Page 66 of Never Been Worse

“Then maybe you wouldn’t have gotten arrested,” I add, stepping further into the room, and Ava turns her ire on me.

“Yeah, and then you’d still be single and pining after Harper, so there’s that.”

“Ava!” Harper shouts, eyes wide with panic.

“Girl’s gotta point.” I make my way over to where Ava is still typing in card numbers slowly. “You can’t use your credit card,” I say, tugging the laptop out of her hands.

“Excuse me?” she asks, clearly annoyed and glaring at me.

“You can’t use your credit card for this.” Reaching in my back pocket, I slide out my wallet while opening up a new browser.

“Wes, no. Absolutely not,” Harper says, taking a step toward me. “You are not paying for this.”

I shake my head, continuing to open the page I’m looking for.

“This is not about paying for things, little wife. It’s about discretion. If you buy anything to fuck with Jeremy with your credit card, he can track that back to you.”

“Little wife!” Jules says in a whispered squeal, and Ava smiles at her. Harper does not.

“We’re sending it as a gift,” Harper says, ignoring her friend.

“Do you think he can’t call up the website and ask who sent it to himas a gift?” She glares and then rolls her eyes. I type a few more things in, then add in my credit card.

“Ifyourinfo comes up when he asks, it will be even worse,” she says, crossing her arms on her chest like she won that battle. I smile wide, then take the code I just got back from the first website.

“And that’s why I purchased a Visa gift card and am usingthatto purchase it.” I look at Ava. “Are we good to submit, or do you need to add more to it?”

She smiles. “No, I think it’s all pretty set. Thanks, Wes! You’re one smart cookie.”

I nod, not knowing if that’s a compliment or not, considering it’s coming from Ava.

What Idoknow is that something happened in the last twelve hours to reignite Ava and Jules’s anger at Jeremy Vaughn, something that has all three of them up in arms and craving justice once more.

“Got it,” I say, then finish the order and hit send. “Should be delivered next week.”

“I love him for you, Harper,” Ava says, with a smile.

My eyes are on my wife’s when she looks at me with a soft smile.

“Yeah,” she says low, and warmth runs through me at that single, seemingly insignificant word. I shift away from the laptop over to her, pulling her into my side. I expect her to go stiff or pull away, but instead, she melts into my side, her arm wrapping around my waist. Something big has changed in Harper in the last few days, and it bodes really fucking well for me. I’m not all the way past her walls, but they’re cracked, and I’ll take what I can get with her.

“What are you three up to next?” I ask, then press my lips to Harper’s hair. Jules audibly sighs at the move while Ava smiles, like she knew this would happen all along. I’m gladoneof us was always confident I’d make my way past Harper’s walls.

“I think we earned a nice little sweet treat,” Ava says, putting a hand to her stomach that’s just starting to show.

“Oh, yes, please,” Harper says, the words nearly erotic with want.

“Who wants ice cream?” I ask, knowing I’d do just about anything if Harper requested anything in that tone. “I know a place that has great dairy-free options for you, Ava.” Her eyes go wide and I don’t miss how Harper’s arm tightens around my waist with appreciation for my thinking of her friend.

“I would do absolutely feral things for ice cream right now. This baby only wants sweets, but it’s so hard to find anything that is actually good without milk.” I almost see her eyes watering.

“Got it. Ice cream it is. I’ll drive.”

“YAY!” Ava shouts, then claps. “Harper, if you don’t stop fucking around and tie this man down for real, I’m going to riot. He’s getting usice cream.”

Harper tips her head in her friend’s direction, giving them a face I can’t see, but when they start loudly laughing, I find myself smiling as well. Harper huffs, then moves away from me and toward the front door.

“Are we going?” she shouts when she’s out of sight.

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