Chapter <b>65 </b>


    Harper


    “Hey.” I managed to say as I ced my items on the counter. My voice came out lower than I intended and it made me feel like I was the one doing something wrong.


    His gaze met mine briefly and his lips curved into a smile. It was the kind of smile that was polite enough to pass, but without much meaning behind it. He nodded once, his hands already moving to scan the items. His gestures were so quick that I knew he wanted it to be over quickly.


    I’d been to that store so many times and that moment felt like I’d stepped into another world. Normally, Josh would ask how I was doing or crack ame joke about how I still loved the same snacks that I used to have back when we were in high school. But this time, there was nothing but the t beep of the scanner.


    Even the pop song ying in the store, which was meant to make waiting in line less painful, wasn’t enough to help with the awkward silence between us. If anything it made it worse.


    “That’ll be $70.” His eyes slightly narrowed, even though his tone was still within the boundaries of customer service politeness. But that look told me everything that I needed to know. Tiffany had definitely told him what I had done or had attempted to do.


    Pressing my lips together in a smile, I rummaged through my purse, wanting to get the money as soon as possible. I finally took it out, sliding the bill across the counter.


    He took the money without a word, slipped it into the register and handed me the change like I was any customer, but his eyes said otherwise.


    “Have a good day. Next!”


    I raised my eyebrows a little at how he dismissed me so quickly.


    other


    As I picked up my bag and approached the exit so the person behind me could get their turn. I nced at him once, epting the fact that he couldn’t stand the sight of me.


    I texted E and Zoey about it before I began to drive, then sent a quick reply to Dean. I promised I’d call him as soon as I got home since I didn’t want to be on the phone while on the road.


    E and Zoey were also aware of this but kept blowing up my phone with constant calls and texts. They wanted the full details on what had happened at the store and it made me roll my eyes. I should’ve waited until I was home to tell them.


    My phone was on the passenger seat and every time it buzzed and the screen lit up, I couldn’t help but nce at the sender’s name. I’d been doing that since the previous day, hoping that it was Anna. I’d told myself over and over again not to get my hopes up that I’d hear from her so soon, but I just couldn’t help it.


    I pulled up into my driveway, taking my bag with me in one hand with my purse in the other. My phone rang a few more times and I chuckled in disbelief. They just couldn’t wait.


    Only because I would’ve loved it to be true, I let myself imagine that it wasn’t E and Zoey waiting for the details. Instead, it was my sister, who finally decided to get in touch with me and wasn’t going to stop blowing


    <b>9:55 </b><b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>20 </b>


    up my phone with calls and texts until I picked up or replied.


    20


    I unlocked the front door and went in, already a little out of breath as the bag got heavier the longer <b>I </b><b>carried </b><ol><li>it. </li></ol>


    As soon as I ced it on the kitchen counter with a sigh of relief, I unzipped my purse and took out my phone faster than I usually did.


    The screen lit up and I held my breath but as soon as I realized there was still nothing from Anna and what I wanted was still just wishful thinking, I sighed with disappointment.


    Putting the phone on speaker, I called E and Zoey, the two of them joining the call at the same time.


    “Start talking!” E yfully demanded.


    “Damn.” I scoffed, looking down at the screen like <b>I </b>could actually see her.


    I took out the items from the bag and ced them on the counter while telling them in detail everything they wanted to hear.


    “You know what, Harper?” Zoey said to me.


    “What?” I asked, putting some bottles of water in the fridge.


    “I know you feel awful that he treated you like shit, but you did nothing wrong. The nerve of him to even act that way!”


    “Fuck that guy!” E quickly added. “We should’ve been at the store with you and brought up Tiffany in our own little conversation while making sure he heard us.”


    Knowing the two of them, they would’ve done that and more. They were able to get petty at times.


    “Enough about him. Any word from Anna?” Zoey’s voice was now softer.


    I sighed, pausing with the fruits in my hand. “Nothing yet.”


    “Are you okay?” E asked with sweet concern.


    “Yeah.” I gave a reassuring smile to myself. “I really hope she replies, but even if she doesn’t. That’s okay. As long as she reads my message.”


    I’d sent it the previous day but each time I checked, she still hadn’t read it. It hurt me a little, but I was willing


    to wait.


    Not wanting to focus on that, I decided to change the topic to something that would get them excited.


    “I’m supposed to call Dean after this. He said he might being back soon.”


    Zoey squealed. “Can I have him?”


    “No.” E responded quickly. “Because I’m the one who’s going to have him. Harper, you don’t mind because


    <b>9:55 Sat</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>20 </b>


    you have Maddox, right?”


    I rolled my eyes at how they still had a certainbel on what I shared with Maddox. The two of us had fucked five times and I still didn’t feel like I was going to stop any time soon. He made it so difficult to resist him


    E and Zoey went back and forth about who was going to have Dean and I just let the call run for entertainment purposes.


    When it finally came to an end with no one ready to give up Dean, who actually had no clue that my gorgeous friends were fighting over him, I gave him a quick call then got to work.


    While my gaze was mostly on myptop screen, I nced at my phone screen a few times every hour.


    I’d always been able to hear it buzz and see it light up, but I thought I might’ve missed something that day.


    I finally shut down myptop around 8 PM when Maddox called. He kept bragging about his custom made white shirt. It was nothing new to hear him brag, but it sounded like that particr shirt was treasure or something. It all made sense when he told me the shirt was embellished with 14 diamonds along the sleeves, which made it cost $400,000.


    The call was meant to be short, but we ended up talking a bit longer as he still hadn’t yet figured out what it was going to take for him to start painting again.


    Later, I curled up on the couch to watch some TV with my phone right next to me. I just couldn’t take it anymore, so I reached for it and opened Anna’s message thread. My heart sank because she still hadn’t read my message but at the same time, that gave me some relief.


    Just as I was about to click off, she finally read it and I instantly rose to my feet with wide eyes while still looking at the screen. The three bubbles began to float as she typed her reply, making me hold my breath as I wondered what she would say.


    ANNA:


    “What the fuck? You’ve been following me?”


    It should’ve hurt my feelings, but it didn’t. I smiled because I heard from her and even chuckled as I typed my reply.


    “That’s not how it happened. I wasn’t even in London. I saw you pass by someone I was talking to. I’m in San Francisco. I miss you. I’ve been thinking about you a lot. I really wanted to text you on your birthday but changed my mind because of being pushed away. But it doesn’t matter what happens this time. I was just d to see you even though it wasn’t in person. Are you okay?”


    I didn’t expect an instant reply and I was absolutely okay with that at first, but it turned into a few minutes, then a few hours. At that point, I told myself not to even check if she’d read it. It wasn’t good for me.


    I went to bed close to midnight as the thought of when she’d reply kept me up.


    One more time, I opened the message thread and noticed she hadn’t yet read my text. I told myself that was okay. It was still going to take a lot more time for things to go back to how they used to be.


    <b>9:56 </b>Sat, Sep <b>20 </b>


    Just as I got into bed and turned off the lights, my phone began buzzing from the bedside table. Jáy les about who was calling me was Maddox since he and I hadte night calls at times. <b>My </b>second gunsmis Arte but I quickly dismissed that possibility. When I finally looked at the caller ID. I sat up quickly, womlering it my eyes were deceiving me. It was Grayson.


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