***

“Princess, stop walking and just talk to me.”

“Why? So you can let me know again how much of a slut you think I am?”

“I don’t,” he let out a half-growl, half-sigh, “I don’t think you’re a slut. You just caught me on a bad day.”

“Let me guess Chase, you hurt me because you were just so damn mad…am I right?” I threw his line from a month ago back in his face and he paled.

His hand came up and brushed my hair back, holding it away from my face as he stared into my eyes, “This is why I told you I would never be good enough for you, all I do is hurt you Princess.”

“This isn’t about you being, or not being good enough for me. I just want to be your friend, and you’re making that impossible.”

Friend, he mouthed and scratched his head before grabbing a fistful of hair, “Okay, fine, we’re friends. But I need you to stop approaching me around my house and at school.”

“What? Then that puts us exactly where we’ve been the last three weeks, that doesn’t change anything.”

“It needs to be that way.” He released both his hair and mine at the same time and turned away for a second before facing me again, “Sundays are the only day I get you. Those are the only days when you’re here with me.” I opened my mouth but he stopped me, “No, I know you’re not here for me…but you’re here. And he’s not.” He bent his knees so we were eye to eye, “I need these days with you Harper. But every other day, you’re his and it’s not a good idea for us to be around each other then. So stay away. Please.”

“Chase…”

“If you think acting like you don’t exist isn’t the hardest thing I’ve ever done, you’re wrong. I hate not talking to you, I hate not bickering like we’re an old married couple and I hate not spending every day right next to you. But this is how it has to be, Brandon hates me, and Princess trust me when I say he has every reason to. So if after everything I’ve done to you, you’ll still even consider being my friend, then it has to be Sundays only.”

“Brandon won’t care if we’re friends.” Okay I wasn’t entirely sure that was true.

He smiled and shook his head, “I know you’re not that naïve. Now go have lunch with Mom and Bree, then get your ass back here so I can have my few stolen hours with you.”

I walked toward the entryway but stopped after a few feet, “Chase?”

“Yeah Princess?”

Looking over my shoulder, I held his gaze, “Will you please stop hurting me…in every way?”

Chase closed the distance and pulled me into a tight hug, “Go eat sweetheart.”

That wasn’t a yes, or no. But I wasn’t going to press the issue further.

7

The last three months had flown by in an amazing blur. I had three A's and one B last semester and was actually excited for my next classes to start. Bree was the best roommate I could have ever asked for; she showed me everything in the San Diego area, helped me ease into college life and welcomed me into her family. She was like the sister I'd never had, and I loved her dearly. We still spent every Sunday with her parents and Chase, and although it was my day away from Brandon, being part of a family was amazing, and Sunday’s soon became my favorite day. It hurt knowing I'd missed out on this growing up, but I was extremely appreciative of how quickly Robert and Claire took me in and grateful for my time with them.

As I had suspected, I only heard from Sir about once a month, and even then it was by e-mail. I tried to call him once a week, but he never answered and never returned the calls. It didn't bother me too much, even when I'd lived at home, I only talked to him if I absolutely needed to. Carter and I almost never talked now, I still missed the way we had been, but ending our friendship was most likely for the best. He still texts me every now and then when he’s wasted, usually telling me about whatever strip club he’s at, or what girl he slept with recently. And last I heard before his unit left for Afghanistan, he’d eloped with a girl he met the day before they married. I had worried that I’d pushed him into his new lifestyle, but Bree and Claire quickly pushed that worry out of my mind.

Chase and I still had our different kind of friendship. We continued to not speak during the week, and when Sunday hit, he never let me out of his sight unless I was having a girl’s day with Bree and Claire. I found out quickly that he hated those days. No matter how much I wished for it, my feelings for him never seemed to go away. Actually, the sexual tension between us seemed to grow each time we saw each other, rather than dwindle to nothing like I wanted. The week of Thanksgiving break, we had run into each other in the hall of his parent's house and he stopped me so he could run his hands across my cheek and jaw, then down my throat. He gently pressed me against the wall and leaned in. Through the hammering in my chest and quick breaths, I'd somehow managed to ask him not to kiss me, and that was the last time our bodies ever came closer than a few feet of each other. I didn't understand my unwanted feelings towards him, but I was glad we seemed to find a happy medium with our friendship, and as far as I knew there had been no more fights between him and Brandon.

Brandon is…amazing. He treats me like I’m the only person in the world that matters and we’re practically inseparable. Our “weekend only” sleeping arrangement hadn't lasted past mid-October and most nights were now spent in his bed, but we only ever slept. There have been quite a few more times where things had gotten hot and gone a little too far, but he always stopped us before we went there, and I loved him for it. He had told me to let him know when I was ready, and even when caught in the heat of the moment, I still hadn't said anything and he never pushed me. Bree and I went to almost all of his fights, and he had yet to lose. Every time it was over, Scarecrow would hand him a wad of cash, and every time he would shove it in his pocket without counting it. I was itching to know how much he was making, but figured if he wanted me to know, he would tell me. There were no more cracked ribs, but sometimes he would come home with a busted lip or a cut brow. I preferred the cut brow, the busted lips got in the way too often.

He had taken me to Arizona with him for Christmas, and I was completely taken with his mom and brother, Jeremy. His mom was thrilled that he was actually bringing a girl home, and to not have to be surrounded by boys for another holiday. I helped her cook, we went to get our nails done together and had a night of romance comedies after we'd sent the boys away. I could easily see myself in his family, and though that thought after only four months into our relationship scared me, it kind of exhilarated me too. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to talk about marriage, but eventually, I think I'd like to head down that road with him.

Brandon planned on staying in Arizona for the entire winter break, but I'd promised Bree I would bring in the New Year with her, so I'd flown back to San Diego the day of and was currently walking out of the airport. I grabbed my phone to call my boyfriend and my heart ached at the thought of not seeing him for the rest of break. Since Brandon and I had met, we had spent at the very least a few hours with each other every day. These two weeks were going to suck.

“Hey baby, you make it there okay?”

“Yep! Just got my bag and I'm waiting for Bree to get me.”

“Will she be there soon?”

“She sent me a text when I was in baggage claim saying she was a few minutes out. Actually here she comes.”

“Okay, well I'll call you later then. Have fun tonight and happy New Year. I love you.”

I bit my lip and smiled, hearing him say that in his deep husky voice always did funny things to my heart. “I love you too Brandon.” I slid the phone back in my pocket just in time to be nearly tackled by my best friend.

“Oh my God Harper I missed you! Two weeks without you is too long!”

“Hah! I missed you too Bree. Next time I'll just have to sneak you in my luggage.” After we got my things in the trunk, we jumped into her car and fought the airport's holiday traffic. “Where are we going tonight?”

“Your pick, the guys are having a party, or my parents are throwing a party. Which I promise is not as boring as it sounds. There's always a ton of people there, everyone plays poker and drinks.”

“Well where will Konrad be?”

She smirked and raised an eyebrow like that answer should be obvious, “Wherever I am.”

“Can we just go to Mom and Dad's? I missed them too.” During Thanksgiving, Claire and Robert had told me they wouldn't respond to me anymore if I didn't act like they were my parents. It started as a joke, but it stuck.

While Bree was on the phone with Konrad, my cell went off and I started when I saw it was from Chase.

Chase - 'You gonna be at the house tonight?'

Me - 'Nope, going to hang with the family.'

“Is that lover boy?” Bree questioned as she turned the music back on.

“Uh...yeah.” I have no idea why I lied, but it felt awkward correcting myself now.

“Did you guys have fun in Arizona?”

I laughed at her wagging eyebrows, “We had fun, but not that much fun. Hate to burst your bubble.”

“You're going to kill that poor guy Harper! It's been like what...four months? Five?”

“I know, I know. I don't know what keeps stopping me. It's not like we never have the opportunity. I just...I don't know.”

She shut the music off quickly, that was never a good sign. “Are you guys okay?”

“Yes Bree, we're more than fine, trust me! It's nothing like that, I just haven't felt like it's the right time yet.”

“If you say so. But I'm serious. He's going to explode if it's not soon.”

“So you keep telling me.” I was dying to ask how Chase was, even if we didn't talk, we saw each other every day too. And having him text me for the first time ever just a few minutes ago had my heart racing knowing I'd be seeing him again within the next few days. “How's the family?”