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Mom was ready to call Charlene and give her a piece of her mind, and Dad volunteered to drive her to Dallas so she could do it in person.
Once I calmed them down, I confirmed that Ethan and I are not engaged, and that we’ll have to somehow inform everyone. Though if it were that easy, Mom wouldn’t be getting phone calls from wedding planners already.
I feel so guilty about all of this—my parents, the Bishops, getting Ethan involved—and even more so now that the whole town thinks we’re together. When I checked my phone this morning, I saw his text about us needing to talk. I’m not sure if it’s about the newspaper announcement or us sleeping together, but neither is a conversation I want to have.
Once I’m done restocking the boutique, I hug Mom goodbye and drive home. Before I get my hands dirty, I decide to finally respond to Ethan.
Harper: If you still wanna talk, you can come over tonight. I’ll just be making lotions.
Ethan: Sure. 7 okay?
Harper: Works for me.
Although it’s through text, I feel the tension. It’s never been an issue before, and I absolutely hate it.
Though I’m nervous to hear what he has to say, I keep myself busy. I make more products for my online shop, take pictures and videos for social media, update my website, and even do some laundry. However, when it’s six, I realize I need to eat and tidy up so Ethan has a place to sit when he gets here.
Seeing him has been in the back of my mind all day. This is the reason we’ve never crossed those unspoken boundaries before. We were good as best friends, and though I have feelings for him, it wasn’t worth jeopardizing our friendship. Especially since I’m not sure how he feels about me. Things might never be the same.
“Knock, knock…” Ethan taps his knuckles on the door as he slowly opens it.
“Come in,” I call out as I walk toward him. “Hey.” I grip the knob to open it wider.
“Hey.”
We stand and stare at each other, neither of us knowing if we should still hug. I already miss the warmth of his arms around me.
“We can talk on the couch if that’s okay?” I ask as I walk toward the living room.
“That works.”
“Oh, do you want anything to drink first?” I spin around too fast, and he bumps into me. Ethan’s hands grip my arms to steady me, and I suck in a breath of surprise. “Sorry.”
“You good?”
I take a step back. “Yep.”
“Beer, if you have it,” he replies.
“You know I do,” I say lightly, hoping we can ease back to how we’ve always been.
Once I grab him a bottle of Bud and a water for me, I meet him on the loveseat.
“So how was work today?” I ask.
At the same time, he asks, “How was your day?”
We laugh, and it feels good.
“You first,” he says, then takes a sip of his drink.
“It was fine. Pretty busy, actually. Restocked the boutique and did the usual for my shop stuff.”
He nods, inhaling half of his beer as if he’s nervous to say something he shouldn’t.
“Mine was busy and chaotic as normal too. Got about five hundred texts and calls congratulating me on my engagement.”
I swallow hard, ready to rip off the Band-Aid. “Yeah, my mom’s been getting flooded too. I’m thinking we better figure out what to do. People aren’t gonna forget about it, especially in this damn town.”
“Grandma’s been on my ass all day.” He shrugs. “They’ll get over it eventually.”
“I really am sorry for this.” I shake my head, disappointed in myself that I let Shayla, of all people, mess with me. “It was such a big mistake.”
“Why? Is it that far-fetched that we’d be together?” he challenges.
I stare at him, unmoving. “Huh?”
“Was it so bad holding my hand, kissing me, and actin’ like a couple?”
Blinking hard, I’m stunned by his comment. “What? I didn’t say that.”
“You just said it was a big mistake, Harper. So make up your mind.”
“W-why are you being so defensive? I was apologizing for getting you into this mess. For the inconvenience of having to explain to your family that it’s not real.”
“Not real, huh?” Ethan sets down his beer, then stands. “Felt pretty fuckin’ real to me. Actually, kissing you was the realest thing I’ve ever felt. Guess it was one-sided, though.”
I stand and match his anger. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
“Maybe I’m just tired of keeping it to myself after all these years, but clearly, us being in a relationship is unbelievable to you.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Ethan. I don’t know where this outburst is coming from, but us sleeping together has nothing to do with what Shayla did. She knew it would turn my life upside down. It still would’ve regardless of the status of our friendship.”
