“I am not.”
“Yeah,” I frowned. “This isn’t gonna work.”
“Shut up,” she said with a chuckle, pinching my side.
“We can buy new shit if you don’t like mine,” I assured her. “I didn’t get with you for your stuff. I was hopin’ for a kitchen table, though.”
Harper shrugged. “I don’t mind eating on the couch.” She smiled. “Did I tell you that I hung out with pretty much all of my cousins while you were gone?”
“You haven’t said much beyond tellin’ me to take my pants off.”
“Well, I hung out with my cousins while you were gone.”
“How’d that go?”
“Great. Me and Frankie hung out a bunch, too, obviously. She apologized for keeping her distance. She was caught in the middle, so she tried to stay out of it.”
“I can see that. Myla and Lou are her best friends, but you’re Gray’s sister.”
“Exactly.”
“You see Lou at all?” I asked.
Harper shook her head. “Do you think—” She grimaced. “I know it wasn’t romantic for you, but do you think it might’ve been for Lou?”
“Not that I know of,” I replied, thinking back to the first and only kiss. “I thought we’d both agreed it was weird.”
“Or did you say that it was weird, and she agreed because she didn’t want you to know that it wasn’t for her?” Harper said carefully.
“Shit, I don’t know.” I replied. “She’s dating and shit, though. I don’t think she was waiting for me to change my mind or anything.”
“Well, I haven’t seen her,” Harper said. “And if she’s one of your best friends, that seems kind of weird.”
“Yeah.” I hadn’t seen Lou much either, and she hadn’t texted like she normally would. I hadn’t thought much of it because I’d been so wrapped up in Harper and the shit up in Portland, but it was strange she hadn’t reached out.
“Maybe you should talk to her,” Harper said, leaning over to kiss the side of my chest.
“Yeah, I will,” I agreed, though I wasn’t sure what the hell I’d say to her. I didn’t want to call her out and embarrass her if she’d been carrying some kind of torch, but I also didn’t want to ignore her if I’d accidentally hurt her.
“It’ll work out,” Harper assured me. “You guys have been friends for a long time.”
“Yeah.” I had a feeling that Harper and I wouldn’t be hanging with Lou any time soon, but I hoped eventually we could.
“Speaking of facing things,” Harper said leadingly. “Since they won’t have to move me in here, maybe we should ask the boys to help you go through your mom’s house.”
I stiffened. “Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna go now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Before, you didn’t have an opinion on what I did with the house or when I did it, but now you’re pushin’.”
“Well, before I didn’t know that you loved me and we were building a life together,” she replied logically. “Now, I get a say.”
“Funny how that works.”
“Don’t try to act like you’re mad,” she said, patting my side.
“Not mad,” I grumbled. “Not ready yet.”
