7. Tyler
CHAPTER SEVEN
TYLER
It’s nine p.m. when I arrive at Harper’s apartment with a bag of Felix’s belongings to drop off.
The place is unusually quiet. I call out to announce myself, but no one answers.
It’s not until I enter the living room that I see Clara lying on the couch with one hand over her eyes and a glass of wine in the other.
Unsure if she’s asleep, I clear my throat. She peeks out from behind her hand and sends me a stressed smile. “Oh, hi, honey. Thank you for bringing Felix’s belongings. I’ve set up the guest bedroom for him. The one farthest away from Harper’s. You can place his bag in there.”
“Sure.” I walk toward the bedroom, turning back before exiting the living room. “Clara, are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine. Families are a complicated thing. I’m sure you’ve already guessed that Thomas and Harper aren’t happy about Felix moving in with us. The three of us had a fight.”
I can only imagine how frustrated Harper must be, especially with Felix sleeping so close to her.
The master bedroom is positioned on the east side of the penthouse.
On the west is a hall of three bedrooms, Harper’s being on the far left.
Clara said she’s given Felix the room farthest away from Harper’s, but when there’s three bedrooms lined up in a row, they’re really not that far away from each other at all.
“I’m sorry to hear about the fight. Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask.
“Thank you, but no. Don’t put yourself in the middle of this.”
I leave Clara and head to the guest bedroom. While the Blackwood penthouse has become a party house, rarely ever clean, the Winslow residence is immaculate, sophisticated, and is filled with Clara’s paintings.
After knocking on Felix’s bedroom and being met with no answer, I poke my head inside, finding an empty room.
The penthouse is big. He could be anywhere. Along with all the usual amenities of a house, the Winslows have their own library. They even have an indoor swimming pool.
I drop Felix’s bag on the bed and head over to Harper’s room, finding it empty too. When I call her phone, there’s no answer. There’s no way in hell the two of them would be together right now.
At least, not knowingly on Harper’s behalf.
I’ve caught my brother watching Harper many times. He has a fascination with her, even though he denies it.
I wish he’d fix his issues with her.
I head back to the living room. “Clara, do you know where Harper is?”
“She’s probably blowing off steam and dancing on the rooftop garden.”
My guess is that’s where I’ll find Felix too.
I take the elevator to the rooftop. As soon as I arrive, the distant hum of Manhattan traffic rises from twenty floors below.
The scent of jasmine fills the air. Clara likes to paint up here and has turned it into an oasis within the city.
Every corner of the roof is filled with lush greenery.
Ivy weaves through trellises and flowers spill from hanging pots.
Fairy lights are strung between pergolas, swaying gently in the cool September breeze.
I’m not the least bit surprised when I find Felix blending in with the shadows, standing with his back against a lattice of foliage. He lifts a glass, taking a slow sip of what I assume is alcohol. A black hood hangs over his head, revealing his gaze locked onto something.
Someone.
From the tension in his shoulders and the heat in his eyes, I know he’s watching Harper dance.
I’ve seen Felix with many girls over the years. He never looks at any of them the way he looks at Harper. It’s with complete obsession and ownership.
I like it.
Cringing, I try to suppress twisted thoughts that would label me a sicko if anyone ever heard them.
The thoughts need to be crushed because what did I seriously expect when growing up, that things would remain the same between me, Felix, and Harper forever?
That Harper would turn into our girlfriend and we’d share her?
Perhaps if Felix and I weren’t brothers.
No, not even then. Harper is not the kind of girl who would be with two men. She wants a plain, simple, normal man. I’m so fucking whipped for this girl that I’ll give her anything she wants. I’ll be anyone she wants.
Besides, the dynamic between all three of us as kids was fucked up.
These scars on our hands are fucked up. Felix and I haven’t spoken about the scars in years, just like how we never speak about how the three of us used to sleep in the same bed hugging.
How Felix was the kingpin of the group, always in charge and how I liked it that way.
And never, ever , do we talk about all those times we used to chase Harper through the hedge maze and share her lips.
Sometimes, I see it in his eyes, that we’re both thinking about those awkward memories. As kids, we didn’t know any better. In hindsight, we realize just how inappropriately we acted.
It’s like having an embarrassing drunk kiss with your best friend, then sobering up and both being repulsed that it happened. The only difference is, I’m repulsed because I liked what happened all those years ago. I want more of it now. Being with Felix and Harper was the best time of my life.
I want Harper wedged between the two of us, naked and panting as we push her to an orgasm and own her with our cum.
I scrunch my eyes shut, trying to delete the thoughts from my mind.
Without alerting Harper of my presence, I step into the shadows with Felix, keeping my voice low. “I’m going to ask Harper on a date, but I can’t do that unless I have your approval.”
His jaw tics. I can tell he’s not pleased, even though he remains calm. “Did I miss some vital piece of information? Isn’t she off limits to you till she’s twenty-five?”
“She made up that rule a long time ago. Things seem different between us now. She seems different.”
He scoffs. “She still seems like hard work to me.”
“Then why are you so consumed by her? I know you still have feelings for Harper, even if you won’t admit it.
I don’t want to take her away from you, but I’m not going to sit around waiting for the day you finally decide to fix your relationship with her.
If you want Harper, fucking do something about it. ”
Felix lifts the glass to his lips, smirking behind the rim. “This version of her pisses me off. I want to play with the real Harper.”
“I don’t know what you mean by the real Harper, but I won’t let you mess with her if your only goal is to corrupt her.”
With just one look at my brother, at the cruel curve on his lips as he watches Harper dance, I realize corrupting her is exactly what he plans to do. I groan, swiping a hand through my hair.
“Bro, I love you, but fuck, you piss me off. I want to marry this girl one day. I’ve already asked Dad for Mom’s ring.”
He raises an eyebrow at the news but doesn’t seem overly impacted. If anything, he’s amused. “So romantic, Tyler. You think she’d approve of what you got up to over the summer?”
I know she wouldn’t. It was one out of control summer. But it’s behind me now. “Harper doesn’t need to know every detail about my past.”
“I’d hardly call it the past.” He laughs. “Don’t you think she should know what kind of man she’s saving herself for? I can’t imagine she’s the kind of girl who wants to?—”
“It’s not like I’d try to make her do that shit.”
“Maybe she’d be into it.”
“You can be so fucking annoying sometimes.” I take a sip of his drink and hand it back to him. Whiskey, as I expected.
Felix threw a party at our place at the start of summer. Once people started handing out eclipse, the party got out of control fast. People were having sex everywhere and without a care in the world for privacy. I was one of them, high as fuck and with a girl riding me on the living room couch.
She was the first girl I’ve ever been with. I don’t remember a thing about her, just that I was imagining she was Harper. It was the hardest I’ve ever come, not because I had a connection with the girl or she was skilled, but because having sex in public was the most fucked up thing I’ve ever done.
Felix says eclipse heightens your libido, along with your emotions. I can’t help wondering how much more intense the drug-induced orgasm would have been if the girl was Harper.
I’ll never know, and I’m okay with that. I don’t need drugs. I don’t need to party. I don’t need for us to be a trio with Felix. I just need Harper.
“Relax. I’m fucking with you,” Felix laughs. “Who knows, maybe your sweet little girlfriend is into public sex.”
I remain quiet, not giving him ammunition.
“Seriously, though, big mistake, marrying a girl before you fuck her. Especially with all the fucked-up shit you’re into.”
I roll my eyes. “It was a few crazy nights of letting loose. Nothing more.”
“If you say so.” Felix sips his drink. The two of us slip into a comfortable silence, watching Harper dance beneath a pergola of red roses.
This is the dynamic Felix and I have always had. We can argue, give each other shit, yet still be one hundred percent solid as friends and brothers. I suppose all siblings are like this to some degree.
I zone out, in awe of Harper’s elegance as she twirls on her toes. She’s always so happy when dancing. Tonight, though, there’s tension between her brows. It has to be because of Felix moving in with her family.
“She misses you.”
“Please,” Felix drones. “The girl hates me.”
“Quite the opposite. She’s hurt and is angry at you. But she’d welcome you back in a second if you?—”
“If I what? Apologize because she doesn’t like who I am? I’m not dropping to my knees for her like you do. Besides, she pisses me off.”
And yet he’s still infatuated with her.
I asked Felix for his approval to make a move on Harper. He hasn’t given me a proper answer. From the way he fixates on Harper, I suspect he’ll never truly be done with her.
I can’t even be mad because the truth is Harper has never felt like she’s just mine, and I’ve never minded. She’s always been ours, even during these last few years when she’s been distanced from Felix. I like the idea of sharing the most important part of my life with Felix?—
There goes that sick part of my mind again.
I’m thankful when Felix speaks up, distracting me with a subject change. “Take care of Killian and Dan while I’m not around.”
“Of course.”
“As for our speakeasy?—”
“It can’t happen.”
I sigh, pulling my Zippo lighter from my pocket for Felix to see. We both stole a souvenir from our night at the speakeasy. Felix has his red poker chip. I found this lighter discarded at the bar.
Text is engraved on one side of the Zippo: The house always wins . On the other side: Except when we play . It’s become our motto, a symbol of our brotherhood, that together, we’re unstoppable. The following day, Felix got the same text engraved on his poker chip.
“I think about our speakeasy every day.” Sadness flows through me as I flick the Zippo cap open and shut repeatedly, hearing the distinct clink of its metal ring through the air. “But… Columbia is the path for me.”
“Perfect. A business degree to set us up for success.”
I laugh, shaking my head at how persistent my brother is, and tuck the Zippo away. “Dad and Harper wouldn’t like it?—”
“Again with the lady holding you by the balls. Our speakeasy is happening, bro. I’ll find a way to convince you.
Dad doesn’t need to ever know. It will be our secret.
So, Harper is the real person I need to convince.
Maybe I’ll try to get on her good side again.
After all, we’ll be living together for the next year.
We’ll be playing brother and sister, like Clara always wanted for us. ”
I lose the smile. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t do it. Leave Harper out of this.”
“Relax. I’ll be the best big brother and take good care of her.”
“Why do you have to make everything sound sexual?”
We both laugh, the sound not as quiet this time, and Harper turns in our direction, squinting into the shadows until a massive smile spreads across her face. I guess that means she’s only noticed me.
“Princess. Looking beautiful, as always.”
Harper prances up to me, giving a cute squeal when I wrap her in a hug and lift her off the ground. When I plant her back down, she blushes and looks at her feet, acting nervous around me, which is so unlike her.
“No hug for me?” my brother taunts .
Harper’s muscles stiffen and she shoots a glare at Felix. She ignores him and looks back at me. “I guess you heard I’m playing happy family with your brother for the next year.”
“Don’t act so sour about it, Red. More opportunities for you to watch me.”
Felix’s words make her gasp. I speak up, needing clarification. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” Harper says quickly, sliding her hand into mine and tugging me toward the door. “He’s being disgusting. Come on, let’s go.”
“Harper likes to watch me have sex.”
“I do not . He’s lying?—”
“She snuck into Dad’s office to watch me fuck a girl on his desk. Must have been about a week ago.”
I guess that explains why Harper left my place so abruptly last week.
“I didn’t sneak in. I ran off.”
“Only once you’d been caught. You loved it, babe.”
Jesus. If this is Felix’s way of playing nice with Harper, we’re all in for a rough year.