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“You’re that too. It’s like yin and yang.”
She shook her head, but I knew the dorky smile she had on even just seeing her from behind. “Love you too,” she said, opening the door and stepping through. I kept watching after her for a while, staring at the door, hearing her soft footsteps from beyond, and I just…
It was so corny. What kind of loser compared falling in love to a sunrise? But I had to admit, it was easy to take these feelings for granted while Harper was around. And when the sunlight all disappeared for six months, and then came back in a flash… kind of hard to hide from the truth then.
I cozied myself up in the bedsheets all wrapped up in my blankets listening to Harper in the next room moving around in my kitchen—herkitchen. Our kitchen? It had never made sense owning a house and renting the house facing it from across the street, but I couldn’t bear the thought of someone else coming and living in this place, stripping it of everything Harper had left here. It felt right with her back.
I perked up at the sound of the stairwell door opening in the next room, and I sat up groggily when I heard Emberlynn’s voice coming through.
“Hey,” she said, her voice low. “Glad to, uh… glad to see you’re still here.”
I heard Harper slide a drawer shut. “I told you, I’m staying until she’s better.”
I felt like I’d cry. I never wanted to be better, if that was what she was saying. But… just the fact that I could hear her talking to Emberlynn, it was healing a wound I hadn’t realized was a wound.
“Is she still asleep?” Emberlynn said.
“She woke up a bit ago, but she’s probably drifted off again… I’m making her breakfast. Seems to be doing better. Asked for oatmeal and everything.”
“Thank god.” Emberlynn’s voice was so laced with worry. I felt a little sick. Hadn’t really… thought about how it would affect other people. Not that I ever thought of anyone but myself. “Um… thank you, Harper. For coming back. Looking after her.”
Harper sighed, and I heard the beep of the kettle going off. The sound of hot water pouring. After a long pause, she said, “Missed her. Missed you. Missed this town…”
“Stay, then.”
“I can’t, Emberlynn.”
“At least stay in touch.” Emberlynn’s voice cracked, broken around the edges. Felt like she was speaking to my soul. I felt a little weird eavesdropping, but… I couldn’t take my ears off the conversation. “I get you wanted a clean start, but… it doesn’t look like it’s been healthy for you. And I know it’s not healthy for her.”
Harper sighed. Emberlynn went on in a softer voice.
“She loves you.”
“Told me last night I was the worst for making her tea,” Harper said lightly. I huffed. As if that wasn’t how I said I loved her.
“And you love her, too,” Emberlynn said.
“Emberlynn… as nice as it is to see you, is there a reason you’re here?”
Emberlynn laughed. “Grabbing my bread for the day. Just thought I’d come up here and say hi while I was in. And check on Pais.”
“You can see her if you want to.”
“I’m not interrupting your time together,” Emberlynn said, and I felt my face prickle. It wasn’t like I didn’t want it, just… just… I couldn’t bear the thought of everyone knowing how I felt about Harper. Even though I think everyone knew how I felt about Harper. “Tell her I said hi, okay? And that I’m glad she’s doing better.”
“Will do. Oh—what’s the bread today?”
Emberlynn laughed. “Ciabatta. Doing a kind of… croque monsieur. Aria’s at that point in her period where she’s craving as much cheese as she can get in her stomach, so…”
“Heading over to Hogshead after?”
“Going to clear their shelves. It’s the least I can do for her.”
Harper laughed. “Tell her I said hi, too. And that I hope the cheese helps.”
The coffeemaker beeped a second after Emberlynn had left, too, and it wasn’t long before Harper’s footsteps came towards the door, knocking twice before she pushed it open and stepped inside. I shifted in the bed to look like I’d dozed off a bit, feigning waking up as she came over with a tray, stocked with coffee and oatmeal and buttered toast with jam, and she slipped into the bed and set it down between us.
“Breakfast in bed,” I laughed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “I need to pass out more often.”
