Brett and Hannah (Soul Mates 101 Series) (7 page)

Brett tore into his house.

“Hey, bro. What’s wrong?”
Matt asked.

Brett p
aced around the room not saying a word.

“It’s Hannah, isn’t it?
”

“I feel like I’
m losing my mind over that woman. She has this hold over me. She’ll tell me she wants me, so I tell her to leave me alone. But when she tries, I stop her by putting my hands and mouth all over her, and it starts all over again. I pissed her off good today.”

“Then leave her alone
. We all have experience with younger girls and can tell you that they’ll go bat-shit crazy on you if you make them think you want a relationship, and then don’t give it to them.

“
You can’t keep her away from other guys though. You can’t have it both ways, so no more getting jealous and picking fights when you see her out.”

Brett recalled
what his old boss, Lauren, had said a few years before when he was getting ready to leave for Nashville. She told him to take it easy on the girls at college, or he’d break their hearts. That’s exactly what he’d avoided until Hannah came along.

“You
’re right. I told her I can’t be with her because of Jay, and then I know I don’t want to be a part of her lifestyle, so I have to somehow forget about her.”

“T
he solution to that is to get laid. You haven’t had any since Brittney, and that’s way too long, bro. One of Dylan’s buddies invited us to a graduation party. This one should mainly be upperclassman, so you’re going. Take a shower.”

Brett decided to wear jeans with a Vandy t-shirt that fit snug, showing
his physique. He convinced himself that if he found a girl who didn’t mind having casual sex, it would cure him of Hannah.

He’
d always tried to be a good guy, but he’d reached a point that he wished he didn’t care about her, so he could devour every juicy inch of her perfect body and walk away.

Brett had no idea where they were going as Matt drove, and he didn’t care. He’d spent so much time away from the college scene that he thought it might be just what he needed. He was ready to let loose for a while.

Matt park
ed the car.

“Let’s get trashed and find us each
a piece of ass,” Dylan yelled as they walked to the door.

“I see you haven’t changed your ways yet, Dylan,” Brett said wryly.

“Hey, I will when I meet the right girl. Worry about your own damn behavior,” Dylan said.

Brett wondered sometimes how Dylan ever
got laid as obnoxious as he could be, but then he remembered he’d witnessed Dylan’s bullshitting abilities first hand.

There were easily a
hundred people at the party. The house was older but enormous, and a big part of the party was being held in the backyard off of a large patio. They went outside and grabbed a beer.

He was
relieved to see that most everyone appeared to be over twenty-one, but there were plenty of people still there who were younger. Brett became more carefree after he drank a few beers. He and Matt started talking to a couple of women that told them they went to the University of Tennessee.

Brett found one of the brunettes
attractive and thought it was perfect that she didn’t go to college with him. Less strings to worry about. He thought she seemed into him, so he and Matt hung out with the girls.

Chelsea’s driver drove Hannah and her friend’s to the graduation party they were invited to. Hannah realized when she went inside that it was the biggest party they’d been to. She also felt intimidated by the number of upperclassman present. The kitchen counters were overflowing with bottles of booze.

“Here, Hannah. I made your favo
rite,” Nick said, handing her a drink.

“Thanks,
Nick. I think we’re going outside since it’s so crowded in here.”

“
Then I’ll go with you.”

“You should find J.T
., and say hi to him, so he knows we’re here,” Hannah said.

“You’re right. I probably should.”

She noticed Nick was paying more attention to her. She wondered if he was trying to watch out for her because of the trouble she’d got herself into while he was gone or if there was more to it.

Brett was really starting to feel the alcohol. He’d drank more since meeting Hannah than he had in six months. He and the brunette were sitting on a stone ledge about four feet tall that ran along the side of the patio. The backyard was lit up well from strings of lights hanging everywhere.

The woman’s
constant flirting was obvious to him as she hung on his arm. Brett became turned on when she nibbled on his ear, but in his mind it felt wrong. He kept telling himself that it was what he wanted, and he could tell the girl wanted to make out, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He tried to think of how he could make an escape when a memory hit him like a brick. He recalled some advice he’d given his boss, Lauren, the last day he worked at the garden center
. It was the summer before his freshmen year of college when her boyfriend had punched him. One appendage directs us men until we fall in love.

NO, this wasn’t supposed to happen!
I’m falling in love with Hannah Ray Mason.

Chelsea was in front of Hannah when they walked outside. She came to a stop and turned around.

“It’s so crowded out here, let’s go back inside,” Chelsea said.

“I know that look. What’s wrong, Chelsea?” Hannah asked. As soon as the words came out, she saw Brett sitting with the brunette and saw that the woman had her hand up, playing with his ear.

“S
he isn’t even old. Could he possibly hurt me any more than this?”

“I’m sorry, Hannah,” Chelsea said.

“I have to go back inside.” Hannah turned around. Jasmine and Morgan followed her back in while Chelsea walked toward Austin.

“There’s Chelsea. I need to warn Brett that Hannah’s here,” Austin said.

“Don’t, man. He told me today he wants to get her out of his system. Seeing Brett with this chick might seal the deal, so leave it,” Matt said.

Austin sighed. “Alright, but I know he cares about her.”

“Hi, Chelsea,” Austin said before he kissed her.

Her caramel hair was flowing over her shoulders, and her Parker, V-neck, green dress hugged her curves before stopping mid-thigh.

“Hi,
I guess we didn’t realize we were going to the same party when we talked earlier. I’m glad I get to see you, but I can’t say the same about seeing your dick friend over there.” Chelsea pointed to Brett.

“He’s a decent guy. He’s
just drunk and upset over Hannah.”

“He was an ass to her today, and it destroyed her to see him out here
,” she said.

“Let’s go in
side, and I’ll make you a drink.” Austin took hold of Chelsea’s hand.

Brett glanced at
his friends and spotted Chelsea. He felt as if his chest caved in, weighing down the air inside his lungs. Panic consumed him as he scanned the area for Hannah, his eyes finally locking with Chelsea’s.

She gave him a smirk
.

“Yeah, sure. I’ve
seen what I wanted, so you can make me a drink now.”

B
rett knew wherever Chelsea was Hannah would be, but he was hoping she didn’t see him. He knew Chelsea would tell her about the brunette, but he knew it would be worse if she saw for herself. The woman was still hanging on him, but Hannah had taken over his thoughts once more.

Hannah searched through the bottles of alcohol on the kitchen counter.

“Are you OK? I can’t believe we keep running into Brett and his friends. Maybe it wasn’t what it looked like. I
mean, I know he cares about you,” Jasmine said.

“
I just want to have a good time tonight. Screw him. Let’s make another drink,” Hannah said as she chugged the rest that was in her cup. After they made their drinks, she felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned around, a guy that had been in her English class was standing in front of her.

His name was Jordan, and Hannah had developed a crush on him aft
er the first day of class. He’d flirted with her on and off throughout the semester but never asked her out, so she assumed he wasn’t interested.

“Hi, Hannah, how’s your summer going?”

“Hi, Jordan. Good so far, and you?”

“It’s better now,”
he said, giving her a sly grin. She figured he’d been drinking awhile because she’d never seen him that forward. He had dark brown hair, brown eyes and a smile Hannah loved.

She pointed down the hall and smiled.
“We’re going to the family room. You can follow us if you want.”

She was thinking to herself that this would be a great
way to get back at Brett and maybe even get over him. She stood leaning against a wall in the family room.

Jordan stood inches in front of her
, leaning over with his hand pressed against the wall, pinning her in with his body and alluring gaze. He leaned into her and whispered in her ear. “I’ve always thought you were beautiful, Hannah, and damn this dress looks good on you.”

“Thanks.” She
smiled sheepishly as she tugged upward on the side of her short, strapless, baby blue dress.

Brett left the brunette with her friends while he went to get a beer. The kegs outside were right by the back door of the house.

Don’t g
o inside, don’t go inside, don’t go inside.
 

Brett paced in front of the kegs of beer. After a few minutes passed, he couldn’t take it any longer.

I have to see her beautiful face and make sure she’s safe.

Brett entered the house and started maneuvering through the crowd of people crammed inside
. When he walked into the family room, he spotted her, and a wave of jealousy washed over him when he saw her pinned between a guy and the wall. He’d never seen the dude but knew instantly from his body language that he was after Hannah.

Brett was beside himself over how sexy she appeared.
He couldn’t comprehend how she could be more beautiful every time he saw her. His body heated from anger when he saw her smile at the guy. There were two entrances to the family room, and Hannah was near the one at the opposite end of the room as Brett.

He was about to go outside to keep from causing a scene, but when he saw Hannah walk out of t
he room alone, he followed her. He felt it was his chance to apologize.

“Hannah.”

She kept walking.

“Hannah Ray. I know you hear me.”

She spun around when she reached the kitchen.

“You don’t get to call me that
, just like you don’t get to touch me. If I remember correctly, I told you to leave me alone—for good.”

“Maybe I don’t want to leave you alone anymore.”

“Did you just hear the word you used at the beginning of that sentence? ‘Maybe’. I don’t have time for maybes, Brett.”

“You know there’
s something going on between us that we need to talk about. I know what I’ve been doing to you, and it was wrong. I’m sorry.”

“Go find the brunette you were with
, and leave me the hell alone,” she said harshly as tears started welling up in her turquoise eyes.

“I don’t care about
her. I care about you, Hannah. Who’s that guy in there talking to you?”

“His name is Jordan, but it’s really none of your business.
I don’t think he’s into evil mind games like someone else I know.”

Nick walked up to them.

“Hey, you need to leave her alone.”

“No,
you better leave us alone. We’re having a conversation,” Brett said, barely glancing at the man before his eyes went back to Hannah. He realized it was the guy from the pool.

Two guys now. This night is going to end badly with someone else getting hurt.

“Hannah, do you want me to leave you alone with him?” Nick asked.

“No,
Nick, I don’t want to talk to him,” she said as she reached for his hand and walked out of the kitchen.

Brett thought his head was going to explode.
Between the alcohol and the wrath he was feeling, he knew it was the night he’d see blood. Wanting reinforcements, he went back outside to find his friends.

He saw Austin
and Chelsea sitting on the stone ledge but didn’t see the brunette he’d been talking to anywhere. He figured she’d given up on him. Matt, Dylan and Cody were talking to four girls.

“I need to talk to you, Matt,” Brett
said as he interrupted them.