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“Well, I had already picked up your gift, I just planned to give it to you at another time,” Kat said. I knew she meant at my wedding.
Kat had picked up tickets for a Broadway show for her and me when we got back into town. Good seats, too. I had never seen a Broadway show, and the idea of spending a night on the town with my best friend made me dread going back to New York a little less.
Jackson had bought me a gift card to a spa in New York City. He apologized for it being less personal, but it was last minute. “I love it. I need to relax more when I get back.”
“I thought that might be the case,” he said with a smile and a lingering look.
Nathan bought me books, which showed that he knew me well. “These are some of my favorites,” he said. “And I wanted to share them with you.”
“Thank you,” I replied, having to fight the urge to kiss him. I gave him a soft peck on the cheek and prayed it looked innocent enough. I was just so grateful for the thoughtfulness.
Aiden handed me his gift last, a small package delicately wrapped in dark blue paper with little snowflakes on it. I opened it and found a pearl necklace with matching earrings and bracelet.
“I remember, once upon a time, you complimented my mom on her pearl necklace,” Aiden said. “You had mentioned you always wanted one.”
“How did you remember that?” My hands shook as tears of joy filled my eyes. “I was what, fourteen?”
“Something like that,” he muttered. “I hope you still like them.”
“Of course! I’ve always wanted pearls but could never afford them. They’re beautiful,” I said.
Aiden stepped over and helped me put them on.
“Every Southern woman needs a string of pearls,” Rose said, patting my hand.
“Thank you, everyone. I mean it.” I started crying from the emotions of it all. Rose hugged me warmly, and for the first time I felt like I belonged somewhere, that people actually cared about me.
I wanted to be part of this family so badly, and there I was. We took turns hugging and thanking each other for the gifts, and I honestly forgot all about Tony’s message. But when I glanced down at my phone, it came back to me.
I had to deal with him at some point.
I needed to make it clear that we were never getting back together, and that what he did was not okay.
I was feeling better than I had in months, and I knew it was the perfect time to do that. I picked up my phone and excused myself, stepping out into the hallway and away from the sounds of laughter in the living room.
I turned on my phone and more messages popped up as it came on. All from Tony. Several missed calls too, along with some voicemails. I ignored all of it and hit his number to return his call.
When he answered, his words were slurred. What was it about alcohol that brought people crawling back?
“Harper, love—”
“No, Tony, I’m not your love. I’m just calling to tell you that you need to stop this. You need to get over me, and I don’t care if you miss me. You should have thought about that before sticking your cock into anything that moved. I don’t want to talk to you ever again.”
I hung up before he could argue with me. There was no point in listening to any of his nonsense or excuses. I wasn’t going to do that to myself.
I let out a sigh of relief hearing my phone buzz a second later. I quickly ignored the call and went into my settings, blocking Tony’s number.
I knew that once I got back to New York, I would have to figure out what this all meant for my academic career. What was Tony telling everyone at the university? How would things play out seeing as we worked so closely together? I didn’t have the answers, but I didn’t dwell too much on it.
I wasn’t going to let him ruin the rest of my holiday. I wiped away the tears and noticed Jackson further down the hallway. Had he heard my call?
My question was answered a second later. “I’m proud of you, Harper.”
22
Jackson
Harper looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Her eyes wide, her mouth open as if she wanted to respond, but no sound would come out.
