“This isn’t happening again,” she said, flicking her finger between the two of us. “It shouldn’t have happened the first time.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because!”
“Yeah, that explains nothing.”
“You know why,” she said, lowering her voice. “You know exactly why.”
I could tell that shebelievedI knew what she was talking about, but honest to God, I had no fucking clue what she wasgetting at. We were like lightning together, and we were already friends. I couldn’t see any reason not to see where things went.
“You’re gonna have to spell it out for me, Harp,” I said, reaching for her.
I frowned in confusion when she stepped out of reach.
“Lou.”
It felt like my mind glitched for a moment.
“What doesLouhave to do with anything?”
Harper made the little noise in the back of her throat that I’d thought was so cute before but now just frustrated me.
“Everyone knows, Bas,” she said quietly.
“I clearly don’t.”
“You’re in love with her.”
I barely kept my jaw from dropping open. “I’mwhat?”
“Anyone with eyes can see it, okay?”
“What the hell, Harper?”
“I mean, Frankie wouldn’t even talk to me after the party. I still haven’t heard from her.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And I get it. That’s her best friend, and I just showed up and—”
“I’m not in love with Lou.”
“Yeah, okay,” she said flatly.
“I wouldn’t be callin’ you all weekend and kissin’ you if I was in love with Lou.”
“It’s messy,” Harper said apologetically. “Everyone assumed that you and her would—”
“I don’t give a shit what everyoneassumes.”
“Well, I do,” she replied stubbornly. “I’m already an outsider, and now everyone’s talking.”
“Everyonecan mind their own fucking business.”
“You know that’s not how it works.”
“I can’t believe you think I’d be fucking around with you while I was in love with someone else,” I sputtered. “Jesus.”
“Look, whatever it is—” She shook her head. “I don’t want to get into the middle of it.”
“There’s nothin’ to get in the middle of. For fuck’s sake.”
