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Harper huffed. “I don’t think she cares about that.”
“She’s an idiot, then,” I said, never feeling more confident about anything. I felt lucky to have Evie in my life, even if she wasn’t blood.
Harper’s expression softened.
“I’ll let you get back to your night. I’m sure you’re tired. Thanks again for covering.” I was almost to the door when Harper touched my arm.
The heat of her palm seared through my skin, sending tingles through my body. I turned to face her as she dropped her hand.
“I’m always happy to help out. Your family has done so much for me. Watching Evie, this apartment…” She gestured around us with her hands. “But no one has ever stopped by to check on me or thank me for doing my job.”
She wanted to know why I was here and what had changed.
“I just wanted to check on you and Evie. Make sure you were okay.”
“But why?” Harper asked as her eyes widened in surprise at her candidness. She obviously hadn’t meant to ask.
“I care about you.”
“You do?” Harper asked, genuinely confused.
“You’re like a younger sister to me. You know, I do the same for you that I do for Gia.” My heart pounded in my chest at my words. There was no truth to them. I’d never thought of Harper like a sister.
Her face clouded over. “Of course. Well, now you know I’m okay. I’ll see you later.”
She opened the door for me, and I was standing on the landing as the door shut in my face before I could process what just happened. Had I just compared Harper to my sister? I basically told her that I didn’t like her, that there would never be anything between us. I was supposed to be getting her used to the idea of me, not shutting it off entirely.
I ran a hand through my hair as I jogged down the steps, grabbed my keys from my office, and shut and locked the door. I was an idiot. I wasn’t used to being this clueless around women, but Harper was different. I couldn’t just drop a few Italian phrases on her and have her melting in my arms. She was worth more than that.
I needed to get myself together before I approached her again. I needed a better plan. I couldn’t help but think that Harper wasn’t a game or a challenge. She was this incredible woman, who’d get swooped up soon by another man who was smoother than me.
Five
HARPER
Ispent the weekend catching up on laundry and spending time with Evie. I enjoyed the time we had together. Before we hired new wedding planners, Ireland and Aria, I attended weddings on the weekends too, but I didn’t need to be present. As the manager, I could oversee things from my tablet.
Now I had to go to family dinner with this issue of Leo hanging over me. The last few days, it was like Leo finally saw me as a woman he might find attractive. The way he’d acted when I arrived at the restaurant on Friday night, how he’d checked in on Evie and then sent us home early, as if he cared about me. And I hadn’t expected him to stop by the apartment when he got off work.
The entire time I lived here, no one from the Giovanni family had stopped by. The only one who’d been inside was Gia, and she always called or texted first. It was like they went out of their way to make it feel like any other apartment rental. Except they gave me an amazing deal on the rent.
They didn’t want to invade my space, and I appreciated that because, inside the Giovanni family, there didn’t seem to be boundaries between the family members.
When Leo dropped that little bomb that I was like his sister, I was disappointed, which was ridiculous because, of course, he saw me that way. I was just like any other member of his family. I worked at the restaurant, and I helped out whenever they called. I lived in their apartment and used his mother for babysitting. I wasn’t a potential date. I’d always be his younger sister’s friend, a part of their family. It was what I’d always wanted.
Even though I knew nothing had really changed, I’d let myself hope that something had for a few days. Then everything came crashing back down to earth, and reality exploded in my face.
Why would Leo look at me in any other way? I was an idiot for thinking he had. That one dance at a wedding made me think that something was possible between us.
When I got to his parents’ house, Evie rushed into the kitchen, excited to be part of everything. At home, it was quiet with just the two of us. Here, everyone was loud and boisterous. Someone was always teasing someone else, and there was always too much food.
Mrs. G. spent the day making homemade pasta and sauce, and by the time everyone showed up to eat, the house smelled like marinara sauce.
When I lived with my mom, I was responsible for making food for myself, so I ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and mac and cheese. Things that kept in the pantry for a long time.
Once I’d befriended Gia, I was invited over for meals more often, and I loved the closeness and the love. It made me long for things I couldn’t have.
Evie ran straight for Leo because they’d always had a close relationship. He lifted her high in his arms, saying how big she’d gotten since he’d seen her last. She giggled as he kissed her and then blew raspberries on her cheeks.
