Page 35 of The Truth of Us

Friday, after the shitshow went down in Julian’s office, Harper was obviously upset, even though she tried to hide it. After she walked Lucy through how we would handle the public perception of the marriage, she stormed out of the building. I caught up with her outside.

“Do you need a ride?” I asked.

She wouldn’t look at me; she kept walking, her long legs moving fast. “I just need some air.”

I grabbed her hand, threading my fingers through hers, and pulled her to slow down a little. “Baby, what's wrong?”

She stopped and spun on me, “What’s wrong? Seriously Elliot? Were we not in the same room?”

I pulled her closer to me and with my free hand I wrapped it ‌through her hair and cupped the back of her neck, pulling her to me for a kiss. She let me and after she melted into me; I pulled back so we could see each other.

“He’s not normally that much of an asshole.”

She cocked an eyebrow at me, saying, “I don’t know if I believe you.”

I laughed at that and kissed her again because kissing Harper was quickly becoming one of my favourite pastimes, and she called me on it, saying, “You are really taking advantage of this whole kissing me in public thing, Elliot.”

That night was the first time I got her to my bedroom, but when I got back from throwing the condom out, she was already dressed.

Saturday night at yet another gala, I made Harper dance with me as much as possible. Something about having her in my arms quieted my mind in a way I didn’t understand. It was like all the external pressure, the voices in my head… just disappeared.

During our last dance, I pulled her even closer, brushing my nose along her jaw and bringing my lips up to her ear. I asked, “Stay with me tonight?”

Harper sighed and then went to pull back, but I held her tight. “Elliot.”

Thinking of any excuse I could, I offered, “It is closer to Julian’s, and you can get more sleep that way before you go for the photoshoot tomorrow morning.”

She laughed, and even though I couldn’t see her face, it felt like a real one.

“By maybe twenty minutes.” She replied.

“We could do a lot of things in twenty minutes, baby.”

She laughed again, but she pulled back, and I let her go this time.

“Elliot, I have nothing at your place and I don’t want to muddy what we are doing here.”

I studied her face, trying to figure out what about this had me so focused on getting her to bend and why she refused to. Then it clicked… so I teased, “Harper, do you like me?”

Something flickered in her eyes that made me want to pull her closer again, but she stepped further away and her mask was instantly back up.

“My driver should be here. I will see you tomorrow afternoon.” She said, and then turned, making her way off the dance floor and away from me.

I clutched my chest without realizing it and decided I needed to talk to someone about how I was feeling.

That is how I ended up at Caleb’s house. He was the only one of us who had a house in a respectable area, the only one who decided against concrete, glass and penthouse views.

Maybe Harper was right; was Caleb secretly waiting for someone? Or was he the only one who didn’t think he had something to prove.

I sat on one of his couches that was far more comfortable than mine and made a mental note to find out where he got them, get a garbage bin beside the bed and have some things at my place for Harper.

Caleb walked over to me, handed me a beer, and then sat beside me with a heavy sigh.

“Are you okay?” I asked, hating the idea that maybe someone had broken Caleb’s heart and I had no clue.

Giving your heart away meant giving power to the one who received it. And in my experience, that didn’t end well. It was far better living shielded from that kind of pain. You learn that quickly as a little boy when your own parents don’t want your love.

I try to shake off that thought, wondering why my parents are on my mind suddenly. I haven’t spoken to them in years, haven’t thought about them, about love in...