Finally Mine Book 1

Chapter 1

My dad finally set him back on the ground, but Chase wasn't intimidated, he stood straight and tall - well, as tall as he could. At only about five-foot-ten, he was a full head shorter than my dad.

Chase was only fifteen, and without a doubt, he was the cutest guy I'd ever seen. He was so much more mature than the other boys.

I was impressed with him; I knew that if anyone talked to me like that, I'd cry and probably yell back. I did have my dad's temper after all. One thing Chase was though, was respectful. He respected my dad, both as the MC president and as his own dad's best friend.

Mom finally got dad to turn his attention to her and away from Chase. When dad was focused on mom, Chase turned to me, brushed his thumb over my cheek and looked into my eyes as he said, "happy birthday, Ains." Then he walked away. Not just away from me, but past the bonfire, through the crowd, and into the house.

His parents had a great place, and the lake was just across the dirt road. Weekend parties generally would be at our house, here, or at the clubhouse. Most of the time though, I wasn't allowed to go to the parties out at the clubhouse. I'd heard stories of things that happened out there, and I hoped that someday, I'd get to see.

"You get home, I don't want to look at you," dad snarled, pointing a finger at my face. My entire body shivered with a mix of embarrassment, disappointment, and anger, but not wanting to shame myself, and following in Chase's lead, I straightened my spine and turned around to walk away.

Mom stood there, placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and moved in to speak to my father. As she finished, she gathered her things and took me home.

Dad stayed with the guys and didn't come home for a few more hours. I was so angry with him; I didn't speak to him for two days.

I wasn't worried though. I knew things would be good for Chase and me. The entire next day, I stayed in my room, and every time the phone rang, I jumped to answer it. I just knew he was going to call, anytime. He didn't.

Since I was trying to avoid my father, hurt by the way he'd treated Chase and me, especially on my own birthday, I didn't go to another club party for the rest of the summer. It wasn't until the end of summer camping trip out to Cave Run Lake in nearby Rowen County that I saw Chase again.

We camped out there for three nights, spending days laying on rafts in the lake, taking turns going out on the pontoon boat, or hanging out around camp. There had to be about fifty people, MC brothers, their women and a bunch of kids. We went out there every year, and it had always been one of my favorite events of the year.

After I'd set up my tent that I would share with my friend Julie and my cousin Trish, I changed to go out on the lake when I saw him. Chase was holding hands with a girl I didn't know. She was older than me, older than him I thought. She was with the brothers down from Covington, but I wasn't sure who her dad was. Her long red hair and flawless olive skin set off the bright yellow string bikini she wore perfectly.

Standing right there, in the middle of the cluster of tents, my MC family, my world, my innocent heart broke.

After that, my relationship with Chase changed.

Chase and I still talked a little, but he kept his distance from me, and I sure kept my distance from him. I had apologized for my dad's behavior several months later after I'd had a chance to get used to the idea that we weren't meant to be. I wasn't going to be his and he sure as heck wasn't going to be mine. If he saw me as replaceable, I didn't want him.

No, I didn't believe that either, but I was trying.

"Don't worry about it, wasn't important," he'd told me. I hadn't thought my heart could break anymore, but I'd been wrong. Instead of letting him see how his words hurt me, I shrugged my shoulders, rolled my eyes and walked away.