I stayed quiet, sipping my coffee and scrolling through emails. It wasn’t until Harper walked into the kitchen to bring her mug to the sink that she caught sight of me.
“Jesus, Cam,” she hissed, clutching the mug to her chest. “What, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
I barked out a laugh. I couldn’t help it. Her hair was straight again, strands tucked behind her ear. She switched her glasses for contacts and wore a yellow hoodie that made the blonde in her hair stand out. Harper’s makeup was simple but still striking. Between the blush and the winged eyeliner, she looked perfect.
“You’re the one sneaking around, trouble,” I said, taking another sip of my coffee.
That’s when Wren appeared. Practically ran into the kitchen like something was on fire. She was dressed in a similar fashion to Harper. Wren wore her favorite green hoodie and leggings. Her hair was in a braid, and her bangs were clipped back with the same butterfly clips I have seen Harper use.
“Did I hear Harper scream? What did you do?” she asked, eyes bouncing between us. Wren acted as though she was watching a soap opera.
I didn’t say a word. Just smiled into my coffee.
Wren narrowed her eyes at me, but she didn’t push. Just walked over to the opposite side of the counter and grabbed a banana.
“Are you leaving soon?” She asked me between bites.
I nodded, glancing at the clock above the stove, and it read nine twenty-one in the morning.
“Yeah. I’m out around nine-thirty. Got a truck coming in with a busted engine. Should be back around five.” I paused to take another sip of my coffee. “Text me if you two want carryout. I’ll grab something on the way home.”
Wren nodded. “That sucks. We will get back to you about food.”
She moved to stand beside Harper, and I watched them out of the corner of my eye—how close they were. How natural Harper looked next to her. Wren turned to me again, more serious this time.
“We’re gonna swing by Lena’s this afternoon. She got an email yesterday morning saying her apartment in Oregon is ready. They’re giving her two weeks to collect the keys and sign the last bit of paperwork in person.”
My chest tightened.
“Yeah? I didn’t think it would be so soon.” I distracted myself by staring at my almost-empty mug.
“Yeah,” Wren sighed. “It’s so bittersweet. I am so happy Le gets to live out her dreams of doing makeup and hair on an actual movie set, but that’s so fucking far.”
I looked at Harper. She just stared into her empty mug like maybe if she focused hard enough, none of it would matter. On top of everything she told me last week, she's also losing her old roommate and best friend. They were a trio. It made me wonder why she didn’t bring this up the night we spent together, but maybe it was just too much. The universe really knew how to kick this girl when she was down.
“You want me to come with you guys?” I asked Harper directly.
It came out quieter than I meant it to.
Harper shook her head slowly, not quite meeting my eyes.
“We’ll be fine. It’s not a big deal. Just helping her pack the last few things in the apartment and sort some things out before she goes.”
But I could hear it in her voice. The way her throat caught around the words told me that this was, in fact, a big deal.
Wren glanced at her, then back at me with something knowing in her expression.
“I’ll text you if anything changes or if we think of something we want for dinner.” My sister gave me a subtle smile.
I gave a nod and drained the rest of my coffee, setting the mug down harder than I meant to. I looked down, making sure I had on my work shirt and jeans. Sometimes I’d rush out of the house in sweatpants and spend the day looking too immature to run a mechanic shop.
“Alright. I’ll see you two later.” I grabbed my keys from the hook and started toward the door, but I couldn’t help it. I looked back.
Harper was still standing there, shoulders curled slightly in, as if she was bracing herself for another blow from the world. It was a stupid idea, but I wanted to go back and hold her. Just to touch her. Just to make everything better.
Instead, I left. Because I didn’t know how to stay without making things more complicated.
11
