His heavy hand landed on my back, causing me to jerk out of his reach. This could not be happening. I was not about to die at Jase St. John’s feet in the middle of a freaking grocery store.
“You good, Harp?” he asked.
My eyes were on his huge feet as he took a step to close the space I’d purposely created between us. If he was asking if I was dying, the answer was a definitive no. If he wanted to know if I were completely humiliated and wishing that I could disappear right now, then no, I was absolutely not good.
“Um, . . . yeah, something just went down wrong,” I lied, before attempting to sidestep him and get the hell out of there.Of course, he stepped right into my path, cutting me off before I could make a clean getaway.
“Where you running off to, Harp? How long have you been back in town?”
I sighed and rolled my eyes as I quickly weighed my options. I could easily push past Jase with or without my groceries, or I could be an adult for five seconds and answer a simple question. As much as I wanted to act like I was still the seventeen-year-old girl I was when we met all those years ago, there was no use in avoiding the inevitable. If the twins were living and/or working around here, there would be no way of avoiding them forever.
“A little over a week, close to two,” I revealed.
“And no phone call or nothing?”
“We haven’t spoken in years. Why would I call to let you know I was moving back to my own home?” I didn’t give a damn how sexy Jase was or how damn good he smelled. I was not about to cut any corners with him.I wanted him out of my face and hopefully out of my life for good.
“Have dinner with me,” he suggested, completely catching me off guard. I didn’t even know why I was stunned because one of the many things Jase St. John had been blessed with was audacity.
I threw my head back. “You have got to be kidding me!”
“I don’t play about too many things. Have dinner with me, Harper. We need to talk, and you know it.”
I waved him off. “That’s where you’re wrong. There is nothing for us to talk about.”
“Actually, there’s a whole lot for us to talk about, Harper. Let me make it up to you.”
“No, it’s been years. Enough years to where I’m healed and completely at peace. I’m not willing to go back to that dark place you and your brother took me to, so if you would excuse me,” I said, walking to my shopping cart and turning to push it in the other direction since Jase refused to move.
“He still misses you, Harp,” he said to my back, causing me to stop in my tracks.
I knew it was a huge mistake, but I turned to face him before speaking. God, he was even sexier now.Why were some people so blessed?
“Jase, I understand your desire to speak up for your brother, but let’s not pretend that we’re still those same great friends that spent late nights cramming for tests or drinking shots and playing Gin and Warcraft all night. I came to terms with what it was a long time ago. I’m sure you forgot I even existed up until now. The only reason you’re even asking me out to dinner is because I’m standing right in front of you.”
“What terms did you come to exactly?”
“That I was just a nerdy, little experimental freak for y’all. All that we love you bullshit was just that,bullshit.”
“Nah, but what you just said, that’s the real bullshit. Let me right my wrongs and straighten my face with my brother, Harper. He moved out of our apartment after you left. He moved back in with our parents and wouldn’t speak to me for a month. I know he still harbors some feelings behind the way things went down, but I can’t blame him. I swear it was all my fault. Even if you never forgive me, don’t hold it against him. I know you know how much he misses you, Harp. I can only imagine how heavily you’ve been on his mind because I’ve never stopped missing you even for one day after you left. We came looking for you. There’s no telling how many times Joe looked for you on his own. He never stopped loving you, Harp.”
I sighed, dropping my shoulders as my resolve started to crumble. “Jase.”
“Neither did I. I’m not asking for much, just one dinner and a chance to make it up to you.”
“It’s just not a good time right now. I just moved, and I’m trying to get everything settled with my son. He’s not adjustingso well to the move. The only thing I need to focus on right now is him.”
“What about his father?”
“Shouldn’t that have been a question that you asked before you asked me out to dinner?”
“We’re old friends. We can’t have dinner?”
“Bye, Jase.”
“I’m not giving up, Harper, and I know you already know how Joe is coming.”
“Please respect my wishes and stay the hell away from me, Jase. I’m not falling for your shit again,” I said, shaking my head as I turned to walk away from him, hopefully for a long ass time.
