She looked up at me with those shining eyes.
“Hope, this isn’t some fling for me. If it was then I never would have told you about my past. You have to know how important you are to me,” I explained.
“I do know. Sometimes it’s just so hard hiding it. Why can’t everyone just understand that we care about each other?”
I knelt down in front of her and covered her hands with mine. “It’s just six months, Hope. We get to see each other every day and now we don’t even have to hide it from Buffy. This is a good thing. Besides, it was only a matter of time before she figured it out. Everything will be fine.” I leaned in and waited halfway for her to kiss me. She met me and pressed her lips against mine. “Don’t you want this? Do you still want me?”
“I get that you think I’m too young, but I know what I want. Yes, of course I want this. I want you.” She smiled and traced her fingernails over the skin of my arms. “I love you.”
Hearing her say it would never get old. Unfortunately, it only showed me that she was going to take risks to be with me. That could be so dangerous for our relationship. “Maybe we should slow down some. Things have gotten really intense between us. I don’t want you to get freaked out, but we’ve got to be more careful,” I explained.
Hope stood up and staggered past me. She held out her hand and led me into my bedroom. Once inside, I cupped my hands around her face and pulled her lips into mine. She backed away and lifted off her shirt. I did the same. She gave me a quick smile and removed her shorts, and I followed her lead.
“We need to talk about this, Hope. This isn’t going to solve anything.” I wanted her, but knew this didn’t resolve any of our problems. If anything, it made them worse.
Then Hope unhooked her bra.
I watched her breasts fall out from within the lacey fabric. She leaned down and removed her panties, before climbing on top of my bed. I removed my boxers and got under the covers after her. When I found that warm body, I nestled myself against it. I loved how she smelled like honey, and I couldn’t get enough of her smooth skin.
“We’re supposed to be getting my motorcycle,” I said in between kisses.
“I just need to be close to you for a little while. I feel weird, like something bad is going to happen.”
“Please don’t even talk like that. Everything is going to be fine.”
She made sure she was touching me. “Please just hold me. I need to be close to you. Pretend you never have to let go.”
I did as she requested, but after only a few minutes I realized being naked next to her made me want more. It was impossible to rationalize with myself when we were in this current predicament. “Hope, I don’t know how much longer I can lay naked next to you, and not get some. I’m so turned on right now it isn’t even funny,” I explained.
I felt Hope’s hand feeling around between my legs. Her head disappeared from on top of the covers, and then I felt her lips, right there, so warm and pleasant. Her hands began to explore around down there and just when things started getting good, I heard my front door opening. Hope froze in place and I actually had to grab her arms and pull her up to the top of the bed.
“Chance, it’s me. Mark just called. He’s on his way home. I’m not kidding about you and Hope. You two can’t be in here when he gets home.”
“OKAY!” I yelled.
Hope looked over at me. “Do you want me to finish?” She reached down under the covers with her hand.
I stopped her before she made it any worse. “Let’s just go and get my bike. We can finish this later.” It was a promise.
“All right,” she said as she leaned over and kissed me.
Hope and I got dressed and headed out to get my motorcycle. I met her in her car while she ran inside to get her purse and keys. When she climbed into the driver’s seat, she had a weird look her face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing. I just feel like Buffy is the one acting funny now. She kept staring at me, like I was hiding a million dollars or something.”
“I think you’re just panicking. Everything will be okay. Please trust me.” I had to believe that we were going to be okay, because any other outcome would be terrible.
Hope started her car and we headed out of our long driveway. “I do trust you. You’ve never given me a reason not to,” she explained.
“I appreciate that.”
We made it out of the neighborhood before either of us said anything else. Hope was on edge and I felt like if I spoke I would say the wrong thing. Finally I decided to change the subject. “So have you decided what you want to do once the summer is over?”
She glanced over at me before looking back to the road. “What do you mean? With us?” She asked.
“No, with your future. Have you thought about going to college?”
Hope shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I hate school work, so I never really wanted to attend college. I guess with everything that’s happened, I haven’t been thinking too much about it.”
I put my arm over her head rest. “College is important. You should give it a try. It can be hard at times, but it’s very different than high school.”
“You sound like my father, Chance.”
“Sorry.” I rubbed the back of her neck. “I just think since you graduated early, with honors, that you would want to look into all of your options. Virginia has great colleges. I also got offered a spot at Virginia Tech before staying home in Pennsylvania to attend school. Now that I look back, I wonder if I should have just left the state back then.”
“If I tell you I’ll look into school will you leave me alone about it?” She asked.
“You hate it that much?”
“Yes, I do,” she confirmed.
We pulled up to the bar, and my motorcycle was the only thing in the parking lot. “Well, at least it didn’t get stolen.”
I started to get out of the car, but Hope pulled me by my arm back inside. “Chance, wait. My dad will probably be home when we get back. In case I can’t talk to you, I want you to think about this.” She leaned forward and kissed me, starting out slow, but soon her whole tongue was sliding over mine. I could feel the growth between my legs, and backed away before I had the urge to take her right in the car.
I kissed her on the forehead. “See you later, baby.” I said before I headed toward my bike.
Hope waited for me to get on and get it started before she drove off. If Mark decided to stay home this afternoon I would have to go back to taking a cold shower.
30
When I arrived home the first thing I noticed is that my father wasn’t there yet. I ran into the house so that it would seem like I had been there for a while. Then Buffy came walking into the living room to greet me.
“Hey, did you guys get his bike?” She asked.
“Yes, listen I’m sorry about everything. I wanted to tell you, but I was so scared that you’d tell dad. I don’t know what I’d do if Chance had to move away.” I don’t think I was telling her something she didn’t already know, but it was more to the point of having her on my side in case something bad happened.
“Chance is my brother, he’s my blood, and there is no way I would betray his trust. Hope, I know him better than he knows himself. It wasn’t hard to figure out that you were the reason he was being so secretive,” she explained.
“I feel bad about it.”
“Your father is almost twenty years older than me. I’m in no position to judge either one of you.”
We heard the door open, and at first I wanted to rush into Chance’s arms, but that wasn’t who walked in the door. It was actually my father and he wasn’t alone.
“Buffy, honey, can you set three extra plates on the patio tonight?” He asked as he strode in.
I was speechless. Behind him was someone from my past; someone I hoped I never saw again. “Hope, I think you already know Greg Thomas and his sons Trevor and Michael.”
“Yeah, I know them Dad. Why
are they in our house?” I wanted to know why my ex boyfriend was standing in front of me in my house.
“Hope! Have some manners. Mr. Greg and I are working on a project together in town. I invited him and his boys here to discuss business over an early dinner.” My father explained.
Trevor had made several attempts to get back with me ever since I dumped his ass. He was standing behind his father looking me up and down. He was the last person that I wanted to be around, and I certainly didn’t appreciate the way he was staring at me. I rolled my eyes. “Excuse me, I need to go change.”
I started walking up the stairs when I heard my father again. “Hope, we’ll be out at the pool. Why don’t you get your bathing suit on, and come out to join us. I’m sure your friends would like to catch up.”
I wanted to scream, but I knew I had to remain calm. I didn’t want to piss off my dad. “Buffy, can you come here a second?”
Buffy met me in my room. I felt like I was already starting to hyperventilate. “What’s wrong, Hope? How do you know those guys?”
Tears fell down my cheeks as I gently sobbed in my hands. “Trevor is my ex-boyfriend. He’s an asshole and I hate him. How could my father think that it would be okay? Did you know about this?” I asked.
“Of course not! I would have warned you.” She gave me a hug. “What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to tell Chance what’s going on. I don’t want him getting the wrong idea. Please, Buffy.” I was being irrational. Just because they were here didn’t mean I had to get back together with him. I just wanted to be able to ignore him until they left.
Buffy agreed to let Chance know what was bothering me, so that he didn’t worry. In the meantime, my father had his own agenda. I changed into the ugliest bathing suit I had, and finished the ensemble off with a giant cover up. He met me when I was coming down the steps.
“Hope, honey I need you to be extra nice to Trevor tonight. His father is a potential investor in one of my largest projects. I can’t have him walking away because my daughter pissed off one of his kids,” he explained.
“Dad, please. I broke up with Trevor a long time ago, and I really don’t like him anymore. Can’t I go somewhere for the night?” I begged. “Can I just say I had something else to do?”
“No, Hope! I need you to do this for me. Just entertain them.” My father started to raise his voice and I knew there was no getting him to change his mind.
I headed downstairs and stayed close to Buffy while she started preparing the food for the grill. My father had already made his way out to the patio, and I saw all three of the guys had beer bottles in their hands.
When I spotted Chance, I got butterflies in my stomach. He was so gorgeous. That man could be making millions modeling underwear. His body was so perfectly chiseled that it was almost a sin to look at.
Buffy caught me glaring. “Hope!” She said as she smacked me on my butt.
“Sorry, I can’t help it,” I confessed.
Buffy laughed. “My girlfriends used to love spending the night so that they could stare at him. We were seniors and he was just a measly freshman, but that didn’t stop them all from inviting him to their prom.”
I looked over at him again, before he disappeared into the pool house. “I believe it.” I said biting my lip.
“Seriously, Hope, could you stop undressing him with your eyes?”
“Yes, sorry. Here let me take that out for you,” I offered.
I picked up the tray of steaks and carried them out to the grilling station. My father was standing there waiting for me. “Thanks, sweetie.”
“Can I have a beer, Dad?” I asked obnoxiously.
“No you can’t, young lady!” He replied.
I rolled my eyes. The two assholes were drinking and one of them was the same age as me.
I caught Trevor looking at me, before calling me to come over where he and his brother sat. “What have you been up to, Hope?” He asked.
“Nothing much. Just hanging out here for the most part.”
I saw Chance come out of the pool house again. Our eyes met for just a second, and it was so hard not to smile. He gave me a quick wink before anyone noticed he was there.
Trevor wasn’t paying any attention to our new company. “Have you been to the beach lately? I could take you sometime if you wanted.”
“Actually, I just went last week. It was the best day of my life.” I said loud enough that Chance could hear.
He gave a half smile before I heard my father calling us all over from across the patio.
“Greg, I’d like you to meet Buffy’s little brother Chance.”
Chance extended his hand out to the old man. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
Trevor’s older brother jumped in. “Hey, is your last name Avery?” He asked.
I could see Chance tense up. “Yes, it is. Why?”
“I saw you play ball once. Man you’re an awesome short stop. Where do you play now?” Michael asked.
Chance’s jaw clenched. “My mother died not too long ago, and I decided to take some time off from ball.”
“Man, you played like Ripken himself. I bet you could get picked up by a triple A team easy.”
“Thanks. I haven’t played in a while though,” I could see how much that hurt Chance. I wished I could help him get his old life back.
“My name is Michael, by the way, but you can call me Mike.” He held out his hand and shook with Chance. “So are you going to school around here this fall?”
He glanced over at me for a second. “Actually, I was considering it.”
That’s why he asked me. He wanted us to go together. I should have figured.
“You should check out Virginia Tech man, it’s great there. I have some friends on the team and none of them can play like you.”
“Maybe I will,” Chance replied.
I sat down in a chaise lounge about six feet away from the guys. They seemed consumed in their baseball talks, and I started to relax knowing that Chance was being sociable.
I closed my eyes for a second and felt someone sit down beside me. When they opened I was met with Trevor’s stare. His hair was lighter from being at the beach, but those lying blue eyes were exactly how I remembered them. “Hey, sexy. So what were we talking about before?” He asked.
“I don’t remember!”
“Oh yeah, the beach. So who gave you the best time of your life?” He asked.
“None of your business, Trevor. Did you overlook the fact that we weren’t together? Did you forget me telling you that you would never have any part of this again?” I waved my hands around my body.
“Oh, I remember. It turned me on.”
I had to look away on account of wanting to literally slap that cocky grin off his face. “Trevor, please just leave me alone. We’re not friends. We never really were.”
“I never asked you to be my friend, Hope. You were my girlfriend. We fucked. That’s all I wanted out of you.” He laughed before standing up and heading in the direction of the guys. I hated him so much, and wondered if he was going to go over there and gloat about sleeping with me to Chance. Of course he wouldn’t know that we were together, but that wouldn’t stop him from putting it out there. I think all I ever was to him was someone that he could brag about. It made me sick to my stomach. More than anything I wanted this family gone from my house.
Buffy finally came outside with two margarita glasses in her hand. She handed me one and winked. My father noticed right away. “What are you doing giving her alcohol?”
“There isn’t alcohol in hers, Mark,” she said.
I took a sip and knew right away that she was lying. The tequila burned going down my throat. Buffy seized my arm and led me to the pool. “Come on, Hope, let’s get in and relax.”
I gave her a smile before realizing I was wearing the ugliest bathing suit. “Hey, Buff, where is that suit that I borrowed for the beach?”
“It’s still in the laundry room. Why?”
> “I’ll be right back,” I announced.
Trevor was an ignorant bastard, and he was never going to touch me again. He didn’t deserve me, or anyone for that matter, and I felt like rubbing it right in his face.
31
I didn’t feel like talking to these rich guys about how easy they had it, but Buffy asked me to be nice. She also told me that Trevor was Hope’s ex. I could read between the lines. I saw what Mark was trying to do, and I didn’t appreciate it. That was his daughter and he thought he could get in good with the father if the kids got along.
I was surprised Buffy hadn’t caught on to that. She was usually really good about reading people.
I didn’t know what Trevor had said to Hope, but after he walked away I noticed she was gone. Buffy was climbing into the pool, so I headed over to ask her. “Hey, where did Hope go?” I whispered.
“She um, you’ll see I guess, but Chance, please remember to keep your cool tonight. I can’t have you losing your shit and costing Mark this deal.”
“You’re scaring me, Buff. What’s she up to?”
“She’s putting on a bathing suit.”
“What suit? Not the? Tell me it isn’t that one.” I asked, but my worst fears were confirmed when Hope came back out of the house. She immediately started removing the cover-up to reveal the skimpy bikini she wore for me at the beach. Every single one of her perfect curves was accentuated. I wanted to run over and hide her, and I certainly didn’t want to have to watch them eying her up. This was pure torture.
Sure enough I saw Trevor and Mike standing there with their eyes all over her.
“This is just fucking great!” I said to my sister before walking back toward the guys.
Hope smiled at me in passing, but I was pretty pissed about her wearing that in front of them, well in front of anyone for that matter. I thought that suit had been for me, for our special day at the beach. I assumed that she wore that as a gift to me. Instead she was flaunting that body of hers all over the place. I wanted to punch something.
Once I got over to the guys I noticed that even Mr. Thomas was admiring Hope. I kept clenching my fists, avoiding making a big deal out of it in fear of Mark seeing me. Finally she got into the pool with my sister. Between the two of them, I wanted to bury myself. Was I the only one here that felt like they were being violated?
A Hope and a Chance Page 19
