Ava’s face of shock refreshes itself. “Okay, you’re both going to need to catch me up to speed.”
I can still hear Harper laughing as I climb into the back seat. It’s become my favorite sound in the world. She looks over her shoulder at me. The smile alone makes it well worth the wait.
Epilogue
Luke
It’s been a week since Harper and I have gotten back from Iceland, and I think we’re both surprised by how seamlessly we’ve been able to become a couple. It’s not that different from being friends. We see each other every day and make the same jokes, but now when we’re together, Harper leans into me, or I brush a kiss across her cheeks. Ava pretended to be grossed out by the public display of affection when she spent the first day with us together, but according to Harper, she was absolutely giddy over the fact that she was right.
Apparently, Ava spent the past year teasing Harper about dating me, which seems eerily similar to my situation with Wes. Wes, however, has yet to find out about Harper and me.
“He doesn’t know?” Harper’s eyes go wide. We’ve been hanging out at my apartment as our go-to spot, since Harper shares a place with Ava.
“It’s not like I’ve tried to keep it a secret. I just haven’t seen him since we got back,” I shrug. “He’s coming over tonight, so I figured we’d tell him together. He’ll be more amused that way.”
“You’re telling him tonight?” Her eyes spark like she’s just gotten an idea.
I don’t know what she has in mind, but I suspect that I’ll like it. “What?”
Her smile broadens. “What if I’m not here when he gets here?”
I cock an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”
“I’ll hide in your room when he gets here, and you tell him that I saw your text. You can even tell him I set you up on a date with a random stranger because I didn’t feel that way about you. You wouldn’t even have to lie.” She gives me a mischievous grin.
“You want to make the poor man suffer?” I ask, but I’m smiling right along with her.
“He did make the majority of our trip to Iceland very awkward.”
I nod, agreeing. I wonder if I ever would have done anything to admit my feelings to Harper if it weren’t for Wes’s text. If Harper hadn’t read the text from Wes, she wouldn’t have made me go out with Cassie. We would have had a trip just the two of us. I never had any plans to tell Harper how I felt, but I do wonder how spending the week just the two of us might have changed things.
There’s a knock at the door, and Harper raises her eyebrows, asking me where she should go. I motion to my room, and she runs off, a little too excited for what we are about to put Wes through.
I make my way to the door, trying to summon acting skills I’m not sure I possess.
Harper saw the text. She didn’t feel the same way. Our friendship is ruined.
I put on my best somber face and open the door.
“Hey.” I keep my voice low. Luckily for Harper, I haven’t been texting Wes much, so this is the first time we’ve had the time to catch up since I got back.
“How was Iceland?” Wes looks excited until he takes in my face, and his smile disappears. “You okay?”
Wes steps in, and I close the door behind him, moving to my couch, putting my head in my hands. I need to hide my face because I know I’m not a good enough actor to pull this off. I can already feel a smile threatening to break through.
“Harper read the text you sent me about telling her how I feel,” I mumble into my hands.
Wes is quiet next to me. I let myself sit in the possibility that Harper did read that text and instead of eventually realizing she felt the same way, she ended our friendship. The concept feels wrong now. Impossible in every way.
“She doesn’t ...” Wes stammers, trying to figure out what to say next. I feel the couch shift next to me. “She doesn’t feel the same way then?”
I lift my face just enough to look at him as he sits next to me. There’s worry etched across his face.
“No.” I straighten. I can feel my face go red, because I can so clearly recall when I thought I’d lost Harper. All I can picture is Harper walking down the streets of Reykjavik, hands in her pockets, refusing to look at me. Singing her that song crossed a line and forever changed our friendship. And I didn’t know if that change was good or bad yet.
“But ... how?” Wes seems genuinely confused.
I shake my head, looking down to hide my face.
