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Josh
She ran… again.
Watching Harper walk away from me is becoming second nature, not that I blame her. If I walked in on what she saw, I would have done way more than walk away. The look in her eyes still haunts me as I lean against the side of the building, hoping she’ll come back and let me explain, but knowing it’s hopeless. She’s pissed, probably hurt, and as much as I want to run to her apartment and demand she talk to me, I know that I need to take a second and get myself together before I try and get Harper to hear me out.
“Now that she’s finally gone, we can go back inside.” Angela’s high-pitched voice brings me back to reality as her hands wrap around my bicep, pulling herself closer. Before this goes any further, I pull free of her grip and head back toward the front doors of the bar.
The click of Angela’s heels echoes down the empty street as she follows me past the front doors and stops when I reach my seat. I signal the bartender, hoping he can be quick with the bill so I can get out of here and start groveling.
“You’re leaving?” Angela asks, sitting down on the stool next to me, crossing her legs suggestively and batting her eyelashes like it will seduce me into wanting her instead of Harper. Little does she know how much those don’t affect me. I ignore her, just signing the receipt and grabbing my jacket that I left on the stool in my haste to follow Harper outside. “So, what, that kiss meant nothing to you? That night at that basketball game meant nothing?” she sneers as if I offended her in some way.
I take a deep breath before turning back to face her, and I have to admit that any red-blooded male would jump at the chance to be with a woman like Angela, but I know her type and right now I want to get as far away from her as I possibly can. If I was five years younger and had no idea what kind of woman she was, I probably would have taken her up on everything she’s offering, but right now I can’t get the sad, destroyed look in Harper’s eyes out of my head.
“No, it didn’t,” I say bluntly, hoping this is the last time I have to have this conversation with this girl. “You know what you just did was way over the line, and because of that, the woman I actually want to spend time with thinks I’m seeing you on the side.”
Instead of being pissed like I assumed she would be, Angela gets closer and whispers, “It doesn’t have to be a lie, you know…”
I recoil, backing away and heading for the door. I knew from the first moment I met this woman that she’d be trouble, but I just thought she’d back off when she realized that I was taken, but I never thought she would stoop as low as to try and steal me away from Harper.
The second I step outside, I take out my phone and call Harper, wanting nothing more than to hear her voice, but I sigh when it goes straight to voice mail. “Hey Sunshine, please let me explain. I know what you saw looked bad, but I promise it’s not what you think. Please, sweetheart, let me explain.” I end the call and lean against the window of a closed-up barbershop. I tilt my head back against the glass door as I shut my eyes and hope to God I didn’t just ruin this.
“Josh, please don’t leave.”
I groan as Angela makes her way toward me, sashaying her hips in a way that’s supposed to be seductive but just comes off desperate.
“I know you have this thing for Harper but from what I saw, you should just let her go. She obviously doesn’t want you anymore and to be honest you can do so much better.”
I take a deep breath in an attempt to control the anger that is raging beneath my skin, and when it’s under control, I stand at my full height, turning so that we’re face to face, and to get my point across I lean down so we’re eye to eye.
“Angela, I am only going to say this once, okay? I want you to leave me the fuck alone. I don’t know what gave you the impression that I liked you, but I don’t.”
She huffs, and stomps her feet like some kind of child and pouts, clearly thinking that will get me to change my mind.
Is this woman for real?
“Josh, come on, you know you should be with a girl like me.”
I shake my head, wondering how I can get away from this woman without calling the cops—something that is looking more likely by the second.
“You shouldn’t be with someone that has a ton of baggage and issues a mile long.”
I cock my head to the side, wondering how she knows Harper’s past, but knowing it doesn’t change my mind in the least.
“Sorry. Harper is the only woman I am interested in, so if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be leaving and groveling to the woman that seems to think I’ve cheated on her, when in fact, I didn’t.” I take a few steps away before I turn back and meet her hopeful eyes. “And if you ever kiss me, touch me, or insinuate that you are dating me ever again, I will be pressing charges.”
Her eyes widen as I turn, signaling a cab that pulls up in front of me.
“Where to?” the driver asks and for the first time, I realize I don’t know. I know I want to go straight to Harper’s apartment and grovel at her door. I want to demand she see me and let me explain everything but the other part of me, the one that is clearly rational, knows that’s the last thing I should do.
“Home,” I say, giving him the address and sitting back in my seat and looking at my phone once more, hoping by some miracle that I missed a call from her, but seeing that I didn’t, I send another more desperate text and hope it gets through.
Please know that what happened tonight was not what I wanted, I wanted to have a nice quiet night with you, and I fucked it up. I am so sorry.
I send a few more begging for her forgiveness and asking for a chance to explain. I know it looks sad, but at this point, I’ll do anything to get her to talk to me again. When the cab drops me off at my apartment, I pay and then head upstairs, and just as I get inside, my phone goes off in my hand and I don’t even look at who is calling, I just answer, hoping it’s her.
“Harper?” I breathe, hoping to God it’s her as I lock my front door behind me.
