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Harper popped the cork on a bottle, lined up glasses, and poured champagne for everyone. “We’re going out back to burn the rules. Now, where are they?”
“What rules?” I asked her.
“You know what I’m talking about.TheRules.” She pulled open my drawers until she finally found them taped to the top tray. It had been highlighted but never removed. I hadn’t referred to it in a long time. But I had a general idea of what it said:
Don’t sleep with the wedding party.
Don’t sleep with Gia’s brothers.
Don’t sleep with the vendors or contractors.
Harper ripped the loose-leaf paper off the tray and waved it in the air. “Does this sound familiar to anyone?Don’t sleep with the wedding party. Don’t sleep with the vendors or contractors. Don’t sleep with Gia’s brothers.”
Groans and eye rolls erupted around the room.
I gestured to each person as I listed the infractions. “Obviously, no one paid any attention to the rules. Abby had a one-night stand with the best man, Lily slept with the mechanic who was charged with keeping her delivery van running, Aria slept with my guitarist at the wedding venues, and finally, you slept with my brother Leo.”
Harper smiled sweetly, with a knowing glint in her eyes. “But all of us are happy and in love. Isn’t that what matters?”
I stubbornly refused to respond. I wasn’t sure why they’d staged this intervention, but I felt uneasy. Were they here to talk about my screwup with Silas? I looked around the room, seeing genuine concern from each person, so I held up my hands. “Just for the record, I’d like everyone to know I haven’t broken any of those rules.”
Harper sighed. “The rules were stupid to begin with. You didn’t honestly think you could control who people fell in love with, did you?”
“Of course not,” I said over the tightening of my throat.
Harper lowered her voice. “Then why do you think you can control whoyoufall in love with?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “What are you talking about?”
“Sweetie, you’re in love with Silas.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I protested, even as my cheeks heated. How much did everyone know? I’d told Harper a bit but hadn’t confided in anyone else.
“Is it?” Harper asked, her brow raised.
The rest of the room had fallen silent. Somehow, they’d managed to finish stringing the twinkly lights on the ceiling and turned them on. Someone flicked off the overhead lights, giving the office a nice glow.
I really wanted the champagne, but I didn’t think it was the right time for it. Harper wanted something from me, but I wasn’t sure what it was.
“For the first time in years, you took off two Sundays in a row.”
Prickles of awareness flew down my spine. Was she right about me being in love? “Is that all you’ve got?”
“You went home for family dinner for the first time in years when Silas was there.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” I insisted.
“You know what he means to you, even if you won’t share it with anyone else. Inside, you know the truth.”
I flushed hotter, my skin feeling uncomfortable. I wanted to escape from the truth of her words and the knowing stares of everyone in this room.
Harper shook the paper in the air. “These rules don’t mean anything, not when we meet the man that means something to us. You’ll break any rule to get what you want.”
Did I want Silas? I missed him. It felt like my heart had been shredded into a billion tiny pieces since he walked out the other day. What if he didn’t want me? I was difficult. My own father didn’t get me. Why would Silas?
But I knew he did. He was the only person who saw all of me and seemed to like me more for it. Couldhebe in love withme?
The questions rolled around in my head, making my head spin.
