Chapter 3

It was like my chest was constantly tight. I was trying to breathe but then another rush of rain would pour out of the sky and it would all build back up. Drowning me again.

Chase stayed away for almost a week. I had texted him more times than I wanted to admit but got no response, just the word read at the bottom of the screen. He was blowing me off.

I was no different from the other girls my brothers joked about. Chase would smirk and roll his eyes, ignoring them as they teased him about the newest girl that was obsessed with him. I guess what happened in my room was a mistake.

"What's wrong hunny? You seem upset," my mother asked as we cooked dinner.

A fake smile appeared on my face as I took her words in. I hadn't realized anybody noticed my more-moody-than-normal attitude. I shook my head. "Nothing, why?"

"I know you better than you know yourself," she said with a small laugh. "Something is wrong and whenever you are ready to talk about it, I'll be here to listen, sweetie."

A single tear fell down my cheek as my mom walked over and pulled me into her arms, gently rubbing my back. "Tell me what's wrong," she whispered.

"Why aren't I good enough? I'm not ugly, am I? What's so wrong with me?"

"Scarlet Rose, you are beautiful inside and out. You are caring, compassionate, and you are always putting everybody else first. People might not appreciate that about you yet but as you get older they will." She cupped my face, wiping away fresh tears. "You, my sweet girl, are a beautiful wildflower in a field filled with roses. Don't ever feel like you don't belong. Don't let anybody break that amazing spirit of yours."

"What's this? What's wrong Scar?"

I looked over moms shoulder and saw my brothers standing there. Chase was right beside them, looking anywhere but at me.

"Just some boy problems, nothing for you to worry about," my mother answered.

"What boy? I'll kick his—"

"It's fine, E. I'm fine," I murmured, hugging my mom one more time before walking out of the kitchen, making sure to brush against Chase's shoulder as I left.

Chase

I broke her. I crossed the line and now she's paying the price for my fuck up. I wish I could tell her how I felt. Tell her that it's always been her. That it always will be. I wanna tell her that when I close my eyes, her lips are on mine and I can still feel my body pressing onto hers. I could still feel the mattress dip when I climbed on top of her. The noises she made when I took her pink bud in my mouth.

I wish she knew I was broken, too.

~

I couldn't be sure but I think Scarlet was trying to make me jealous. She never brought guys over here because of her crazy ass brothers, but now she's brought two different guys home in the last month. We had a few people over tonight while her parents went on an overnight trip to Chicago.

She had this new guy here and she was on his lap. If his hand went any fucking higher on her thigh I was going over there. I know I looked like an asshole, sitting across the room staring in their direction with my arms crossed. She kept looking over at me when she thought I wasn't paying attention. I knew what she was doing.

She kept tangling her finger around a piece of his hair and giggling at everything he said. He couldn't be that fucking funny. She walked into the kitchen and left the douchebag on the couch, so I followed her.

"I need to get a beer," I said to Ethan as I walked after her.

He didn't notice. He had some girl on his arm. Scarlet had her back to the living room and didn't see me come in. She had her phone in her hand, texting somebody. I walked up behind her and saw the words I think it's working on her screen.

"What's working?" I asked in a low voice.

She jumped and whirled around, grabbing her chest. "Shit, you scared me!"

I walked closer until her back was against the counter. "You're messing with me, right?"

She jumped up to sit on the counter. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I moved so I was standing in between her legs and grinned down at her. "I think you do. I think you know exactly what you're doing."

She grabbed the front of my shirt and tugged me closer. "If it takes another guy to get your attention, so be it."

She was biting her fucking lip and looking at me with desire in her eyes. Her fingers moved under my shirt as she ran her hand over my abs.

"You know we can't do this."

"I suddenly have amnesia... tell me again why we can't."

I moved my hand up her thigh and slipped it under her dress. My heart about stopped when I realized she didn't have any underwear on. Her breath caught when I touched her wet slit.

"Chase..." she moaned.

"Yo, Chase! Bring me a beer."

I moved my hand away from her and sighed. "That's why, Scar."

Her. Fucking. Brothers.

____

Scarlet

"I can't believe we're finished with our first year of college!" My roommate, Grace squealed. "Let's celebrate. Becky told me there's a big party on 7th street tonight."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Sounds good. Just us or is a certain boy meeting you there?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

She and her high school sweetheart were inseparable. He was always in our dorm or walking her to classes. Adorable. He was the sweetest with her and had always been nice to me. And when he brought her food, he brought me some too. He was such a winner in my book.

"He's meeting us," she said, laughing. "Is that okay? Or should we just celebrate as roomies this time?"

I waved my hand in the air, dismissing her question. It really was okay that he was there. He always made sure we got back to the dorm, drunk or not. "It's fine, promise. I like Jeff, you know that."