Taking Chances (30 page)

“I know you
don't, but I want this too, Chase.” I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and
lifted it up, letting him finish taking it off. When it was on the floor I let
my fingers glide down his chest and stomach, resting at the top of his jeans. I
began unbuttoning them, but his hands stopped me.

“You're sure
Harper?”

I laughed and
pointed to my stomach, “Um?”

His face went
blank, “Just because we're having a baby doesn't mean we have to do anything.”

“Chase. I
didn't mean it like that. But yes, I am sure. Now stop trying to stop me and
let me love you.”

He chuckled and
brought his face to mine for a brief moment, then stepped back to let me finish
undressing him. When I was done, he started his slow, torturous undressing of
me. I was shuddering in heated anticipation long before he'd even gotten my
shorts off. We stood there taking each other in, completely naked, not touching
each other until he bent down to kiss my gummy bear bump, then my tattoo and
finally standing up to mold his mouth to mine. He picked me up and set me on
the bed, climbing on top of me so we could resume exploring each other with our
lips and hands until we were both breathing so hard from the intense touches, I
was begging him to take me. It was slow and passionate, and just as I'd
remembered our first two times.

The rest of the
weekend had been amazing, it wasn't just one big love fest, though we did get
completely carried away a couple times each day when sweet kisses quickly
turned heated, which of course turned into more. But the majority of our days
and nights were spent holding each other and talking about everything. From our
time apart, before and after the weekend in January, to our time together now,
and what we wanted later. By the time Sunday morning came around and we only
had a few more hours left, I was pouting, not ready to give up this precious
time.

“We can do this
every weekend, if you want.” He kissed the top of my head and ran his fingers
through my hair.

“Tempting, but
then it would lose its appeal. It wouldn't be a perfect romantic weekend
getaway; it would just become our weekends.”

“True. I'm not
ready to give this up yet though.”

I exhaled
softly and crawled up the bed so I could look in his captivating eyes, “Me
neither, but we need to go back to real life now.”

“Well not
now,
we still have a few hours.” He grinned and flipped me onto my back, “I'm
sure we can find something to do in that time.”

I sucked in a
breath when his lips started making a sensual line from my throat, across my
chest and down my stomach. He bent one of my legs, letting his hands slowly
trail down the inside of my thigh before doing the same to the other. He kissed
his way back up to my lips and pressed himself into me, biting back a groan.
His hand wrapped around my back and pulled me closer to him as we moved
together, enjoying the last time we'd have privacy for this for some time to
come. When we were finished, we lay there holding each other, whispering our
love for one another before reluctantly leaving the bed and packing up to
leave.

***

“Hey Princess,
can you come by the shop?”

I glanced at
the clock and pursed my lips, “I'm going to dinner with Bree in a little over
an hour, but I can swing by really quick. Did you need me to bring you
anything?”

“Just yourself.
Brian's mad because you haven't been around. And we have a new artist, she
wants to meet you after hearing all our stories about you.”

“I was just
there last week!” We both laughed into the phone, Brian was another tattoo
artist I hadn't met until after Chase and I became a couple, and he'd decided
right then that I was having his baby and that Chase was seriously confused. He
was one of Chase's closest friends there, and after meeting his bombshell of a
wife Marissa, we'd all hung out several times. Even Marissa asked how Brian's
child was doing. “I'm leaving right now, see you in a minute.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too
Chase.”

 I stiffened
when I saw an older woman sitting on Chase's counter, laughing flirtatiously
with him, her hand on his arm, her leg brushing his every time she'd swing it.
Chase saw me and his face lit up like he was looking at the most amazing person
in the world, and I was confused that he hadn't looked like he'd been caught
with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Come here
babe!” When I got closer he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me soundly
before turning me to the woman, “Harper this is Trish, Trish this is my
beautiful Harper.”

“It's nice to
meet you Trish.” I held out my hand and my face fell, eyes narrowing when she
refused to say anything back or take my hand. She was blatantly giving me a
once over with a nasty smirk on her painted face. “Or not.” I mumbled and
dropped my hand. It reminded me of the day Chase had met Carter, except Chase
hadn't even noticed what was happening, he was looking behind me talking to
Jeff. I looked at Trish quickly again before turning away to join the guy’s
conversation.

If I had to
guess, she was still in her twenties and was painfully beautiful. She looked
like a tatted up pin-up girl, and even if she hadn't been touching Chase, she
would make me uneasy. I was pulling back from hugging Jeff when I heard a loud
voice bellow from the back room.

“Do I see my
baby mama?!”   

Chase and I
laughed as I accepted a big hug and kiss on the cheek from Brian.

“Where have you
been? You're keeping my son away from me now?”

I patted my
stomach and grinned, “Never, why else would we be here?”

“Sup little BJ”
Brian rubbed my stomach and mock-punched Chase in the arm.

“Uh…BJ?” I
questioned, eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, Brian
Jr., that's what we're naming him.”

Chase, Jeff and
I burst into laughter, “Did you already ask Marissa? I'm pretty sure she
doesn't need another Brian to take care of.” Chase joked and pulled my back
against his chest so he could wrap his arms around me and kiss my neck.

Take that Pin-up
Barbie.

The four of us
talked for a few minutes until Brian and Chase got customers, I turned to see
Trish still hadn't moved from her spot on Chase's counter.

I had to leave
anyway so I walked up and tried to make nice. “Well it was nice meeting you,
I'm sure I'll see you around.” I offered my hand and once again, she didn't
take it.

“I'll make sure
to
take care
of your boyfriend for you when you're
not
around.”
She straightened and her smile became genuine, “Hey buddy, great girl you've
got here!”

“Yeah, isn't
she? You gonna stay and watch babe?”

I clenched my
teeth and turned to look at Chase. “No. I need to go meet Bree, I'll see you at
home.”

“Alright, let
me walk you out.” His customer was still looking at a book, so he wrapped an
arm around me and led me outside. “Thanks for coming, they've all missed you.”

I nodded and
grabbed for my keys.

“You okay?”

“Not really.
No.” I took a deep breath in and out, “I don't like Trish.”

I've never once
told Chase or Brandon I didn't like a girl they were friends with. Sure I'd
gotten jealous when girls would hang off Brandon, but I'd usually just cut in
and stop it. The pictures from Amanda had been a whole other story, but with
both guys, I wasn't one of those girlfriends who told them I didn't want them
hanging out with certain girls, because I knew I wouldn't listen to them if
they told me not to hang out with certain guys. Carter being a prime example.
It was pointless to be like that, and it made you look insecure. But I could
not stand the woman in there.

“What? Trish is
awesome, why don't you like her?”

“It might have
been the fact that she refused to return my greeting,
or
that she let me
know she was going to “take care” of you while I'm not around.”

Chase laughed
and pulled me in close, “Aw, Princess, she's just joking with you. You don't
have anything to worry about, she's gay.”

“I promise you,
she isn't.”

“Yeah she is,
she told me yesterday.”

“Okay Chase.” I
shook my head and hugged him back. He was really going to fall for that? I knew
flirting when I saw it, and I knew exactly what she meant with her little
comment. If he wanted to believe she was gay, then by all means. “I really do
have to go, I love you. See you when you get home.”

He kissed me
softly, pulling away far enough to look at my eyes, “Cheer up baby, I love you
too.”

I grumbled to
myself the entire way to meet up with Bree, and after giving her a play by play
of what had just gone down, she called the pin-up girl a bitch and said we'd
have to go check her out on another night to see if she'd do that again. I
smiled widely at my best friend. She always had my back. I was trying to stop
choking on my tea and laughing from Bree’s ridiculous scenarios of beating up
Trish when Derek, Zach and Brandon walked in to the café.

They ordered
their food and caught sight of us while they were waiting and came over to say
hello. Zach and Derek hugged both of us, but Brandon just stood there never
saying a word. He wasn’t coming across as rude, all you had to do was take one
look at his face and you understood why he wasn’t adding to the conversation.
His hazel eyes were full of so much pain and longing, I couldn’t stop looking
at them. It was like a train wreck you didn’t want to see, but couldn’t take
your eyes off of. He opened his mouth, but quickly shut it and walked over to
the to-go counter to grab the food and leave. Derek gave me a sad smile and
kissed the top of my head before towing Zach outside.

“You still love
him.” Bree stated when they were gone.

I looked at
her, afraid she was going to get mad at me, but she reached across the small
table and grabbed my hand.

“It’s okay
Harper, no one expected you to fall out of love with him. It’s a difficult
situation.”

“I hate what
I’ve done Bree.”

She nodded and
squeezed my hand, “Do you still love him as much as you did before you broke
up?”

I could have
easily lied to her, but she would know, and she didn’t deserve to be lied to
anymore by me, “More. So much more.”

“You love Chase
too, right?” When I nodded she leaned forward to add, “And are you happy with
him?”

“I am Bree. I
don’t know how to explain how conflicted my emotions are.”

“You don’t have
to friend. I think I’m starting to understand it, and I’m sorry you’re going
through this. This is one big cluster-fuck you’ve created, but you’re dealing
with it the best you can.” I opened my mouth but she stopped me, “I know you
love Chase and I know you’re not using him. I didn’t have to ask that to be
sure, I was just trying to see your reaction to each one. I know you’ll be
happy with my brother, and you’ll love him better than anyone ever could. But I
understand that you’ll never get over Brandon, we all do…Chase included. People
fall in and out of love all the time, and sometimes people have numerous loves
throughout their lives. But you have two epic loves and no matter who you were
with, I don’t think you’d ever get over or forget the other.”

“Do you think
I’m a horrible person?” Because I sure as hell feel like one.

“Not at all.
And you shouldn’t either.” She raised a perfectly shaped brow at me. She knew
me so well.

***

The next night
we were sitting around the kitchen table, picking at fruit and listening to
Bree recap on a story of some crazy person she'd run into downtown while she
was with Konrad. Chase laughed out loud and asked Bree if she'd given the
dancing homeless person money when I felt something weird. My entire body froze
and I glanced down to my stomach.

“Are you
kidding? Of course we did! That lady was hilarious, there was no way we weren't
giving her money.” Bree got out of her chair and tried to recreate the dance
for us.

Chase laughed
and again that weird feeling happened. I froze again, and glanced down before
taking quick glances at everyone else. I don't know why I'd think they would be
aware of whatever was going on inside me, but no one was looking my way. I was
staring at my rounding stomach and only partially paying attention to what
Robert was saying. As soon as Chase started talking, there were two somethings
and I gasped, reaching out for Chase.

“You okay?”
They all said at once.

“Say something
Chase.” I whispered, eyes still glued to my shirt.

He leaned
close, trying to look at my face, “Sweetie, what's wrong?”

I sucked in a
deep breath and started laughing, “He's kicking! He's kicking whenever you
talk!”

Chase fell out
of his chair and to his knees, his hands covering my stomach. He leaned close
to my belly and started talking slowly to him. I felt another kick just as
Chase's head shot back, his eyes wide, “Oh my God!” His face instantly went
back to my stomach and he continued to talk and laugh whenever he felt the nudge.

Everyone took
their turns with their hands on my stomach, and by the time Chase went back to
having his hands on me, there was only one more kick. “I think he rolled over.”
I don't know why I was whispering, but Chase had been the only one talking, and
his voice had been so low it felt weird to break that silence. “That was
incredible!” I laughed as Chase stood up to kiss me long and slow.

“My thoughts
exactly.” He whispered and went back to kissing me.

When we told
Dr. Lowdry about that the next morning, she raised her eyebrow. “Wait, you're
saying everyone else felt it too?”

“Yes.” We said
together, still smiling.

“I'm sorry, I
guess I just hadn't realized that at first. Harper, normally moms feel the baby
move around fifteen weeks, but for first time mothers it's normal not to feel
anything until you're twenty weeks. Which is how far along you are, correct?” I
nodded and she continued, “So you're right on track with that, but normally no
one else can feel it for another two and a half weeks, at the earliest.”