Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 117494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Harper: What’s worse is that he and Aly are besties. He took my bestie. She’s mine. Not his. AND her new man, because holy hannah banana, she and that Brandon are hot and heavy. How long have you been gone? Three nights? She’s been with him every night. We’re permanent fixtures at Manny’s. I’m starting a book club with a crazy lady named Rebecca and another older guy named Gus. Sigh. He’s legit nuts, but I like him. I don’t think he can read. I’m pretty sure he thinks book club is code for something else, and I do not want to ask him what he thinks it’s code for.
Me: If Justin is ignoring you, it’s because you did or said something to upset him.
Harper: Whose best friend are you?
Me: Yours. So is Aly. I reached out to him too.
Harper: I hate everyone. Even my mother didn’t care.
Harper calling.
I hit accept, and he kept on as if there’d been no break after his text.
“I called and informed her what was going down, and do you know what she did?”
I tensed, waiting for the bomb to drop.
“She asked to talk to him!” His voice went up. “Not to chew him out, or I don’t know—warn him not to hurt her baby. Nope. She wanted to see how he was doing since the breakup. I can’t believe it. My own mother. And then when he gave the phone back, she warned me not to hurt him!”
Yep. My guess was confirmed. “Harper.”
He sniffled. “What?”
“Did Justin give you an ultimatum? Marry him or break up with him?”
He was quiet for a moment. “No.”
“Do you miss him?”
“Yes…”
“You’re scared of getting married. I think that’s reasonable, considering your parents’ crazy life, but I’m pretty sure Justin will understand. Have you talked since that night?”
“No. He proposed, and I left.”
Holy—I bolted upright in bed. “What?”
“He got down on one knee, brought the ring out, and I left. My own house. I left my own house.”
“Was he there when you came back?”
“No.”
I frowned, something in the way he said that… “How long were you gone?”
“Three days.”
“Oh my God, Harper! Of course he was gone when you came back. That’s—that’s humiliating.”
“My best friend.” His voice was shrill again. “Mine. Not his—”
I heaved another breath, and he heard this one, quieting.
“I’m being irrational, aren’t I?”
“A bit.”
I waited, knowing Harper. We’d gone through this since high school. We might age, we might wise up, we could grow internal and external scars, but some things never changed—our hearts. Harper was petrified, and only he could do what he needed to do.
“When are you coming back, Kali? I could do with a Kali cuddle.”
“I’m not sure. I’m waiting to find out myself.”
“I miss you. It’s fun being out here with Aly, but we did come to be with you, you know.”
“I know.” I lay back down, settling into the pillow once again. “I don’t think my sister is coming back with us.”
“Are you coming back with us?”
I couldn’t answer that either. “What are you going to do about Justin?” I asked instead.
“Agh! Do not think I don’t know what you’re pulling. What’s going on with you and Mr. Hottie Biker Badass Shane King?”
“I don’t know either.” That was the truth. We hadn’t had sex yet. “So Aly and that Brandon guy, huh?”
Harper growled. “I totally know you’re deflecting again, but I’m going to let this one slide. I could do with some gossip distraction myself. And yes! She’s had three one-night stands with him. Keeps saying each night is the last night, until the next evening when we’re at Manny’s and she’s waiting for him to close up. That guy is a workhorse. And I met the sister. I have a crush on her. It’s official. I’m going to start my own Instagram page and fill it with pictures of her and her man, who is delicious looking. The both of them? Sex on wheels. Hot sex on wheels.”
“Aly likes the sister?”
He made a noncommittal sound. “You know Aly. She’s all bubbly and nice, but internally she’s lying to herself about what she’s doing with Brandon.”
I frowned. That sounded more serious than I thought. I sat up again slowly. “Wait. What?”
“She’s in love.”
“It’s been three nights.”
“Yeah, and you know Aly. We know Aly. She’s in love.”
“What?!”
“She blushes when he says her name. She gets butterflies before she calls him—or texts him even. She’s got the look. Our girl’s done fell in love, Kalista.”
I shot to my feet, now standing on the bed. “What?!”
Panic seized my chest.
Rising.
Squeezing.
The pressure filled my chest, rising to my throat.
The bedroom door opened, and Shane appeared, his face thunderous. “What?!”
I dropped the phone, not thinking. “My best friend fell in love for the second time in her life, and I WASN’T THERE TO WATCH IT!” I launched myself at him, knowing he’d catch me. My legs went around his waist, and I peered down at him, glaring. “You kept me here while my best friend fell in love! How dare you!”