“Are you sure you laid it down as well as you think you did?”
Growling, I reply, “I did everything right.”
“Did she come?”
“I’m not discussing this with my little brother.”
“It’s just a question,” Joel says, hands raised defensively. “Maybe she faked it.”
The thought crosses my mind, but I dismiss it. Her body responded to me, just as much as her moans did.
“That’s not it. Last night was great; she initiated it, and she enjoyed it. We fell asleep, and then everything fell apart this morning.”
“I’m sorry, Ford. I know how much you wanted this.”
“Maybe I am just a rebound.”
He bursts into laughter. “After Asher? No way.”
“Then what could it be? I instigated things with Asher, but that shouldn’t make her avoid me like the plague.”
“Asher and Kenzie crashed the party last night.”
I glare at him. I know. We were all there. “Yeah, I know.”
“Have you ever considered what it must be like for her? She’s constantly facing the man who caused her so much pain.”
“Maybe.”
“No, really think about it. She planned to marry Asher. Everything was set, and he cheated—with her best friend. She was betrayed by the two people she should have trusted most.”
I’ve thought about it—more than I’d like to admit. “Yeah, I get it.”
“If last night meant to her even half of what it meant to you, she might be scared.”
“Scared of me?”
“Scared of letting another man get too close because it puts her in a position to be hurt again.”
It makes sense, even if it doesn’t comfort me. “I would never hurt her.”
“You know that. I know that. But how does Harper know that? Did she ever think Asher and Kenzie would betray her?”
“No,” I concede.
“She’s still damaged.”
Great. She’s damaged. What does that mean for us?
“Be patient. Don’t push her. If you do, you’ll scare her away, and you’ll never get what you want.”
I narrow my eyes, studying him. “When did you get so wise?”
“I’ve always been smart. You just never noticed. Now, let’s go. I came with Eric, but he left. I need a ride back to town.”
“Yeah, okay.”
She’s scared. I don’t like it, but it makes sense, like a wounded animal retreating to lick its wounds. How do I give her space after everything that happened between us last night? The way her fingertips traced constellations across my skin, how her breath hitched when I kissed that spot below her ear? It meant the world to me, twelve years of longing finally satisfied in those dark, breathless moments.
