Hope's Chance(18)

I was probably the biggest regret of her life.

I grabbed my keys and my helmet and headed out of the house. Even if my sister started chasing me down the driveway, I wasn’t going to stop.





Chapter 10


Hope



For the next week I begged my mother to reconsider her arrangement with my father. I could tell that it was the hardest decision she had ever made, but she wouldn’t budge on the outcome. I had even asked Rylee’s parents if I could live with them, but my mother refused the offer when they made it, claiming I needed this time with my father.

Once my car was filled to the brim with all of my belongings, I hugged my mom. We had shed enough tears in the last week to fill a river. When I got into the car and pulled away, she waved one last time. She was only a phone call away. I could see her whenever I wanted.

I couldn’t be mad at her. My grandmother’s Alzheimer’s had gotten so bad that she didn’t know us anymore. She needed to be under full time supervised care.

My mother managed to get a job at the front desk of the Nursing home. She said the hours were crappy, but the pay was good. She would be able to easily afford a one bedroom apartment on her own. That put my mind at ease.

When I finally arrived at my dad’s house, the welcoming committee had come out to greet me. Buffy and my father stood in the driveway.

“Eeeek! I am so excited about you staying with us.” Buffy exclaimed.

My father, surprisingly, took me in for a hug. “You are going to love it here honey. I promise.” He said.

I started grabbing my things out of the car, when I felt someone standing behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. I could feel his eyes burning into my back.

“Hope, I want you to meet my brother Chance. Chance, this is Hope.” Buffy said as she stood between the both of us.

I had no choice but to look at him. If I didn’t then they would suspect something. I didn’t want to be here and I knew he hated that I was, but I looked him right in the eye anyway.

He brought his hand into mine. “Nice to meet you Hope.” His half smile and gorgeous eyes were irresistible.

I shook his hand. “You too!”

Chance acted like we had never met before, and as much as I wanted him to act that way, it made me more angry. How could he be so comfortable around me after what had happened between us? Was he born without a heart?

I had to be cordial. I wasn’t eighteen and my parents had the final say in where I lived, whether I liked it or not. I had to make the best of things. It wasn’t like I had to see him all the time. I could stay in my room and he could stay out back. It would work. It was only until the end of the year.

When the car was almost unpacked, Buffy and my dad went back into the house. They said they were going to cook on the grill to celebrate me moving in. That left Chance and I to grab the last two boxes from the back of the car.

He leaned in and grabbed one of the boxes. “Here, this one seems lighter.” He said as he placed it into my arms. I started walking away before he grabbed the last box and managed to close the trunk. Once we made it upstairs I sat the box down and stared at the walls. They were white, just plain white. Chance started to say something to me, but Buffy came rushing in. “Before you get upset, your father and I decided you could choose what color you wanted to paint the room. Maybe tomorrow we can head to the hardware store and pick it up together. I think you should paint it bright pink.” She said as she walked back out of the room.

Chance didn’t say anything at first, instead he let out a huge laugh. “I am sure you will love a pink room.” He said as he walked out of the room.

I rolled my eyes. “Asshole.”



Chance



I had to get out of that room. That girl should have been named Trouble, not Hope. There was no hope for me when she was around. I kept telling myself that she was a minor, but the truth was that we were only a few years apart in age. It was just another excuse I was telling myself to get past what we had done. Things were different now. We had to act like it never happened. She must have understood, because she went along with the introduction like she had rehearsed it. The night we spent together had been amazing. Maybe she didn’t think so, or maybe she hated me now for the way I had acted that morning.

When I got downstairs, Mark and Buffy were out on the patio. He had the grill fired up and had started cooking the steaks. “Need any help?” I offered.

“Actually, Buffy can you give us a minute alone? Guy talk.” He announced when she seemed confused.

“What’s up Mark?”

“I wanted to talk to you about my daughter.”

Stay calm. He doesn’t know anything.

“Sure Mark, what’s up?”

“I just wanted to remind you that she is my only daughter and I expect you to be under your best behavior when you are around her. I know you have experienced a lot in college, and I just don’t want her to be influenced into frat life.”

I had to smile at how he put it. I understood, but that part of my life was over. I was content on sitting home, drinking a beer and relaxing. “No problem Mark.”

“And Chance….you can look, but don’t you dare take it any further. She isn’t old enough for you.”

“Alright, no problem.” Too late!