Taking Chances (2 page)

“I guess this
means you won't be opposed to me taking you shopping tomorrow then?”

“If you can
make me look this good for a simple party, I'd let you pick out all my
outfits.”

She squealed
and clapped, turning to grab her clutch. “Yay! Okay, let's go snag a couple
guys.”

I stopped
walking, eyes wide. I don't know how to talk to a normal guy, let alone snag
one. “Uh, I'm not exactly great with the opposite sex. Like, I've never had a
boyfriend or anything.”

“Whoa, what?!”

“What part of
Marine for a father didn't you understand? I don't think I've ever even talked
to a guy that wasn’t a Marine.”

“Okay, timeout.
Are you being serious? Have you ever been kissed?” She gasped when my lips
pressed into a hard line. “Oh honey, I promise to fix at least that by the end
of tonight.”

My cheeks
flamed as I quickly followed her out to her shiny graduation present of a car.

***

“HEY BREE!”

“Hi Drew.”
Breanna hugged an already intoxicated looking guy that opened the door. “Drew
this is my new roomie Harper, Harper this is Drew.”

“Nice to meet
you.” I mumbled. Before I knew what was happening I was being lifted up in a
bear hug. I gasped but refrained the urge to kick him.

“Always a
pleasure to have fresh meat here.” He said with a wink before putting me down.

“Easy tiger,
she's off limits to you!” She mock glared and poked him in the chest.

“Aww, come on
Bree, don't be a cock block.”

Raising an
eyebrow I almost smiled at him. He wasn't even attractive and was holding a
blow up doll.

“Nu-uh, no one
that lives in this house is allowed to touch her. I know how you all are. So
play nice, kay?”

Drew grumbled
and walked away to refill his plastic cup. Breanna leaned in to speak in my
ear, “I'm not gonna lie and tell you they aren't all like that, practically
every guy that lives in this house is just as bad as him, and most of the guys
that will be here tonight are too. I'll tell you who's safe and who isn't.”

I smiled at
her, “Thanks Bree, I'll owe you.” Not that I needed her to tell me to stay away
from guys like him. Sir let me around the Marines not only because they were
like the brothers I never had, but he knew I would never end up falling for
someone who would talk like that in front of a girl.

She scrunched
her brows together and teased me, “Duh. Want a drink?”

Agreeing, I
walked with her to a group hovered around one of the kegs. After getting a beer
and forcing half the cup down to get the bad taste over with as fast as
possible, I followed her out to the back yard to meet more people. I don't
remember most their names, but I got picked up and carried around more times
than I cared to count, and was gawked at by every guy I met. Bree assured me it
was because I looked good, but I was already wishing I'd worn a sweatshirt and
jeans and cursing my tiny frame. Breanna seemed so at ease with the way guys
were touching her and raking their eyes over us, and I didn't understand how
she could do it. I no longer felt beautiful, I felt exactly like what Drew
called me. Meat. I was halfway through my second beer of the night when I was
pulled onto the dance floor by Bree and a few others.

I'd never felt
so out of place in my life. Just watching the way these people were groping
each other was making my cheeks burn, I tried to follow Bree's lead but I ended
up just stumbling around from people rubbing up against me. I turned my head to
see the most recent encounter and found myself being glared at by the most
beautiful blue eyes I'd ever seen. Taking in the rest of him I could see I'd
gotten in the way of his dry humping with a busty blonde and tried to quickly
move away. Pointing to the kitchen when Bree tried to stop me, I slowly made my
way through the packed bodies and out of the living room.

“What's up
Harper?”

I turned to see
Drew standing beside me. “Uh, nothing. Just had to get out of that.” I said
pointing over my shoulder.

“You don't like
to dance?”

You call that
dancing? “Not really my thing.”

Drew put an arm
on each side of me trapping me against the counter and pressing his body into
mine. “Is there anything else I can I interest you in?”

Not you. “Is
there a bathroom I can use?”

As soon as I
asked, a bunch of guys started chanting and I turned to see what the fuss was
about. My eyes about bulged out of my head when I did. The same guy I'd last
bumped into on the dance floor was now taking shots out of a girl with fiery
red hair’s mouth, running his tongue and lips all over her neck and chest
between each one. When he sprinkled more salt on her, I realized why he’d been
licking her. After the third one he looked right into my eyes and winked before
putting his mouth to the fourth glass. I shook my head and didn't even wait for
Drew to respond, I went off to find the bathroom on my own. After opening the
doors on two couples having sex, I finally started asking more people where to
find one. Once I got in, I locked the door and tried to calm myself. I may have
heard disgusting stories from my brothers trying to get a rise out of me when I
was young, but hearing it and seeing it are two completely different things.

I stayed in the
bathroom until people started pounding on the door and dashed down the long
halls trying to avoid looking at the doors to the other rooms I'd already
opened. When I rounded a corner I ran right into a broad muscular chest and
almost fell on my butt before he caught me.

“I'm so sorry,
I –.” I shut my mouth when I looked up and saw those deep blue eyes again.

He smiled and I
momentarily got distracted by his perfectly straight, white teeth and full
lips. Cocking his head to the side, I saw the recognition flash across his face
that was soon replaced by a sexy smirk. By the way my heart started pounding, I
was sure he'd perfected that look years ago. “Now who are you?”

I blinked and
tore my gaze from his mouth and tried to move around him but his hands were
still holding me in place.

“What, you're
too good to tell me?”

I thought about
the two girls I'd seen him with, and for the first time since running into him,
realized there was a new blonde with her arm wrapped around his waist. Wow
three girls within half an hour. I raised an eyebrow at him, “Apparently.”

He and the tall
blonde both scoffed. After releasing my arms he crossed his in front of his
chest exposing even more muscles and a good bit of half sleeve tattoos on both
arms. His stance may have looked intimidating if his face didn't appear so
shocked and amused. “Excuse me Princess?”

Narrowing my
eyes I started to shoulder my way past him, “You're right,
excuse
me.”

He let me pass
and I made my way back outside, to where most of the activities happening
didn't make me want to shut my eyes and turn away. Bree said we’d be here all
night, and I know it’s childish, but all I want to do is hide out. I found a
couple chairs in a dark corner of the backyard and plopped into one. It's
obvious I'm not going to be a fan of parties. I pulled out my phone and texted Carter.

Me - ‘So…I don’t understand why you guys get so
excited about parties’

J. Carter - ‘You at one?’

Me - ‘Yep.’

J. Carter - ‘Are you drinking?’

Me - ‘A little.’

J. Carter - ‘…please be careful. I know better than
anyone that you can take care of yourself. But you’ve never had alcohol before.
Don’t let anyone hand you an open drink, and don’t set yours down ever.’

Me - ‘Okay Mom.’

J. Carter - ‘I’m serious Blaze. Be careful.’

I smiled at his
nickname for me. I was known for blushing.

Me - ‘I will. Miss you already.’

J. Carter - ‘Same here. No one left this weekend,
we’re all too upset knowing you’re gone.’

Me - ‘I doubt that. You’re probably on a date right
now, already forgetting about me’

We texted for
hours and I realized the party had thinned out immensely by the time Breanna
found me.

“Harper! What
are you doing out here by yourself? I've been looking for you forever.”

“Sorry, guess
I'm not as good at this as you.”

Huffing, she
fell into the chair next to me. “You'll get used to it, once you know more people
you'll have fun. Did you talk to anybody?”

I shook my
head, “After I left you I only saw Drew and some other guy.”

“There were a
lot of guys here, you're saying you only saw two in the last few hours?”

“Not that, he
just...stood out I guess.” Not only because he'd given me a nickname I'd lived
with and hated my entire life, but he is easily the most attractive guy I've
ever seen. He had that bad boy model look going for him, and unfortunately he
knew it.

“Really? And
who is this mystery guy?”

“Apparently he
isn't really a mystery.” I laughed, “I saw him with three different women in
like thirty minutes. He was kind of a jerk too.” Not exactly, but I didn't like
his entitled attitude.

“Sounds like my
kind of man!”

I looked over
at her, shocked.

“Kidding
Harper! Kidding, oh my God you are too fun to mess with. Well, not to say I
didn't have my hands all over a few guys myself, but at least that was over the
course of four hours.” She laughed and stood up, offering me a hand. “Come on,
practically everyone's already gone.”

“Are we going
back to the dorms?”

“No way, crazy!
I never drive if I've had anything to drink within the last three hours. It's a
rule.”

“Sooo…where are
we going then?”

“Well first
we're gonna find my brother, and then we'll crash in his room.”

“What? No! I'm
not sleeping in his room.”

“Chill Harp,
it'll just be you and me in there. I always get his room after these parties.”
She pulled me across the lawn towards the back door.

I groaned and
tried to keep up, almost losing my flip flops on the way.

“YYYEEEAAAH
Bree and fresh meat are sleeping over tonight!” Breanna bounced over to where
Drew and another guy I didn't recognize were pouring shots and grinning while
staring at my chest.

“Well, well. If
it isn't the princess.”

My body tensed
and I frowned when I saw him approaching. Narrowing my eyes, I plastered on a
fake smile. “I almost didn't recognize you without a tramp attached to you.”

Drew and the
other guy snickered.

Leaning into my
ear he harshly whispered, “Would you like to change that? I'm not up to my
limit tonight yet.”

Gah, why did he
have to be so hot? My body was practically humming with how close he was. I
leaned away and replied with the most innocent expression on my face, “Oh I'm
sorry, but I don't have any STDs, I'm not your type.”

Drew started
choking and Breanna spit her next shot all over the counter. Sputtering and
choking, she finally composed herself enough to chime in, “Chase, you better
stay away from my roommate. I told the guys she's off limits.”

I tore my eyes
away from his to look at Bree, “You know him?”

Everyone
started laughing except for the guy standing next to me. His eyebrows were
raised and his perfect mouth was slightly open. I guess women don't turn him
down often.

“Well I'd like
to think so, he
is
my brother.”

Oh. Crap. Heat instantly
spread to my cheeks and I took a step away from him. Now that I’d been
informed, I realized I should have known it. They had the same blond hair, blue
eyes and killer smile.

“Wait, Harper
is this the guy you said was a jerk?”

My eyes widened
and I looked at the ground.

“You said I'm a
jerk?” Chase laughed and turned to the bar, “She's the one that just
practically called me a dirty man-whore.”

“Don't be rude
to my friends Chase!” Breanna took another shot then punched his arm, I doubt
he felt it though.

Without saying
anything else I went back outside to my chair in the dark corner of the yard,
and stayed there until the music was turned off. As a rule, I don't let guys
push me around, but I felt horrible that I'd said that to my new roommate's
brother. Not to mention we were currently at his house and about to stay in his
room. I planted my face in my hands, elbows on my knees and groaned at myself.
I should have just kept my mouth shut. As if he knew I was thinking about him,
Chase fell into the seat next to me. I removed a hand and looked into his dark blue
eyes.

“You hiding?”
That stupid sexy smirk was there again.

“Is it that obvious?”

He looked
around the empty back yard, then glanced back to me, “A little.” He stretched
out his long legs and sank farther into the chair, “Tell me, what's a princess
like you doing at my party?”

I bristled and
literally had to bite down on my tongue. “I'm not sure what you mean, but I was
invited.” It came out a little harsher than I'd meant it to, but I wasn't about
to apologize for that.

His smirk was
gone, and he looked pissed, “You don't have to be invited to come to the party,
but if you didn't notice, you don't exactly fit in here,
Princess
.” He
sneered.

My mouth
dropped open with an audible pop, I quickly shut it. He was right, I didn't.
But seriously? Rude. At least when I was snide, you could hear the sarcasm.

“If the way we
are disgusts you so much, feel free to stay at school next time.” Standing
quickly, he shot me one more glare before turning away.

Aces. I've been
here a little over a day, and my time here in California was already starting
off so well.