As I wait for Harper to arrive, I sit on the sofa, boiling with anger, wishing I had two functioning feet to pace out my frustration. The call hadn’t been urgent. Nothing serious happened. He used the call as an excuse to run out on me.Coward!Underneath that Mr. Nice Guy persona is a big fat jerk.One I had lost sleep with worry over. I’m such an idiot. Well, I’m never giving him the opportunity to mess with me again.
An hour later, there’s a knock on the door. I shuffle onto my feet and limp to let Harper in. She barrels in with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s super fudge chunk. She places the ice-cream on the coffee table and heads into the kitchenette to grab spoons. On her way back into the living room, she notices me hobbling to the sofa.
Harper covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh my God. What did you do to your leg?”
I’m wearing another oversized t-shirt. My wounds are too sensitive for pants or tights. In the light of the day, my leg looks banged-up. With abrasions, bruises, bandages, and a swollen ankle, it doesn’t look good.
“I had a little fall at the front of The Temple after my shift last night.” I sit back on the sofa, prop up my ankle and cover it with an icepack.
Harper takes the seat next to me. “Are you okay?”
“It looks worse than it is. I’ll be fine in a couple of weeks.” I hope.
“Can I get you anything? Tea? Water?” she asks with concern.
I point to the container on the coffee table. “The ice-cream is enough.”
Gathering the container and spoons, Harper passes me one then flips open the lid. We both scoop chocolate goodness into our mouths.
“Mmmm. This is delicious. I’m glad you made the trip over. Although, I hate that you’ve had to leave Avery on my account.”
Harper drops her head on the back of the sofa. “Finn can manage while I’m gone.” She sighs heavily. “I’m so tired. Can I sleep here for an hour or twenty?”
I giggle. “Stay as long as you like. Your old room is free if you want to lie down.”
Turning her head toward me, she groans, “Don’t tempt me. I love her so much, but God, it’s nice to have some time alone.”
I point at myself. “Arrhh. You’re not alone. I’m here.”
She waves dismissively. “You don’t count. So, tell me,” she says as she sits up, “how long have you been seeing Hayden?”
“Last night was the first night.”
“How did he end up in your apartment?”
Taking a deep breath, I explain about the fall, Hayden stopping to help me, and how he drove me home.
Harper looks at me expectantly, like she’s waiting for more. When I don’t say anything else, she says, “That doesn’t explain how his shirt buttons were mismatched and how far you got.”
I roll my eyes. “There’s nothing much more to tell. There was this fierce attraction—well, that’s what I thought, but with the way Hayden sprinted out of here, it wasn’t mutual.” It was humiliating that he needed to rush away from me so fast.
“That was a shitty thing to do.”
I couldn’t agree more. I pick up the watch laying on the coffee table. “Can you or Finn give this back to Hayden? I don’t want him back here.”
Taking it from me, she says, “You don’t want to do it yourself to give him a piece of your mind?”
“No. I won’t waste my breath.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I never want to see him again.”
Chapter Four
HAYDEN
In my office, I’m working through the budget report for our lead designer, Juliette Monet’s summer line when Harper barges into the room. I glance past her, expecting to see Finn and Avery. When I don’t see them, I ask, “Is everything okay?”
