by M. A. Foster
I need to diffuse this situation before Jay kills this girl and Harper leaves me for good.
“Are you crazy, girl?” I bark. “I’m not trying to be a dick, Lacey, but you should probably walk away before she tears you apart.”
“It’s Stacey,” she replies in that annoying voice.
“I don’t care what your name is.”
“Lacey, Stacey, lower your tits so we can see your face-y,” Jay sings and then snorts, once again laughing at herself. Everyone in earshot bursts out laughing, even Levi.
Stacey curls her lip. “Excuse me?”
“For?”
“Huh?”
“Hoes say what.”
My head volleys between the two of them. What’s happening right now?
“What?” She’s just as confused as the rest of us. Except maybe Jay, who’s doubled over laughing. “Ugh! Whatever, bitch.” Stacey finally gets the hint and storms off.
“I’ll be back,” Logan announces. “Lacey looks like she could use some comforting.”
Everyone bursts into another round of laughs.
“That was fun,” Jay says, winking at Harper. “Did you see the girl on those boobs?”
Yeah, she’s had enough. I shoot Levi a look and he gives a slight nod.
Cherry laughs. “You mean boobs on that girl?”
“Oh.” Jay snorts.
“And she’s back.” I bark out a laugh.
“And you’re still an asshole,” Jay reminds me before she looks over at Harper.
I rake my fingers through my hair. “I’m sorry, Harper.”
She whirls around with wild eyes and nostrils flared. She’s furious. “You’re always sorry,” she snaps. “You have no problem running your mouth and putting people in their place”—she gestures to Jay— “but some skank presses her big nasty tits up against you and all of a sudden you forget how to speak. You have no respect for me or my feelings, and I’m sick of it. Fuck the hell off, Cole Mackenzie. I’m done.”
I clench my fists at my sides, keeping my temper in check. “Don’t say that, Harper.”
She tosses back another shot, then slams the empty glass on the bar before shoving past me and heading for the dance floor.
I look over at Zach, pleading with my eyes. What do I do?
“What are you doing?” Zach waves me off. “Go after her.”
Weaving through the crowd, I manage to catch her around the waist, pulling her back to my chest. Leaning into her ear, I say, “Why are you so mad?”
Her body goes stiff in my arms. “Are you seriously asking me that?”
“First, I don’t know that girl. I have no idea why she came up to me but you have nothing to be jealous of. Yes, I admit I was staring at her tits, but Jesus.” I chuckle. “Did you see those things?” Her body shakes with silent laughter. “Second… I’ve got nothing.” I press a kiss to her neck. “I love you.”
“Fuck off, Mackenzie.”
“WHY DIDN’T YOU tell me you were going to Justin’s party?” Cole asks as we enter my bedroom and he begins unbuttoning his dress shirt.
“Because Jay and I were having a girls’ night. She misses Zach.”
“What about you? Do you miss me?”
“Maybe,” I reply with a coy smile as I start to remove my shirt.
“Don’t.” He shakes his head. “Leave it on. All of it.”
I sit on the edge of the bed, lean back on my elbows, and watch with hungry eyes as he tosses his button-down on the bench, before reaching behind his back to tug his undershirt over his head. “Keep the glasses on, my naughty nerd.”
What can I say? The glasses are a hot button for me.
Cole places one knee on the edge of the bed and leans over me. “How drunk are you?”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to remember everything I’m about to do to you.”
The sound of muffled laughter echoes from the other side of my bedroom door. Cole falls on the bed beside me and huffs, annoyed. I crawl off the bed and move over to the door, swinging it open to find Brad, Cherry, Lexi, and Evan lingering in the hall between my bedroom door and Jay’s.
Cole moves to stand behind me. “Is that—”
Yes, that would be the sound of Zach and Jay having sex.
Cole’s eyes go wide and a pained expression crosses his face. He slaps his hands over his ears. “Oh my God. Do something.” He nudges me with his body out into the hallway. “Make them stop.”
The sound of Zach and Jay going at it drifts from her bedroom down the hall, and Jay is singing the chorus to Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer.”
Lexi is on her back on the floor, her knees to her chest, cracking up as Brad sings along.
“Personally, I like this version better,” he quips.
Cole sticks his head out to look down the hall, hands still covering his ears and a scowl on his face.
“Jesus, they couldn’t take two seconds to shut the damn door? Someone go shut it,” he demands.
“I’ll do it,” I offer, taking a step forward, but Cole shouts, “No.” He doesn’t mean to shout. He has no idea how loud he’s being because his hands are still covering his ears.
“Fine, I’ll go,” Lexi offers as she rises from the floor.
“The hell you will.” Evan curls his arm around her waist and tugs her to his chest.
Cherry rolls her eyes and clucks her tongue. “You guys are ridiculous.” She marches down the hall.
“You go, girl,” Brad cheers, and I giggle. Cherry reaches Jay’s room and grabs the doorknob, pulling the door closed after craning her neck to get a quick peek. Turning, she wiggles her eyebrows and dramatically fans herself as she comes back down the hall.
“Is it over?” Cole asks loudly.
I grab his wrists and pull his arms down. “You’re shouting.”
He waves in the direction of Jay’s room. “No, they’re shouting. I’m gonna have nightmares.” He turns and throws his arms around me. “Harper, hold me.”
“MMM,” I GROAN. Blinking my eyes open, I wince at the light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Stretching, I take a moment to assess the damage. No headache, but my stomach feels a little sour. I’m not a drinker, but for the number of shots I took last night, I’m not feeling all that bad.
A strong arm curls around me and Cole pulls me to him, my back to his chest. “I’m starving.”
I don’t turn because I don’t want to kill him with my morning breath. “Me, too.” I pat his leg. “Let me up. I need to go brush my teeth. I can smell my breath.”
“I smell it, too.” He chuckles. “Like shitty vodka.”
I gasp, slapping a hand over my mouth, and Cole laughs.
“I’m kidding.” He kisses my shoulder, and before I can react, I’m on my back and he’s sliding into me.
I close my eyes and let out a soft moan.
I love the way he loves me.
Then he’s gone.
I open my eyes to see Cole sitting back on his haunches, eyes wide and hands in his hair.
I lift onto my elbows. “What’s wrong?”
“I forgot to put on a condom. Shit.”
“It’s okay, Cole. I’m covered,” I say, attempting to put him at ease.
Cole blinks several times before narrowing his eyes at me. “It’s not okay, Harper. I don’t care if you’re on birth control. We will never have sex without a condom. Got it?”
I nod and without another word, I roll out of bed and head to the bathroom to clean up. When I come out, Cole is gone.
“GOOD MORNING, GRACE,” I say, kissing her cheek before grabbing a plate, and piling it with eggs, bacon, and pancakes.
Grace grabs my wrist. “Did you make up with Miss Jayla and Miss Harper?”
I chuckle. “With Jay? Mostly. With Harper? Definitely.” I give her a wink and she smiles, shaking her head.
I lost my head this morning. What was I thinking being inside her without a condom?
Oh, right. I wasn’t.
/> I take my plate over to the table and a few minutes later, Harper, Evan, Lexi, Brad, and Cherry all shuffle into the kitchen, fix their plates, and make their way over to me.
Harper takes a seat beside me but doesn’t say a word. I feel like an ass. “Sorry,” I mumble.
“It’s okay,” she replies. It’s not okay. I can hear the hurt in her voice.
Zach and Jay walk into the kitchen and pile a bunch of food on their plates before coming over to the table. She’s probably feeling like ass today.
“How are you feeling?” Evan snickers.
“I feel fine,” Jay replies, reaching for her coffee cup.
Brad coughs. “So, Jay, I really liked your version of that Nine Inch Nails song. Cherry and I decided to add it to our playlist.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
Jay sputters, pulling her coffee mug away from her mouth.
“Seriously.” Cherry snickers before taking a sip of her orange juice. “After that performance, I’m pretty sure every cat in the neighborhood is pregnant.”
Zach laughs, throwing his arm across the back of Jay’s chair, leaning over to kiss her shoulder.
“What are you laughing at, Zach?” Evan slumps down in his chair and throws his head back. “Oh shit, Jay. Just like that. Oh. Yeah. Oh, fuuuuck!”
“Come on, man.” I groan and cover my ears. “I don’t need to hear that shit.” Again.
“Hey, don’t talk like that in front of Grace,” Jay chides, looking over her shoulder.
“Jay.” Lexi laughs. “You had me laughing so hard last night.”
“Oh God.” She rolls her eyes. “What did I do?”
“You don’t remember?” Zach asks.
“The blonde,” Evan presses.
“Oh my God, yes! The girl with the giant boobs?” Jay shakes her head. “Snarky little bitch. She’s lucky I was in a good mood.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life,” Lexi continues.
“She was disgusting,” Cherry adds. “I could see her slit through her panties.”
“She wasn’t that bad,” I joke, jerking my eyebrows up and down, sipping my coffee.
Jay lets her fork drop to her plate with a loud clank. “You did not just say that.”
“What?” I grin and look over at Harper to see her scowling. “I’m kidding.”
Harper pushes away from the table abruptly and storms off, slapping the back of my head on her way out.
“Ow! What the fuck, Harper? It was a joke.”
But I know it’s not the girl with the big tits that she’s pissed about.
I MAKE MY way upstairs to Harper’s room to finish what I started this morning, but with a condom. By the time I make it to her room, she’s locked herself in the bathroom. Dropping onto the edge of her bed, I find the drawer of her nightstand is slightly open and the box of condoms is in view. Pulling the drawer open, I reach for the box and notice a black book that looks like a diary. The front is worn and there’s no lock on it. I would never violate Harper’s private shit, but just to fuck with her, I pick up the book and begin flipping through the pages, pretending to read it, hoping she’ll come out and catch me and get even more pissed off. Then we can have make-up sex.
But as I’m flipping through the pages, an envelope falls out.
“Shit.” I quickly snatch it off the floor and attempt to put it back where it was. As I flip through the pages, I notice the change in the handwriting, but it’s when I catch the word ‘Mackenzie’ that I pause.
His name is Cole Mackenzie. And he’s only sixteen! He told me he was eighteen. And he’s Dylan’s little brother. I have to tell Dylan that his brother is Willow’s father.
What.
The.
Fuck.
COLE IS SITTING on the edge of my bed when I come out of the bathroom. His elbows are propped on his knees, his head in his hands, and on the bed beside him is Jade’s journal.
All the blood drains from my face, and the room begins to spin.
“Cole—”
“What is this?” he asks without lifting his head.
“It’s—you don’t understand. I can’t… I need….” The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t get them out. My heart is racing. “It was my sister’s,” I blurt.
He lifts his head. “Jaden Price was your sister?”
“Yes.”
“Was she screwing my brother?”
“Not that I know of. I think they were just friends.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Would it have mattered?”
“Yes, it would’ve mattered.”
“How? We’ve been together for five months. How long were you going to wait before you told me Willow was your daughter and not your little sister? How long were you going to make me wait to meet my niece?”
“So that’s what this is about? You make nice with my cousin so you can get close to me? Use me? Pretend to love me, so you can get to my daughter?”
“I wasn’t—I’m not pretending. I do love you, and I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you and that’s why I didn’t tell you the truth. I didn’t want to complicate your life or your family’s life, so I pretended as if Jade’s journal didn’t exist and let you set the pace.”
“But really, you were the one navigating this whole situation from day one. I understand that you wanted to be close to Willow because of Jade, but that doesn’t make any of this less creepy. This is some stalker shit, Harper! I feel like I don’t even know you.”
“Get over yourself, Cole. That journal doesn’t belong to me. It belonged to my mom and my sister. I didn’t write those words. I didn’t pursue you. I didn’t even like you. I respected you for doing the right thing, but I never really liked you. You asked me out. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it doesn’t mean that my feelings aren’t real. I do love you and your family. I’m still me.”
“Yeah, and that’s the problem. You’re Harper Murphy, the girl who’s been lying to me and my whole family. The first girl I dared to let into my heart—into my daughter’s heart. And the first girl to break it.” He yells the last part as he gathers his clothes from the floor.
I drop onto the edge of the bed and bury my face in my hands. No matter how much I want to beg and plead for him to understand, he won’t. He’s too upset.
“You know—” He snorts a sound of disbelief. “—you asked me not to break your heart, but I guess I should’ve been the one asking you not to break mine. I’m sorry about your sister. I am. But you lied. I don’t trust you anymore, and I don’t want you around Willow.”
I completely die inside. “Okay,” I choke out over the lump wedged at the base of my throat as I rub at the ache in my chest. “I hope one day you’ll forgive me and let me be part of her life again… and yours.”
“I wouldn’t count on it.” And with those parting words, he storms out.
Dropping my head into my hands, I burst into tears.
He left me, again.
But this time I know it’s for good.
I CAN’T BREATHE.
Pulling into my driveway, I shut off the engine and drop my head to the steering wheel.
How did this happen?
Fuck!
A knock on the window startles me, and I lift my head to see my brother Dylan watching me curiously.
Shoving the door open, I don’t even think before I swing, connecting with his jaw. “You fucking knew!” I shout.
Dylan stumbles back then dips down, wrapping his arms around my thighs and we both fall to the ground.
“Knock it off!” my dad yells as a pair of arms circle my neck and chest pulling Dylan and me apart. I see my dad holding Dylan back and toss my head to the side to see Carter is the one holding me back.
“Is that why you’ve been such a dick to me for the past two years? Because I fucked your little girlfriend?” I taunt, struggling against his hold. “Are you reminded of it every time you look at our daughter.” I’m a horrible person, but at this
point I don’t give a fuck. He’s a dick.
“Shut up!” Dylan lunges but my dad blocks him.
“That’s enough,” my dad bellows. “Go inside, Dylan.”
“I didn’t know, Dylan.” My voice breaks. Carter lets go and I lean against my Tahoe. My dad stands in front of me, blocking my view of Dylan.
“What happened?”
I let a shaky breath. “Harper. She—”
Dad nods like he understands, but he has no idea. “She told you.”
Okay. I guess he does have an idea.
“You knew,” I choke out. “You knew this whole time and you didn’t tell me. What the hell, Dad?”
“I understand you’re upset, so I’m going to let that slide. Of course I knew. Do you think my sister would allow a stranger to live in her house without having her checked out first?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Harper was the first girl you actually liked. At first your mom and I were afraid her intentions weren’t honest. We thought maybe she was trying to get to Willow through you.”
“That’s exactly what she did!”
“No she didn’t, son. I watched her. Emerson watched her. Harper never once went out of her way to put herself in your life. Only Willow’s. She pursued Willow. You pursued her.”
“I CAN’T BELIEVE all this time she was fucking lying to my face.” I just gave Carter the short version of what went down this morning. I’m too pissed to recite every single detail.
“What exactly did she lie about?” Carter asks, leaning against my Tahoe beside me.
“She lied about who she was.”
“She’s still Harper. You know exactly who she is.”
“Stop defending her, Carter. She fucking stalked me and my family to get to Willow.”
“You’re being ridiculous. She’s not a psycho. Willow is the only family she has left. You can’t blame her for wanting to be close.”
“I don’t give a shit. I don’t want her ass anywhere near me or Willow. I’m done with her.”
“If you’re really done, then shrug it off as a bad breakup and move on, but don’t go out of your way to hurt her.”
