CHAPTER 3: YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY?

My mom’s car pulled out of the driveway at exactly six in the evening. By six-ten, I texted Brody to come over.

​I was still furious. My blood had been boiling all day. I wasn't going to hide in my room and let Vance think he had won. I wanted him to see that his little threats didn't work on me. I marched downstairs wearing my shortest sleep shorts and a tight tank top, practically daring him to say something.

​Vance was sitting in the living room, scrolling through his phone. He glanced up when I walked in. His eyes dropped to my bare legs, lingering for a second, but his face was completely blank. He didn't say a word. He just went back to his phone.

​That indifferent silence made me want to scream.

​Ten minutes later, a knock hit the front door.

​I didn't hesitate. I yanked the door open, grabbed Brody by the front of his jacket, and pulled him inside. I didn't even say hello. I just dragged him right into the living room, practically shoving him onto the couch, and kissed him hard.

​Brody was clearly confused, but he definitely wasn't going to complain. His hands immediately went to my waist. I leaned into him, totally forcing it, but I kept my eyes open just enough to look over Brody's shoulder.

​I wanted to see Vance snap. I wanted to see him lose that arrogant control.

​But Vance wasn't angry. He had put his phone down and was just watching us. His expression was dead flat, his dark eyes locked on me with a heavy, suffocating intensity. He didn't look away. He didn't even blink.

​Brody shifted his weight, his hand sliding up my back, but then he froze. The heavy, unnatural silence in the room finally hit him. He pulled back from me, turning his head.

​All the color drained from Brody’s face.

​"Oh. Uh... hey," Brody stammered, immediately dropping his hands and stepping away from me like I was on fire.

​Vance just stared at him. "Brody."

​"I didn't, uh, I didn't know anyone else was home," Brody mumbled, grabbing his jacket off the arm of the couch. He wouldn't even look at me. He was completely terrified of the way Vance was looking at him. "I should actually... I have that thing to do. I'm gonna go."

​"Coward," I hissed under my breath.

​Brody practically ran to the front door, shutting it loudly behind him.

​The lock clicked. We were alone again.

​I stood in the middle of the living room, my hands balled into fists, glaring at Vance. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.

​"You think you're funny?" I snapped, crossing my arms. "You think you can just scare people off by staring at them?"

​Vance finally stood up. "I didn't say a single word, Harper."

​"You didn't have to!" I yelled, closing the distance between us. I wanted him to yell back. I wanted a fight. "You're trying to control my life! You hate that I don't care about your stupid rules. You just want to ruin my fun."

​Vance didn't raise his voice. He took a slow step toward me, forcing me to tilt my head back to keep glaring at him.

​"I don't care about your rules, and I don't care what you think," I pushed on, my voice shaking with anger. "If I want to hook up with Brody in this house, I will."

​"No, you won't."

​The absolute certainty in his voice made my stomach drop.

​"You can't stop me," I challenged, though my chest was heaving.

​Vance stepped right into my space, backing me up until the edge of the couch hit the back of my knees.

​"I don't care that you're messing around," Vance said, his voice dropping low, rough, and completely unapologetic. "But that boy doesn't step foot in my house again."

​"You can't tell me who I can see!"

​He leaned down, his face so close to mine I could feel the heat of his breath. The stepdad act was entirely dead.

​"I can," he whispered, his eyes dropping to my lips. "Because if you're going to let someone touch you like that under my roof, it's going to be me."