“I’ll tell you, if you tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“I feel like I’m just one in a group of Harper’s many guys, but I’m not getting the benefits. So tell me, if I act like your friend, will I get to f**k you too?”

My fist was aiming straight for that perfectly shaped nose but Chase was slammed into the wall before I could connect. Brandon’s forearm was pressed against Chase’s throat and his tan face was turning red with anger.

“What the hell did you just say to her?” He growled and pressed Chase harder into the wall.

Chase’s only response was to spit in Brandon’s face.

Brandon’s other hand grabbed Chase’s shirt to bring him forward while the arm that had been against his throat delivered a hard blow to Chase’s stomach. Chase swung and hit the wall when Brandon moved, but he’d moved right into Chase’s left hook. I started yelling at them to stop and somehow they ended up on the floor with Chase on top. Just as the other housemates came out of their rooms, Brandon knocked Chase’s head to the side and Chase spit again on Brandon’s face, this time it was full of blood.

“Shit, again?” Brad huffed as he ran past me and grabbed Chase’s arms to pin them back. Derek kept Brandon on the floor while Zach helped Brad haul Chase towards a hall on the opposite side of the living room.

“Holy Crap Princess,” Drew slung his arm around my shoulders and I shook it off, “you really drive guys crazy don’t you? This has been the most entertaining two months we’ve ever had in this house, and it all seems to come back to you.”

“Drew.”

“Yeah Princess?”

“If you want to have kids at some point in life, I suggest you leave.”

He tsked at me, but wisely moved away, “So touchy. Hey B, you uh, got a little something on your face.”

“I’m about to let him up.” Derek warned and Drew took off for the back yard.

As soon as Derek let go, Brandon was up and stalking toward his bathroom, not saying a word to me. Derek handed me Brandon’s back pack and nodded toward his bedroom.

“Wait for him in there, I’m gonna go talk to him though I’m positive I already know what he’s gonna say. Just give him a few minutes, and Harper?”

“Hmm?”

“Stay away from Chase. It’ll make all of this a lot easier.”

I blushed fiercely and nodded before shutting myself in Brandon’s room. Ten minutes of sitting there alone felt like three hours. I listened to numerous doors open and slam shut, raised voices on different sides of the house and what must have been Chase taunting Brandon. Next thing I know all the guys were yelling at each other and Brandon started threating Chase. The door opened, and I watched Derek and Drew struggle to push Brandon in.

“Chill man!” Derek puffed as he kept shouldering Brandon’s chest so he couldn’t leave, “He’s doing it to piss you off more, just calm down.”

“She’s mine!” Brandon growled and pushed forward again.

“Yeah, she’s yours and right now you’re scaring the hell out of her. Calm down!”

Brandon turned and stopped trying to force his way out when he saw me. As soon as the other two were out of the way, he slammed the door shut and locked it, but didn’t turn back to me. He rested his head against the door, one of his hands pressed against the wall.

I started to move off the bed, but his voice stopped me.

“Don’t. Give me a minute.”

Four tense minutes later and I stood up anyway, “I’m going to go –”

“I’ll take you to your dorm,” He finally looked at me and shook his head, “never mind I’ll get Derek to take you.”

My stomach dropped. I had been planning on going outside to give him more time; I wasn’t expecting him to want me to actually leave. Usually he was trying to stretch our “weekends only” rule, this was the first night since Saturday that we were supposed to be together, and he wanted me to go back to the dorm. He didn’t even want to be the one to take me. Was he that mad at me for the fight with Chase? My throat closed up, so I simply nodded and grabbed my duffel bag.

“Uh, will you please take me to a hotel?” I asked Derek after we were in his car.

“Hotel? Don’t you want to go to your dorm?”

“No, Bree’s having Konrad stay there tonight. Just take me to a hotel.”

He pursed his lips but didn’t say anything until we were at the entrance of the closest place. “Don’t be too hard on Brandon, kay? Try to forgive him, he feels really bad for doing this to you.”

What? Doing what to me? Oh my God, is he going to break up with me? I didn’t ask him to get in a fight with Chase, I had been about to take care of it myself. My eyes watered and I couldn’t even thank Derek for the ride, afraid that if I opened my mouth I’d start sobbing.

Derek got out of his car and walked with me up to the front desk. I still couldn’t speak so he told the woman in the business suit behind the counter that I needed a room for the night. When she asked for a card to go on file he pulled out his wallet. Grabbing his arm, I shook my head quickly and the tears started falling.

“I already can’t believe I’m about to leave you here, Princess. Give me some peace of mind knowing that I didn’t make you pay for a room because of what just happened.” He handed his card to the woman who was shooting daggers at Derek. Once I had the keycard in my hand, he hugged me awkwardly and stepped back, “Let someone know if you need anything.”