Page 90 of Never Been Worse

“Well, yeah,” she says with a small smile.

“You spoke your case. I listened. I don’t like that you didn’t call me immediately after you left that coffee shop, but trust and respect goes both ways. Next time, I’ll tell you if I’m hiring a PI to look into your shithead ex, and I’d appreciate a call if you get blackmailed.”

“Deal,” she says with a small smile.

I sigh and shake my head. Relief runs through me when she steps forward, putting an arm around my neck and letting me pull her into my arms before I gently press my lips to hers. My body loosens just a bit at her nearness, and I come to the understanding that so long as I have this—so long aswehave this—we can tackle anything.

Ava and Jules let out a laugh that makes its way down the hall, reminding me we’re not alone in the house and she’s been partaking in some kind of planning session for the better part of the day.

“So what’s the plan?” I ask, reaching up and pushing a lock of copper hair that fell out of the clip at the back of her head behind her ear. When she gives me a cringe of a smile, I know instantly I am not going to like whatever it is she's about to say.

“We have to break up,” she says bluntly.

“What?” I move to step back, but she holds on tighter, not letting me leave. She gives me a shrug as if that’s all the explanation I’ll get. “We are not breaking up, Harper.”

“He knows everything and is going to come after Ava and Jules if we don’t, as well as you guys.”

“You try and break up with me, Harper, I’m dragging you onto a plane and hiding away with you for days, weeks, months, until you see things my way, until all of this blows over.”

She smiles wide, putting a hand to my cheek and smiling wide. “You’re so handsome when you get all angry and self-righteous.” I open my mouth to argue, but she shakes her head. “It’s happening. Not forever and not for real, just to appease Jeremy while we enact phase two ofProjectRuin Jeremy Vaughn.Now, are you going to keep arguing with me, or can we sit down and figure this out? Together.”

I let a small smile tip on my lips, knowing I’d do anything for this woman.

“Fill me in and give me my marching orders.”

THIRTY-FIVE

HARPER

Sixteen days until Project Ruin Jeremy Vaughn

Wes

Musical memory for future reference:

My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion

This is what I’m listening to on repeat.

You're so dramatic.

You're crazy about me.

That I am. 16 days.

An eternity.

Fourteen days until Project Ruin Jeremy Vaughn

My phone pings with a message, and I grab it. Ava sent a screenshot to the group chat, showing a photo of me carrying a large cardboard box from the house to my car that is on the homepage of a popular gossip website, with Wes and Harper Already Over? in big, bold letters.

Jules

The plan is in action!!!!!

Because I’m a masochist, I search for the article, finding it quickly before skimming. It’s mostly speculation and a few nuggets of information from “anonymous sources,” those sources being Leo, but there isn't much actual news. Probably because there really isn’t much to know, but this is all part of convincing Jeremy I’m playing nice in his threat.

But then I see it, a quote fromHolden’s former assistant, commenting on me.“She’s toxic and pitted him against some of his oldest friends. It’s sad, really, that he threw everything away like this.”

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