Page 61 of A Touch of Heaven

Harper comes storming out of the house and toward me with a searing, angry look on her. I watch her marching down the beach as she shouts.

“Brooke fucking Gray, are you kidding me? First, you disappear all night fucking long, then you don’t answer your fucking phone, and then…” She stops, looking between me and Chase at how his arms are around me. Her eyes flick between the two of us. “Wait, are you…did you…I mean, are you finally a couple?”

I laugh, nodding as Chase kisses the top of my head, chuckling at her. She screams, “Well, about fucking time!”

Jax laughs heartily, “That’s what I said. It’s been a long time coming.”

Chase rolls his eyes above me. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring her back last night; we just wanted some time alone together.”

Jax jumps on Chase, “Yeah, I bet you did.” He says, scruffing his hair up. I laugh, pulling myself from Chase’s arms. Watching the boys all play fight like kids as Harper links her arm through mine.

“Boys will be boys,” she says, laughing, “How about we leave them to it and catch up?”

I nod as Chase stands up, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward him so I slam into his chest. “You forgot something gorgeous.”

I look up at him as he pushes the hair off my face and kisses me slowly, sensually, and passionately. Everything else fades away until it is just us at this moment as he picks me up from the ground, my legs kicking out behind me. “There, now you can go!” I blush heavily as the boys and Harper all stand there silent and slightly gobsmacked at the sudden PDA.

“Damn Chase. Got any hot friends that will kiss me like that?” Harper grins.

Jax steps forward, grabbing her in his arms. “I volunteer beautiful, one hundred fucking percent.” She laughs, pushing him off her as I notice Asher tense, clenching his fists as Jax grins, wiggling his eyebrows at him. I swear that one day Jax is going to get his ass kicked.

“Have fun, guys.” I laugh, pulling Harper along and walking away from them just as I hear Asher. “What the actual fuck, Jax?”

“What, man, you aren’t willing to do anything about her, I sure as hell will. She’s stunning!” I watch Chase step in between them before looking back to a smiling Harper shaking her head.

We walk a little further down the beach before taking a seat on the warm sand. “So…tell me everything, girl!” I fill her in on the conversation Nate and I had to the incredible night I just had with Chase. I left out the conversation this morning, knowing it’s not my place to say anything, even though I hate lying to her.

“Okay, firstly, was it good? I mean your first time. Wow, and with Chase Anderson. God, I bet he’s big. He totally has that big dick energy.”

I blush, laughing at her. “I’m not talking to you about his dick.”

“Oh, Brooke, you just told me everything I need to know. He’s huge, right?” She wiggles her eyebrows, smirking at me, and I laugh.

“I mean, I don’t have anything to compare, but yes, he is.” I laugh, putting my head in my hands before looking back at her. “Harper, it was perfect, everything about it was perfect, he is perfect.”

She smiles genuinely at me. “I’m really happy for you, Brooke. I think this has been destined for so long now it’s about time it happened for you both. Are you happy?” I nod, unable to stop smiling, butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

“I really am.”

“And Nate? Have you told him yet? I mean, Brooke, this is going to destroy him.” The smile drops from my face immediately as my heart begins to ache.

“He saw me and Chase kissing. I tried to…but he got in his truck and drove off.”

She pulls me in, hugging me. “He just needs time, but you did the right thing. You could never be his. Nate is an amazing guy, and one day, he’s going to find the perfect girl for him, but you are not it. You and Chase are written in the stars, babe. Don’t let anything bring you down from that happy bubble, okay?”

I smile, but yet again, it doesn’t reach my eyes. “What if he never speaks to me again? Or Chase? I don’t want to come between them.”

She sighs. “Brooke, I think you have no control over that. Let’s be honest, Chase and Nate have never really been close. I think the only reason they even speak at all is because of you. You’re the link between them. Chase, Jax, and Asher have this weird brotherly thing going on between them, and Nate’s never been able to accept that, you know.”

I nod, knowing exactly what she’s on about. I wish I could fix it. It’s not fair on Nate, to be honest, but I really don’t know if there’s anything that can be done to fix that.

We spend the next hour or two on the beach chatting. Talking about Chase and last night.

“He said that? That one day he was going to marry you?” I nod. “Wow, Brooke, that’s kinda huge and so freaking romantic.”

“I know. It’s one of the first things I said to him.” I fill her in on the story of how we first met.

“Wow, I can’t believe he even remembers that. He’s a keeper, you know. Even if he can be a dick sometimes”.

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