Sighing, she looks up at me, searching for any signs of deeper emotions. “I miss the person I used to be.”
“What?”
“I was with Asher for so long that I don’t know who Harper is without him. Everything I’d planned vanished overnight.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re a better version of yourself without him. He weighed you down.”
This earns me a smile that reaches her eyes, crinkling the corners in that way that’s purely Harper. It’s the honest truth, though—she’s always been lighter without Asher, like a balloon finally released from a child’s tight grip.
My favorite moments were when it was just the two of us on my back porch, her legs tucked under her, gesturing wildly with both hands as she told stories, her laugh unrestrained and musical. She’d curse without catching herself, let her hair fall messy around her face, and eat the last cookie without apologizing. With me, she never tried to fold herself smaller or filter her thoughts through his expectations.
“I’m trying to embrace becoming the new Harper, with my life completely different than it was for so long. I’d been with Asher for over half my life.”
He had her for far too long. “I think you’re doing a great job.”
“You make it easier, Ford. Can I confess something that you might think is crazy?”
All I can do is pray she doesn’t bring up Asher. “You can tell me anything, Harper. I’ll never judge you.”
“You never have. You’ve always been so easy to talk to.”
“What’s your confession?”
“I miss Kenzie.”
What did she just say? I frown and turn to her, and she chuckles softly. “I know. It’s crazy. Looking back now, I see wewere never really friends, not like I believed. But I still feel the loss.”
“Even though she was horrible?”
“It’s hard to explain, but yeah. Probably because I have to re-remember. My memories aren’t real. The friendship we shared was real. She was my best friend since third grade. That’s a lot of memories that aren’t what I thought.”
There’s genuine sadness in her tone that makes her voice crack slightly, and while I don’t fully understand, something in my chest tightens in response. Her eyes glisten in the dim porch light, not quite tears but a sheen of vulnerability that makes me want to pull her closer. It brings me some relief to know she mourns her best friend more than her fiancé. Like watching a weight being lifted from my shoulders that I didn’t realize I’d been carrying.
“I’m sorry, Harper.”
“It’s okay. It just adds to the hurt, you know? It would have been easier if it had been a random girl I didn’t know or consider a friend. But like I said before, Asher knows how to hit below the belt and really twist the knife.”
“Asher never deserved you. You always deserved so much better.”
She smiles and nods. “I’m starting to see that.”
I’d love nothing more than to sit here with her all night—talking or simply being together—but she shivers beside me.
“I should probably get going.”
“Thank you for taking me to the tree lighting. And for breaking my fall. And then not getting too angry with me for hurting you.”
We stand, and I smile as I cup her face before kissing her forehead. “Goodnight, Harper.”
“Goodnight, Ford.”
Chapter 21
Harper
It’s been two days since the tree lighting, and even with Gina keeping me busy with wedding preparations, Ford hasn’t left my thoughts for long. Our scorching kiss lingered in my mind, the one that made me forget the biting cold of the snow beneath us.
He knows how to kiss, and I can’t help but wonder what else he could do with that strong, assertive tongue. My neck flushes at the thought while I wait in The Cozy Crumb for Greta to make her way over.
