and gasped. “Oh my God, Carter!” I sprang to my feet, already in a run. I crashed into Carter, hugging him tightly, “What are you doing here?!”

“Damn Blaze. Where’s my Harper and what have you done with her?”

I blushed and crossed my arms over my chest, “Uh, yeah. I guess I look a little different.”

He ran a finger near the piercing on my lip, “A little.” He smiled and hugged me to him again. “I missed you Blaze.”

“I missed you too.” I said into his chest, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were coming. I would have been at the airport to get you.”

“Well that wouldn’t have been half as fun as your reaction just now.”

I leaned back to smile at him. He was tall too, not like Chase or Brandon, but close to six feet. His black hair was in the traditional fade the Marine’s had and his brown eyes were bright. “How long do you get to be here for?”

He smiled wide and opened his mouth to talk, but was cut off.

“Harper?”

Turning, I saw Brandon staring at Carter, he didn’t look happy. And I could only imagine how after what happened last night with Amanda, me taking off and almost tackling a random guy while in a bikini would be a little alarming. Especially since Carter still had his arms wrapped around my waist. Stepping back toward Brandon, I grabbed his hand and squeezed, “Brandon this is my best friend from Camp Lejeune, Jason Carter, Carter, this is my boyfriend Brandon Taylor.”

They firmly shook hands but didn’t say anything. Awkward.

“Um, why don’t we head back over there? I can introduce you to everyone else.” I pulled Brandon back towards our friends while I was introduced to the three guys Carter had been with. He was right, I didn’t know them, but Carter had never been to California so I didn’t know how he knew them either.

I introduced Carter and the three guys to everyone, and while all the housemates and Konrad were polite, Chase wouldn’t speak to, or shake Carter’s hand. Just crossed his arms over his bare chest and openly glared at him. What threw me off even more, was Brandon standing right next to him, in the exact same stance. It didn’t surprise me that Carter took a step back, those guys could look scary if they wanted to. Rugged looks, tall tattooed and muscled bodies. Yep. Definitely scary to someone who didn’t know them. Bree looked back and forth between Carter and me with an amused expression. I knew she would grill me about this later.

When we were all seated on the blankets, I asked Carter again, “So how long is your leave for?”

“I didn’t get leave.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Carter!” I gasped, “I swear to God if you went UA…” I knew what the punishment was for leaving base without authorization, and if Carter did…well let’s just say it wouldn’t be good.

He laughed, “No, no. I didn’t. Everyone knows I’m here. I requested for a transfer to Camp Pendleton when you decided to move to San Diego, it got accepted right after you left. I got here on Monday.”

“Wait, you moved here because I was moving here?”

“Of course.”

“Did Sir make you do that?”

“Not at all. I just couldn’t let you go.”

“Oh shit.” Bree muttered.

Brandon sat up straighter, I didn’t have to look up to know he was glaring and sizing up Carter. This could get bad, I was about to say something when Carter spoke up again.

“I mean I can’t let my little sister go across the country alone, right?”

I smiled at Carter and felt Brandon relax from behind me. Sean, one of the guys that came with Carter, looked at the other two guys then back to Carter with a confused look and started to speak, but when he looked back to me and Brandon, he shut his mouth.

“So…I’m sorry what was your name again? Brady?”

I glared at Carter but remained quiet. I knew he could tell me everyone’s name that he’d just met. I’d always envied that he could remember anything as long as he read or heard it once.

Brandon’s arm tensed around my waist, “Brandon.”

“Right, my bad. So how did you meet my girl?”

“Through school. I live with Chase, Bree’s his sister and Harper’s roommate.”

Carter’s head tilted back a bit, his eyes lit up like he was just told valuable information, “Chase huh? Good for you two, I don’t judge.”

Brandon snorted and trailed his other hand down my arm to intertwine our fingers, “Hear that Chase? Apparently we’re together.”

“Ah. It all finally makes sense. Why you’re always at my house and such. Guess I should take you on a date or something.” Chase smirked but kept his glare on Carter.

I kicked Carter’s leg and gave him a be nice look.

He smiled warmly at me and glanced above my head to Brandon again. “What are you going to school for?”

“I’m double majoring in financial services and accounting, and minoring in marketing.”

Carter seemed genuinely surprised by this. I had been too when Brandon told me he’d taken every core class he would need at a community college while he was still in high school, so all he had to focus on during his time at SDSU were his majors and minor. He was incredibly smart, and it only added to his appeal.

“That’s admirable I guess,” Carter said looking at me, “you can probably go into something to make a good living.”

“I make a good living now.” He pulled me closer into his body and I watched as the muscles in his forearm strained against the skin.

I rolled my eyes and was about to stop the testosterone filled interrogation when Carter spoke again.

“And how’s that? You a manager at McDonalds?”

My mouth dropped and I glared at my friend, why was he being such a jerk? Brandon stiffened and I shut my eyes. Here we go.

“I fight. And I’m damn good at what I do.”

I quickly glanced at everyone around us, it was like a bad movie. Everyone stopped talking and was staring at Carter to see what he would say.

“What kind of fighting? With open handed slaps and hair pulling?” Carter goaded.

“MMA.” Brandon said through what sounded like clenched teeth.

“Oh perfect.” Carter glanced down at me, “You managed to find an abusive hot-headed boyfriend, exactly what we tried to get you to stay away from.”