“To make sure that I didn’t stand you up tonight. He thought I needed his permission.”
“You fucked him?” I asked, taking a step closer to her.
“In ten minutes, Jase?”
I grinned. “It doesn’t take but a few minutes to get in a quickie. I can show you if necessary.”
“I’ll pass on the demonstration. Either way, I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“It is, and you know damn well it is. Everything you do is my business,” I countered.
“That’s where you’re wrong. I’m not your business nor will I ever be. I’m only going on this little date because I’m hungry. I figured with all the bullshit going on in my life these days, the least I could do was get free meal, a long overdue and well-deserved fucking apology, and maybe even some level of closure after all these years.”
“That’s all I want to give you, Harper.”
“Are you sure about that?” she asked, tilting her head. Her eyelashes fluttered as she raised her eyes to meet mine.
“For now, I’m absolutely sure about that.”
“I don’t have to take you at your word because you already know I got hands,” she said, grabbing a red leather jacket and shrugging it on.
Her sharp words made me grin. I loved this woman. “How could I forget?”
“Good. You ready?”
“Yes, ma’am. Lead the way,” I said, pointing toward the door.
“I made it as a boxer and fought for a couple of years before I became a trainer,” she said, looking over her shoulder as she headed outside to my car. I opened the door and let her get inside before closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side. Once I started the car, I continued our conversation.
“I know. I saw a couple of your fights, Harper. I kept an eye on you. I never told bro because I realized it was best if he thought you fell off the face of the earth.”
“But you could handle knowing?”
“I managed. It took a few years for me to run across you. You don’t have a social media presence at all. You literally became a ghost for a while. The name change didn’t help. I didn’t give up, because Ihadto know that you were happy. At least I thought you were. How are you holding up now?”
She raised her shoulders. “I’m holding.”
“I know you’re a fighter, Harper, but that’s a grown ass man. Do you need us to kick his ass?”
“He’s a fighter too, Jase. I’m not sure you could do that. Plus, you need your hands. I can’t have you busting up your knuckles over my shit and not being able to do surgery. Your mom would kill us both.”
“So, you’ve been keeping up with me too?”
“I spot checked just to make sure neither of you gave up on your dreams.”
“He never gave up on you,” I stated, knowing that mentioning Jordy would create tension between us, but it needed to be said.
“Well, he should have. He had every right to move on. Lord knows I gave up on him a long time ago,” she said with an unconvincing wave of her hand.
“Neither did I, Harp. I couldn’t. You belong to us.”
“Ibelongto no one,” she protested.
“Yet you’re right here with me.”
She scoffed. “And regretting it more by the second.”
“I’m having someone to come give me an estimate on a new driveway for your grandmother’s house.”
