“How was lunch with Tess?” It comes out as a half gasp since Leo and I are on mile number four and while I always considered myself a runner, my performance pales in comparison to Leo. “How come you’re not wheezing like me?”
Leo chuckles, the sound normal. Like he doesn’t have an elevated heart rate and isn’t pushing his body in the slightest. Damn running backs. “This is a warm-up for me, Harp.”
“Came a long way since high school.”
He snorts. “Nah, I still like robots.”
Laughing, I come to a stop and drop my hands to my knees to catch my breath. When I stand, I heave out an exhale. Leo waits next to me, his hands interlaced behind his head. “You don’t have to stop on my account.”
He shrugs. “No offense, but this really is my warm-up. I’ve got a lift in a few hours.”
I flip him the middle finger and he snickers.
“And I wanted to ask you about Tess anyway.”
I straighten. “What about?”
“I like her. I’ve liked her since high school.”
“Yeah. She’s awesome.”
“She’s busy.”
“Okay.” I start to walk, and Leo falls into step beside me. “So are you.”
“Exactly,” he sighs. “Between her being a badass lawyer and me playing football, our last two dates fell through.”
I wrinkle my nose. “That sucks.”
“Yeah, but the season hasn’t started yet, Harp. I feel like this is my chance to shoot my shot with her.”
“So, shoot it.”
“I’m trying but we’re casual, you know? It’s new. We’re not exclusive or anything and…”
“And football season is starting.”
“I’ll be on the road a lot.”
I sigh. “I hear you, Leo. It’s not easy.”
“Being an athlete?” he laughs.
I shoot him a grin. “Dating one. Hell, dating in general.”
“Facts.”
“Don’t give up just yet. You guys need to carve out time for one another. It doesn’t have to be a date or a dinner or something fancy. It can be a morning run or a smoothie or whatever you both can squeeze into your schedules. Just, prioritize time instead of trying to make it perfect.”
He ponders that as we pause outside the smoothie bar we’ve come to frequent.
I wiggle my eyebrows and Leo snorts, pulling open the door. “We need to stop buying these. I can make them better.”
“You signed a massive contract; you can splurge on a smoothie every now and then.”
Leo laughs. “What’s going on with you and Damien?”
“We leave for his parents’ this weekend.”
“You nervous?”
I wave to the barista. “Two green smoothies, please.” Turning to Leo, I cross my arms over my chest. “Why would I be nervous?”
He gives me a look. “Meeting the family is a pretty big step. And it’s a family event, not a casual lunch.”
“Yeah, but I’m his fake friend-girl,” I remind him, ignoring the fissure of pain that radiates from my heart at the reminder. What the hell is a friend-girl?
I’ve told Damien that I trust him, and I thought he trusts me too. Doesn’t he realize that I’ve got his back and won’t let him down? That I’ll do whatever he needs me to do this weekend, the same way he showed up for me at my reunion?
Leo taps his Apple Watch for payment before I can pull up my card and I roll my eyes.
“You don’t have to buy my smoothie.”
“What?” He shrugs, shooting me a dimpled grin. “I signed a contract; I can afford it.”
I laugh. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know. Now, be honest. Do you really believe that’s all y’all are?”
Pulling open the door and stepping back into the hot morning air, I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s…complicated.”
“Dating’s not easy,” Leo reminds me.
I laugh again, drinking some of my smoothie. “I’m a little nervous,” I admit. “Damien is from this other world. Old money, society type shit. And I’m…” I gesture to my nose ring.
Leo lifts an eyebrow. “A gorgeous, intelligent, hustling woman?”
I sigh. “In another stratosphere.”
Leo shakes his head, bumping his elbow against my shoulder. “Didn’t take you for insecure, Harp.”
I blow out a sigh. “I like him,” I admit, looking up at Leo. “More than I’ve liked a guy in a long, long time.”
“You don’t think he likes you? Spoiler alert: any guy who would willingly go to some girl’s high-school reunion is interested.”
“I don’t know what to think. I mean, yeah, he likes me. Maybe he even cares about me. But the line between platonic and romantic is blurry as fuck. Every time we start to cross it, he backtracks and places us firmly in the friend zone. I don’t want to get my hopes up for something that may not pan out. And I’m not willing to indefinitely settle for this in-between thing we’ve got going on. I’ve already let this go too far. You know me, Leo. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of girl.”
Leo is quiet for a long minute. “Yeah, but this isn’t the same as being a straight-A student or a slacker. This isn’t like you showing up early for work and staying late before taking some personal time off. This is just the way it is with dating. You’re pinning some hope or expectation on a future desire, never knowing how it will play out. I get what you’re saying about the in-between but if you wanted a direct answer, then you need to have a serious conversation with him. And…you’re not.”
I release a sigh. “Because what if he wants nothing?”
Leo shrugs. “Then you know to walk away. Because for you, isn’t less than all still settling?”
I nod slowly. “It feels scarier now than it used to.”
“That’s because you got burned.”
I look up, meeting Leo’s eyes. “I’m not hung up on Sean. At all.”
“I know. You’re hung up on the fallout of him and Anna betraying you. They shook up your confidence and now, you’re scared to trust a guy. Even a friend.”
“I’m friends with you.”
“Because I’m forcing you to talk on these early morning runs.” He lifts a challenging eyebrow. “How many friends have you made this past year? And how many of them are female?”
I roll my lips together, knowing he’s right. Since my move back to Tennessee, I’ve gone out of my way to actively avoid people, friendships and connections, from my old life. And slowly, the friendships I had in Chicago have changed. The girls I connected with in college are still my girls, but our lives are moving in different directions. Most of them are married, growing families, or still living the single life that includes dancing on bars on Saturday and nursing a hangover on Sunday. I’m…somewhere in the middle.
I’m a freaking friend-girl.
Sighing, I toss my hand into the air. “I think you’re right, Leo,” I admit slowly, elbowing the one friend from my past life who made it into the present. He’s quiet and I look up again. “Aren’t you gonna tell me ‘I told you so’?”
He chuckles and tosses an arm around my shoulder. “What the hell kind of a friend would I be if I did that, Harp? Just, give Barnes a shot. He’s got it in him to live up to the expectation, to grow into the hope. Maybe he’s not ready yet. Or maybe…”
“Maybe?”
“Maybe this weekend is a turning point.”
I lean into Leo’s side as we approach my building. “If his parents can get past the nose ring.” I twist the blue crystal stud in my nose.
Leo laughs loudly and I join in. We say goodbye at the front entrance, and I enter the lobby. Before I make it to the elevator bank, I jump in surprise. “Sean?”
Sean Collins stands from the sofa inside the lobby and walks toward me. “Hey, Harper.”
“What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?” I ask, a little creeped out by his sudden appearance.
A blush works over his cheeks. “Your mom told me. We ran into each other at the supermarket.” He pushes his hands into his front pockets and dips his head. “I was in the area. Thought I’d stop by.”
Of course she did. Mom’s taking this need for closure a little too seriously since I’m over it. Ever since I’ve met Damien and saw Anna and Sean at the reunion, I’ve mentally let go of a lot of the hurt and anguish their betrayal caused.
Apparently, Sean did not. Because there’s no way he was casually in the area, so far from his place of work, this early on a weekday morning.
“Um, okay. What’s up?” I ask.
Sean shrugs, removing his hands from his pockets. “Want to grab a coffee or something?”
I blow out a sigh. “Sean, I’m—”
“Come on, Harper. You’re not seriously dating an NHL player, are you? It’s not going to last, babe. He’s going to be on the road a lot. The demands of his career aren’t for—”
“Don’t finish that statement, Sean.” I back up toward the elevators. “I was going to say I have to get to work. But, whatever you’re selling, I’m not interested in buying. Been there, done that. Remember?” I jab at the call button.
When the elevator arrives, I step inside and ignore the crestfallen expression that ripples over Sean’s face. But he’s got to be kidding me. Does he think he’s going to win me back—if that was even a possibility—by insulting my choices?
I take the elevator back to my apartment and push Sean from my mind. Entering my space, I look around.
It feels less lonely than it did at the start of the summer. It houses an energy that was lacking before Damien barreled into my life. Before I befriended Leo again. Before the guys on the Coyotes started inviting me to their summer happy hours at Corks. I’ve only gone to two and dipped out early after one drink, but maybe I should make more of an effort. Maybe next week, I’ll accept one of their regular invitations and get dinner and drinks with a potential new friend group.
I may have moved back to Tennessee but I’m not the same woman I was when I left. I have regained some of the confidence I’ve lost. I’ve faced some of the fears that have plagued me for the last few years. I’ve moved on from my high-school drama and the baggage I’ve carried around since Anna and Sean hooked up. I’ve evolved.
I take a shower, blow-dry my hair, and get dressed for the day. Before I head to the office, I grab my sexiest piece of lingerie and drop it into the suitcase I pulled out last night.
Maybe Leo’s right. Maybe this weekend is a turning point.
If it is, I want to be prepared.
The closer we get to Connecticut, the tenser Damien becomes. At first, I wonder if he’s a nervous flier. Then, with how frequently his eyes keep darting to my phone, I wonder if he saw one of Sean’s texts that I keep deleting.
Sean: I’m sorry, Harper. Can we start over?
Sean: Harper, let me explain. Can I take you to lunch? Coffee?
Sean: My dad would really love to see you. Please come by the shop this week.
Delete. Delete. Delete.
Turns out, I don’t think it’s either of those things. By the time our plane lands, Damien’s shoulders are nearly around his ears and his demeanor is the most aloof I’ve ever witnessed.
We emerge from the airport and Damien waves to a driver idling at the curb. “Samson.”
“Mr. Barnes, good to see you, sir.” Samson steps forward to take our luggage and place it in the trunk.
I freeze, my eyes darting from Samson, to Damien, to the sleek black limousine.
“You good?” Damien asks, softly touching my elbow.
“You seriously downplayed your upbringing.”
Fear flares in his eyes as he clears his throat. “I told you. Gossip Girl.”
I nod, realizing he did. But for some reason, hearing it and seeing it are two very different things.
“Will you still come?” he asks.
At the worry in his tone, I soften, placing a hand on his hip. “Of course. Damien, I’m here. You and I are in this together, whatever this is.”
Relief replaces the fear. “I thought if you knew the extent of it, you’d bail.”
My eyebrows knit together in confusion. Damien’s demeanor, nervous and unsure, is unlike him. It’s unnerving to see a man who is always put together start to unravel at the seams. “You really thought I’d bail on you?”
“No.” He shakes his head, backpedaling. “Not me—this.” He lifts a hand in the direction of the limo and a patiently waiting Samson.
“This is you if it’s your family. Your history,” I tell him. “The same way the reunion was mine. And you showed up for me.”
Damien nods, a hesitant smile curling the corners of his mouth. “I’m happy you’re here, Harper.”
“So am I.” I mean it too. Right now, there’s no place I’d rather be than supporting my guy…whether he be a friend or something more. Please, I hope something more.
Damien clears his throat and stands straighter. The aloof, borderline indecision, that crept into his irises during our flight here evaporates. Instead, it’s as if he’s made a decision and is embracing it fully. His hand wraps around mine and he tugs me toward the car. Opening the door for me, he smirks. “After you.”
I slide into the limo, introduce myself to Samson, and make small talk.
As we leave the airport and drive toward Damien’s childhood home, the houses outside my window grow farther apart. Siding gives way to brick and stone. Driveways give way to private roads.
Silence descends in the limo as we drive up a long, private road that turns out to be the entrance to the Barnes’s estate. We come to a stop in front of a massive mansion with a horseshoe driveway and multiple luxury cars parked out front. Damien releases a long exhale.
“Welcome to my family’s home, Henderson.”
I nod, pulling in a restorative inhale. “We got this, Barnes.”
He chuckles, the sound surprising us both. “You know, I believe you.”
“Good.” I step out of the limo when Samson opens the door.
As I round the limo, thanking Samson as he pulls my rolling suitcase from the trunk, the ornate front doors open and members of Damien’s family spill onto the front steps.
“I’m so happy you’re here!” a woman in her sixties, I’m assuming his mother, squeals.
A tall man with the same bright green eyes as Damien wraps an arm around her shoulders.
“Uncle Damien!” a little boy, about four or five years old, hollers. He races to Damien’s feet and throws his arms around Damien’s legs.
“Christ, Garrett, have you grown,” Damien says, lifting the boy and sitting him on his shoulders. “What’s Mama been feeding you, huh? Lions?”
“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain,” a woman, who I think is Damien’s sister, Fiona, admonishes.
Garrett giggles.
“Take it easy, Fi,” a guy, I’m guessing Fiona’s husband, Gary, says.
With his nephew on his shoulders, Damien turns and extends his arm in my direction. I step forward, smoothing my skirt down my legs so I don’t fiddle with my nose ring. Damien takes my hand and together, we approach his family.
Their gazes roll over me, more curious than anything else. Fiona tilts her head, studying me. Damien’s dad lifts his eyebrows. His mom leans closer.
“Everyone,” Damien says, his demeanor bordering on formal. He squeezes my hand once. “Meet my girlfriend, Harper Henderson.”
Girlfriend.
Not friend.
Not friend-girl.
But girlfriend.
He owned it. His voice was strong and steady. His grip on me never wavered.
I beam and give a little wave. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for having me this weekend, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes. You have a beautiful home and I’m happy to celebrate such a wonderful occasion with you and your family.”
Mrs. Henderson shifts closer and envelops me in a stiff hug. “It’s good to meet you, Harper.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about her, mate?” his brother-in-law asks, wagging his eyebrows.
Fiona hushes him.
Mr. Henderson pulls me into a warm embrace, his eyes brimming with delight.
“Damn, you really brought her?” Another guy steps onto the porch. By his resemblance to Damien, I guess it’s his brother, Charlie. He pulls Damien into a hug and whispers, “You’re a brave man.”
Damien shakes his head, smirking. “Nah, she’s a fearless woman.”
I like the sound of that too.