“Let’s get you a drink.” Brandon said as he led the way to the kitchen.

After we all had a beer in hand, Brandon gave me a weird look when we tried for the third time to start a conversation with Carter, and he just stared straight ahead. Chase walked through the kitchen, on his way to work I’m sure, and when he saw Carter his face fell as he pushed through him to leave. Carter glanced at him and drained his beer. It wasn’t weird for Chase to be rude, as far as I knew he still had yet to say anything to Carter. But usually Carter would make a snide remark to him, not just stand there and take it.

“Are you okay?” I asked, placing a hand on Carter’s arm.

He glanced to Brandon, then back to me, “I’m perfect, why?”

“You’re being really quiet.”

“I don’t have to keep you company every time I’m here, do I? As far as I’m concerned, that’s your boyfriend’s job.”

“Hey,” Brandon pulled me closer to his chest, “she’s just worried about you man. You don’t have to be an ass.”

Carter laughed humorlessly, “She doesn’t have a reason to be worried.”

“Look,” I leaned into Carter so I could speak in his ear, “obviously you’ve had a bad day, or week, and I’m sorry. But you need to have another drink, relax, and go find a girl or something.”

“I’ll be sure to do just that.” He grabbed another beer out of the fridge and left the kitchen.

Brandon kissed my neck, “Just let him go, he needs to chill for a bit.”

I nodded and tilted my head to give him better access, “I don’t know what his deal is, he’s been so different since he came to California.”

“Maybe he’s having a hard time getting used to his new unit.”

“You’re probably right.” turning, I wrapped my arms around his neck and slid my tongue across his bottom lip, I laughed huskily when he moaned, “Want to dance?”

He grabbed my hand and led me into the living room, smiling when Bree winked at me from where she was grinding on Konrad, they were finally exclusive. Pressing my back against Brandon’s chest I slowly started moving against him, loving the way his hard body felt against mine. I brought a hand up to cup the back of his neck when I felt his lips on my shoulder, and placed my other hand over one of his gripping the bottom of my shorts. My body felt like it was melting into him as heat burned through me, and I was once again left with my heart racing and wanting to take him somewhere where we could be alone. When the song changed into a faster one, Bree grabbed my hand and pulled me toward her, Brandon stayed right behind me. The four of us were dancing so close to each other, I kept brushing against Konrad’s legs and I knew Bree was having a hard time avoiding Brandon’s. While one of his hands stayed on my thigh, Brandon’s other raised up and went under my shirt, leaving it at the top of the denim I was wearing. My breath caught when he gripped me tighter, his pinky barely sliding under my shorts, the rest of his hand splayed across my bare stomach. I pressed my back against him even harder, resting my head on his shoulder and closing my eyes so all I could do was feel his body and hear the music. When my movement caused his ring finger to go below the waist of my shorts as well, my body trembled and I felt him harden against the small of my back. I don’t know if it was the shots, or the music, but I brought my hand behind my back and let it pass over the bulge in his jeans every time he’d move against me. Brandon trailed his fingers lower, skimming them across my satin underwear and I let out an involuntary moan, my body aching for his hand to continue lower. Suddenly, his hands and body were no longer touching me. I turned to ask what was wrong, but I lost my voice when I saw the passion and heat in his gray eyes.

“If I don’t back off for a minute, I’m going to take you right here in front of everyone.”

I grinned wickedly at him and watched him mentally talk himself into walking away without me. Good thing one of us could remember that we weren’t alone, I would have let him do anything to me just then, people surrounding us or not. I kept my eyes on Brandon while he walked to the kitchen, but had started dancing with Bree and Konrad again when a hand on my arm caused me to turn my head and look at an angry Carter. He tilted his head to the side and back, indicating the back yard so I followed, slowly making our way through the tightly packed bodies.

“Wha–”

Carter turned and roughly pressed his mouth to mine. My eyes went wide and I pushed against his chest, trying to scramble back.

“What the hell?!”

He was still holding my upper arms, his eyes smoldering, “Blaze, I want you. I’ve wanted you since I met you last year.”

My jaw dropped and I shook my head, “What?”

“I love you Harper.”

“No you don’t, we’re not like that, you know that!”

“No…I don’t know that. I moved here for you, I followed you across the country so I could be with you.”

I glanced at the people looking at us and tried to quiet my voice, “Carter, you’re my best friend. Don’t do this. Don’t try to change things between us, let’s just go back to how we were.”

“Did you never understand anything I did for you? Did you not hear everything I’ve ever said to you?” He looked at me incredulously, “I have never thought of you as just my best friend, I even asked your dad if I could date you and he made it clear as long as I was in his unit, I couldn’t. But I knew you would be leaving soon, I knew that was our chance to be together.”

“Carter,” I said softly, “I love you, but not like that. You even said it yourself, I’m like your little sister.”

“You know I was lying. I had to because you didn’t even wait five fucking seconds before hooking up with the first guy that you came across.”

My jaw dropped, “Jason!” I hissed.

“Just give us a chance Blaze, I can love you and take care of you better than he can. Better than anyone can.”

“I’m in love with Brandon, but even if I wasn’t, I would never think of you that way. I’m so–”

His lips were on mine again, and I leaned as far back as I could, “Stop!” I yelled as I shoved him off me.

As soon as he was a few feet away, someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me back further at the same time that Brandon plowed into Carter with his shoulder, knocking both of them to the ground. Sean and another Marine, Anthony, were on top of Brandon trying to pull him off, followed closely by Drew and Zach. I shot forward but Derek held me to his chest telling me not to get in the middle of it. As they started pulling each other off, Brad came out yelling for everyone to back off. It took a few more party goers for the fight to end, Anthony and Sean held Carter back as he continued to lunge for Brandon, I was surprised to see he wasn’t bleeding anywhere. Brandon just stood there with his hands down at his sides.

“What…nothing?!” Carter hissed, “You claim to be some fighter, let’s see it!”

Brandon continued to not move or say anything.

“DO SOMETHING!” Carter yelled.

“Enough!” Brad’s voice boomed across the back yard. “Get out. The three of you need to leave. Now.” Looking around him he threw up his hands, “Never mind, everyone get out. Party’s over. If you do not live or stay here, get out!”

Everyone started shuffling in, keeping a distance from the two Marines dragging Carter away. He was still taunting Brandon, who was now standing beside me, replacing Derek’s arms with his own. He wasn’t stopping me like Derek had though, Brandon’s arms were full of warmth as his fingers made small circles on my side and back.

“You okay?” He asked softly, still watching Carter leave.

“I’m fine, did you hurt him?”

“All I did was keep him on the ground.”

I nodded and buried my face in his chest, “I swear I had no idea about any of that.”

He chuckled, “I know you didn’t know, doesn’t mean the rest of us didn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like he said sweetheart, everything he says to you or about you is laced with how much he wants you. You just didn’t realize it because you thought you were only friends.”

I felt incredibly stupid. “How much of that did you see?”

“The whole thing, it just took me a while to get through everyone to you.” He tilted my head up and I was surprised to see a wide grin on his face as he leaned in closer to me, “And I love you too Harper, so much.”

A smile stretched across my entire face as I hurried to press my mouth to his, murmuring how much I loved him against his lips.

After everyone left, we cleaned up from the party quickly, but when the guys and Bree sat down to watch a movie, Brandon grabbed my hand in his and led me to his bedroom. Flipping off the light, he locked the door and changed with his back to me as I slipped into a tank top and shorts. When we were under his comforter, he wrapped his arms around me, pressing my chest to his.

“I’m sorry if you wanted to stay up with them, it’s just been a long day, and all I want to do is be with you.”

I pressed my face into his neck, placing a light kiss into the base of it, “This is perfect.” After a few silent minutes I laughed softly, “I really was starting to enjoy the parties here too. I guess I’ll have to go back to avoiding them, too much drama.”

“One of these days, everyone will get the hint that we’re not going to leave each other. They’ll back off.”

“I hope so.”

“I love you sweetheart.”

My heart soared, “I love you too.”

***

I slipped out of bed the next morning to use the restroom and freshen up a bit, smiling the entire time. I was still on cloud nine from Brandon telling me he loved me. I’d known I was in love with him for a couple weeks now, but I had been too afraid to tell him. I guess that was one thing I could thank Carter for, he made us skip the awkward moment of telling each other for the first time. Carter. I rolled my eyes. He’d left me ten voicemails and dozens of texts last night apologizing, and I hadn’t said one thing back to him. I hated what I’d lost from our friendship in North Carolina, but he was just too different now, I didn’t know how we could even continue on being friends, especially after what happened last night. I mentally shook myself as I pulled my hair back into a loose low bun, I didn’t want to think about him right now. I just wanted to go back to my boyfriend, and spend the weekend wrapped up in his arms.