I take a deep breath. Spotting a bench, I sit down, and he joins me, sitting close but not crowding me.
“I come from a small town,” I say. “When I was twelve, my dad fell from a ladder while putting up Christmas decorations and was taken to the local hospital. He was conscious, in excruciating pain, but stable.”
I swallow.
“The nurses were about to take him to imaging when a reality star in labor was rushed into the ER to give birth. All the staff was pulled to her, delaying my dad’s imaging and surgery. When they finally got to him, it was too late. He’d lost too much blood.”
“Harper,” Baptiste says softly, taking my hand. The comfort of his touch surprises me.
“I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” I whisper. “They just took him. And I never saw him again.”
“That’s awful,” he says. “I—I have no words. But it explains a lot.”
“I know it wasn’t intentional,” I say. “But it’s hard to accept that some people get special privileges just because they’re on TV.”
“I agree. We’re all equals,” he murmurs, then hesitates. “And your mom? Is she… You said it was just your grandma and you.”
I swallow hard. “Yeah, it’s just us. My parents were inseparable. They had the kind of love you only read about in books. After his death, she gave up on life. She didn’t want to keep going without him. Not even for me.”
And I don’t think I’ll ever forgive her for that. She abandoned me when I needed her most.
He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he pulls me toward him, and I melt into his strong arms. I feel safe there, weirdly at peace. Hiswoodsy cologne draws me into his bubble, and I wish I could stay here forever.
“That’s why my grandma is so important to me,” I say after a while.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to have them around longer. I’m sure that wherever they are, they’re very proud of you.”
My heart stutters. “You think so?”
He holds me tighter. “You completed your mission, didn't you? You covered this tournament like a seasoned pro, and you didn’t get roped into investigating a scandal. It wasn't easy, I’m sure. I mean,Ididn't always believe you’d make it.”
I laugh softly, tapping his chest. “Come on.”
“I’m serious. You did it,” he says, covering my hand with his.
“I did, didn't I?” I smile, the steady rise and fall of his chest soothing me. “Honestly, I had my doubts too. But I’m not sure that’s enough to make my parents proud.”
He pulls back just enough to meet my eyes. “You’re amazing, Harper. You’re strong, determined, brilliant at your job. You’re kind. You’re—” He exhales. “You’re beautiful.”
His gaze holds mine, and I get lost in the deep green of his eyes, the world narrowing down to just the two of us. His words are still resounding in my head. The words I didn’t know I needed to hear.
“Gosh,” he finally breathes out in a whisper. “You’ve never looked more beautiful than you do right now.” His warm palm caresses my cheek, electrifying my body.
“Baptiste,” I whisper, catching his hand.
He watches me expectantly, but I have nothing more to say. Instead, I lean forward until our lips meet. Softly at first, tentative, like we’re both unsure whether this is real. The kiss is slow, unhurried, a careful brush that turns into something deeper when he exhales against my mouth. His hand slides from my cheek to the back of my neck, anchoring me there, and I fall into his arms without resistance.
The glittering DC skyline falls away, the buzz of traffic fading to a background hum. There’s only the warmth of his mouth, the steady pressure of his lips against mine, the way my heart is pounding so loudly, I’m sure he can hear it.
We pull back just enough to catch our breath, our foreheads pressing together, breaths mingling in the warm night air. My lips tingle, and my pulse is still thumping a million miles a minute.
He studies my face for a long second, like he’s memorizing it, then admits quietly, “I wasn’t even sure you liked me.”
I smile, pressing my lips together, my face still flushed from the kiss. “Well, I don’t hate you.”
He lets out a surprised laugh, warm and relieved. “I’ll take it.”
And then he kisses me again.
