<b>Chapter </b>44
Harper
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MADDOX: “Since you want to know so badly, I’ll tell you, but I won’t waste it over the phone. You’reing to London on Friday and don’t bother to show up if you’re not ready to obey.”
I should’ve rolled my eyes and told him to go to hell. Instead, I bit my lip so hard that I nearly tasted blood. I wasn’t supposed to like that.
As the heat began rushing between my legs, I reread his text over and over again until my phone suddenly rang, the name shing across the screen bringing me back to reality. It was Aunt Patricia.
“Hi, Auntie. I’m here.”
“You’re right on time, sweetie.” Her voice was warm but tired, just as it always was after shift. “Wiat for me in the hotel lobby. I’ll be there in a few minutes, okay?”
After the call, I ced my phone against my chest, now making my way up the stairs as Maddox’s text was still stuck on my mind.
The air in the lobby was cool, but not enough to help fade away the heat from my body.
I sat on one of the chairs and crossed my legs, pretending like I wasn’t imagining Friday and wondering how far he’d go once he had me right where he wanted me. I even chuckled to myself at how I had already decided that I was going to show up.
I only meant to read his message one more time, but my gaze dropped to Grayson’s name right below Maddox’s, still waiting for that fucking reply. Quickly, I looked away, opening Maddox’s message thread to text him back, my hands a little shaky.
“Fine, I’lle.”
“Of course you will, just like you always do.”
I scoffed and was still lost in the double meaning of his reply when Aunt Patricia called my
name.
“Harper!”
My head shot up to follow the sound of her voice and there she was, approaching me in her faded work uniform. She didn’t just sound tired, she looked tired, but her face lit up when she
saw me.
I quickly rose to my feet, throwing my arms around her and inhaling the smell of faint bleach
<b>16:06 </b>Tue<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>16 </b>
andvender fabric softener from her uniform.
When she pulled back, she still had her hands on my
shoulders.
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“My goodness, Harper,” she paused as she studied me from head to toe. “You look prettier than you did on your graduation day. What’s the secret? Is it a new diet? A new boyfriend?”
I chuckled dismissively. <b>“</b>It’s definitely not a new boyfriend.”
“Are you sure about that? Considering everything I’ve been seeing onlely about you and Mad-”
“What? You saw that?” I raised my eyebrows.
“We’re going to have a long chat about that when we get home.” Her eyes narrowed like she was warning me.
“I didn’t know you were now into social media.”
“I’m not. Penelope and Tracy show me everything.”
I forced <i>a </iugh. Of course it was my cousins.
As we began walking towards the exit together, I said, “You should see my face without all this makeup. I look awful today, dark circles and all.”
“Probably from working too hard.”
I let her make that assumption when I knew that it was far from the truth and the one guy who had kept me up at night was waiting to devour me on Friday.
Then, my phone buzzed in my hand. I only took a nce at the screen and it was Maddox. He had just texted me again but I wasn’t about to open it just there. I wouldn’t dare do that. Who knew what he had sent me this time?
On our way to the bus station, we stopped at a corner store. Aunt Patricia insisted that we grab some cans of soda for the road.
Mine was so cold that I popped it open as soon as we were outside and even took a sip.
She kept talking about work but I still couldn’t fully pay attention to her, thinking about what was in Maddox’s most recent text. I needed to shut him out of my mind. It was the only way to make my heart stop racing.
“So,” I said, keeping my eyes on the sidewalk that would lead to the bus station, “are my cousins still giving you trouble?<b>” </b>
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She smiled as she adjusted the strap of her handbag. “That’s nothing new to me. You know I’ve dealt with that for years. They’re actually home. You should have seen their faces when I told them you wereing over. They’ve been asking about you all week.”
I forced augh. “They could have just called or texted me.”
Her smile faded slightly. “You know how they are. Now that they’re in college, they’re even more difficult.”
My cousins had always treated me like I was part of their little crew whenever I was around them, but underneath all that, was just the aim to make me look like I didn’t belong there.
Our steps came to a stand still when we got to the bus station and she said, “Now that I think about it, I’ve been going on and on about my work, but how is it going with you?”
I gave her a warm smile. “It’s great. I turned down Grayson’s offer to work with him. I’m ok with DataSphere Solutions.”
“I actually thought you would have epted since you’ve known each other for years.”
“Well, yes, but things are different now.”
“You’re right about that.” She gave a sad smile. “I saw his parents the other day at the mall and they treated me like they didn’t know me. I guess that’s what happens when some people turn filthy rich. I’m just d nothing has changed between you and Grayson.”
I sighed. If only she knew how much had changed between us.
Aunt Patricia opened the front door and as soon as I took my first step in, I flinched a little at how loud my cousins were the moment they saw me.
“Harper!”
They both rushed to hug me before I could even fully get inside,
Then, they pulled me along to the couch, both of them squeezing on either side of me as Aunt Patricia made her way to the bedroom to get changed.
The three of us sat in silence as their eyes scanned my outfit, hair and the way I now carried myself.
“You know,” Penelope began, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “I still can’t believe this is you. Like…you used to hide behind those giant hoodies, remember?”
Tracy snickered, nudging my shoulder like it was that funny. “You were always the shy nerd
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with her face stuck in a book and here you are with silky hair, wless makeup and clothes that actually fit. You look different and actually pretty.”
It wasn’t the first time they were saying that to me. I’d heard it when they came to my graduation, but it seemed that they just couldn’t fully believe it.
“And yet when I look at both of you, there’s nothing different,” I said with a chuckle, their smiles instantly faltering. “The new coat of paint seems a little darker and actually fits the rest of the room better.” My voice was casual.
They nodded in agreement but seemed less enthusiastic, more like I’d managed to turn the tables. To them, I had always been the awkward Harper that no one took seriously.
The one exception was Aunt Patricia. She was the only one who ever looked at me and saw more than that. Maybe that was why I loved her the way I did.
“Ooh! That reminds me!” Penelope turned to face me with wide eyes. “Are you Aldridge a thing?”
I chuckled dismissively. “No, we’re not.”
and Maddox
“Oh,e on, no need to deny it.” Tracy teased me. “We saw his reply under Tiffany’s post.”
“Yeah, but he was only clearing things up about how he wasn’t my boss.”
Tracy snapped her fingers. “Exactly, he didn’t deny anything else, like the fact that you two are sleeping with each other!”
“Damn, how do you do it? It’s one thing after another. There’s so much drama, Harper.” Penelope leaned back in her seat as she studied me.
“You know what bothers me the most?” Tracy chuckled with disbelief. “It’s Tiffany. She has some nerve to expose others when she’s cheating on Grayson with another guy!”
My eyes narrowed. “What?”
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