Best of Me

Chapter 19

Isabella POV

I cannot believe that BG told Chase we were on a date like he was staking a claim on me. And then when we danced he kissed me and pulled back telling me that he was sure I didn't want everyone to see where he wanted to take that. Oh this man makes me blush and gives me butterflies. I'm in his lap and he's carrying on a conversation like nothing. Only I can feel how I  affect him. The music is turned up and some are playing beer pong and Justin has been drinking and so has Chase and Ben gets to asking about stories about me. I shift to hear what they are gonna say and Chase said  "Brady and I had our hands full keeping the guys away from her. You would think being a preachers daughter they would run but no that drew them like flies to honey. The bad thing is we had to do it in 2 states. I lived in North Carolina and they lived in Alabama so it was double trouble." Ben spit out "preachers daughter oh my I get the shirt now Bells"
I just laugh and say," don't let him fool you he and Brady were man whores and I had to run interference for them and their harems." Chase laughed and said," do you remember walking into LouAnn's 16th  birthday party and crashing it because she had not invited you. " I laugh and say ," yeah and once again that was on you and Brady but that heifer wasn't gonna get away with cheating on you with John , I mean the look on her face was priceless." Chase said," the look on Johns face was priceless when he realized that you were with me and Brady and that he had screwed up."  BG asked," what did you do Bells"
"Well you know the Garth Brooks song Friends in Low ?" Chase asked BG grins and said "yeah who don't"
"Well Bells here showed up in her boots and daisy dukes with her pistol and drink and let them have it."
"You make it sound like I did something bad, I just told Prissy pot that if she thought I was upset she was screwing John she was crazy but that I was upset cause she was cheating on her own boyfriend my best friend and that everybody in town knew that you didn't mess with Brady or Chase and not have to deal with me. Then I looked at John and told him that he could have the heifer cause I wasn't about to be with no cheater"
They all laughed and said," how old were you?"
Chase said "she was 16 and full of piss and vinegar when you crossed her or someone she cared about. Junior has stories too but his are more when we were older. Lets just say that his were more about track bunnies"
Bella said," well my word Chase y'all all picked the crazy ones and I had to clean up your messes, not to mention y'all scared away just about every guy I tried to date. Junior was my saving grace more than once, he would know and keep it quiet for me. And take care of you and Brady when y'all were being mean to me."
Chase said," you ran to Junior and told on us cause you had him wrapped around your little finger, we got more than one whipping from him from something you told him."
Bella laughed," remember when Brady and you snuck out and got caught sneaking back in by your mom and dad, well I told Junior on y'all because you wouldn't let me go and he turned y'all in cause you made me cry telling me that I would cramp your style. y'all were 17 and didn't have style "
Chase said," we never figured out how they knew cause you knew not to tell or else we would tell them about you kissing Bobby. We never thought of Junior."
BG laughs," you were a handful sounds like "
Chase said," she really wasn't that bad it was mostly show a front she put on for everyone else. I mean her first kiss was when she was 15 and it wasn't even tongue, she talked the talk and knew enough from me and Brady and Junior that most people assumed she was like us. The thing is she was right we scared everyone that showed interest away. I mean I made more than one trip to Tuscaloosa and showed them a picture of her Navy Seal brother."
Bella gasped," tell me you didn't"
Chase," okay I didn't but I did on fb if I couldn't make it down there."
Bella," so all the times you came to visit it wasn't to see me but scare away the boys I was talking to"
Chase "well not every time Izzy"
Everyone stopped cause they realized he called her Izzy.
Bella said," the only two people to ever call me Izzy were Brady and Chase that's why I wouldn't let anyone else call me that, they only did it at first to annoy me then it became the thing they did cause no one else did."
Ben asked," so when was your first real kiss Bells?"
Bella blushed and said," I was 17 junior year and it was prom night and both those boys were gone, Chase was in college and Brady was on a mission in Afghanistan so no one could scare him away. And it was awful!!!" As she laughed. Brantley looked at her and said "care to explain"
Bella said," he was awful, it was like he had 8 hands and he tried to eat my face off. I had to put him in his place and teach him what happens when you touch someone who doesn't want to be touched."
BG growled and Chase said"why am I just finding out about this?"
Bella said," cause I handled it and it wasn't any of your business"
"Well when did you get your first good real kiss?" Ben asked
Bella grinned," that summer I worked for Junior and that meant I travelled with him every weekend so I got to hang with the drivers and crews and I learned a lot"
Chase interrupted," Isabella who?"
She said," I don't kiss and tell"
Chase growls," Izzy don't make me call Junior and Kelley"
She huffs," it was Carl okay"
Chase," you were 17 and he was a grown ass man Iz, what in the hell were you thinking?"
She replied," I was thinking that it took a grown man to show me how good being kissed was and I never settled for anything less from that point on Chase. It wasn't anything serious no relationship aspirations I was 17 and we were really good friends who had some chemistry and yes Junior knows he caught us one time. So there Chase are you happy?"
Chase," he was 25 you were 17 and no I am not happy how did I not know this? I was around then working with Jimmie."
BG said," I think that little bit has a lot of things people don't know"
Bella turns and looks at BG and smiles and said," yes I do"
Chase said," Junior was okay with you hanging around kissing Carl? I just can't see that Iz"
"Well it just happened one night we were up late hanging out and it had come out earlier about the fiasco at prom and he was there. So he told me he could teach me how to kiss and he did and you know I never looked at another boy until I got to college, what was the point? I had experience what I thought was heaven and I knew there was no way any of them could compare so I guess you might want to thank Carl next time you see him instead of punching him like you are planning on. I mean it's been 12 years Chase" Bella told him.

BG squeezes Bella's waist and whispers are you about ready to go to the bus?
Bella nods her head yes.
BG said," well it's been fun y'all but Bella and I are heading in now and we will see you all tomorrow."
Chase stands up and hugs her and said," I love you Bells and you need to keep in touch and yes I have the same number. I won't hit Carl I promise. I'm glad you are back in my life, I have missed you sis."
Bella holds on and said," I love you brother and I am so sorry for the hurt I caused both of us. You better believe you are gonna here from me. And just so you know I saw you perform in Birmingham with Kenny the night you broke your foot. Even in a boot you were amazing. I just wasn't ready then but I had to see you on tour to see if you were all I thought you would be and you didn't disappoint. I missed you too every day for the last 5 years."
He kissed her head, shook BG's hand and said,"I expect you to treat her right and with respect that she deserves. I'm sorry I monopolized your first date but I hope you realize that from now on , I'm in her life and I'm not going anywhere. I won't come between you unless you put me there."
BG said," I get it and I would never try to come between you. I saw her sadness in her eyes and then I saw the smile and brightness when she decided that she needed you back. As long as she's happy then I'm happy. What I have come to know, she's an amazing woman and I'm lucky that she's giving me a chance. She's precious and I know that man."
BG takes Bella's hand and leads her to their bus. He walks up and then turns as she closes the door, pulls her into his arms and said," do you know how bad I want to kiss you right now?"
Bella smiles and wraps her arms around him,"What's stopping you?"