“Baby, haven’t you figured it out yet? You could sing show tunes standin’ on your head, and I’d still only want you. Nothin’ to be insecure about.”
“Show tunes?” I asked, my lips twitching.
“Standin’ on your head,” he whispered in confirmation. He pressed his lips to mine and then pulled back a little, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Can you stand on your head? Because that might be fun.”
Impossibly, irrationally, I giggled.
Chapter 15
Sebastian
Harper fell backasleep sometime around dawn, but I couldn’t close my eyes. I’d never forget the look on Leo’s face when I’d walked into that kitchen.
It could’ve gone so differently. If Farrah hadn’t carried a pistol in her purse, if she hadn’t recognized the terror in Harper’s voice for what it was, if the motherfucker had just shot Harp the moment he saw her instead of forcing her back to the kitchen.
I’d been through some shit. I’d grieved for my siblings, my mother, and the life I thought I’d have.
None of it had prepared me for those few seconds between witnessing Leo’s expression and seeing Harper on that stool, unharmed.
I ran my hand through Harper’s hair while I listened to the club wake up.
“Bas?” Gray called, cracking the door open. He looked Harper over before meeting my eyes. “Got some news. Come out when you can.”
“Harp, too?”
He paused for a moment. “Yeah, bring her.”
Harper began to stir as he closed the door again.
“What time is it?” she asked groggily, stretching her legs.
“Almost nine.”
“Ugh.” Reaching for her glasses, she threw herself upward and then sat there, blinking. “I’m up.”
“You sure?”
“Funny.”
“How’re you feelin’?”
“Like I barely slept, and yesterday a man tried to shoot me,” she said dryly. “Was Gray just in here?”
“He said there’s news,” I confirmed.
“Oh goody,” she said, crawling to the foot of the bed. When she stepped down, she grimaced. “I’m going to go steal some socks from my mom.”
Tamping down the urge to tell her no, that I didn’t want her out of my sight, I just nodded. I wasn’t quite sure where we were at.
I got up as soon as she left the room and pulled my boots on.
The night before, I’d told her that I was in love with her. I thought I’d done a good job explaining the situation with Lou. She’d kissed me back, more than once, and fallen asleep on my chest.
But that didn’t mean that everything was fixed. I’d basically unloaded on her when she was already fucking reeling, telling her more details than I’d ever told anyone. It would make sense if she decided that it was all too much.
She hadn’t saidI love youback.
I paused in the middle of the room, taking a deep breath. I felt like I’d been run over. Every part of me hurt.
