Page 48 of Bittersweet

“I won’t.” He buried his fingers in her long blonde tresses.

“Promise me,” she stared into his eyes, her lips barely touching his.

“I promise,” he breathed into her mouth.

She kissed him softly, and he rolled them so he was hovering over her, looking into her eyes, softly caressing her cheek, smoothing the hair around her face, placing soft kisses to her forehead, her nose, her lips. “I missed this, Harper,” he whispered.

She grabbed him behind the neck and pulled him down to capture his mouth with hers. “Never stop kissing me.”

He chuckled. “Never.”

19

Harper had attempted to smooth her hair back into a bun on their drive back to the shop, but it was a mess from their make out session. She was sure Savannah would take one look at her and know exactly what they’d been up to. But when she walked in, the only reaction Savannah gave her was the goofy grin that spread from ear to ear.

“What are you smiling about?”

She nodded her head toward the gigantic bouquet of red roses taking up the far end of the counter. They were beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Now that Harper had decided which direction her heart wanted her to go, she knew what she had to do next. And it was obvious that, despite walking away from the festival angry, Brett didn’t want to let her go.

The note attached read “I’m sorry about the other day. And in case you didn’t already know … I love you. -B.”

Eight months and this was how he chose to tell her he loved her? She wasn’t sure she’d ever felt love for him. She cared about him as a person and as a friend, but what she felt for Brett paled in comparison to her feelings for Logan. It was a fact she could no longer ignore. One that she didn’t want to anymore.

Savannah joined her at the end of the counter. “They’re absolutely beautiful.”

“Yeah.”

Her face screwed up suddenly. “What happened to your hair?”

Harper smoothed the side down without much success.

Savannah’s eyes narrowed. “Did something happen with you and Logan?”

“Pfft! Why would you ask that?”

“Because your lips are red and your hair’s messed up and … you’re actually blushing right now.” Savannah laughed, then put her hands on her waist and nodded at the flowers. “What about Brett?”

“I have to end it.” Harper looked at the flowers and frowned. “Do you think it’s rude if I just text him?” She was only half kidding.

“Harper.” Savannah scolded her like a mother would.

As dramatically as possible, Harper groaned and threw herself forward onto the counter, her forehead dropping against her folded arms.

“So, this thing with Logan. Are you sure you want to try again with him?”

“I thought you liked Logan.” Her voice was muffled by her arms.

“Oh, I do.” The phone rang, and Savannah’s words floated behind her as she went to answer it. “I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”

Harper looked up. “I won’t.”

Savannah cocked her head and gave her a look that said “I hope you’re right.”

Harper righted herself and stared at the vase of roses. She felt confident about her decision to be with Logan, but she dreaded breaking the news to Brett. This excessive display of flowers was like the uncharacteristic kiss Brett had given her. Like it was more about staking his claim than anything else.

She moved the vase of flowers to the office, partly so they wouldn’t be in the way for customers, but also so she wouldn’t have to look at them all afternoon.

As she got to work on a cupcake order, her mind played over what she’d say to Brett. She mixed the batter and poured it into the paper cups in the muffin tins, all the while trying to come up with the right words to say to him. Her mind wandered back to lunch as she put the cupcakes in the oven. The memory of kissing Logan was still close to the surface, taking over her thoughts when she should’ve been paying attention to what she was doing.

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