Page 7 of Drive Me Crazy

Two years have come andgone since I last spent time with her. The minute I find out she's home for whatever reason, I hurry over here hoping she'll come find me.

She never does.

Yet, here I am with every mere mention of her name. I haven't spoken to Harper since she questioned my love for her. Honestly, I never blamed her.

Mack warned me what this place would do with the rumors and small talk every town has, I never fathomed Harper would fall victim to it.

Rage washes over me, as it always does when I end up here. I wait longer than I should, and anger grows in the pit of my stomach like a bonfire.

I close my eyes, dreaming of her beauty as I often have over the past eighteen months. She's always been the most stunning woman I've ever laid eyes on.

My blood boils, because of untold truths making me seethe, and loathe my mere existence. I sink my fist into the wall next to me, crying out her name as an anthem.

"Harper!" A song to my soul, it does little to soothe my ravaged soul. My heart breaks all over again, as I stand here, watching my memories play out in front of me and I lose her for the last time.

Anoise at the door, I turn to it and stumble back. I'm shocked at the sight before me, and it's amazing. Almost unbelievable. Both, undeniably what I wanted.

When those piercing blue eyes lock with mine, I'm in a stupor. I have no words. She takes pity on me and with the most gorgeous grin; she breaks the long, deafening silence between us.

"Hey, there handsome. Come here often?" Her eyes twinkle with mischief. I want to answer her, but I still have no words.

I break into a run, wrapping her in my arms the minute I'm close enough to her. "Dear God, please tell me she's real."

"Don't I feel real?" She murmurs against my cheek as I hold her to my body.

My breath hitches, escaping only as I open my mouth. "You feel amazing, like you always did."

"Someone said, you wait for me in this old broken-down place, every time I come home." Her words are so soft, I strain to listen to her every word.

"I do. Everything else is outta my control, so this is all I know, you and this ole barn." I sniffle, holding back a full-on cry.

She rears back, gazing into my eyes. "Please, don't cry. If I had known, I would have been here sooner."

"Like yesterday sooner or months ago sooner?" I chuckle, wiping my face with the back of my hand.

Harper leans further away. "How many times have you came here, waiting on me?"

"The day after we argued, and spring break. Most weekends, and then Thanksgiving..." I rub the back of my neck as she stands dismayed.

She shakes her head. "I had no idea. I thought... I just knew you hated me, and I couldn't bring myself to come back here. I'd sit in my window, crying until I fell asleep every night."

"I could never hate you, Harper."

"Sure felt like it when you walked out on me." She wraps her arms around herself and I'm prompted to build that magnificent ole wall.

I run my hand through my hair. "I can only imagine, no way it couldn't have felt like the deepest betrayal."

"That's where you're wrong," her shoulders slump. "there was one other thing that made me suffer more."

"I can't apologize enough, but I also can't tell you what you want to know." My stomach is heavy, like it has lead in it, and weighs me to the spot.

"Never a doubt you'd still be protecting her." Her tone switches from soft to sarcastic, in two seconds flat.

I scratch my head as my frustration grows. "I'm not doing anything for Mack, I'm doing it for a child. An innocent baby that has nothing to do with any of this shit and can't be blamed."

"And to hell with the rest of us?" Her lower lip quivers, enticing me to stop it with my own.

"Nope. I never said that, Harper."