Taking Chances
Page 74

Take that Pin-up Barbie.
The four of us talked for a few minutes until Brian and Chase got customers, I turned to see Trish still hadn't moved from her spot on Chase's counter.
I had to leave anyway so I walked up and tried to make nice. “Well it was nice meeting you, I'm sure I'll see you around.” I offered my hand and once again, she didn't take it.
“I'll make sure to take care of your boyfriend for you when you're not around.” She straightened and her smile became genuine, “Hey buddy, great girl you've got here!”
“Yeah, isn't she? You gonna stay and watch babe?”
I clenched my teeth and turned to look at Chase. “No. I need to go meet Bree, I'll see you at home.”
“Alright, let me walk you out.” His customer was still looking at a book, so he wrapped an arm around me and led me outside. “Thanks for coming, they've all missed you.”
I nodded and grabbed for my keys.
“You okay?”
“Not really. No.” I took a deep breath in and out, “I don't like Trish.”
I've never once told Chase or Brandon I didn't like a girl they were friends with. Sure I'd gotten jealous when girls would hang off Brandon, but I'd usually just cut in and stop it. The pictures from Amanda had been a whole other story, but with both guys, I wasn't one of those girlfriends who told them I didn't want them hanging out with certain girls, because I knew I wouldn't listen to them if they told me not to hang out with certain guys. Carter being a prime example. It was pointless to be like that, and it made you look insecure. But I could not stand the woman in there.
“What? Trish is awesome, why don't you like her?”
“It might have been the fact that she refused to return my greeting, or that she let me know she was going to “take care” of you while I'm not around.”
Chase laughed and pulled me in close, “Aw, Princess, she's just joking with you. You don't have anything to worry about, she's g*y.”
“I promise you, she isn't.”
“Yeah she is, she told me yesterday.”
“Okay Chase.” I shook my head and hugged him back. He was really going to fall for that? I knew flirting when I saw it, and I knew exactly what she meant with her little comment. If he wanted to believe she was g*y, then by all means. “I really do have to go, I love you. See you when you get home.”
He kissed me softly, pulling away far enough to look at my eyes, “Cheer up baby, I love you too.”
I grumbled to myself the entire way to meet up with Bree, and after giving her a play by play of what had just gone down, she called the pin-up girl a bitch and said we'd have to go check her out on another night to see if she'd do that again. I smiled widely at my best friend. She always had my back. I was trying to stop choking on my tea and laughing from Bree’s ridiculous scenarios of beating up Trish when Derek, Zach and Brandon walked in to the café.
They ordered their food and caught sight of us while they were waiting and came over to say hello. Zach and Derek hugged both of us, but Brandon just stood there never saying a word. He wasn’t coming across as rude, all you had to do was take one look at his face and you understood why he wasn’t adding to the conversation. His hazel eyes were full of so much pain and longing, I couldn’t stop looking at them. It was like a train wreck you didn’t want to see, but couldn’t take your eyes off of. He opened his mouth, but quickly shut it and walked over to the to-go counter to grab the food and leave. Derek gave me a sad smile and kissed the top of my head before towing Zach outside.
“You still love him.” Bree stated when they were gone.
I looked at her, afraid she was going to get mad at me, but she reached across the small table and grabbed my hand.
“It’s okay Harper, no one expected you to fall out of love with him. It’s a difficult situation.”
“I hate what I’ve done Bree.”
She nodded and squeezed my hand, “Do you still love him as much as you did before you broke up?”
I could have easily lied to her, but she would know, and she didn’t deserve to be lied to anymore by me, “More. So much more.”
“You love Chase too, right?” When I nodded she leaned forward to add, “And are you happy with him?”
“I am Bree. I don’t know how to explain how conflicted my emotions are.”
“You don’t have to friend. I think I’m starting to understand it, and I’m sorry you’re going through this. This is one big cluster-fuck you’ve created, but you’re dealing with it the best you can.” I opened my mouth but she stopped me, “I know you love Chase and I know you’re not using him. I didn’t have to ask that to be sure, I was just trying to see your reaction to each one. I know you’ll be happy with my brother, and you’ll love him better than anyone ever could. But I understand that you’ll never get over Brandon, we all do…Chase included. People fall in and out of love all the time, and sometimes people have numerous loves throughout their lives. But you have two epic loves and no matter who you were with, I don’t think you’d ever get over or forget the other.”
“Do you think I’m a horrible person?” Because I sure as hell feel like one.
“Not at all. And you shouldn’t either.” She raised a perfectly shaped brow at me. She knew me so well.