Page 174 of Almost Ours
And Harper?
She was smiling.
He leaned an elbow on the bar, and said something that made her laugh. That soft, effortless sound that had once been mine.
A muscle ticked in my jaw. I tried to focus on anything else–the condensation on my glass, the chatter around the booth–but my eyes kept dragging back to her. She looked so at ease, like she didn’t have a single care in the world as she smiled at him.
He gestured wildly, making some joke, and she laughed again, placing a hand on his arm. The touch was brief. Casual. Friendly. Still, it felt like a punch to the gut.
She’s just talking to someone,I told myself. But the jealousy churned anyway, hot and unrelenting.
Shane, of course, noticed immediately. “Dude, relax,” he said, smirking as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. “You look like you’re about to charge over there.”
“I’m fine,” I muttered, gripping my drink tighter.
“Sure you are,” Nina added, her tone laced with sarcasm. “You’re totally not glaring daggers at that guy right now.”
Kyle chuckled. “Man, you're gonna give yourself an ulcer.”
I didn’t respond. I was too busy watching Harper as she reached for a napkin and started writing something down. My stomach dropped.
What was she doing?
She handed the napkin to the guy, smiling as she did, and I felt the blood drain from my face. Shane’s grip on my shoulder tightened briefly, like he was holding me in place.
At the bar, the guy grinned as he tucked the napkin into his pocket.
My pulse hammered. My thoughts spiraled.
Was she giving him her number?
Did I have any right to care if she was?
Harper walked back to the table, sliding into her seat with an amused look. “What?” she asked, glancing at all of us.
Nina leaned closer, whispering something in her ear. Harper’s eyes widened, and then–she burst out laughing.
“Oh my God, no!” she said, shaking her head. “That’s the guy who keeps coming into the bakery and flirting with Benny. They’ve been dancing around each other for weeks. He finally asked me to give him Benny’s number.”
I exhaled sharply, relief crashing into me so hard I nearly felt dizzy.
Harper caught my eye and gave me a soft smile, like she knew exactly what I’d been thinking. It didn’t make me feel any less ridiculous. I smiled back anyway, grateful she didn’t call me out for it.
The tension at the table was almost unbearable. Every word felt heavy, weighed down by the unspoken things hanging between me and Harper. It was like we were two magnets, drawn to each other but kept just far enough apart to make the pull almost painful. I kept glancing at her, trying to catch her eye. Every time I did, though, it felt like I was staring at something I couldn’t have.
I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. How was I supposed to be around her like this, knowing how badly I still wanted her? How much I still cared? The urge to reach out, to sit next to her, to hold her hand or even just brush my fingers against hers was almost too much to bear. I fought it, but every moment was an internal battle, each second making the tension between us feel even more suffocating.
I could feel her there, just a few feet away, her presence wrapping around me like a weight I couldn’t escape. I wanted to touch her so badly it made my chest ache. But I stayed where I was, pretending to be more composed than I felt, trying not to show her how much I was struggling.
“Alright,” Shane announced, pushing up from the booth. “Let’s get out of here. Karaoke bars calling my name.”
“More like it’s dreading your arrival,” Nina muttered, smirking as she stood.
Kyle laughed as he slid out of the booth, following her. “I’m here for it. Let’s go.”
Harper stood up, adjusting her dress, and for a moment, I just stared. She was so damn beautiful, and the way she moved… it was all I could do not to reach out and grab her, to pull her close and hold her until I couldn’t feel the ache anymore. I didn’t, though. I couldn’t.
She caught my eye for a brief moment. Her expression was unreadable, like she was fighting her own battle too. Then she turned away, reaching for her purse.
