“That’s not entirely true,” I argued fruitlessly, but Ellery wasn’t having it. She waved a slender hand, her eyes pinning me with a seriousness that had the rest of my argument dying on my tongue. She was my best friend and business partner; she knew me better than most.
“There’s no shame in it,” she said gently. “Sometimes, you’re just fated to be with someone, and there isn’t anything you can do about it but embrace it.”
“But what if it happens again? What if he leaves, or decides that I’m not enough?”
“I can’t tell you to take that chance, Harper.” She arched a blonde brow at me, challenging me. “But I’m pretty sure that man had a come-to-Jesus moment when he came back.”
I snorted; I couldn’t help it.
“Furthermore,” she said, leaning forward and splaying her hands out on my desk. “You waited for him. Why?”
“I didn’twait. I moved on with my life. I just…“ I let out a breath and shook my head. “Nothing ever felt likethat, like what we had.”
“Does this?”
Quiet, I considered her question. “Yes. But—“
“You’re getting hung up on the past.” Ellery guessed, nodding with understanding.
I sighed, massaging my temple with my fingers. “This is supposed to be about Asher, not us.”
“It’s about allthreeof you.” She corrected sternly. “Do you honestly believe that seeing his parents give their relationship a second chance will beharmful?”
“If it doesn’t work? Absolutely.” I shook my head. It was easy to forget about everything when we were together—but when we were apart, the worry settled in. I couldn’t help but wonder just how big a risk I was taking.
“Don’t write off the ending before you even get to the middle,” Ellery advised kindly.
I gave her a crooked smile, shaking my head. “When did you get so smart?”
“Um, I’vealwaysbeen this smart.”
Calum
I strolled through the doors to the recording studio twenty-five minutes late, but the coffee and Danishes I brought eased the irritation Dare felt. Evan couldn’t have cared less—he didn’t seem to have a concept of time, nor did he care if it was wasted. In fact, Evan was the resident time waster, usually.
I was never late.
Neither Dare nor Evan called me out on it. They simply stood when I finally walked in and met me in the middle of the reception room.
I took my cup from the tray and passed the coffees to Dare while Evan snatched the paper bag from my hand, reaching inside to pull a Danish out.
He took a huge bite and moaned. “Oh my God, this is the best fucking Danish I’ve ever had in my goddamnlife! Where is it from?”
“It’s fromBooks & Brews,” I told him. “Harper’s bookstore and café.”
“I’d have moved back homejustfor these Danishes,” he remarked, taking another huge bite and rolling his eyes dramatically.
A throat cleared, and the three of us turned to watch a man in his late forties walk out from the hallway over to the receptionist’s desk. “Calum Jacobs. You’ve changed a little bit, since the last time I saw you.”
“You look the same, Don.” I shook his hand firmly, grinning in greeting. Don Keefer had ownedHarmony Wavesfor going on twenty-five years now. He was one of Gramps’ old contacts—the man he’d directed us to back when we were in high school talking about putting together an album.
He threw back his salt and pepper head and laughed. “I’ve aged a bit since then.” He patted his rounded belly affectionately, his eyes twinkling with mirth. His amusement faded, a somber look befalling his weathered face. “I was sorry to hear about your grandfather. He was a great man.”
“Thank you,” I inclined my head.
“All right, well…let’s get to it, shall we?” Don cleared his throat, seeming to stand taller. “While the décor hasn’t changed in a decade, we recently got some equipment upgrades.”
The studio was smaller than the ones we’d recording in over the last few years, but the equipment Don listed would be more than sufficient to record the new single the label was thirsting for.
