Chapter 9
I carried Harper to her bedroom and lay down with her still in my arms. I couldn’t let her go even if I tried. With Harper’s head resting on my chest, I felt better than I had in a long time. I felt like my world was finally coming back together. It had been too long since she was in my arms.
“Jordy, I don’t want to wake up with regrets.”
“You won’t, Harper. Don’t think like that.”
“There’s so much at stake. I know you have good intentions, JoJo, but I’m starting all over and trying to build a life for me and my son here. I can’t risk it all blowing up.”
“I just want to love you, Harper. I’m not trying to disrupt your plans. I want to help you in any way I can.”
“I know, JoJo. I just don’t want us to move too fast.”
“This has been eight years in the making, Harper. We were together for five years. It’s not like we don’t know and love each other. I’m not willing to let you go again, baby. I’m just not.”
“How would this even work, Jordy?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, genuinely curious about how she would answer.
“You know what I mean?”
I chuckled under my breath. “No, I don’t. Are you asking if we will still include Jase?”
She lowered her eyes before responding. Harper was usually bold, so her timidness caught me off guard. “Yes.”
Her voice was low and questioning. I couldn’t get a good enough read to know whether or not she was hopeful or worried.
It didn’t matter. I loved to watch her in action.
I loved watching her come undone from the sidelines.
I liked destroying her just as much. Whatever Harper wanted worked for me.
I tipped her chin up, feeling the heat of her breath on my face before I pressed my lips against her lips.
“I just want you, Harper. How it works is completely up to you. You know I’m down for whatever you want. You know what I like, but I respect your wishes more than anything.”
“I feel silly for wanting things to go back to the way they were, JoJo. I’m a grown ass woman with a son.”
“Any grown ass woman would love to have two handsome and marginally wealthy doctors vying for her time and attention. I just want to make sure you don’t forget that at the end of the day, I’m him.”
“Oh, wow.” She giggled, which was what I wanted. I needed her to loosen up.
“I plan to please you in every way possible because you please me, Harper.”
“I just don’t want any unnecessary drama. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime. My son doesn’t deserve that.”
“We will work out the part about your son. I’ve never had an issue with practicing discretion, but I want to be in his life.”
“Jase feels the same. He wants to put him on his basketball team.”
“It wouldn’t hurt him to have some positive male influence in his life. I’m not trying to be his daddy. I just want to help lighten your load, Harper.”
“I get that,” she whispered.
“Let’s try to get some sleep, because I need to get up early to go home and shower before we take him to basketball practice.”
“I didn’t say I was letting him join.”
“It was a group decision. You were outvoted.”
“Y’all have to let me figure this out on my own, JoJo.”
“No. I’m not letting you do anything on your own. You already knew that. Now get some sleep,” I said, leaning forward and kissing her nose.
It was only seven in the morning when I dragged myself from under Harper’s warm body and tucked her in with a goodbye kiss.
I knew it would be hard to leave her, but it was something I had to do.
I didn’t know what time her son would be home, and we had never discussed how things would work.
I knew how protective she was of him. I could only respect that.
Plus, I needed to get myself together for the day.
I gave her one final look before heading out.
I didn’t want to wake her, because I didn’t know if I could stomach the regret in her eyes in the light of day.
Harper had been avoiding me for eight long years.
I knew the feelings that made her wouldn’t just fade overnight.
I would have to be careful with her. This had to work.
The other reason I left so early was because I wanted to be discreet.
Not that I was ashamed of Harper by a long shot, but I knew how nosy people were in a small town.
I wanted to preserve her privacy and dignity as long as possible.
Surprisingly, there was a work crew standing right in her driveway as I walked out of the house.
“Good morning, Doctor St. John.” One of them greeted me when they noticed me.
“Good morning.”
“I see what you meant about this driveway. It’s a wreck, but I think we can knock this out in a day.”
“Good.” I nodded as I continued to trek through the damp grass to my car.
I had no idea what he was talking about, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that he thought I was Jase.
Even with my glasses and his longer hair, there were people around who couldn’t tell us apart.
That was neither here nor there. That bastard had hired someone to repave Harper’s driveway.
I wanted to kick myself for not thinking of it first. The whole reason I parked in the road was because of the driveway.
I should have figured his ass was up to something.
When I made it to my car, I opened my delivery app and ordered breakfast from my favorite spot and made sure to change the delivery address to Harper’s.
I made sure to order enough food for Cameron and her mom if they decided to visit.
I wasn’t sure about anything at this point.
Harper was the only thing in the world that could still make me nervous.
Once the order was confirmed, I pulled out and drove home.
The further I got away from Harper, the more my anxiety spiked.
“She’s not going anywhere,” I muttered as I turned the radio on to drown out my thoughts.
My grandparents’ house was on the outskirts of Lulaville, so it took about twenty minutes for me to get there from Harper’s. Jase and I had been living there for a few years now. I had to admit I loved it way more than I thought I would.
For a couple of years, he and I worked as doctors without borders and traveled the world doing surgeries.
I learned more in those few years than I did the entire time I was in school.
It felt good to settle somewhere. Now that Harper had come back to me, I knew I had made the right decision when I decided to put down roots.
“Fuck you just getting home?” Jase asked, confronting me from the kitchen counter as soon as I walked through the door.
“I didn’t know I had a curfew.”
“I started to egg your ugly ass car when I saw it parked in front of Harper’s house, but I know your ass was in there begging all night. I didn’t want to add insult to injury.”
“I thought you had surgery this morning.”
“It was a routine procedure that only took about thirty minutes. You knew I was only saying that to get you and Harp together. How was I gon’ be in surgery when we have practice at ten?”
“I don’t try to get in your business. You should try doing the same.”
“Speaking of business, how are you feeling, Bro? I know Harp being back is probably bringing up some shit.”
“Don’t start that shit. I’m good.”
He held up his hands defensively. “I’m always going to check on you, so you can shut the hell up.”
“I promise I’m good. I’m taking my medicine every day like a good boy.”
“Good. I was just about to whip up some breakfast. I know your greedy ass wants to eat.”
“I’m about to jump in the shower,” I told him, continuing my journey through the kitchen.
It didn’t take long for me to shower and get myself together for the day.
Since I was spending time down at the rec center, I didn’t try to get dressed up.
Just in case I had to get out on that court and show him I still had it, I wore sweats and sneakers.
Before heading back downstairs, I grabbed my phone off the bed and called Harper.
The phone only rang a few times before she answered.
“JoJo, you didn’t have to do that.”
“I don’t have to do anything when it comes to you, Harper. I like taking care of you.”
“Well thank you. I heard all that commotion outside and got up to see what was going on. Before I could go out and fuss at them for waking me up, there was a sweet little girl delivering breakfast for Jordy St. John. The only thing is Jordy St. John was nowhere to be found. Where did you go?”
“I came home to shower and get myself together so I can come to Cameron’s first practice.”
“You guys really refuse to drop that.”
“There’s nothing to drop. Are you taking him, or do I need to pick him up from your mom’s?”
She sighed. “Jordy.”
I mocked the aggravated sound she made. “Harper.”
“I hope you two are right about him needing this.”
“Trust me, Harper.”
“I’m trying.”
“Does he have shoes for practice? What size does he wear?”
“He has shoes, Jordy.”
“What size does he wear? He needs some just for playing?”
“I don’t even know why I’m arguing with you because all you’re going to do is ask him. He wears a size two.”
“For future reference, does my queen still wear a nine?”
“She does.”
“Good. Enjoy your breakfast, baby. I’ll see you in a minute.”
“Next time don’t sneak out without saying goodbye. We needed to talk, JoJo.”
I chuckled under my breath. “That’s what I was afraid of.”
“We have to get some things on the table.”
“I know, baby. Let me just enjoy you for a while first. Can we please do that?”
She let out an audible sigh which I knew was a sign of acquiescence. “See you at practice, hardheaded.”
I laughed when Harper ended the call. Her hanging up on me didn’t dampen my mood.
Nothing could. I was wearing her down. I shoved my phone in my pocket as I headed out of my bedroom.
When I made it back to the kitchen, my brother was wrapping up breakfast. It was perfect that he liked to cook, because it was something I never cared for.