Everyone started leaving the numerous poker tables set up around the house to find a spot where they could see one of the TVs for the countdown to midnight, and I frowned when my princess got up without a word or glance in my direction and found her way toward Bree. I saw her take one look at Bree and Konrad making out with each other and laugh to herself as she shook her head. She brought her right hand up to look at the ring I’d just given her, and what happened next was what finally made up my mind. She bit down softly on her bottom lip, her cheeks barely turning pink, and smiled the sweetest smile as she looked at it before dropping her hand and glancing back to the TV. I’d just had one of those freakin’ lightbulb moments when I realized I would give anything to marry her, and I still hadn’t kissed her. But after watching that, I wasn’t waiting any longer.
I walked up behind her, grabbed around her waist, and pulled her back into the dark hallway. She gasped but slammed her mouth shut when I turned her so her back was against the wall and her eyes looked up to meet mine. I cupped her face in my hands and allowed my thumbs to brush over her cheeks as I studied her dark eyes. Her mouth opened slightly, and even with everyone in the house counting down to midnight, I could hear her intake of breath before I finally, finally pressed my mouth to hers. She locked her body up for a few seconds before relaxing and wrapping her arms around my neck. When she began moving her mouth against mine, I knew I could die happy.
I let my tongue trace against that bottom lip of hers I loved so much and groaned when she opened her mouth to me. I led us roughly back to the opposite wall, let go of her face, and grabbed her h*ps to bring her between my legs. She went willingly, and when one of my hands pressed against the small of her back to push us closer together, she moaned into my mouth and arched her body into mine. Her hands slid down from around my neck to fist into my shirt and pull me closer, and I smiled before nipping at her bottom lip and taking her mouth again. By the time we pulled back from each other, we were both breathing hard, and I rested my forehead on hers while I tried to catch my breath.
She put a hand to her chest but didn’t say anything and would no longer look at me. She was looking straight down. I needed her to look at me, I needed to know what she was thinking. That kiss hadn’t been what I was hoping for when I decided to finally kiss her. It was more. It’d been hungry and passionate and like we couldn’t get enough of each other. So why won’t she look at me?
“Harper.”
Her eyes snapped up, and my stomach dropped. She looked like someone had just crushed her. I’d never felt so alive, and she looked like she was on the verge of bursting into tears.
“I will think about that kiss for the rest of my life.” I gently pushed her away from me and watched the pain flash through her eyes as I wondered if I’d just made the biggest mistake of all when it came to this girl. I dropped my arms, walked quickly out to my truck, and got away from that house as fast as I possibly could. If she regretted that, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle it, so I didn’t want to know.
“CHASE, STOP.”
I froze and hung my head before turning to look at Brad. “Yeah?”
“What is going on with you lately? I’ll admit it’s been nice the last few weeks not having you and Brandon fighting around here all the time, but you’ve been snapping at everyone and avoiding all of your housemates for the last few weeks, and now when I see you . . . you just look like a zombie. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
Before I could reach for the doorknob, he put a hand on the door and spoke again. “We used to be friends, but whatever’s happening with you lately has you burning all your friendships, including ours.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, man. You know what’s going on with me, and you’re taking Brandon’s side.”
“No one’s taking sides—you’re just going about it the wrong way. You’re causing unnecessary shit, and it makes it hard to be in a room with the two of you.”
“Well, there you go. That’s why I’m always gone.”
“Do you realize how dumb all this is?” He waved a hand toward the rest of the house. “This is your f**king house, and you’re never here! Look, man, I know you like her—”
“Love her.” I cut Brad off, and his eyes widened.
“Uh . . . all right. I know you love her, but you missed your chance—for now at least. Right now, she’s with Brandon, and if there’s ever going to be a ‘you and Harper,’ then you need to stop doing what you’ve been doing.”
“There will be,” I said softly toward the front door. “I know she wants me, too.”
“Well shit, I hope she does, Chase! I’ve never seen you care about a girl for more than a handful of minutes. You don’t even look twice when Natalie comes around anymore, and she was the only lay you had more than once. I know Harper means something to you; I’m not blind! But if you’re so sure she wants you, too, then don’t f**k up the friend you have in Brandon to get with her.”
“Brandon’s in just as deep as I am, so I’m pretty sure that’s not possible.”
“Well, you need to figure something out. Because how it’s been isn’t the way to go about this.”
I sighed roughly and finally turned to look at him. “Are we done here, Dr. Phil?”
Brad’s head jerked back slightly, and he shook his head, “Seriously man, what the f**k has gotten into you?”
“Look, I’m sorry, I know I’m being a dick lately I just—I don’t know how to explain it . . . if someone were dating Sarah, what would you do?”
“My Sarah?” When I nodded, he continued, “Beat the shit out of him and take her back.”
I raised my eyebrows and continued to look at him.
“But that’s different, bro. Sarah and I have been together for two years, you aren’t even with Harper.”
“I know, but if she said yes, I’d marry her today.”
“Chase”—he looked at me like I was crazy—“you don’t even really know her!”
“Yeah, I do, and I’ll do anything to have her. You can think it’s crazy all you want, but you can’t act like you haven’t seen what she’s done to me without even trying. She hadn’t even realized I’d stopped drinking for her. I haven’t had or thought about another girl since the end of August, and the same with alcohol. And the funny thing is, I don’t even care. I could care less that I’ve missed every party over the last four months. None of that matters anymore; she does. And one of these days, she’ll be mine.” I hope.
He held up his hands and took a step away, “All right, man . . . all right. Just try to be smart about it, yeah?”
I smirked and nodded as I opened the front door. “I’m taking my cues from her.”
I hadn’t seen or heard from Princess in almost a week since kissing her on New Year’s Eve, and every day Brian made me kick myself for leaving after the kiss. He’d even had Marissa come down to the shop to lecture me about kissing her and leaving, and how I’d probably hurt her more by doing that. I wasn’t sure if they were right, but I sure as hell was about to find out.
On one of the Sundays, I’d heard all the girls talking in the kitchen about flowers, and Harper had gone on about orange lilies being her favorite. I’d known I couldn’t just get her some, but hearing her talk about them never left my mind, and I’d sketched up a large drawing of four orange lilies for her as a tattoo. She knew I had a tattoo for her, and I knew she wanted one, but I refused to tell her what it was unless she came to get it; and I’m pretty sure the only reason she never did was because Brandon would have stopped her. It’s just such a damn shame he’s still in Arizona right now. I hopped in my truck and pulled out my phone.
So . . . you ever going to come get that tattoo?
Princess: When are you free?
Seriously?
Princess: :) Make me an appointment. I’ll be there
We open at four today. Come in then
Princess: Do I get to know what it is first?
You can see it when it’s done. I’m warning you now, it’s going to take hours.
Princess: Chase, I swear, if you put something I hate on my body . . . I’ll kill you
I promise you’ll love it
Princess: Don’t make me regret this
See you in a couple hours Princess
Hell. Yeah.
I cranked the engine and took off for the shop to start on the outline so I’d have everything ready by the time she got there, and was almost done when Brian came in.
“Thank the good Lord above. Chase has come to his senses and finally gotten him some ass!”
My expression deadpanned as I looked up at him.
“Or maybe not.”
“You would be correct with the latter,” I mumbled as I went back to the outline.
“Then what was up with the goofy grin?”
“Princess is coming in for her tattoo.”
“Oh no shit? I gotta tell Riss!”
I snorted and looked back up to him. “Do you tell Marissa everything?”
Brian took a massive bite of a burrito and looked at me funny, “Uh . . . yeah.”
I just shook my head and went back to the outline.
“Riss said this is huge,” he said around another big bite, “and that it means she’s either not that upset with you or wants to see what will happen.”
“That’s nice, Bri.”
“And Riss wants to know if you’re gonna kiss her.”
I dropped the pen and looked up. “Brian, I don’t know man. I didn’t think she’d agree to it in the first place; I don’t know if she’ll even show up. Tell Marissa if she wants to be in on it so bad, she can come watch.” Brian took another bite, nodded, and started tapping on his phone. “No don’t actually tell her that! I don’t want to freak Princess out! Which means you can’t act like you know who she is, either. I swear, she’ll probably run away screaming if she sees you smiling at her the way you do when I talk about her. She’s gonna think you’re a freak, Bri, so just be cool.”
“I can be cool”—he shrugged—“I’ll be so cool she’ll be like ‘man that guy’s so fly,’ and she’ll leave your ass for me.”
I choked on my gum and had to wait a couple minutes before responding. “Did you just say ‘fly’ in a thug voice? Shit, all you’re missing is the grill, real O.G. over here.” I laughed and dodged the balled-up foil from the burrito he threw at me. “And leave me for you? Please. Brian, you have massive hair, look like you haven’t shaved for days, and are covered in tattoos and piercings. Like I said, she’ll run away screaming.”
“Psh, nah, you be trippin’.”
“You are so white. Leave me alone. I want to finish this before she shows.”
“You can bet your ass I’m gonna be texting Riss a play-by-play once she does!”