The door opened and Harper stepped into the bedroom, a tray in her hands. “Sorry if I woke you, but Cody and I are gettingto the bar early today to do some restocking, and I wanted to talk to you before I left.” She sat on the edge of the bed and lay the tray on the sheets. “I’ve brought you a delicious, gourmet breakfast.”
Tilly glanced at the cereal, milk, and coffee.
“Okay,” Harper rushed out. “We’re out of a lot of groceries and this is all we had, but it’s the thought that counts, right?”
She gave her friend a small smile. “Thank you. I really appreciate it. And thank you for letting me stay last night.”
“Not just last night, you can stay for as long as you need.” She pushed some hair behind Tilly’s ear. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Like crap.” She ran her finger over a crease in the sheets. “There’s this sickly pit in my belly because my father’s in town. Because he took a key to my house…a house that he wants and obviously feels entitled to.”
“So, we’ll change the locks. And if he ever catches you alone, you speed-dial me or Cody or Eastern and we’ll be there.”
She was so lucky to have this woman as a friend. “Thank you.”
“What about Kayden?”
Her heart clenched at the mention of his name…how stupid was that? “Honestly, I feel like an idiot. I asked him that night at the bar what we were doing, and he basically told me that he didn’t know, yet I still woke up the next morning trusting he’d come back to me with the answer I wanted to hear. That he’d choose me, not for a fling or just to share my bed, but because he cared aboutmeand maybe…maybe one day…love me.”
Harper squeezed her thigh. “That doesn’t make you an idiot. It makeshiman idiot for not treating you right.”
“I trusted someone I had no business trusting.”
“Because you care about him.”
Love…she was falling in love with him. And that made all of this so much worse.
She scrubbed a hand over her eyes, not wanting to shed any more tears. She’d already cried enough.
“Has he texted you?” Harper asked.
“I’m not sure. I turned my phone off last night, and I haven’t turned it back on yet.” Maybe because a part of her was afraid Kaydenhadn’ttexted or called and her father had.
Harper glanced at the phone on the bedside table, then back at Tilly. “Want me to be here while you turn it on?”
She shook her head. “No. I can do it.” She was an adult, so she should be able to do that alone. Keyword—should.
“All right, but before I go, I need to tell you something.”
Why did her gut tighten at those words? “Okay.”
“After you came over so upset yesterday, Cody kind of went and spoke to Kayden.”
Her belly twisted. “What did he say?”
“Not much…but Cody thinks Kay knows he screwed up. He has trust issues.”
Tilly dropped her head into her hands. “Harper—”
“I know! It wasn’t his place, but that’s Cody. He needs to act when the people in his circle are hurting, and you’re in his circle.” Tilly looked up to see Harper nibbling her bottom lip. “What do you think you’ll do if he says he’s sorry and wants you back?”
A million emotions ran throughout her body, but she instantly squashed almost all of them.
“I can’t take him back,” she whispered, the words hurting more out loud than in her head. “I can’t leave myself open to that kind of hurt again. I deserve someone who trusts and protects me. Who can be there on my hardest days. I needed him yesterday. I needed him more than I’ve ever needed another person…and he let me down.”
“He did,” Harper said softly. “You deserved more.”
“I can’t change what my father did. All I can do is be myself and show those around me who I am. Kayden and I shared so much together, but it wasn’t enough to convince him I’m different to my dad, and I don’t think anything ever will be.”
