Book: Taking Chances
Quotes of Book: Taking Chances
Chase shoved one of the ultrasound pictures in Bree's face, "Then what the hell is this?" I stepped up next to her, took the photo out of his hand and spoke softly, trying to hide my shaking. "It's mine Chase." You could have heard a pin drop. Chase's face had softened as soon as he'd seen me, but turned into one of shock when he registered what I'd said. After a few minutes, a grin that reached his eyes spread across his face as he searched mine. His eyes slowly trailed down to my stomach and grew wide, "You're pregnant Princess?" "Yes." I whispered. He lifted his head to smile at me and dropped it again, gaze fixed on my bump. This time no one stopped me when I let my hand fall to cover it lovingly. "Is it – is it mine?" "Of course it is." "We're going to have a baby?" "Yes." "This is our baby?" He reached for the photo in my hand. I smiled, "Yes." His expression was so beautiful, tears instantly poured down my cheeks. "We're having a baby." I laughed through my tears and nodded my head. Chase ran a hand through his hair and huffed out a laugh. He looked from the picture to my stomach once more, "I love you so much." he breathed and closed the distance between us, crushing his lips to mine. I didn't care that his family was watching, I threw my arms around his neck and let him lift me off the ground. After I was good and kissed, he set me back down and dropped to his knees. Running his hand over my gummy bear bump, he lifted my shirt and kissed my bare stomach twice. A sob broke out of my chest and I looked at Claire who was freely crying and leaning into Robert. Even Bree was wiping a few tears away. Chase stood back up and cupped my face in his hands, "Why didn't you tell me?" "I was scared," I shrugged, "I still am." "You don't have to be scared," he whispered and kissed my nose, "I'll take care of us." I book-quoteHey Princess." Good God I missed hearing his voice. "Chase," I had to clear my throat to continue, "I didn't think you were going to be here." "I asked if you were coming to the house." He replied hesitantly. "Right, I just figured you meant your house." The room was thick with the tension that always followed us around. My heart started racing from his nearness and I silently cursed myself. I really didn't want any kind of feelings for this guy, and here I was wishing he would try to kiss me again. We sat there watching each other for who knows how long before he walked over and sank down on the floor next to me, handing me a small wrapped box. "Merry Christmas Harper." I picked it up and just stared at it, all I could say was "Why?" "Because you're my favorite, remember?" he huffed and his lips tilted up a little, "When I saw it, there was no way I couldn't get it for you. Please open it." So slowly I probably drove him crazy, I took off the wrapping and opened the little leather box. I gasped when I saw the ring inside there. It was a silver band that wrapped into the trinity symbol on top. I'd always wanted that symbol as a tattoo. I looked up at Chase and shook my head in wonder. "How did you know?" "You doodle it on everything put in front of you." He was right of course, if I had a pen and paper or napkin, it always ended up on there at some point. I just hadn't realized anyone other than Brandon noticed that, especially him. "Chase …" I couldn't hold them back any longer, tears started falling down my cheeks and I quickly dropped my head hoping he wouldn't notice. He did. "Don't cry Harper. If you don't like it, or you don't like that it's from me I'll take it back." My laugh sounded more like a sob than anything else. "I love it, please don't take it." "Then what's wrong?" He tilted my head up and brushed away a few tears with his thumbs. I had to force myself to not lean into his hands, it was the first time we'd had any type of physical contact in over a month. He was a whole new kind of Chase on Sundays, but I'd never seen him like this. So gentle and kind. It made my entire being crave him. "I've never had this before. Not just the presents … the love that your family has for me. I've never had it until now, and it's so overwhelming. I don't know what I did to deserve it and I don't know if I show them that too." "You do. Trust me." He searched my face for a long time and wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks. "You're special Harper, it's not hard to love you. book-quoteI'm sorry Chase, but I can't." "No. No, no n–" "I can't be with you. I love Brandon, I'm sorry." I whispered. "Baby don't say that. I will fight for you, I will. Please just give us a shot." "A part of me will probably always love you too, but I can't take chances with you Chase. You'll leave me one day, and it will kill me when you do." "Wha– No! I wouldn't, I swear I wouldn't." He reached for me then and I let him hold me. "You can't stay with any one girl, that's just how you are. And that's fine Chase, it's fine. You're with different girls every night, but when I think about love I think about forever. You can't give me that, so I'm not going to hurt myself by only having you for a short time." He lifted my face and stared into my eyes, his were filled with unshed tears and the sight of it almost knocked me off my feet, "I haven't been with anyone but you since you started dating Brandon. I knew then there would never be anyone else like you, and I wasn't going to waste time being with someone else." I wanted to believe it, and truthfully I did. He was never with girls anymore, but that didn't change anything. Chase had left me again. No matter what he said, he would always leave me. I gently kissed the corner of his mouth and stepped out of his arms, "I love you Chase." "Baby please, don't do this!" "I have to, I'm sorry." He held onto my hand, "Why? Why can't you be with me?" I book-quoteChase, if you still want to be in the baby's life, I would love that. But I can't continue to be in this relationship, besides, we both know it has been doomed from the beginning." "No it hasn't!" "I can't trust you Chase. Especially after this." "Harper. We. Are not. Breaking up." He gripped my hands in his, his whole body shaking. "I was going to propose to you after graduation tomorrow!" I recoiled at the thought of him asking me to marry him while he'd been cheating on me. "We need to." I continued, "You obviously still want to live your old life, and I need to not have to worry about what you're doing when I'm not with you." "I don't want my old life! I don't want anything without you! You are my everything Harper. You and our baby are my everything." His head fell into my lap while his body was overtaken by sobs. I sat there silently and ran my fingers through his shaggy blond hair until he calmed down and looked back up into my face, "Maybe sometime later, after you've had a chance to think about what you really want, we can give us a shot again." "Princess please, please don't do this. I can't lose you." "You book-quoteSaying goodbye to everyone, I picked up my bag and began walking away as a deep husky voice called my name. I didn't stop walking, but looked over my shoulder in time to see Brandon walking around the table toward me, and Chase holding the brunette's head away from his as he watched us, she just continued onto his neck. Falling into step with me, he held out a hand, "We haven't met yet, I'm Brandon Taylor." Dear Lord that voice could warm me on the coldest day of the year. "Harper Jackson, nice to meet you." He smiled as he held the door open for me, "You too. You seem to know the rest of the guys pretty well though we're just meeting, they said you're Bree's roommate?" "Uh, yeah. I am, but I don't really know them well. I've only talked to them for a total of about ten minutes before today." "Really?" The corners of his mouth twitched up, "You seem to make quite an impression in a short amount of time then." "Oh I definitely made an impression with them." I muttered. He looked at me quizzically but I shook my head so he wouldn't push it. We stopped walking when we got to the path that would take me to the dorms and him to his next class. I turned towards him and shamelessly took in his worn jeans resting low on his narrow hips and fitted black shirt before going back to his face. I hadn't realized how tall he was when we were walking out, but he had to be at least a foot taller than me. His height and muscled body made me want to curl up in his arms, it looked like I'd fit perfectly there. I nervously bit my bottom lip while I watched his cloudy eyes slowly take in my small frame. It didn't feel like the guys at the party, looking at me like I was something to eat. His eyes made me feel beautiful, and it thrilled me that they were on me. Thrilled me that they were on me? Get a grip Harper you just met him two seconds ago. "Come on PG, let's go." Chase grabbed my arm and started dragging me away. "Chase! Stop!" I yanked my arm out and shot him a dirty look. "What is your problem?" "I'm taking you and Bree to the house, and you need to pack for the weekend so let's go." He grabbed for me again but I dodged his hand. "The weekend, what?" "You're staying with me, go pack." I narrowed my eyes and started to turn towards Brandon, "Fine, hold on." "Harper." "Go away Chase, I'll meet you in the room in a minute. Go find Bree." He moved to stand closer behind me so I just sighed and gave Brandon a lame smile. "Sorry, apparently I have to go. I'll see you tonight?" I don't know why I asked, he actually lived there. A sexy smile lit up his face as his hand reached out to quickly brush against my arm, "See you then." With a hard nod directed towards Chase, he turned and walked away. I book-quotePrincess, 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 book-quote
