Stealing Harper (Taking Chances #1.5)(19)

“What do you mean?” I tried to pull her into my arms, but she stepped back and, with the hand that wasn’t gripping the towel to her chest, pointed at one of my arms.

“This! You can’t keep doing this. I’m with Brandon now; you have to stop. No more notes, no more touches, no more putting your lips on me. This isn’t fair to me. Do you have any idea how crazy you’re making me?”

That Brandon shit had started to piss me off, but as soon as she asked that last question, I was smiling again. “Really now?”

“Chase, I’m serious. This has to stop.”

Hell. No. “Give me one good reason why I should.”

“I told you, I’m with Brandon now.”

“I said a good reason, Princess.”

“That’s a perfectly good reason! And it’s the only one you’re going to get.”

I watched as she bent down to pick up the towels and knew I needed to just tell her how I felt. I’d spent too much time confusing both of us—I needed to lay it all out there. “Harper.”

She squeezed her eyes shut as she spoke to me, and I wanted to beg her to open them so I could look at her stormy eyes. “No Chase, please just—just don’t. I really like Brandon. Besides, you have plenty of girls who are fine with being treated like shit by you. I’m not one of them. Go find another brainless bimbo to screw and get out of your system.”

Holy shit; that hurts. I recoiled like she’d slapped me and didn’t even try to stop her when she turned and walked back outside. She still didn’t get it; she still thought this was just a game for me.

“Hey, there you are,” Brad called, and I tore my eyes from the back door and over to him. “Whoa, are you all right?”

I nodded and looked back at the door.

“Um, okay. Well, before you run off again, I’m gonna grill some burgers in a bit. So why don’t you stay until you gotta go in to work? I don’t know why you’ve been gone so much, but whatever it is, we all miss having you around here. C’mon, we’re all gonna be outside swimming and hanging out until later.”

A shriek that was distinctly Harper sounded from the backyard, and I took off for the door in time to watch her get thrown in the pool.

“They’re just throwing the girls in the pool, calm down.”

“I know, I just . . .” Just what? Didn’t want anyone touching her? Freaked the hell out when I heard her just then?

“Oh shit, man. Please don’t tell me—”

“Don’t worry about it, Brad. And yeah, I’ll stay.”

He sighed but didn’t say anything else; I just shrugged out of my shirt and pulled a chair up to where the towels I’d just given Harper were spread out. I had to grip the arms of the chair when Zach threw Harper into the pool again not thirty minutes later, but other than that, just sat around with everyone and tried not to make it obvious I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Bree and I were talking about this new prick she had with her and how she wanted to use my room again tonight, when Brandon ran up behind Harper and picked her up. I almost laughed when she kicked at him, but then he kissed her, and the laugh died.

He asked something too low for me to hear, but I definitely heard her response. “Not at all, I’m yours for the next three days.” I watched as he walked them into the house and caught sight of Brad watching me and shaking his head slightly before looking back to the grill.

Bree was still asking for my room as I stood up quickly. “Whatever, Bree, I’ll leave it unlocked.”

I stalked back toward the house, and Brad stopped me with a hand to my chest, “Bro, you should really think about what this could do to you and Brandon before you go startin’ shit.”

I shrugged off his hand and gave him a warning glare. “Maybe you should shut the f*ck up and mind your own business.”

Before he could say anything else I went into my room and pulled out my sketchpad for a while before getting in the shower and getting ready for work. I hopped in my truck and wasn’t even out of the neighborhood before I saw her. I had to do a double take, but I’d know that girl anywhere. I rolled down my window and slowed as I came up next to her and studied her hunched-over posture. “Harper?”

She didn’t look up and didn’t stop walking. What the hell was she doing? Why was she out here?

I threw my truck in park and jumped out before quickly rounding the front and going right to her. “Harper what are you—are you crying? What’s wrong?”

She sniffed and wiped at her face roughly as she tried to walk around me. “Please leave me alone.”

Hell no! “What happened?” Who the hell made her cry? Because I sure as shit didn’t; and why is she alone? I grabbed her arms gently, making sure that I would not be able to bruise her again, and hunched down low to try to look in her eyes; she just turned her head away. My hands started to flex, and I forced them to relax. Brandon, who the hell else? That’s it, I’m going to kill him for real this time.

“Nothing happened, Chase, so just let me go.”

“Like hell. You’re crying and walking through a dark neighborhood. Talk to me.”

“Why are you even out here?”

I wanted to ask her the same thing. “I’m going in to work. Now tell me what he did.”