I looked up in time to see Brandon stalk off in the direction of his room, and Bree came our way with a look on her face that would make me proud if it weren’t directed at me.

She flung the door open and held her hand out as she continued to punch me in her mind. “Key, ass**le. Now.”

Ouch. Guess I deserved that one. I dug it out of my pocket and dropped it in her hand, “Love you, too, sis.”

“Go to hell, Chase.” She huffed and slammed the door shut. I really wanted to go in her place.

“Huh, sweet girl,” Natalie said from behind me.

I heard the click of a lighter and turned to watch Natalie light up a joint. “Seriously, Natalie? Put that shit away. No drugs in or around my house.” Legalized or not. Too much changed and could go wrong if you put that into the mix. The couches inside the house were already tilting up as it was from the liquor; I really didn’t need any secondhand benefits from her right now. System of a Down started playing, and I reached for my phone. “It’s the shop, I gotta take this.”

“God, you got boring over the summer.”

“Then feel free to leave. You already figured out why I needed to keep you around these past couple weeks, and obviously I’m done with you now, so go.” I watched her walk away and had to really focus on the screen, so I would hit the green button instead of the red. “Yeah?”

“Hey, man, sorry; I know you have the night off, but we’re slammed, and some people are requesting you. Can you come in?”

Bree came back out and went straight to whoever this guy she brought for the night was. Where was Harper? “Uh, no, Brian. Sorry, but I can’t swing it tonight.”

“There’s a couple really hot chicks asking for you.”

“That’s great, man, but I can already barely stay standing as it is, there’s no way in hell I could drive or hold up my gun long enough to ink anyone—not to mention make it what they want.”

He laughed loudly away from the phone and brought it back. “God, I miss college. All right, man, see you tomorrow. Do everything I wouldn’t do; I need to live through you since I’m tied down.”

“Nice. I’m telling Marissa that next time I see her.”

“Do, and I’ll deny it.”

I looked back through the glass doors and realized Harper still wasn’t there. Had I upset her that bad? I looked again, and Brandon wasn’t there either. I swore to God that if they were in my bed together, I wasn’t threatening anymore, I was doing. “Yeah, yeah; look, man, I gotta go. See you tomorrow.”

“Later.”

I was through the door and storming down the hall before I could hit the END button. Thank God she hadn’t locked the door because I slammed right into it as I threw it open. I almost sighed in relief when I wasn’t met with yells to get out from Brandon, but wanted to curse myself for making her want to be alone like this.

“Can’t you just leave me alone?”

That was almost laughable. No. “Once again, Princess, you’re in my room.”

“Fine, then I’ll go.” She got off the bed and tried to walk around me, but I held her in front of me. “Chase, let me go!”

“Not until you talk to me.”

“We have nothing to talk about!”

We have everything to talk about. “I’m sorry I hurt you, but I was just so damn mad!”

“Do you know how immature you sound right now? You decided to hurt me because you were mad? What did I ever do to you, Chase? And why do I always end up with your hands on me? Let. Me. Go.”

Maybe because I want to touch you, and you’re always running away? “Because you won’t stop and talk to me for five minutes!”

“Then you should understand that I don’t want to talk to you. Answer me! What did I do to make you mad?”

She thought she was making me mad? SHE WAS! But she wasn’t. Hell, I was confusing myself! I was making me mad, Brandon was making me mad even though he’d asked me too many times if there was anything going on between me and Harper. I didn’t want them together, I wanted her for myself, but I couldn’t be with her. Wait, what? Why the hell did I drink so much tonight? The way I feel for this girl is confusing enough on a normal, sober day; but tonight I feel like I need someone to put me in a straightjacket and a padded room. “Nothing! You did nothing; I’m not mad at you!”

“Seriously, you’re hurting me! Get off me and leave me alone!”

Hurting her? How am I hurting her? I’m trying to protect her!

“What the hell, Chase!”

Oh my God, what now? I turned and had barely made out Brandon, Bree, Brad, and Derek all in the doorway before Brandon’s fist was flying toward me. Aw hell, this is going to hurt like a bitch.

WHY IS IT so bright? Did I leave the light on in my room? I groaned and rolled over as I smashed my face into my pillow. What the hell? My eyes snapped open to see green underneath me, and I leaned up quickly to see grass. Who the hell put me outside? With another groan, my arms gave out, and I face-planted into the wet grass. “Ow.” Turning my head to the side, I rubbed at my jaw, and last night came rushing back to me just as I heard someone yell my name from inside the house.

Pushing off the grass, I stumbled to get myself upright, then stayed still for a moment to make sure I was steady. God, I still feel drunk.

“Chase, open the damn door!”

And that would be Brandon. I looked toward the house, and sighed. “Gladly,” I mumbled and sauntered over to the sliding glass doors. Ugh, someone needed to tell the sun to go away for a few more hours. I rubbed at my burning eyes and opened the door to see Brandon pounding on my bedroom door, “What’s with all the yelling?”