Taking Chances (Taking Chances #1)(43)
“I couldn’t, I couldn’t handle you breaking up with me.”
“Whoa, wait…what? Break up with you? Why the hell would I break up with you?”
I floundered for a minute trying to remember everything that he and Derek had said, “Because you…isn’t that…wasn’t that why you wanted me to leave?”
“No!” He hunched down and cupped my face, “I thought I scared you with that fight, I thought you wanted to get away from me.”
A sob escaped my chest and hot tears streamed down my cheeks again as I shook my head.
“Baby,” he crooned and wrapped his arms around me again, “are you insane? How could you think I wouldn’t want to be with you? Seeing your face in the bedroom, you looked terrified and I hated that you saw that. I shouldn’t have lost it like that in front of you.”
“So we’re not breaking up?”
“God no.”
A huge wave of relief washed through me, “I was scared in your room, but it was because I thought you were mad at me. I thought you were mad that you got into another fight because of me. And I hated that everyone had to get in on it.”
“Harper, I would fight anyone, anytime for you.” He kissed me softly and moved back to the door, “I’ll be right back, alright?”
Before I could say anything, he was out the door and jogging down the hall. When he came back a handful of minutes later, he picked me up and without breaking our kiss laid me down on the bed.
“Where’d you go?” I asked breathlessly when his lips moved across my jaw.
“I rented the room until Sunday morning.” He grinned impishly and I hurried to pull his shirt off his body.
***
“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,” he let out a half-growl, half-sigh, “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?” I threw his line from a month ago back in his face and he paled.
His hand came up and brushed my hair back, holding it away from my face as he stared into my 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 you being, or not being good enough for me. I just want to be your friend, and you’re making that impossible.”
Friend, he mouthed and scratched his head before grabbing a fistful of hair, “Okay, fine, we’re friends. But I need you to stop approaching me around my house and at school.”
“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.” He released both his hair and mine at the same time and turned away for a second before facing me again, “Sundays are the only day I get you. Those are the only days when you’re here with me.” I opened my mouth but he stopped me, “No, I know you’re not here for me…but you’re here. And he’s not.” He bent his knees so we were eye to eye, “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.” Okay I wasn’t entirely sure that was true.
He smiled and shook his head, “I know you’re not that na?ve. Now go have lunch with Mom and Bree, then get your ass back here so I can have my few stolen hours with you.”
I walked toward the entryway but stopped after a few feet, “Chase?”
“Yeah Princess?”
Looking over my shoulder, I held his gaze, “Will you please stop hurting me…in every way?”
Chase closed the distance and pulled me into a tight hug, “Go eat sweetheart.”
That wasn’t a yes, or no. But I wasn’t going to press the issue further.
7
The last three months had flown by in an amazing blur. I had three A's and one B last semester and was actually excited for my next classes to start. Bree was the best roommate I could have ever asked for; she showed me everything in the San Diego area, helped me ease into college life and welcomed me into her family. She was like the sister I'd never had, and I loved her dearly. We still spent every Sunday with her parents and Chase, and although it was my day away from Brandon, being part of a family was amazing, and Sunday’s soon became my favorite day. It hurt knowing I'd missed out on this growing up, but I was extremely appreciative of how quickly Robert and Claire took me in and grateful for my time with them.
As I had suspected, I only heard from Sir about once a month, and even then it was by e-mail. I tried to call him once a week, but he never answered and never returned the calls. It didn't bother me too much, even when I'd lived at home, I only talked to him if I absolutely needed to. Carter and I almost never talked now, I still missed the way we had been, but ending our friendship was most likely for the best. He still texts me every now and then when he’s wasted, usually telling me about whatever strip club he’s at, or what girl he slept with recently. And last I heard before his unit left for Afghanistan, he’d eloped with a girl he met the day before they married. I had worried that I’d pushed him into his new lifestyle, but Bree and Claire quickly pushed that worry out of my mind.