“She’s battled addiction since Reed’s dad died, but after this, something inside her changed. There were some good stretches, and some days were worse than others, but it was always there.That… weight. I don’t think she ever figured out how to live with it, let alone raise two kids while carrying it.”
The words felt fragile, leaving my mouth, like saying them too loud would make them hurt more.
“Reed stepped in. Took me in when I was fifteen, and he was twenty. I hated it at first. I didn’t want the help, and I didn't want to owe anyone anything, especially not my brother.”
I smiled a little, thinking back to how stubborn and scared little Harper was. I remember how hard it was to cope with the fact that my dad didn’t want us. Didn’t wantme. I knew Anessa, Reed’s mom, was struggling before my dad came into the picture, but it was nothing compared to how she was after. I would still look her up on social media to see how things were going for her, though she hasn't posted in some time. I hoped she was in rehab and getting the help she both needed and deserved.
After all this time, I would like to think I could accept her back into my life. I know that would take time and probably some sort of counseling for all of us, though. If I were being honest with myself, I missed her.
It always broke my heart to think about, but looking at how far I’ve come was my favorite part.
“I fought him at every turn. But he never gave up on me. And eventually… I stopped fighting. I started to trust him. He made me feel safe when everything else felt like a mess.”
The surrounding air settled as the tide whispered against the sand. I looked out over the water for a second before speaking again.
“I’m lucky, and now I know just how lucky I was. He saved me.”
The silence between us wasn’t awkward. It was warm. Solid. They were holding space for me.
“You were just a kid, Harper. You both deserved better. And despite the shit hand you were dealt, you have come so far,Harp. I’m so proud of you.” Cam said softly, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
“I know we don’t have a lot of history, Sugar, but I hope you know you didn’t do anything to deserve what you went through. I’m sorry you struggled so hard as a kid, but without those hardships, you wouldn’t beyou. And I’m growing quite fond of this version of you.” Tucker met my gaze, giving me a sickly sweet smile.
“You sound like you came from one of her romance novels, dude. Are you going to show me up every time you respond to her?” Cam asked, amusement present in his voice.
Tucker laughed hard, throwing his head back. God, I loved the way he looked when he laughed. The laugh lines crinkling at the sides of his eyes. The way his throat moved as the sound escaped him. I was about two seconds away from crawling onto his lap and sucking the skin on his neck between my teeth. I bet he would be so pretty covered in hickies.
I shook the thought out of my head and smiled at him. I let the breeze carry my voice a little when I spoke again.
“You know, Cam, I’ve had a crush on you since I was like nineteen.” I nudged him with my shoulder.
His head turned back towards me. I gave a small laugh, embarrassed now that I’d actually said it out loud. “You were Wren’s badass, hot older brother. It started like that. But then you’d come around to help Reed, and you weren’t just this distant, cool guy. You were kind and considerate. You noticed things about me. You asked how I was doing and actually listened.”
I shrugged, heart hammering a little harder in my chest. We talked about this before, but I don’t think he realized how long I truly felt like this.
“I didn’t know how to be around you, so I just… teased you all the time. That turned into arguing and fighting, but it was my way of trying to get your attention.”
I looked up at him. Cam’s expression was soft. His eyes locked on mine as though was memorizing me.
“You had my attention, Harper,” he said, voice low.
My breath caught in my throat.
“You still do.”
I gave him a slight nod and smiled, looking down at the sand. It was overwhelming to feel so much at one time. I ran my hand over Tucker’s knuckles, grabbing his attention.
“I’m sure you realized, Tuck, but with you it was pretty much love at first sight. At least on my end. Then the more time we spent together fixing up that empty house, the more I knew there was something there. I didn’t know if it would lead to anything, but I’ve always known how I felt towards you.”
He let out a big breath of air and scratched his beard with his free hand. “All the time we spent together, I felt like I really understood you. I could say head over heels, but in my case, maybe hat over boots would fit better. You have always meant something to me, Sugar. And this now? I love learnin’ things about you.”
He leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on my temple. My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard.
“Alright, boys. Who’s next?” I said, glancing from Tucker to Cameron and back to Tuck.
“Cam can go. I want to hear more about him.” Tucker said with a wink.
Cam rolled his eyes; a crooked smile plastered on his face. “Fine.”
