“I haven’t heard from you in over a month.”
“Well, you’ve been busy,” she hedged. “I was letting you and Harper get all settled in and stuff.”
“We’ve seen Myla and Frankie,” I reminded her, unwilling to let it go.
“Yeah, I was busy those nights.”
I didn’t reply. Usually, if you waited long enough, people spoke. No one liked awkward silences.
“It’s just different now,” Lou said finally. “Which is fine. I’mhappyfor you. I just don’t think I really fit into your life anymore.”
“That’s bullshit,” I argued as Harper silently came back down the stairs. “We’re friends.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“What does that mean?”
“Bas, we were together all the time. Three or four nights a week. That’s not how it is now. You have Harper.”
“So, because I’m not hanging out as much, we can’t hang out ever?” I asked in frustration.
“We’ll hang out,” Lou said. “Okay? I’m sure I’ll see you at a party or whatever.”
I opened my mouth and then closed it again, unsure what to say.
“Take care, Bas,” she said. Then she hung up.
“You okay?” Harper asked from the bottom step.
“Lou,” I replied, gesturing with the phone.
“Didn’t sound like it went well.”
“I don’t think I fuckin’ handled it right.”
“What did she say?”
“That she’d see me eventually and that things were different now because I’m with you.”
Harper nodded.
“It’s not like I could ask her if she was into me, and that’s why she fuckin’ disappeared when we got together.”
“Don’t do that,” Harper frowned.
“I wasn’t goin’ to,” I replied. “I don’t want to embarrass her or call her out.”
“She’ll come around eventually.”
I groaned as I walked toward her, wrapping my arms around her waist. Because she was standing on the stair, our heights were much closer than usual when I kissed her.
“I wasn’t tryin’ to fuckin’ hurt her,” I said, sighing. Guilt hit me hard when I remembered how Lou’s voice was all stiff and stilted. “I feel like shit.”
“It’ll all work out,” Harper whispered. “Isn’t that what you told me?”
“Yeah, yeah.” I brushed her hair out of her face and ran my thumb along her jaw. “So…you want a house?”
“Yes,” she said as I lifted her and started up the stairs. Her legs wrapped around my waist. “Two stories. At least four bedrooms. Do you think three acres are enough, or should we think bigger?”
