Page 13 of Score on You

The dresser meets the carpet with a quiet thump. In contrast, Harper is making quite a racket. She groans while stretching her back. Several joints crack from the movement. A wince pinches her features that she has aimed at the ceiling.

“Don’t tell my feminist side that I’m admitting this, but the moving process would’ve been significantly easier with some manpower.” She releases another pained noise.

My hand automatically lifts to rub her shoulder. “I’m grateful for your help.”

“It’s my pleasure. Besides, now I have the perfect excuse to get a massage from my husband. Extra long and hard, if you know what I mean.” Harper’s eyebrows wiggle.

A blush heats my cheeks at the brazen visual of my new neighbor giving me a similar treatment. “That sounds… relaxing.”

“What’s got that dreamy look on your face? Other than the obvious.” She motions around my bedroom that’s in desperate need of organizing.

Predictable insecurity creeps in and replaces the fizzy bubbles in my stomach. I knot my fingers until the knuckles turn white. “Do you think I text Ridge too much?”

“That’s where your mind goes after we heaved massive hunks of furniture up too many stairs?”

“Yes?” More uncertainty. Shocking.

My friend must hear the doubt plaguing my voice. She grips my arms and gives me a reassuring squeeze. “Do you text him too much by most standards? Absolutely. But Ridge isn’t an ordinary guy, especially where you’re concerned.”

I latch onto a specific piece of her explanation. A soft exhale deflates the tension from my posture. “You’re right. He’s certainly special. Unlike any man I’ve ever met.”

“Good grief. I’m the one who just got married, but you’re wafting love potion fumes all over me. I’ll be begging Jake to knock me up if we’re not careful.” She laughs and fans her face. “To be honest, according to what I’ve witnessed, you’re probably not messaging him enough.”

My mood rebounds. “Really?”

“Um, yeah. I’ve got a seriously big hunch.” Harper studies me for a moment, catching where my thoughts have wandered off to. “You want to text him right now, don’t you?”

I chew on my thumbnail. “Uh-huh.”

She giggles and shakes her head. “You’re too cute. I bet he’s just sitting over there waiting for you to message him.”

That has me scrambling to get my phone. “Oh, gosh. He probably thinks I’m ignoring him.”

Her hand stills mine before I can start typing. “Hold on. Does he ever initiate contact?”

“We haven’t been writing to each other for very long. Just since you gave me his number last week,” I murmur. “Usually I reach out first.”

“Then let him do the honors.” Her nonchalant tone doesn’t pair well with this delicate situation.

My stomach sinks. “What if he doesn’t?”

“Oh, he will.”

I frown at my screen that remains blank in mocking. “How can you be so sure?”

Harper buzzes her lips. “Okay, Mopey Missy. There’s no need to pout. You just moved into a beautiful house. Let’s focus on that.”

The reminder tugs my lips into a weak smile. “It’s still hard to believe.” Even with the proof surrounding me.

“Are you super happy?”

“Yes,” I breathe and spin in a slow circle.

A bright future envelops me. That’s the shove I need to ditch the gloom. There isn’t a cause for upset. It’s silly to consider it for even a moment. I’ve experienced true misery. If Ridge doesn’t text me, I’ll be just fine. The limp expression on my mouth lifts and spreads wide to announce this revelation.

She claps at what I feel as personal growth. “See? That’s the spirit.”

“The past year has been surreal. When I left the compound, I couldn’t guess what was in store for me. I definitely didn’t dream of living in a place like this. It just wasn’t possible in my mind.”

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