All At Once (Completed) - Finding You Book 1

Camden

My eyes brighten when I see her. She's wearing a sleeveless black dress that falls to her knees and a pair of black flats. She looks gorgeous, but approachable, and my nerves about tonight start to calm with just the sight of her.

It's 5 p.m. Monday, and we're just about ready to leave for dinner at my parents' house.

"Harper. Wow," I say with a smile.

"And you," she smiles, running her hand down my arm. I'm dressed up, too, in a pair of charcoal dress pants and my shiniest black shoes.

Her eyes catch on my blue tie, and as she touches the silk and she lets out a little moan.

"I take it you approve," I laugh, my eyebrows raised. Her fingers wrap around the collar of my pressed dress shirt and she drags my lips to hers, backing us up against the kitchen counter.

I'd love to do this right here and right now, but we can't. My lips turn up in a wide smile and I pull away. Reluctantly.

"I don't think so, Harp," I say and she playfully pouts before smoothing the sides of her dress. "Don't go giving me reasons to back out of this thing now, baby. I already don't want to go," I remind her, flattening my ruffled hair.

She reaches up and fixes my tie just as Chase walks into the room.

"Let's get this dinner over with..." he grumbles.

"You, too?" Harper asks with a frown. "Am I the only one excited about tonight?"

"Yes," we answer in unison. A tiny smile finds her lips.

"And you'll see things our way in about three hours, when everyone's at each other's throats before the cake is even served," I explain."This won't be like dinner with your family, unfortunately."

I spent many nights as a kid staring at my plate, pushing my food around until my father's eyes were no longer on mine. When my father was done eating, he'd rise and leave us at the table, and I would shovel in mouthfuls of food while I could. His presence made me sick to my stomach then, and I'm sure it will now, too. I've been to dinner at their house once since Chase moved in, and it didn't go well. I'm worried it will be even worse tonight.

"You shouldn't be excited about going, Harper," Chase says. "Really. Don't get your hopes up. Grandpa won't want you there, anyway..." he says.

"What did you just say?" I ask angrily, stepping forward. The kid has said a lot of stupid shit, but this shocks me. He's taken a few too many verbal swings at her lately, and they seem to come out nowhere.

"I said Grandpa won't like her," he repeats and the color drains from Harper's face.

My eyes flare at him and I shake my head wildly as I walk up to him with a hard expression on my face.

"You're really pushing it. Did you even think about how that would make her feel?" I ask, and Chase opens his mouth, but I stop him quickly, holding up my hand. "You know what? Don't answer. I don't want to hear anything else. Shut your mouth and go to your room," I snap, pointing down the hallway.

"Why, because you know I'm right? No matter what you do, Grandpa doesn't approve. He won't approve of Harper, either."

"Shut your mouth..." I press my finger into Chase's chest lightly, sending him a look that's meant to have him think twice before he speaks again.

"Can't go in my room," he shrugs with a smirk. "If I do, we'll be late for dinner. I'm just being honest. You don't have to get all riled up about it. I mean, I like Harper just fine. It's just a fact that she doesn't fit into the category he wants for you. I'm just warning you, Harper, that's all..." he finishes.