by Sam Ayers
“Connor Taylor, you idiot, jerk, absolute moron!” she yelled. As he stood up, she punched his chest and Connor moaned, “Ow!”
Before he could say another word, Harley grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him forward, crashing her lips on his. Connor froze but soon recovered and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. She moaned as she grabbed his hair and kissed him furiously. Then she pushed him away and stepped back.
“Wow! What was that?” Connor asked, panting and raking his fingers through his hair.
“Payback!” Harley panted and sat down on the sand. “Damn it! How could you? You think you can just kiss me whenever you want and then challenge me to resist you . . . your stupid yet charming self. And then you go off and flirt with some random girl!”
Connor grinned, “You were jealous?”
“Of course I was!” Harley shot back. “Connor, I’m here to talk to you and it’s very important.”
“I’m all ears, baby,” Connor said, plopping down next to her.
Harley folded her legs, picked up a few small stones and threw them towards the water. Before she could begin, Connor said, “By the way, you look hot in a jeans and hoodie. Why are you covering your head?”
“Thanks.” Harley gave him a small smile. “I’m undercover! No one can see me here!”
“Because it’s 1AM, and you are here with me?” Connor raised his eyebrow in mock-surprise.
“Shut up or I’ll kiss you again!”
Connor grinned and moved forward. “Not gonna stop talking. Kiss, please!”
Harley mock-punched his shoulder again and turned away. “Serious talk, Taylor!”
“Okay, okay!” Connor lifted his arms in surrender. “Go on!”
“Where are your cousins? Haven’t seen them around the whole day.”
“Well, aunt Caitlin’s aunt lives in Oakland, and she invited them over for two days,” Connor said.
“Oh! So when are they back?”
“They will be here for the rehearsal dinner.”
“Why isn’t Padfoot here with you?” Harley asked, looking around for a minute.
“Seriously? You asked me to meet you at 1AM and then you talk about my cousins and Pads?” Connor asked. “Padfoot is asleep. And Harley, you said you wanted to talk about something important? Let’s get to the point.”
Harley sighed. “Oh, Connor! Why is this so complicated? I just want to live a life where I can do whatever I want and be with the person I love. I want to see the world with you. Play paintball. Go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and live with you.”
Connor smiled brightly. But it faded as soon as Harley spoke. “But I can’t. You are like a dream, Connor. And I have to wake up and go back to my real life.”
“Harls, I’m very much real,” Connor said, touching her hand. “See! You can feel me!”
“I can, but I don’t want to.” Harley moved away. “Connor, I can’t do this anymore. Leading you on when I know I can’t be with you just makes me a bad person. I don’t want to hurt you. Connor . . . you deserve better than me! You deserve someone who isn’t scared to love you! I can’t be that girl. I can’t chase after you!”
“You do realize I’m standing right here with my arms wide open for you, and whenever you feel like leaving, I’ll grab your hand and take you away? There’s no chasing here, Harley. We will walk together. As equals. Partners!”
Harley looked away and sighed loudly. “No, we can’t! You don’t understand. I’m marrying your brother. I can’t walk out on him. Not on a guy who trusts me more than his own brother!”
“Stop!” Connor raised his hand. “Are you telling me this isn’t going to work? That you aren’t willing to give it a try? You want to be with Carter? Not me?”
Harley remained silent for a whole minute before she spoke again. “Yes.”
“So that’s it? It’s over?” Connor asked miserably.
“I’m sorry,” Harley cried.
“Go, Harley. Go now.”
Harley stood up and was about to speak when Connor held his hand up and asked her to leave. She turned around and ran back to her house, leaving Connor all alone in the darkness. Even the moon had left his side; it was now hiding behind the clouds. Connor sat there for what seemed like hours before he finally got up to go back home.
When Connor went downstairs for breakfast the next morning, Mrs. Taylor was talking about their dinner plans. Her voice faded as she caught sight of Connor; worry colored her eyes as she quickly walked up to him.
“Connor, are you okay?” she asked quickly, touching his forehead to see if he was running a fever.
“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.” Connor sighed and plopped down on the chair. Padfoot was eating his breakfast now, and Mr. Taylor, who was just about to have his, stopped abruptly.
“Why? Night terrors or something?” he asked his son.
Connor shrugged. “Just a little migraine. Nothing big.”
Mrs. Taylor placed a soft kiss on his head and sat next to him. “Well, we were just talking about dinner. The Evans have invited us to join them for dinner. And tomorrow’s the rehearsal dinner, which we are hosting. So, Matthew and Amanda thought it would be nice if we could have dinner with them tonight.”
“Oh! Okay, I’ll be there,” Connor said. Mrs. Taylor smiled and poured some juice for him.
“Wait up, can I bring a date?”
Two sets of eyebrows rose at that, even as they told him that of course he could. Mae and Miles Taylor looked at their youngest wondering when he had found a girl; he hadn’t given an indication stating so.
Who could she be?
It was a rather peaceful day at the Taylors’ home because Carter and Connor weren’t arguing or fighting as usual. Carter was a happy man today and that was only because his brother wasn’t at home. Connor had disappeared with Padfoot after breakfast; now it was almost 6PM, and he hadn’t returned.
Carter smiled as he looked at himself in the mirror and put on his jacket. He looked perfect for dinner this evening. Something always made him dress nicely when he was going out with Harley. And he always wondered if she liked what she saw. With a big grin on his face, he left to pick up Harley to join his parents and in-laws at the restaurant they would be dining at that evening.
Harley wore a short black off shoulder dress, and Carter couldn’t help himself; he quickly grabbed her by her waist and captured her lips with his.
Harley was the one who broke off the kiss and moved back. “We should leave,” she said, smiling apologetically.
“Yes,” Carter said, leading her to the car. “You look absolutely gorgeous, Harley!”
“Thanks, and you don’t look half bad.” Harley gave him a mischievous grin as she got into the car. Carter closed the door and moved towards the driver’s side.
“So . . . excited?” he asked once he got in and put on the seatbelt.
“It’s just dinner.” Harley shrugged and turned around to see a confused expression on his face.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Carter explained. “We are getting married this week.”
Don’t remind me, Harley thought, but she didn’t voice it. She gave him a weak smile and looked out of the window.
“I have something to tell you. You know, the first time we met, it felt really good – talking to you, getting to know you,” Carter said. “But when your father hinted about this marriage, I must say, I was really confused.”
“Why is that?” Harley asked curiously.
“Because we are so different. You are young, lively, and so beautiful. I just didn’t know if this would work out. But that was a long time ago. Right now, I think this will be just perfect!”
For a minute, Harley thought Carter was hinting at breaking off their engagement, and she could finally move on, but that’s not what he was trying to say. And Carter would never change his mind.
Suddenly, Carter grabbed her hand and kissed it softly. “Hey beautiful, still here with me?”
“Yeah! Yeah. You’re
right, we can make this work,” she said confidently. Later, Harley tried to distract herself from her thoughts by calling her mother. They had already reached the restaurant and were waiting for Carter and Harley.
Ten minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot, and Carter parked the car. He rushed to get out and opened the door for Harley. She smiled and got out, slipping her hand in his. This made Carter smile brightly, and they walked hand-in-hand to the restaurant. Their parents were waiting for them at a lounge, and Mrs. Evans couldn’t help but exclaim when she saw them walking in together.
“Oh my, you look fabulous together!”
Harley gave her mother a small smile and sat next to Carter, who was now greeting his parents.
“Where’s Connor?” Carter asked, looking around. “He’s invited, isn’t it?”
“Of course he is.” Mrs. Taylor smiled. “He is on his way.”
“It’s a bit sad that Connor isn’t punctual like Carter,” Mrs. Evans said, nodding sadly. “I mean, he may be Carter’s brother, but he is no way near perfect.”
“Excuse me, Amanda,” Mae Taylor said with a smile. “Connor is a successful architect based in Vancouver. You know at the age of sixteen, he helped his father design a building that ended up becoming the building of the year? He has been independent since he turned eighteen. He was a topper, and he earns as much as Carter even though he’s five years younger than my older son. And not to forget, he is rather handsome and charming. So excuse me if he’s late, but being late doesn’t change the fact that he has achieved a lot at such a young age. No way near perfect, but he’s getting there! Don’t you agree, darling?”
Mr. Taylor smiled at his wife and nodded. “I couldn’t be prouder!”
“And Mrs. Evans, I wasn’t born to be perfect, because I was born to be awesome.” They heard Connor’s voice coming from the corner. He stood there with a smirk on his face. Winking at his parents, he walked towards them and gave them both a hug. What everyone failed to notice at that moment was Connor’s date, who was none other than Maxine Hawthorne.
Harley, who was actually glad to see Connor, felt her smile slip when she saw Connor slipping his hand over Maxine’s waist, holding her closely. And of course, Connor didn’t miss Harley’s reaction either. He gave her a half-sad smirk. If she was stubborn and stuck with his brother, then he would move on too. The smirk dropped slightly when he saw her frown and grab Carter’s hand.
Meanwhile, their parents had walked away to the restaurant, and Connor stood staring at the slightly lost look on his brother’s face. In his whole life, he hadn’t seen his infallible brother lose his composure. He turned to his date, his confusion growing as he saw a blush color her cheeks. He was pretty sure that it wasn’t for him. Eyebrows raised, he hummed; there was something more going on there.
“Hello,” Carter said to Maxine. “Have we met before? I’m sorry, but I feel like we have met before. I just can’t seem to place you.”
“Darling, she’s our wedding planner.” Harley smiled at him. Carter nodded and looked at Maxine.
“The Hawthorne ancestral property case,” Maxine said. “You helped my father get what was rightfully his.”
Carter frowned deeply, raking his fingers through his hair, trying to place this girl. And then he looked up and said, “Andrew Hawthorne! The property that was being taken over by his cousins and that . . . Oh my! You’re his daughter!”
Maxine smiled shyly. “Yes. Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Taylor.”
“Please, call me Carter,” he said with a charming smile.
Harley and Connor couldn’t resist raising their eyebrows and looking at each other. Maxine and Carter seemed to be in a completely different world than them. Connor rolled his eyes at his brother, and Harley frowned at Maxine. Till now she thought Maxine was after Connor, but it seemed she liked the older brother too.
“Carter, we should be going,” Harley said, holding his hand tightly.
“Yes, Maxine, we should go too.” Connor nodded, grabbing her hand as well. And then both Carter and Maxine were literally being dragged towards the restaurant by their partners.
Connor pulled out a chair for Maxine and sat next to her. As everyone was placing their orders, he pulled out his phone and quickly texted Harley, who was sitting right in front of him. Harley’s phone buzzed, but she chose to ignore it. Suddenly, she felt someone kick her under the table.
“Ow!” she cried in pain.
“Harley, darling, are you okay?” Carter asked in concern.
She gave him a weak smile and nodded. “Yeah! Just hit the table and hurt my toe.”
Connor chortled, and Harley turned towards him with a glare. He motioned towards her purse, and Harley got the clue. She opened it and pulled out her phone to see Connor’s text.
What was that back at the lounge? Maxine and Carter know each other? – C
Harley looked at him and nodded, she quickly texted back. They seem to know each other, but Carter never mentioned her before. And why the hell was your date blushing at my fiancée? – H
Connor raised his eyebrow when he read the text. Just then the waiter came back with their drinks. Connor sipped his champagne as he texted back.
Why, you jealous? If you were so possessive about me, sweetheart, we would be on the flight back to Vancouver now. And I’m sorry about your toe. Didn’t mean to hurt you. Want me to kiss the boo-boo away? – C xx
Harley’s jaw dropped when she read the message, she looked up and shook her head.
“Harley?” Carter called her name.
“Yes?”
“The waiter is taking your order, and you just . . . shook your head. I believe you would like to eat something.” Carter gave her a small smile. Harley looked at the waiter in surprise and nodded. After placing their order, she heard Carter whisper in her ear, “Darling, I’m sorry, but your mother has been glaring at you for the past ten minutes. I think it’s because you were using the phone at the table.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Harley reddened. “I’ll put it inside.”
“No worries, love.” Carter smiled and kissed her hair. Harley tried to ignore Connor’s frown and listened to Maxine, who was now talking to Carter. Not that Carter was trying to ignore her or anything; every other minute he turned towards her and whispered something. Sometimes he would kiss her hand and that would earn another glare from Connor. In the middle of dinner, Connor got up and excused himself.
Harley watched Connor walk away and as she kept staring at his back, he turned to face her, beckoning her to follow him. Five minutes later, Harley touched Carter’s arm, catching his attention. “I need to go to the restroom, I’ll be back soon.”
“Sure.” Carter smiled, kissing her hand. “Come back soon.”
Harley walked out as fast as she could and looked around to see if she could spot Connor, she managed to get a glimpse of him and walked forward. She found herself near some room, but Connor wasn’t there. Suddenly, the door opened and a hand grabbed hers and pulled her in.
“Ahh!” Harley yelled and punched Connor’s shoulder when she saw him. “What the hell, Connor? Where are we?”
“Found this room open, door unlocked. No one was in here, but I presume the housekeeping guy will be here any minute. So let’s talk. Now!”
“What do you want to talk about?” Harley asked.
“What was going on back there, Harley?”
“What?” Harley shrugged, feigning innocence. “My fiancé was being a little romantic. I don’t see anything wrong about that.”
“Not that, stupid!” Connor exclaimed. “I’m talking about Carter and Maxine!”
“Look, Con, I think your date has a teeny-tiny crush on my fiancé. And he seems to think this is the best time to get to know her again, God knows why. But I would appreciate it if you didn’t make me follow you to some random room in a hotel because the last thing I want is for my parents to see us together.”
Just at that moment, the door opened and the housekee
ping guy walked in. “Excuse me, Sir, Ma’am. I can leave if you want. I thought no one was in here.”
“Oh no! Don’t worry about it,” Connor said politely. “My wife and I were just leaving. Please, carry on.”
The minute they stepped out, Harley mock-punched his shoulder. “Your wife? Couldn’t you have come up with something better?”
“What? What was I supposed to say? My sister-in-law?” Connor called. “Harls, girls don’t follow their brother-in-law to a random room. And technically, you aren’t my sister-in-law!”
“YET!” Harley yelled and stormed away. Walking down the corridor, she sighed loudly and crashed into someone just as she turned. Strong hands caught her before she could fall.
“Harley?” Carter called her name. “I was looking all over for you! You weren’t at the restroom?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I lost the way. This place is huge,” she apologized.
“Oh dear, I was worried. Let’s go,” he said, grabbing her hand. “Do you still want to go to the restroom?”
“No, no! I’m fine!”
They made their way back to the table and saw Connor seated next to Maxine. He was joking about something, making them all laugh.
When did he get here? Harley thought as she took her seat. When no one was looking, Connor raised his glass and winked at her, and she gasped.
When the dinner get-together had come to an end, Connor offered to give Maxine a ride back home. Maxine, unaware of his poor sense of direction, gladly accepted the offer. Within ten minutes of the drive, Connor had taken a wrong turn, and they found themselves in an unfamiliar area.
“Oh no!” Connor groaned. “I’m so sorry, Max!”
Maxine smiled. “Are we lost?”
“Yeah.” Connor sighed and bumped the steering wheel with his fist.
“Connor, I see the beach! Why don’t you drive a little further?” Maxine asked, pointing ahead.
“Okay!” Connor started the car again and drove forward. Maxine was right, they were somewhere near the beach. Connor was really lost this time. “Do you want to sit here for a while? I don’t know if I can drive anymore, my head hurts, and frankly, the roads here are confusing!”
