“CHASE, STOP.”
I froze and hung my head before turning to look at Brad. “Yeah?”
“What is going on with you lately? I’ll admit it’s been nice the last few weeks not having you and Brandon fighting around here all the time, but you’ve been snapping at everyone and avoiding all of your housemates for the last few weeks, and now when I see you . . . you just look like a zombie. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
Before I could reach for the doorknob, he put a hand on the door and spoke again. “We used to be friends, but whatever’s happening with you lately has you burning all your friendships, including ours.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, man. You know what’s going on with me, and you’re taking Brandon’s side.”
“No one’s taking sides—you’re just going about it the wrong way. You’re causing unnecessary shit, and it makes it hard to be in a room with the two of you.”
“Well, there you go. That’s why I’m always gone.”
“Do you realize how dumb all this is?” He waved a hand toward the rest of the house. “This is your fucking house, and you’re never here! Look, man, I know you like her—”
“Love her.” I cut Brad off, and his eyes widened.
“Uh . . . all right. I know you love her, but you missed your chance—for now at least. Right now, she’s with Brandon, and if there’s ever going to be a ‘you and Harper,’ then you need to stop doing what you’ve been doing.”
“There will be,” I said softly toward the front door. “I know she wants me, too.”
“Well shit, I hope she does, Chase! I’ve never seen you care about a girl for more than a handful of minutes. You don’t even look twice when Natalie comes around anymore, and she was the only lay you had more than once. I know Harper means something to you; I’m not blind! But if you’re so sure she wants you, too, then don’t fuck up the friend you have in Brandon to get with her.”
“Brandon’s in just as deep as I am, so I’m pretty sure that’s not possible.”
“Well, you need to figure something out. Because how it’s been isn’t the way to go about this.”
I sighed roughly and finally turned to look at him. “Are we done here, Dr. Phil?”
Brad’s head jerked back slightly, and he shook his head, “Seriously man, what the fuck has gotten into you?”
“Look, I’m sorry, I know I’m being a dick lately I just—I don’t know how to explain it . . . if someone were dating Sarah, what would you do?”
“My Sarah?” When I nodded, he continued, “Beat the shit out of him and take her back.”
I raised my eyebrows and continued to look at him.
“But that’s different, bro. Sarah and I have been together for two years, you aren’t even with Harper.”
“I know, but if she said yes, I’d marry her today.”
“Chase”—he looked at me like I was crazy—“you don’t even really know her!”
“Yeah, I do, and I’ll do anything to have her. You can think it’s crazy all you want, but you can’t act like you haven’t seen what she’s done to me without even trying. She hadn’t even realized I’d stopped drinking for her. I haven’t had or thought about another girl since the end of August, and the same with alcohol. And the funny thing is, I don’t even care. I could care less that I’ve missed every party over the last four months. None of that matters anymore; she does. And one of these days, she’ll be mine.” I hope.
He held up his hands and took a step away, “All right, man . . . all right. Just try to be smart about it, yeah?”
I smirked and nodded as I opened the front door. “I’m taking my cues from her.”
I hadn’t seen or heard from Princess in almost a week since kissing her on New Year’s Eve, and every day Brian made me kick myself for leaving after the kiss. He’d even had Marissa come down to the shop to lecture me about kissing her and leaving, and how I’d probably hurt her more by doing that. I wasn’t sure if they were right, but I sure as hell was about to find out.
On one of the Sundays, I’d heard all the girls talking in the kitchen about flowers, and Harper had gone on about orange lilies being her favorite. I’d known I couldn’t just get her some, but hearing her talk about them never left my mind, and I’d sketched up a large drawing of four orange lilies for her as a tattoo. She knew I had a tattoo for her, and I knew she wanted one, but I refused to tell her what it was unless she came to get it; and I’m pretty sure the only reason she never did was because Brandon would have stopped her. It’s just such a damn shame he’s still in Arizona right now. I hopped in my truck and pulled out my phone.