AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No.” Her eyes narrow as if preparing for a fight.
I hit the nail on the head. There’s someone else. “Fuck, Harper. I need to know.”
Her eyes narrow. The wheels in her beautiful head are churning. She’s contemplating. I told her about Miranda. Not that I was in love with her, per se, but I opened up to Harper. I let her in. I know she’s debating whether she wants to do the same.
“Tyler,” she says to my surprise.
“Tyler?” Fuck. I was not expecting a name. I assumed I’d get a stubborn stare down.
He’s real. I was right. He must be why I keep hitting a wall with her. What we just experienced will never go any further if we don’t deal with the past. I need to know more.
“I’m going to assume that repeat was for processing.”
Ignoring her sarcasm, which I recognize now as a coping strategy for her, I respond, “You were in love with him?”
“With all my heart,” she says with a pinched mouth.
“What happened?”
Her hands flip out. “He left me.”
“Is that why you moved to Texas?”
Her chin lifts, exposing her slender neck. “Do you want something to drink?” She goes to get up.
I grab her wrist and pull her back down. “Why do you always do that?”
“What?” she asks with a bitter bite in her tone.
“Run when shit gets serious. When I want to talk about things that have to do with us.”
“There’s no us, and Tyler has nothing to do with anything.”
“Oh, babe.” I chuckle. “There’s definitely an us. Something’s going on here, but you keep trying to stop it. And you can ignore it, deny it and even try to push it away, but it’s not going anywhere. Tomorrow, just like me, it will still be here.”
Her eyes roll. “We had a good thing going on here tonight. Why make it more than what it is?”
“This” —I point at her and me— “is already in motion. You and me, it’s happening. Why are you fighting it?” I tilt my head. “What are you afraid of?”
Her head knocks back. “I’m not afraid.”
“Then what are you?”
“Thirsty.” She jerks her arm free, jumps up from the bed, and grabs my T-shirt from the floor. She yanks it over her head. Pulling her hair out from the back of the shirt, she shoots me an enraged look. “Do you want something to drink or not?”
Oh, I want to pull her back on this bed and spank her sassy ass. Instead, I fold my hands in my lap. “Water would be great.” I smile. “But we’re not done with this.”
“We are tonight,” she huffs.
“Like I said, I’ll be here tomorrow. So whenever you’re ready to drop the fucking attitude and talk to me, really talk, I’ll be here,” I call after her as she walks out of the bedroom.
This Tyler must have done a number on her and hurt her bad. She says that he left her. Obviously, she didn’t want the breakup. Maybe she’s still in love with him. I’m not sure if I can compete with that. Although I’ve never been in love, there’s nothing for me to compare it to.
Like, if someone breaks your heart, does it make it easier or harder to move on? Something is stopping Harper from allowing herself to open up to me and let me in even a little.
The sex was great. I believed it would bring us closer together. She’s either denying her feelings, or it was nothing but sex for her.
Which I can’t believe.
