Page 181 of Almost Ours
I thought back to last night–the way he had looked at me at the pub, his gaze soft and full of something I couldn’t quite name. How he kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, like I was the only thing grounding him to the moment.
And I let it slip through my fingers.
A broken sob tore from my throat as I curled up on the couch, hugging my knees to my chest.
I didn’t know how to fix this. I didn’t even know if Icould.
One thing was clear: I had to tell him the truth.
Even if it changed nothing.
Even if he didn’t feel the same anymore.
He deserved to know.
And for once in my life, I had to be brave enough to tell him. I just wasn’t sure when I was going to get the chance.
By the timeNina was up and dressed, I had managed to pull myself together. Barely. I splashed cold water on my face, fixed my hair into something that didn’t scream,I cried my eyes out all morning,and threw on a light sweater.
“Morning,” Nina mumbled, tying her chestnut brown hair into a messy bun as she shuffled into the kitchen.
“Morning,” I replied, forcing a smile. “I went out and grabbed a coffee for you. Ready to head over and grab the boys?”
Nina raised an eyebrow at me, clearly noting the forced cheerfulness, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she grabbed her shoes and nodded. “Sure.”
We walked in silence, the weight of everything Shane had said hanging over me, but I wasn’t ready to unpack it with her just yet.
When we arrived at Mrs. Knox’s house, the boys were playing in the yard, dressed in T-shirts to keep cool in that mid-morning sun. Their laughter echoed into the quiet morning, light and carefree. Mrs. Knox stood on the porch, a warm smile lighting up her face.
“There you are,” she called. “Come on in. I just made a fresh pot of coffee.”
Nina and I exchanged a glance, and she shrugged. “I could use some more caffeine.”
Inside, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and muffins filled the air. Mrs. Knox poured us each a cup and gestured for us to sit at the kitchen table.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, dear,” she said, her sharp eyes narrowing on me as she handed me a mug. “What’s wrong?”
I froze, gripping the warm cup between my hands, trying to steady my breath. The tension in my chest hadn’t eased, and the quiet kindness of Mrs. Knox only made it worse.
“Nothing,” I said quickly, shaking my head. Too quickly.
Nina scoffed from across the table, not buying it for a second. “That’s the least convincing ‘nothing’ I’ve ever heard.” She turned in her chair to fully face me, her expression a mixture of concern and frustration.
I opened my mouth, the words tangled in my throat. I wasn’t ready for this–not yet.
Nina raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Did seeing Ryan last night have anything to do with this? Because you two seemed pretty close.”
I winced at the mention of Ryan, and Mrs. Knox’s gaze sharpened, catching the shift in the air. She set her mug down and leaned forward, her expression soft but knowing. “Ah, I see. That makes sense.”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight, and I tried to keep my voice steady. “It’s not what you think,” I began, but the words felt hollow even as I said them.
Nina didn’t seem convinced. “So, what’s going on Harper? You can’t just keep avoiding everything. It’s clear something’s up. What’s really going on?”
Mrs. Knox, ever the quiet observer, simply nodded as if to say,go on,but she didn’t push further. “Sometimes, dear, we don’t see things clearly until we allow ourselves to truly look. The heart doesn’t lie, no matter how hard we try to ignore it.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. My heart was too full of confusion and regret, and I had no idea how to sort through it all. But I couldn’t keep hiding. Not from Nina. Not from Mrs. Knox.
I stared down at the swirling coffee, my chest tightening. “I ran into Shane this morning.” I admitted softly.
