When Its Least Expected

by Heather Van Fleet

  thing, a completely different and a very bad thing. She cleared the nervous ball of something or another that was stuck in her throat. The unavoidable questioned she’d been avoiding slipped out of her mouth, “Why?”

  “Well, I was hoping we could hang, get to know each other. I could just come over to

  your place…” Oh yes, total date night. Crap. “And we could watch a movie maybe. Hang out as, um, friends.” She gnawed on her lower lip; she was boggled; mind-blowingly boggled.

  Hang out, as friends? She shifted her legs over one another. Why did those two simple

  and completely normal ideas bother her so much?

  “So, what do you say, little beast? I could bring ice cream, popcorn, whatever else you’d

  like to nibble on...”

  Nibble on? Oh hell, she could think of a few things. Ears, neck, and lips were always

  good. Oh, God no.

  What was she thinking? She shook her head and pinched her eyes shut. She was in dire

  need of a little focusing energy here, and hearing this guy talk about nibbling was not the way to do it. Having Mason in her house, on a Friday night definitely constituted as a date. A date she should avoid, but couldn’t bring herself to say no to.

  “I mean, I would have you over here and everything, but my grandpa’s sick and

  my mom’s not exactly friendly right now,” his rambling startled her out the misery she was

  digging herself deeper in. She sighed in defeat. There was no other way around this, especially when he sounded so sincere, so excited even.

  “I’ll tell you what,” she paused, flicking her finger nails together, struggling to keep her voice even as she spoke. “You can come over, but you’ve got to bring pizza, preferably

  pepperoni and jalapeños. No romance or horror movies. It’s got to be strictly comedies, and I require pop, lots of it. Oh, and make it chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup.” She giggled at her own demands. His answering chuckle made her laughter erupt more.

  “Wow, little beast. You drive a hard bargain.”

  “Yup, I know what I like,” her voice went low and trailed off as her face immediately

  flushed at the double meaning in her words. She slapped a palm against her head. God, she was an idiot!

  He laughed low, and at his good hearted response she threw herself face first against the

  pillow. She was tempted to scream into it, in excitement, in frustration, she wasn’t sure. But instead, she just inhaled the scent of laundry detergent lingering against the sheets as she struggled not to suffocate herself.

  “I think I can help with your demands, little beast…” Now Mason was the one with the

  double meaning. When had their conversation turned from purely friendly to downright flirty?

  “Besides, I can paint a mean pedicure I’ve been told.”

  Harley’s stomach rolled with laughter, and before long, she was clutching her middle in

  pain. She hadn’t laughed like that in months. It sure as hell felt good too. She sighed in

  contentment as their joking ceased. She turned over to her back again, her legs twisting and untwisting in the sheets. Man, she’d be lucky if she fell asleep before her next birthday.

  “Harley?”

  “Yeah, Mase?” She cringed, not at all comfortable with the nickname thing yet, but it just

  sort of slipped out.

  “Thanks,” he offered up, his voice soft, wistful. “I mean for forgiving me and stuff. I was a jerk today. You didn’t have to agree to go to that dance with me or even forgive me, but you did. Believe me when I say that makes me super happy.” She smiled to herself as she brought her hand up to play with one of her mangy curls. “I haven’t had a friend in while, and you’re quite possibly the first girl who seconds as my friend…”

  Wow. He was going sensitive again. It was time to get off the phone.

  “No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

  You will not swoon … you will not swoon …

  “Good night, Harley. Sweet dreams.”

  “Yeah, um, bye, Mason.”

  She slid her finger over the end button, easing the phone onto her chest. This wasn’t

  happening. Dammit, she couldn’t like this guy.

  Yes you could, and no, you can’t deny that it.

  She groaned as she threw an arm over her eyes. Her biggest fears were coming true. And

  she’d totally just swooned over Mason Daniel.

  Chapter Seven

  “I’m telling you, Mom, we are just friends.” Harley barked at her mother as she

  continued to flip through the same section of sweaters in her closet over and over. She’d been at it for over twenty minutes. The sad part was she had no idea what she was looking for. “I mean, he’s new in school, and his friendships are few and far between, so…”

  Her ever nosey mother snorted as she sidled up next to her. It was obvious the lady didn’t

  believe her by the telltale narrowing of her eyes. Harley glared back at her; the stare down was in place again. They’d be Olympic medalists if staring contests were a sport. Harley finally looked away though otherwise she’d truly believe what the woman was telling her. That this movie

  thing was more of a first date then just a couple of friends simply hanging out.

  Five minutes later a decision was made on the clothes, and the old black hoodie paired

  with her holiest pair of jeans was the winner. Big, baggy, and un-flattering; that was the perfect option. Well, to Harley at least, but to her mother not so much.

  “Well, sweetie,” her mom sighed, an arm outstretched towards her clothing choice she

  had just uncaringly stowed across her bed. “Can you at least try to make yourself presentable?

  This boy obviously likes you and wants to get to know you better. Maybe he has boyfriend

  potential, and you don’t even know it!”

  Now it was Harley’s turn to frown, and that she did while growling in annoyance. The

  woman may have been her mother, but she was also the most delusional woman on the face of

  the earth.

  The lady was worse than an obsessive teenage girl always wanting Harley to find a

  boyfriend or insisting that she find someone to spend time with other than Abigail and David.

  Moms were supposed to be the opposite of hers, telling their daughters to steer clear from said boys, especially ones like Mason Daniel, but Harley’s mom wasn’t normal in that sense or any others senses actually. She had a terrible tendency to take things to the extreme when it came to her dating life.

  Hell, she took Harley condom shopping with her last boyfriend; that’s got to say

  something! Sitting down on her bed, she slipped her sweats off, only to pull on pulled her

  favorite worn jeans instead. Harley snickered to herself, shaking her head, as she thought of that dreaded condom buying day.

  She had told the woman at least a million and a half times that she was a virgin and that

  she had planned to stay that way for a very, very long time, but that trip to Pamida was

  apparently not to be argued with. Her mom was insane, telling Harley as they drove in their family’s minivan that it was better to be prepared for the moment rather than to be saddled with an STD or a child for a lifetime. Harley was so shocked that speaking was almost deathly

  impossible.

  God, that poor old lady cashier had to have died of a heart attack shortly after they left

  because her lovely mom had grinned like a fool at the checkout, reciting how Harley was a

  “growing young girl, with raging hormones.” The woman gasped and stared at my mother’s

  gleaming proud face like she had four heads. And Harley? Well, she was beyond mortified, and getting to the van without balling her eyes was difficult, to say the least.

  To top it off, her mother laughed Harley’s tears away, calling her silly. Silly, h
er ass...

  Throwing her favorite black hoodie over her head, Harley rolled her eyes at the memory.

  Her mother, on the other hand, sat down next to her on the bed running a hand over her shoulder.

  Too bad it wasn’t a soothing motion.

  “Ah, sweetie, really? You have so many nicer things to wear, yet you still insist

  upon that ugly, ratty thing? I thought I raised you to take care of yourself a little better than that, honey.” Her mom frowned, her voice laced with disappointment. Harley only shrugged as she

  stood to go to the bathroom.

  She stared back at herself in the mirror, waiting for her mom’s inevitable knock to sound

  on her door. Luckily, it never came. She studied her face, as she threw her frizzy curls into a lose pony tail at the nape of her neck. Control was definitely out the questions today as the tiny ringlets flicked out to the side. She laughed at the picture, slapping her hands down against her thighs. Her life was apparently represented by her hair.

  A knock sounded at her door. “Oh, and Harley,” Harley pressed her palms onto the

  counter and dipped her chin into her chest. Damn the woman; she hadn’t given up after all. “Do yourself a favor, and give the boy a chance. You never know, sweetie.” She shrugged and patted the door frame as she turned to walk away.

  Ugh, the nerve! There were no words on her tongue that could do the idiotic mom

  moment, justice.

  Five minutes later, the sound of the doorbell rang ominously through her house. She

  stiffened, her heart jarred against her chest. Panic was setting in… What was she doing? A boy was actually coming to her house on a Friday night! She rubbed a hand over her belly. No, it wasn’t the flu she felt coming on … it was her enemy, happy anticipation, coming out to play.

  She sighed and gave herself one last frustrated glance before she left the bathroom, to head towards the hall.

  Out the blue, David’s speed racing wheel chair cut her off. Her eyes narrowed at his

  black head of hair. He smiled over his shoulder at her, his eyes danced with mischief as he grinned and waved.

  “Oh no, you don’t, David Anderson,” she threatened, her feet picking up speed. “You are

  so not going anywhere near that door, do you hear me?” His answering smirk said otherwise, and he pushed his wheels faster. She growled. A wild animal would have been terrified of her.

  “What’s the matter, Har? You don’t think I’m gonna embarrass you, do ya?” She gasped

  as his eyes went from sweet to devilish in under a second. Harley knew exactly what he was planning. Too bad it wasn’t going to happen on her watch.

  When they finally reached the edge of the living room, David went all out dirty on her,

  pushing her down on her ass in front of the ottoman of their dad’s chair. “Oh you no good piece of –“

  “Hi, Har!” her dad cut her off with a smirk as he stared teasingly over his paper. “I knew

  I trained your brother right.” Oh no, he was in on this too? Harley gaped up at him in disbelief, her face was burning red. She was beyond mortified and pissed. “He’ll interrogate that poor kid more than I ever could.” Just like that, he went back to his magazine while her mother giggled like a school girl over on the couch, head tucked in her own Home and Gardens magazine.

  Ugh! The nerve of these people!

  Just as she stood rubbing her soar behind with the palm of her hand, her ears opened up

  and took in the sound of her new favorite melody, Mason Daniel laughing.

  She sighed in resolution. Her arms hung low at her sides. It was too late. Her brother was

  going to humiliate her. It was in his protective twin brother manual apparently.

  * * *

  Mason flexed and cracked his knuckles against his leg, standing outside the Anderson

  front door. He checked his cell phone for the third time since he’d pulled up, worried that he was too early or maybe he was too late. He shook his head and laughed a humorless laugh. He was a dumbass. He’d never been this worked up over hanging out with a girl before, especially a girl like Harley. Straight laced, prissy types weren’t his thing, but before he had a chance to retreat off the porch like his head was demanding him do, the front door cracked opened, revealing a dude with eyes as black as coal, and a face so similar to his little beast that it was downright scary.

  With a carton of ice cream balanced on top of the pizza box, he looked down at this dude

  in a wheelchair, immediately curious to know what had happened to his other leg, err, well, the leg that was no longer there. It wasn’t often he saw a dude this young with a missing leg and no prosthetic. Hell, it wasn’t often he saw a dude with a missing leg at all.

  “Sup, I’m Mason.” Harley’s brother stared up at him, eyes wary.

  “I’m David. Good to meet ya.” He paused, and a genuine grin appeared on his face. For

  the first time in an hour, Mason could breathe. “Anybody who can deal with my pushy, neurotic sister is alright by me.” Mason grinned hard, a loud laugh escaped his mouth, and the food he’d been ordered to bring, just about didn’t make it in.

  Luckily this David dude, who he already knew he’d like, reached up to grab the ice cream

  before motioning him inside. “Well, she did kinda blow me off the first night we ever met but later ended up accepting my invite to that dance, so I guess she must not be that neurotic,”

  Mason smiled, stepping into their home.

  Immediately, the warm smell of cinnamon enveloped his nose. Now this was a home he

  could live in. His eyes darted back and forth to look around. This was nothing like the stuffy, bare walled mansion he lived in.

  “I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same girl here, dude, but whatever.” Mason

  smiled, following David further into the kitchen, noting the dark oak wood of the cabinets and the smooth granite on the countertops. The walls were a yellow color and they immediately

  reminded him of the California sun.

  A throat cleared off to his left pulling his attention from the picture perfect surroundings.

  He looked to see who it was, and before he even knew what was happening, his throat dried up.

  All coherent thoughts were lost as a vision in black and blue leaned against the door frame.

  He stopped breathing.

  Time stood still as he took in her form fitting hoody and hip hugger jeans. Man, even

  dressed as a boy she looked good, too good. He lifted his eyes and noted the bright flush of her cheeks as she stared back at him. The ringlets of hair shadowed her pale features and didn’t do a damn thing other than suffocate him more. God, she really did look as gorgeous as the ocean.

  Frowning to himself, Mason tried but failed to get rid of the annoying thoughts that said

  run from his head. Instead, he zeroed in on an overtly large hole in the middle of her jeans on her right thigh. Hell to the no. It wasn’t that white mini skirt she wore the first night he’d met her, but damn! Seeing any part of her bare skin was enough to give a seventeen year old boy a heart attack. How in the hell was he going to keep himself in check with this girl?

  “Mason...?” her voice was questioning. He shook his head, once again focusing on her

  face, but that just made the situation worse. Those eyes... A dude could seriously be buried alive in them. Harley Anderson was stunning, and the best part was, she had not a damn clue. She

  hadn’t been touched or burned by the sun. She was natural. She was beautiful.

  “It’s good to see you again, little beast.” Mason choked out, the pizza box shaking under

  his trembling fingers. He had to get a grip.

  She narrowed her eyes as she looked back and forth between him, and then her brother

  but she didn’t respond. David, on the other hand, was in between small bouts of laughter and all out snorts.

  “I’ll see y
ou two love birds later,” David grinned, stealing a slice of pizza from their box.

  Mason glanced at Harley’s face, noting her glaring, narrowed eyes, but adoration was there too.

  Mason understood what that was like, to love your sibling unconditionally but still be annoyed as hell with them. It seemed to him that he and Harley had yet another thing in common.

  Mason inched closer when they were finally alone. He licked his dry lips before giving

  her his most appealing smile. Harley glanced back shyly at him under lashes, bouncing on the soles of her shoes. Apparently she was just as nervous as he was. For some reason, that made him smile even more.

  “Crappity crap, I’m so sorry,” she gasped, hurrying towards him as if the he was on fire.

  She reached out and grabbed the two huge liters of pop he’d brought. She’d wanted pop, and he wanted to give it to her.

  “Don’t apologize, Harley. It’s pop, not an explosive bomb.” She breathed a quiet, almost

  inaudible sigh, and tuned away from him.

  “I’m sorry, I just, uh,” she paused and reached down to grab the ice cream left behind by

  her brother. “I’m nervous.”

  “Hey,” Mason cooed, moving in closer, well, as close as a pizza box would allow him to

  get. “Don’t be nervous, okay?” She nodded, and soon he was following her down a hall. It took every ounce of self-restraint he had not to zone out on the way her tight little rear moved under her jeans.

  Focus dude! Just friends, remember?

  He shook his head and looked at everything but Harley’s backside. Pictures along the

  wall caught his eye, and he unconsciously fingered the frames with his free hand. The ones

  containing pictures of a brown haired, black eyed little girl held his gaze.

  “Don’t even think about it,” she groaned from ahead as he studied one picture in

  particular. He chuckled under his breath at the sight of her tucked under a bath of bubbles. How she knew he was looking at that particular one was beyond him.

  “Well,” he paused. His voice went teasing as he glanced down at the picture once more.

  “You could have at least taken me out for dinner before letting me see you get naked, little beast.