Taking Chances (23 page)

“Sweetheart,
tell me what you're thinking.” Brandon pleaded while I nuzzled his neck.

I sighed and
rolled onto my back, “I'm just worried about you.”

“I told you,
I'm fine. I don't want you to worry about this, it's nothing.”

“Brandon,
please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think I can watch you fight
anymore. I just –” I fumbled for a few seconds trying to put my thoughts into
words, “seeing that happen to you, I freaked and Scarecrow had to stop me from
running out there. I can't watch something like that happen to you again. Would
you hate me if I didn't go to them anymore? I'll wait for you in your bed for
when you get back, but I can't watch them.”

He pulled me close
to his right side and kissed my forehead, “I could never hate you, especially
over something like that. I'm sorry you were worried. I'm sorry you had to see
that.”

“Don't
apologize, I'm just glad you're okay. Well, as okay as you can be right now” I sighed
into his chest and he squeezed me tight.

“I love you
Harper.”

“I love you
too. So much.” I kissed him softly and settled in to finally sleep.

***

I smiled
against Chase's kisses while he led me back to his room, which we had barely
left an hour ago. Gasping when I realized where we were, I pushed him a little
bit away from me and looked around confused.

“Chase, we
can't do this here! What if one of the guys walks in? Oh my God, what if
Brandon comes home early?!” I could have sworn we were at his parent's house,
when did we get to his?

“Don't worry Princess,
no one will catch us.”

A part of me
was screaming that it was extremely likely someone would catch us, but when his
lips touched my naked body, I couldn't seem to care enough to stop him again. I
ran my fingers through his hair and pulled his head away from my stomach and
back to my face.

“I guess we'll
just have to try to be quiet this time.” I whispered huskily.

Chase groaned
and brought himself between my legs, just as I was feeling the pressure I was
craving, he called my name but his lips never moved. I blinked and looked
closer at his mouth when I heard my name again. That was definitely not Chase's
voice. Oh God, Brandon was here!

“Chase!” I
hissed, “Chase we have to stop, he's going to come in here!”

He smiled
crookedly and pressed further into me, “Let him.”

The door opened
then, and my boyfriend's head peered in, “Brandon! No!”

Brandon simply
smiled and looked at me, “Wake up sweetheart.”

Huh?

“Come on
sweetheart, we need to go to class.”

I looked over
to Chase who was now shaking my shoulder, then back to my boyfriend. What on
earth was happening?

“Harper. Get.
Up.” I had no idea who said that last one.

My eyes flew
open and I sat upright, my face smashing into a naked chest. “Brandon!” I
nearly screamed.

“Jesus Harper!
Calm down.” Brandon's arms wrapped around me and he kissed the top of my head.
“Are you okay?”

I pushed back
on his chest to look at his face, then around the room. Brandon's room. “I
think...I was dreaming.”

Dreaming was an
understatement. Up until the end, everything had seemed so real. Everything
felt
so real. I was still completely turned on for crying out loud! I felt sick to
my stomach that I'd had a dream of cheating on Brandon. I was still fully
dealing with the guilt of
actually
cheating on him, I didn't want this
too.

“Was it bad?”

“Um, no. No it
was fine.” Not fine, not okay. Why can't I stop thinking about him?

“Are you sure?
Your heart is racing and you're drenched in sweat babe.”

“I'm good, it
just freaked me out a little.”

Brandon
shrugged, “Okay, well go get ready, we have to leave for school soon.”

I grumbled, but
he lifted me out of the bed and set me down in the bathroom. Brandon had been
doing a few physical therapy workouts with his trainer for his shoulder and was
doing much better. There was only pain after working out but he was taking it
easy and had told Scarecrow he had to miss the last two fights. I didn't know
when he was going to go back, and didn't ask. Honestly I didn't want him to,
but there's no way I would ask him to stop doing something he loved. After I
was mostly ready for the day, I walked into the kitchen and froze. Chase was
standing with his back to me, talking to Bree. He must have heard me enter the
room because his back tensed and he straightened from crouching down to speak
with his sister.

“Uh, good
morning.” It almost sounded like a question.

Bree glanced
around Chase, her smile widening, “Morning doll! How'd you sleep?”

Chase barely
cast a glance over his shoulder, saying nothing. That hurt.

“Pretty well,
you?”

“Excellent.”
She bit her lip and her face flushed.

“Ugh, seriously
Bree? Save it until I'm gone at least.” Chase made a gagging noise and walked
out.

My dream hadn't
done his voice justice, at all. That was the first time I'd actually heard him
say anything in weeks, and unfortunately it wasn't directed towards me. I
watched him retreat down the hall then turned to start the coffee pot.

“So Harper,
anything you want to share?” Bree asked suggestively.

I froze. Crap.
He'd told her, how could he do that to me? And why did she sound so freaking
happy? My voice shook, “What do you mean?”

“Hmm...let me
see. You and Brandon were pretty cozy and he carried you away at seven last
night, your lips completely locked the whole time. What do you mean 'what do I
mean?'”

Oh thank God. I
exhaled and the tension left my shoulders, “We were tired.”

“Oh come on!
Don't even try to tell me you guys didn't finally do the bunny dance in bed
last night.”

“The what?” I
turned to face my friend and burst out laughing, “Breanna. Where the heck do
you get these things?”

“That’s beside
the point! Fess up!”

“Sorry Bree, we
really didn't do anything.” I smiled and grabbed the now full pot.

“Still?!” Her
head fell heavily into her hands, “Harper, how can you still be torturing that
poor boy?”

“I'm just not
ready yet, and he respects that. Unlike
some
people I know.” I looked
pointedly at her, she just rolled her eyes.

“I have a
feeling you just don't want to tell me about it. Keeping all the juicy details
to yourself.” She hmphed and crossed her arms over her chest.

She had no idea
how right, and yet how wrong she was.

“Well,
I
have a feeling you're going to continue to be disappointed for a while longer.
I'm not ready to be with him like that, end of story. You'll be the first
person to know when I finally decide to have sex with Brandon. I'll even give
you the heads up before I tell him.”

“Promise?”

I had chosen my
words carefully so I wouldn't be lying to her, “Promise.”

She sat there
studying me as I poured creamer into the mug, “Maybe it's just because you
don't know what to do!”

“So tell me,
how's
your
sex life Bree?”

“Ohmygodamazing!”

I smiled and
leaned against the counter. Yep, I was now a pro at getting the attention off
myself. I listened to her not-so-private life until Brandon came into the
kitchen to grab his cup of coffee as well.

“She talking
about Konrad again? I swear she brings it up more than he does, and that's
saying something.” He kissed the tip of my nose and moved so he was against the
counter, my back against his chest. I wiggled into him more, trying to mold
myself to his warm body that could have only been made for mine.

“To be fair, I
brought it up, but I think she's trying to make up for our lack of a sex life.”
I laughed lightly and turned to look at him.

“We'll get
there when we're ready.” He shrugged, but I saw the hunger and longing in his
face. We still had close calls, but hadn't brought it up again since that night
in his Jeep. Torture was definitely a good word for what I was always doing to
him.

Bree finally
got onto a different subject a few minutes later when I was on my second cup of
coffee, but I could barely focus on what she was saying anymore. I shook my
head as if to clear it and leaned forward a little, hoping it would somehow
help. It didn't. I swear it felt like I was in a Charlie Brown episode, but in
slow motion. It now sounded like she was talking under water and I was confused
when she started to get up from the table and walk towards me, her face
alarmed. Why did she look so scared? I heard a muffled crash and something hit
my leg, it stung but I couldn't look down at it, though I was definitely
leaning forward enough to try. Brandon caught me just before my face hit the
tile and I lost consciousness. 

I heard people
saying my name and figured I must be asleep again, I thought I'd opened my eyes
to see who was in this dream, but I still could only see darkness. Suddenly,
someone was yelling my name in my ear and my eyes shot open.

“Oh my God! Are
you okay? What happened?!” Bree was right in my face and if I could have moved
back, I would have.

Why was Brandon
suddenly so uncomfortable? I mean, his body is hard as a rock, but it was a
comfortable rock that I curled into practically every night. Not whatever this
was behind me. I turned my head and my cheek met the cold tile. “Am I on the
kitchen floor?”

Brandon came
running into the kitchen with Chase and Brad, all three looked concerned.

“She's awake?”
Brandon looked to Bree as he knelt down next to her.

“Yeah, just
happened.” She replied.

I tried to sit
up but my head was so heavy I barely got it two inches off the ground before I
gave up, my head smacked against the tile, “Ow.”

“You need to
stay down there sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

I looked at
Brandon's hand reaching to cup my cheek, then back to Bree. “Did I fall asleep
in here?”

Bree actually
laughed and grabbed my hand. “Not quite. You passed out.”

“I did?”

“Yeah Harper,
scared the crap out of us too.” She scolded me, but looked relieved.

Brad walked
back into my line of sight, “Couch is ready, get her over there.”

I knew from
experience any of these guys could lift me by themselves and carry me around,
but for some reason all three decided to move me to the couch.

“I'm fine,
you're all being ridiculous.”

“Sweetheart,
you were out for –”

“I get that,
but I'm fine now.” And I was. I felt like I could get off the couch and go make
breakfast. Speaking of...my stomach growled as I thought of food. I pointed at
my stomach and smiled at the four of them, “See, I'm fine.”

Brad was
pressing on my leg, making me wince, Bree was watching his hand and Chase and
Brandon were staring at me. Both clearly still worried.

“Uh, Brad?
Could you ease up? You're hurting me.”

He smiled
sheepishly and removed the bloody towel away from me.

“What the –”

“You dropped
your mug and a big chunk sliced your leg pretty good.” Brandon filled me in as
he pressed his lips lightly to my neck. “How are you really feeling? And don’t
lie to me.” He whispered into my ear.

I looked up in
time to see Chase hang his head and step away, slowly shaking it back and
forth. One half of me yearned to go comfort him, and I tried not to let it
show.

“I'm great,
really. I feel like nothing happened.”

He seemed to
consider that a moment before finally helping me sit up.

“See? Just
fine.” My head swam and I felt nauseas for a second.

Brandon smiled
and kissed me softly, “I'll go make you something to eat then, that's probably
what it was. You didn't have dinner last night.”

“Or lunch.”
Bree interjected and I blushed as Brandon scowled at me.

 “Bree?” He
said.

“Yeah?”

“Can you go
with her while she takes a shower? Just in case it happens again.”

“Sure, come on
Harp, you look disgusting.”

I smiled at
her, “I love you too Bree.”

I took a
shower, without incident, and practically inhaled the eggs and toast Brandon
made, even though it was enough for Bree and I put together. By the time we
were finished, I'd already missed my only class of the day, so naturally Bree
and I decided to go shopping. Brandon wasn't ecstatic, he was trying to keep me
in bed, but once I had eaten, I felt better than I normally did so he
reluctantly let me go. We'd barely gotten into the second shop when Bree put a
hand on my arm and turned me towards her.

“Are you okay
Harper?”

“Yeah. Why?
What's up?” I breathed heavily.

“Um, well we
just walked like one hundred feet and you're practically doubled over trying to
catch your breath.”

I raised an
eyebrow and started to speak.

“Okay fine,
that was a little exaggerated. But you're bright red, sweating and you
are
breathing hard.”

“Well, it's
really hot today, but other than that I feel fine.”

“Harper, you're
wearing a short sleeved shirt and it's fifty degrees outside.”

I paused,
“Really?” My heart had finally slowed down so I took a deep breath, relishing
in the feel of my lungs filling to their capacity.

She grabbed my
hand and towed me towards the car. I couldn't even complain, I felt fine but
man all I wanted to do was take a nap. When we got back, Brandon jumped up to
greet us, worry etched all over his face as he took in my heavy breathing and
red face.

“Did she pass
out again?” He asked Bree.

“No, but she
wasn’t doing well.”

“What do you
mean? Did something else happen to her again?”