Stealing Harper

“You son of a bitch!” Brandon yelled, and started stomping toward me.

Seriously? This bastard must not have had anything to drink last night; it’s way too early for fighting.

“Brandon!” Harper hissed, and stepped in front of me.

That woke me up. Hell. No. I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back before situating myself in front of her. I didn’t know what was happening that morning, but whatever it was obviously involved the three of us. And while I knew Brandon wouldn’t hit a girl, I wasn’t letting Harper get anywhere near a fight, let alone in the middle of one. I prepared myself for when Brandon hit me, and the damn girl moved back between us.

“No. Brandon, just stop!” she said, exasperated, and I reached out to grab her and pull her into me; but she put a hand on my chest.

“Harper,” he snarled, “please move.”

“No.”

Oh my stubborn princess. I got ready to pull her into me again when she moved away and went to Brandon, placing both hands on him. That hurt worse than face-planting on my already sore jaw.

“You have got to be kidding me! He—”

She cut him off, but I wish she hadn’t since I really wanted to know what I’d done this time.

“Will someone tell us what’s going on?” Brad asked from somewhere on my side.

I almost said I wanted to know the same thing when Harper pulled Brandon’s head down toward hers and kissed him. Screw being partly still drunk and partly hungover. I’m ready for this fight.

Brandon’s gaze glanced up to meet mine quickly before looking back at my princess and exhaling loudly. He whispered something to her and picked her up, walking her out of the living room and toward the hall that led to his room. She wasn’t a child! She could walk just fine.

“Chase, what did you do to her now?” Bree asked accusingly.

I didn’t respond because not only did I not know, but I was still itching to have my fight with Brandon, and anyone who got in my way wasn’t going to enjoy being around me until then. I walked up to Brandon’s room and heard low murmurs as I knocked and opened the door. Brandon was sitting on the bed but shot up off it when he saw me, and for a split second, I got excited that we were going to get our round. But then my gray-eyed princess put her hand on his chest, and the bastard stopped walking.

“Well, you just woke everyone in the house. Care to clue me in?”

On the one hand, Brandon looked ready to kill me; on the other, he looked like he wanted to take Harper away from me. I knew exactly how he felt.

Harper sighed and broke the silence, “Chase, how drunk were you last night?”

Enough to still be slightly drunk now. “Not drunk enough to forget why my jaw hurts.”

“Well, you deserved that one, you were being rude.”

Apparently that’s all I knew how to be around her! My arms flew out to the side in exasperation. “I was just talking to you!”

Brandon pulled my princess toward his body. Before I could curl my lip at him, he lifted up the sleeves of what had to be his shirt on Harper, and asked harshly, “This is just talking to her?”

What is just talk—oh holy shit. It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. No, no. No way I did that, I wouldn’t do that to any girl but never to Harper. When would I have even done something like that to her? Parts of last night flashed through my mind again. Seriously, you’re hurting me. Oh my God. No. I shook my head and looked up at her understanding face. Why did she have to look at me like that? If any time was a good time for her to look at me like she hated me, this was it!

“Oh God, Harper. I di—I.” What the hell is wrong with me? “Harper, I’m so sorry. I had no idea, I swear I didn’t mean to hurt you.” God, I would never have hurt her, not like that. I would have tried to keep her from me, but I wouldn’t have done this!

I stepped closer to her and ignored the warning growl Brandon sent my way as I placed my fingers on the large bruise on her arm. I’d done that, I’d hurt this perfect, innocent, frustrating-as-hell girl.

“Harper”—my voice gave out, and I had to clear it a couple times before I could talk again—“can I please talk to you alone?”

I couldn’t even care when Brandon kissed her and spoke softly to her. All I could see were the bruises on Harper’s arms. He kissed her, and though a part of me felt like it died again, I couldn’t find it in me to do anything about it. As soon as he left, and I heard the front door shut, I exhaled roughly and couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “Are you okay? God, that’s a stupid question, of course you’re not.”

“No, I am. I’m fine.”

“How can you even say that?”

“Because I am. They don’t hurt, and I didn’t even know they were there until Brandon saw them.”

So stubborn and frustrating! Yell at me, please! Tell me you hate me and never want to see me again, anything; just don’t act like this is nothing. “I just—I never meant to hurt you, I swear.”

Her hands found their way around my neck, and she pulled down until my forehead was resting against hers. I was so shocked by what she was doing, I couldn’t even try to push her away like I knew I should. I took in a shaky breath. God, what is it about this girl? “I know you didn’t, Chase. It really is okay; you were drunk, and I was being stubborn.”

There she went again! “Don’t do that. Don’t act like it’s okay when it’s not. You do this with everyone. And please don’t make excuses for me. Yes, I was drunk, and I don’t always realize what I’m doing after I’ve been drinking, but that’s no excuse, Princess.”