"Word travels fast, huh?" I smiled wryly.
"Any drama on Main Street would have reached Levin within an hour."
"Figures. So where is he?" I asked, getting straight to the point. I couldn't see Harrison among the throng of people bustling about.
Ruth gestured towards the stage. "Came plowing through here, ignoring everyone. He's been squatting in the back room ever since."
My heart bled. "Thanks, Ruth. I'll have a chat with him."
As I approached the stairs leading up to the stage, Ruth called out, stopping me.
"He loves you, you know," she offered quietly. "Give him a chance. At least to explain."
I nodded, acknowledging what she said but not making any promises. I needed to talk to Harrison first.
CHAPTER 15
Thebackroomwasa small space where guest speakers, musical performers, and the sound crew hung out behind the scenes. Not that we had rock bands or celebrity speakers performing, but every Friday assembly, someone in the student body who was musically inclined would perform.
Nerves wracked me as I lifted my hand and knocked on the wooden door. When I couldn't hear any movement on the other side, I knocked again.
"Harrison? You in there? It's me. Grace." I added redundantly.
A second passed before I heard his heavy footsteps. The door slowly opened, and Harrison's handsome yet devastated face appeared before me. His hair was disheveled as if he had been running frantic hands through them. His eyes were red-rimmed. My traitorous heart melted.
"If you're here to yell at me, can we do it later? I'm not in the mood."
My eyes softened, and without a word, I stepped around him and into the small room. My nose wrinkled at the familiar musky scent of old furnishings and junk. Not much had changed since I had last been here.
Harrison closed the door behind me and leaned against it, arms crossed defensively, head down.
"I spoke with Amelia."
His head jerked up, and he groaned.
"She's the worst person to talk to."
My face scrunched up. "Why?"
"Because she was so excited when I came to her with this plan. She called me every night after we met up to discuss this disaster of a reunion. Wanting to know what I said to you, what you said, what our chemistry was like. Jesus, you should've heard her when she caught us hooking up at O'Ryan's. She asked Liam if it was too late to do a double wedding."
My jaw dropped before laughing. As annoyed as I was at Amelia, I wouldn't be surprised if she was more invested in this than her wedding.
"I just know she's going to over-romanticize my feelings and make me seem like a character from a Nicholas Sparks novel."
I took a few steps towards him, my heart pounding. "Would she be lying if she did?" I chanced to ask.
Harrison glanced at me with wide eyes. I could see the conflict in his gaze as his mouth opened and closed. Finally, he let go of a suspended breath and shook his head.
"No," he breathed. "No, she wouldn't be lying. I fuckingdofeel like a character in a Nicholas Sparks novel."
My heart soared, a jolt of pleasure coursing through me. Wow.
"Harrison," I licked my suddenly dry lips. "I know you've wanted to talk about what happened all those years ago. With our blossoming friendship and prom..."
I looked down, twisting my fingers nervously. I thought what had happened all those years ago no longer mattered, that we had started fresh. But the truth was, I still felt hurt, bitter, and betrayed by what had occurred. Thinking about it was too painful, let alone speaking.
"It was Jessica," he simply said.
