“Cool that I’m here? Didn’t feel like being alone while Erin was gone tonight.”
“Yeah, sure. Parties are always open to anyone.”
She looked around before asking, “Where’s Harper?”
“At my parents’. She didn’t think she should be here since she’s pregnant. Sorry, I know you just got here, but I wanna get back to her so I’m gonna leave in an hour or so. Can I get you a drink, though?”
“Nah, I’m good. Can I just have a sip of your water?”
I handed it over without a word and turned when loud cheers came from the dining room. Keg stands. Seriously? Can’t they do that shit outside? Trish handed my water back to me, and I took a long drink.
“So hey”—she nudged my arm—“I was wanting another tat. You gonna do this one, too?”
“Sure, sure. What are you wanting?”
“Some lyrics from a song, right under my left boob.”
Aw hell. Harper’s gonna flip. “Uh, all right. We’ll see.” I drained my water and showed her the empty bottle. “I’m gonna get another one, you sure you don’t want one?”
She eyed the empty bottle, and her eyes flashed over to mine. “Yeah sure, I guess I’m thirstier than I realized.”
“YOU SKANK! HE’S having a baby!”
I worked at opening my eyes, but my lids felt heavy. Too heavy. And my head was pounding like I had a wicked hangover. What the hell? I didn’t even drink last night. Did I?
“Can you please give us some time alone?” a husky, feminine voice asked.
“Get out of his bed! Konrad, let me go, I’m gonna kill her! Chase, you ass**le, wake the f**k up!”
The f**k? I felt something tighten around my waist. Harper? Still trying to force my eyes open, I turned and had barely cracked them open when I saw her.
Not Harper.
Holy shit.
My eyes widened, and I scrambled away from Trish, my head pounding in protest, and I grabbed it as Bree started screaming again. “What the f**k is going on?” I yelled, and forced my eyes open again to look around. I was in my bed, in my house. Konrad looked like he wanted to kill me as he held a bucking Breanna to his chest.
“Chase, make them leave please.” Trish moaned and wrapped an arm around my waist, and I pushed her away.
“What the f**k are you doing in my bed?” I looked around wildly. “Where’s Harper? Oh my God, what the hell happened?” I groaned and gripped my head again as I struggled to get out from under the comforter and off the bed. I tripped out of the comforter and landed hard on the floor; when I looked down, I saw I was only in my boxers. Glancing up as Trish rushed out of the bed and over to me, I saw she was wearing my favorite shirt and underwear. Nothing else.
Oh God, no. No, no, no.
“Baby, are you all right?” Trish asked as she squatted in front of me. Her arm reached out toward me, and I smacked it away.
“The f**k, Trish! What are you doing in my bed? Why are you wearing my shirt?”
“I’ll kill you, you evil bitch!” Bree screeched and bucked harder against Konrad.
It felt like my skull was being split and I groaned as I tried to hold it together, like that would somehow stop the pain. “Harper, oh God, Harper. What happened? What did I do?”
I tried to remember going to bed with Trish . . . I tried to remember going to bed period. I can’t remember anything past—another shooting pain went through my head as I tried to stand—Shit, I can’t even remember my last solid memory of last night!
“Chase—” Trish reached out for me when I stumbled into my desk, and again I smacked her arms away.
“Do. Not. Touch me.” I glared at her, and my breathing became rougher. How could I have done something like this to Princess? “What. The hell. Happened?” When she didn’t respond right away, I yelled, “Why the f**k were you in my bed?”
“How can you do this to me, Chase? You’re going to pretend like I mean nothing to you just because your sister caught us?”
I turned to see my sister sobbing; Konrad’s nostrils were flaring as he held her tight and continued to shoot daggers my way.
“You bitch!” Breanna cried, and wiped angrily at her eyes as she looked back up at Trish. “Tell him the truth! Tell him!”
My eyes widened, and I turned to Trish while still cradling my head and trying to steady my breathing, so I wouldn’t vomit everywhere. “What, Trish? What’s the truth?”
She shook her head and shrugged. “Your sister’s psychotic. I don’t know what she’s even talking about.”
Before I could say anything about that, Konrad beat me to it, “You f**king whore! Say another word about her, and I swear to God, I will forget about all my views on hitting a woman. Tell him that Harper was here! That she’s the one that found you two!”
I dropped to my knees and started dry heaving. Oh God. Harper was here. She was the one that found us. Oh my God, what have I done?
“The sooner that little slut found out, the better. She was ruining Chase’s life!”
“Get out!” I yelled between heaves. “Get the f**k out of my house!”
“Chase—” Trish began again, but I cut her off.
“Get. Out!”
After another minute, the door to my room shut, and the only sound were Bree’s sobs and her repetitive words. “How could you, Chase?”
I couldn’t have. I wouldn’t have done that to Harper.