I let my tongue trace against that bottom lip of hers I loved so much and groaned when she opened her mouth to me. I led us roughly back to the opposite wall, let go of her face, and grabbed her hips to bring her between my legs. She went willingly, and when one of my hands pressed against the small of her back to push us closer together, she moaned into my mouth and arched her body into mine. Her hands slid down from around my neck to fist into my shirt and pull me closer, and I smiled before nipping at her bottom lip and taking her mouth again. By the time we pulled back from each other, we were both breathing hard, and I rested my forehead on hers while I tried to catch my breath.

She put a hand to her chest but didn’t say anything and would no longer look at me. She was looking straight down. I needed her to look at me, I needed to know what she was thinking. That kiss hadn’t been what I was hoping for when I decided to finally kiss her. It was more. It’d been hungry and passionate and like we couldn’t get enough of each other. So why won’t she look at me?

“Harper.”

Her eyes snapped up, and my stomach dropped. She looked like someone had just crushed her. I’d never felt so alive, and she looked like she was on the verge of bursting into tears.

“I will think about that kiss for the rest of my life.” I gently pushed her away from me and watched the pain flash through her eyes as I wondered if I’d just made the biggest mistake of all when it came to this girl. I dropped my arms, walked quickly out to my truck, and got away from that house as fast as I possibly could. If she regretted that, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle it, so I didn’t want to know.

“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 f**king 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 f**k 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 f**k 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.”