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“We had a fight. People fight.”
“And you treated me like shit.”
“You think because I have that family’s blood running in my veins, I’ll control you and manipulate you with my money. And I don’t like it. You want to leave, leave.” He pushes off the doorframe and starts walking. I hug myself, fighting tears, certain he’ll walk out of the door. But right when he would, he grabs the doorframe and lowers his head.
I suck in a breath, waiting for what comes next. Eternal seconds tick by and when he rotates to face me, tall and broad and too good looking for his own good, his blue eyes are still the orange fire of his anger. But he says nothing, as if he doesn’t even know where to begin, but I do. From my heart.
“I know you’re hurting,” I say. “I do. But I’m in this, too. I lost my father, who I loved like you did your mother. And now my mother is a horrible person. I can’t go to the house. I don’t have a job—”
“You have a job. I told you that.”
“We can’t work together and I’m not taking a pity job.”
“Neither me nor Grayson hand out pity jobs.”
“I’m going to Denver. I’m going home.” My eyes burn with the word “home” and I turn away from him, intending to go pack.
He catches my arm and walks me around to him. “Is your home in Denver, Harper? Is that what you are saying and is that what you mean?”
“You made me feel like I was homeless with nobody in this world who cares about me.”
“That’s not true. It will never be true again.”
“I need to just go back to Denver, Eric. It’s just,” my voice cracks, “it’s the right thing for me to do.”
“I willnotlet you go back there, not now. It’s not safe.”
“I’m not an obligation.”
“Thisis your home. With me. We talked about this.”
“Your apartment. You said that intentionally with purpose and don’t tell me you didn’t.”
“I was angry. It was a really shitty thing for me to do.”
“Yes. Yes, it was. Because that kind of cut is not only deep, it bleeds bright red and leaves a stain that never washes away. And just to be clear, it’s not your bloodline that scares me, Eric. I lost my father, the only person who has ever really been there for me. I had to get past that and stand on my own, fight on my own. I’m terrified of leaning on you, losing you, and having to reteach myself that. I know you don’t understand and—”
He scoops me to him, and cups my head, his mouth closing down on mine, and I try to resist, I try so hard to protect myself for the lure of this man, and the pain he will bring me, but I am weak. The instant that his tongue touches mine, I melt for him. He can destroy me, that is clear, and I’m helpless to stop it from happening.
Chapter one hundred eight
Harper
Kissing Eric leaves me weak in the knees and panting, his body a shelter I both crave and fear, because that shelter no longer feels stable and strong. “I’m sorry,” he says, his voice roughened up by emotion, laced with regret. “I’m really fucking sorry.Stay with me,Harper,”
I hear the plea and torment in his voice, feel the burn for him in every part of me, inside and out, I do, and it matters to me, but I feel the same things I did before he kissed me. And I worry that we’re now hurting each other. And neither of us need that.
“I can’t do this like this, Eric. I can’t. I’m not in the right headspace to be treated like a houseguest. I can’t do it. I just can’t.” I try to pull away from him, and he holds me steady, and my fist balls on his chest, my head tilting down in utter frustration and defeat. He catches my face and drags my gaze back to his. “I’m not in a good place. You know that.”
“When we start tearing each other down, we’re not in the right place together.”
“This wasn’t me tearing you down.”
“It sure as hell feels like it, Eric.”
Tension ripples along his jawline and settles in his voice. “I’m coming out of my skin right now. My mind is going crazy.”
“I get that and why, too, but we’re standing on a ledge together, and you’re pushing me off when you should be holding onto me. Fight with me, fuck me, but don’t be cruel.”
