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Chapter 11
Even though Michael was before her speaking, she could not rid Brian from her mind. Their interaction just kept replaying itself in her mind. It was making her angrier by the second. And the part that was hardest was keeping it from Michael. She needed to keep a brave face, or at least one that didn’t put all her emotions on display. Brian didn’t deserve to be the person that got under her skin. Not after what he had said and done.
“Are you well? You are beginning to look rather angry,” Michael asked.
Harper was pulled back into the moment. The sweat began to arrive at the very top of her forehead. She quickly wiped it away before saying, “Oh yes. I am great. My dress is just hot that’s all. What were you saying?”
Michael gave her a measured look. “I was saying how much I enjoyed our last morning together. I simply couldn’t get it off my mind. I know that most men aren’t free with the contents of their mind, but you should know that I do think of you quite often.”
Harper laughed nervously, thinking back to her last conversation with Leah. It was a difficult position to be in. The way Michael spoke, there was a genuine tone to his words. They were more than sweet to hear after what Brian had said. They were refreshing. Yet imagining Leah’s face the other day, that was the furthest thing from refreshing.
“That is…really nice of you.” Harper looked off into the distance, not quite knowing where to direct her eyes.
“Of course. I only speak the truth. You are a very special woman, and I am more than glad that I have had the privilege of knowing you my entire life.”
Harper nodded, knowing that she would need to eventually stop him from trying to be romantic. It was just so difficult to face that reality.
“From the day that you and I—”
“That’s enough! Stop courting me!” The words flew from her mouth faster than a bird diving from the sky. The look on Michael’s face almost made her laugh. It had been so shocked. Harper always had a habit of laughing when she was nervous. She did everything in her power not to, while standing before him.
“I…thought we wanted the same things.”
Harper turned around, giving Michael her back. She looked over the balcony and then into the night sky. She wished that she could have floated up and away to the stars, the only place that was void of complication. She shook her head and then turned to face him once more. “We do want the same things. But it needs to be with other people.”
Confusion masked his face.
“You should look to Leah. Leah has an interest in you, Michael.”
Harper watched her words register within him. She could tell that he had been somewhat caught off guard by that and she couldn’t blame him. There had been so many ups and downs as of late, anyone would be confused by it all.
“Leah…” Michael was the one that had given her his back that time. He paced a bit to take in the news. “I guess now I see it. I can see the little ways that she had been affectionate to me over the years. But…why can’t I believe it?” He looked to Harper as if to ask whether it had been true.
“It is a lot to take in. I understand. But Leah told me the other day.” Harper looked away out of instinct and she knew that it would make her look like she was lying even more so. She had wished she had prepared better for the moment. Maybe she could have been more composed and straightforward to help Michael believe her easier. But there was too much to anticipate as of late. And there was simply too much going on for her to have a chance to even digest her feelings about things.
“Leah loves you, Michael. I could see it in her eyes, and I could hear it in her voice. And because of how much I care for you both, I want to see whether or not you both would make a better pair.”
Michael’s face went red. Perhaps he could sense the admiration in Harper’s tone and realised that Leah cared for him even more so. And he deserved it. What he hadn’t deserved was the bruised face. Hopefully, Leah could mend the mental pain that came along with that.
“I don’t know what to say, Harper. This all feels like a whirlwind. Not only what you told me minutes ago, but everything that has come before it.”
“Brian, you mean.”
“Yes.” He gave her his back once more. “I do not mean to bring this conversation to a negative place. But what happened between us, I sometimes feel is unforgivable. It has plagued me to see a friendship go down like a sinking ship and now you come to me with this.”
“Believe me, Michael, we are all experiencing some form of grief because of one man. But you can look past that with Leah. You have a chance to start fresh in a way. None of us have that right now. If I were you, I would run after it and never let go. When it comes to Leah, she is a near-perfect person. You should consider yourself lucky.”
Michael gave her his attention. “I must admit, there is a part of me that does not believe it. Maybe it is for the reasons that you just named, maybe not. But I’d be lying if I told you that I fully believed you, Harper.”
At that moment, Harper thought back again to when she was younger.
The sky above was a rich blue on one side, on the other, there were dark clouds incoming. She watched as they slowly travelled to the blue side.
She, Michael, and Brian were waiting around while their parents all discussed business off in the distance.
“Looks as though it’s going to rain any moment,” Michael said to them both.
“No kidding. We all have eyes,” Brian said while kicking a rock.
