Which brings me back to Harper.
Fuck. I try not to think about her, but it’s useless. It’s like seeing her unlocked the box of memories we had together.
Ignoring the pile of laundry in my room that needs to be done, I head straight into the closet. In the very back is a small box. One I keep tucked away and out of sight. Grabbing it, I sit with my back against the shelves. There’s not much in here. A few pictures of the two of us, my wedding ring, and the letter that Harper wrote me when I left for my very first NHL game. It was tucked into my away bag and put the biggest smile on my face when I found it.
I trace my fingers over her pretty handwriting. I always liked to tease her that it was a teacher’s handwriting. That it’s why she chose the profession she did.
Seeing the words she wrote there makes me question a lot of the choices I made back then. I took the coward’s way out. I know that. But it was easier than her leaving me. Because that would have been worse.
The gold metal of my ring is cheap as I rub my thumb against it. The smallest reminder of the love we had.
“Fuck.”
This isn’t helping anything. The picture of the two of us on our wedding day is one of the last pictures we have together. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted Harper more than anything in the world. From the minute I first met her, I was addicted to her.
It’s like she was put on this earth just for me. There was no one more perfect. Everything with her was easy from the get-go.
Marrying her on a whim in Vegas? Why not? We were two young kids in love with our futures in front of us.
Maybe that’s why things crashed and burned so badly. We’d never had anything test the love we had for one another.
Harper at my games with our kids. A dog. A swing set out back. Everything I envisioned for our family.
All died with a single phone call. We never got it.
Sighing, I place everything back into the small box and tuck it back where I have it stored for safekeeping. I rest my hand on it.
Why haven’t I been able to get rid of this?
“Dad?” Sam’s voice calls out from the hall.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
I don’t know how much time has passed, but I haven’t done a single thing I was supposed to. All because I was distracted by the woman who I couldn’t get enough of.
The woman who is no longer mine.
“Can we have dessert?”
“Sure thing.”
I can worry about everything else tomorrow.
Chapter Six
HARPER
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you today?” Rina asks.
“I’m good. I promise.” I woke up this morning feeling better.
Grabbing my coat, I lock up my apartment and head out to my car. “I’m a big girl and can go look at houses by myself.”
“You don’t have to say yes to anything if you don’t like it.”
I roll my eyes at her even if she can’t see me. “I know that.”
“Okay. Well, keep me posted on how it goes.”
