Page 102 of A Brush with Love
Thu finally looked up, meeting Harper’s eyes. “I just really think you need to go talk to Dan.”
CHAPTER 35
HARPER
The next morning, Harper made her way to Dan’s apartment. She hadn’t been able to get any more information from Thu, who just repeatedly told her it wasn’t her information to share, whatever the hell that meant.
Harper knew she should have called first, but she had a feeling that whatever it was, it wasn’t something she wanted to learn about over the phone. And, for some reason, the idea of dialing his number, taking the chance of the call ringing into the abyss unanswered, felt way more daunting.
But, as she mounted the stairs to his apartment, the queasy jostle of nerves in her stomach had her second-guessing that decision.
As Harper stood outside his door, trying to find the courage to knock, she realized how weird it was that she’d never been to his place before. He had so easily melded into her space, into her life, never forcing her to take a step out of her own little bubble.
She was pathetic.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her fist to knock, but the door swung open before she could make contact. It took Harper a few moments to process what she saw.
Dan blinked at her in surprise, and she returned the look. Two cardboard moving boxes were stacked in his arms, leaning againsthis chest. She stared at those boxes until her vision blurred into nothing but that jarring brown.
“Is… Is Alex moving?” Harper heard herself ask, her brain functioning in slow motion.
“What are you doing here?” Dan said, his voice flat.
Harper blinked up at him. That was the question, wasn’t it? She didn’t even have an answer. Harper still felt a sharp and keen sense of shame at his suggestion that she needed help. She felt betrayed by him for turning it around on her. But Thu’s words had burrowed into her brain.You accommodate the people you like into your life.
And she liked Dan. He was her best friend. And she’d said nasty, terrible things to him. She felt too much shame and other messy emotions to even think about going back to where they’d been, but she didn’t want to lose him entirely.
“Thu told me I should probably come see you,” Harper said, still unable to process what was happening.
“Oh. Thu.” Dan nodded once, looking away from Harper. After a moment, he blew out a breath and set the boxes down. He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. He wasn’t going to let her in.
“Is your head okay?” he asked.
No. I think my head is about to explode from confusion because what the fuck is happening here?
“Yeah, it’s fine,” Harper said, staring down at those boxes. “What’s going on?”
“I’m moving,” Dan said with a bored wave toward the evidence. She’d never seen him be this cold before. His stiff posture, the stern line of his mouth, the disinterested way he looked at her—all of it pierced through her skin like a thousand blunted needles.
“Where?” she managed to get out, looking up at him. He didn’t quite meet her gaze.
“New York, actually,” he said, dragging a hand through his hair then down his face. He looked tired.
“New York? But what about…”What about everything? What about school? What about your mom? What about me? What about us?
“Yeah, well, I…” He paused, sucking in a deep breath then fixing her with a hard stare. “You were right, it’s time for me to stop with the bullshit.”
Harper blinked at him, the sharp prick of tears starting behind her eyes, pressure building in her throat.
“What about your mom and the practice?” she managed to ask with an even voice.
“It’s really none of your business,” he said.
She deserved that. But it still hurt like hell.
Dan looked away from her, shaking his head. “I talked with my mom,” he said, staring down at the boxes. “We’ve… I don’t know, come to an understanding, I guess.”
“An understanding of what?”
