Chapter Sixteen
Pierce
I don’t know where that moment of insecurity came from, but thankfully it was short-lived, and by the time I’d cleared a little space, and Harley and put her underwear away, she was much happier… and so was I.
This is where she belongs, and I need her to feel at home with me, even if we haven’t moved all her things in yet. Whatever the cause of her self-doubt, I think we’re both on the same page now. It feels that way, anyway.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon curled up together on the couch, both of us appreciating the opportunity to rest and watch some more Reacher . I made pasta for dinner, and while we ate, we worked out a plan for this morning, knowing Harley would have to get up early for work. Her day starts before mine, and while we both knew it would make sense for me to let her get up and shower by herself, I had other ideas.
“The store doesn’t open until ten,” she said, twirling spaghetti onto her fork.
“I know, but I still wanna get up with you. We can shower together, and I can fix the breakfast while you’re dressing.”
She smiled. “You’re sure?”
“I’m positive.”
We finished eating and cleared away together, exhaustion and our growing aches and pains getting the better of us. Sleep beckoned, and we’d only been in bed for about ten minutes when I felt her breathing change. I held her closer in my arms, glancing over at the closet and smiling as I recalled that moment in her bedroom. I’d returned from her bathroom to find her standing by her dresser.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, wandering over to her. She was still naked, and I put my arms around her, kissing her shoulder and neck, pulling her body hard against my chest.
She shuddered just slightly. “I’m trying to decide what to take… and whether to change my clothes.”
“You can do that when you get back to my place. As to what you should take, I guess you’ll need things for work, mostly.”
“And things I can change into afterwards,” she said, twisting around in my arms and looking up at me.
“Really not necessary, babe,” I whispered, kissing her deeply.
“You don’t think?”
“No.”
“You’re assuming I’ll wanna stay in my work clothes, are you?” she said, teasing me.
“Not at all. I’m assuming I’ll wanna strip you out of them and hold you naked in my arms.”
“You don’t think I might get cold?”
I shook my head. “I’ll keep you warm.”
“Hmm… or I can borrow your hoodies.”
I kissed her. “You can, but I have much more exciting ways of heating you up.”
“I noticed,” she said, her eyes sparkling.
“Thank you for earlier,” I whispered, gazing into her eyes, suddenly more serious.
“You don’t have to…”
“Yeah, I do. The way you make me feel…” I ran out of words, so I kissed her again, just a little harder.
It was about ten minutes before I pulled back, wondering if she understood how much she meant to me… how much it all meant to me. I couldn’t think how to explain it, but staring into her twinkling eyes, I wasn’t sure I needed to. It seemed she might feel the same.
“I—I’d better pack,” she whispered, and I let her go, watching as she wandered to her dresser and opened the second drawer down, pulling out some pajamas.
“You definitely won’t need those,” I said, following her and taking them from her, putting them back in the drawer and closing it.
She looked up at me, smiling. “Okay, but I’m bringing underwear.”
“If you insist.”
“I’ll need it for work, if nothing else.”
I nodded my head, realizing she had a point, and then I helped her pack, after which we both got dressed.
It’s good seeing her things here, hanging alongside my own. It makes me feel like this is her home now. This is where she belongs.
Our morning hasn’t gone quite to plan.
That’s probably because we both woke up feeling a little more bruised than I’d expected. Harley’s leg was hurting and her shoulder had started to act up as well.
“Do you wanna stay home today?” I suggested, as she struggled to get out of bed. “We need to go and see Brady, anyway.”
“I know, but we can do that tomorrow… maybe at lunchtime or something. In any case, I’m sure I’ll be fine once I get moving.”
I had to agree with her. My back felt better when I was standing, and I stretched a little, trying to ease the muscles.
I’d hoped we’d be able to make love, either in bed, or in the shower, but neither of us was really capable… not without the risk of doing further damage. Even so, it was good to hold her in my arms, to wash her, and feel her naked body close to mine.
I’ve put on sweatpants and a t-shirt, and made us some toast for breakfast, keeping it simple, while Harley gets dressed, and fixes her hair and makeup.
“It’s ready,” I call out.
“Two seconds.”
She takes a little longer than that, but the toast is still warm when she comes out, dressed in a tight gray skirt and white blouse, open at the neck. Her hair is tied up in a loose arrangement behind her head, more complicated than a braid, but with a few strands framing her perfectly made-up face.
“Man, you look good,” I whisper under my breath, my cock responding to the sight of her.
She smiles, shaking her head. “You’ve seen me dressed like this before… more times than I wanna think about.”
“I know… but now I know what’s underneath.”
She chuckles, coming over to the table, and I sit beside her, holding her hand, just like we did yesterday.
“Will you be able to meet me for lunch?” she asks, sounding doubtful.
“Of course. What time?”
“It varies, depending on how the appointments go, but I can text you?”
“Sure.”
“I usually just grab a sandwich and eat at my desk.”
“I’m sure we can manage something better than that.” She turns her head, smiling at me, and I smile back, both of us taking a bite of toast. “Have you got a busy day?” I ask.
“Mondays are always busy.”
“Okay, but don’t overdo it. If your leg or shoulder get too painful, just tell Doctor Dodds you need to come home. I’m sure he’ll understand.”
“He might, but I doubt Doctor Singleton will.”
“To hell with Doc Singleton. He’s been here since before I was born.”
“You’re his patient, aren’t you?” she says, like she’s trying to remember.
“Yeah, although I haven’t been to see him since I was a kid. Even then, he seemed behind the times. I keep meaning to switch to Doctor Dodds, just in case I need some twenty-first century medicine.”
She chuckles, finishing her toast, and gulping down her coffee. We’re running out of time, and I help her to her feet, watching as she rushes back to the bedroom, returning with heeled pumps on her feet. That doesn’t help with the overall effect, and my cock hardens still further.
“I was gonna offer to walk you to work,” I say, raising my eyebrows and then glancing down at my very obvious erection. “But I think the neighbors might have something to say.”
“I think they might.” She moves closer, her eyes fixed on mine as she drapes a hand over my shoulder, the other rubbing my hard-on.
“Oh… Harley,” I whisper, sucking in a breath. “I love your touch.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, babe.”
I grab her hand, pulling it up and resting it on my chest as I kiss her, hard. She moans into my mouth, but pulls back.
“I’m gonna be late. Can you come downstairs with me?”
“Of course.”
She steps away to grab her purse and I pull down my t-shirt, although it doesn’t do a great job of hiding my hard-on. Harley’s ready now, and I take her hand, leading her down the stairs, and into the lobby, turning toward the door that opens into the store.
“Not that way,” she says, pulling me back. “People will see you.” She nods down, her eyes latching onto my erection. “I can go out the back.”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely. I don’t want anyone but me to see you like that. You’re mine, Pierce.”
“Entirely.”
I smile at her slight possessiveness. It’s a new trait, and I kinda like it, holding her close while I open the rear door. It’s warmer today, thank goodness, and Harley steps outside.
“See you at lunchtime?” she says.
“Yeah, but call if you need me. Okay?”
She nods her head, turning away, but then spins back, rushing up to me and throwing her arms around my neck. “I love you so much,” she whispers.
“I love you.” I hold her close, surprised by the lump that’s formed in my throat, until she steps away again. “Remember what I said. Call if you need me.”
“I will. I always need you.”
I smile, liking that she said that, although she’s already heading for the corner, and I close the door and rush back through to the front of the store, waiting. It only takes a couple of minutes before she appears, and I tap on the window, making her jump, although she glances up and smiles the moment she sees me. I blow her a kiss and mouth the words, ‘I love you’ at her. She giggles and mouths them back before heading on her way.
It suddenly occurs to me that if Ben could see me now, he’d be torn between punching me for all the things I’ve done with his sister, and laughing at me for losing my heart to her in such an obvious way. Because there’s no getting away from it; I’ve fallen hard. I’ve never been so demonstrative, or so affectionate, or so emotional. Not that I care. I don’t care who knows how I feel about Harley, although I guess I ought to find a way of telling Ben about it, before someone else does.
I head back up the stairs, giving that some thought, but when I get to the apartment, I’m suddenly overwhelmed by how quiet it is. Harley’s not here, and that makes all the difference. She may have only been here since Saturday night, but I miss her so much I ache… and that has nothing to do with my back.
In the end, I filled the time between Harley leaving and opening the store, by clearing away the breakfast things, tidying the apartment, making the bed, and getting dressed. I took my time, getting downstairs at around nine-thirty, which gave me thirty minutes to go through the mail and fix myself a coffee before opening the store at ten.
Unlike at the doctor’s office, Mondays are traditionally fairly quiet, and today has been no exception. That’s unfortunate, because it allows my mind to keep drifting back to the last time I was in here, which was Saturday. Just two days ago. I can still remember how nervous I was about going over to Harley’s place… about whether the flowers would have been delivered… whether she’d even be there, and if she was, whether she’d throw my peace offering in my face. If things went well, I thought we might have dinner, and I might steal a kiss at the end of the evening. I never expected things would develop between us as quickly as they have, but I never thought I’d face losing her, either, and I shudder against the thought, and the memory, clenching my fists as the scene flashes before my eyes in a terrifying slow-motion replay. The truck, the lights, the rain… the realization I couldn’t do anything. Well… I could. I could drop the bike and hope to get Harley out of it in one piece. That was it. That was my best hope… my master plan. To force a crash in the hope of controlling it. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the best I had, and I can remember vividly how scared I was that it wouldn’t work… and that I’d lose her. It’s strange, but I didn’t think about myself at all… just her.
My hands are shaking, my heart beating way too fast. I feel clammy and light-headed. Am I gonna faint? Do I need to sit before I fall? No. I need to hold Harley. I need her in my arms, so I know she’s safe. As long as I know that, I’ll be fine. It’s because she’s not here that I feel so out of control.
My phone rings, making me jump, although I’m grateful for the interruption, and I pull it from my back pocket, smiling when I see Harley’s name on the screen.
“Hey, babe,” I answer straight away, trying to sound as normal as I can, even though I’m still struggling with the memories.
“It’s not Harley.” The male voice takes me by surprise and I forget everything else, a tingle of fear creeping up my spine.
“Who is this?”
“It’s Reed Dodds. Do you think you could come to my office? Harley’s asking for you.”
I could ask why, or what’s wrong with her, but none of that matters. Instead, I just say, “I’m on my way,” grabbing my keys as I’m speaking. I hang up the call and run for the door, taking longer than I should to lock it because my hands are shaking so much. I get there in the end, though, and then sprint down the street, dodging between a few people, who stare after me, clearly confused.
Within two minutes, I push open the door of the doctor’s office, my heart breaking when I see Harley sitting at her desk in floods of tears. Doctor Dodds is standing beside her, wearing a white coat over his shirt and pants, looking helpless, his expression changing to relief when he raises his dark head and sees me.
“Are you Pierce?” he says, reminding me we’ve never been formally introduced.
“Yes.”
He steps back and I round Harley’s desk, taking his place, and kneeling beside her. “What’s wrong, babe?” I ask, pulling her into my arms.
She’s sobbing so much, she can’t speak, and I look up at the doctor, desperate for an explanation.
“I don’t know what happened,” he says. “I came out here to ask about a patient, and she just burst into tears. She did it once before, last Friday, I think it was, but then she was able to tell me what it was about. This time, she hasn’t been able to tell me anything, other than to ask if I’d call you. I used her phone because it was quicker than looking up your details on your patient record.”
I nod my head, turning back to Harley. I’ll admit I’m intrigued by why she was crying on Friday, but that doesn’t seem as relevant as finding out why she’s crying now. “Is this about the accident?” I ask, recalling how I felt just now, reliving it by myself, and how much I needed to hold her. I wonder if she feels the same. She nods her head, proving me right, and I tighten my grip on her, hoping it’ll help.
“What accident?” the doctor says from behind me.
“We had an accident on Saturday night,” I explain. “A truck pulled out in front of my motorcycle, and we came off. Or, to be more precise, I dropped the bike. I had no choice. It was the only way I could control what happened next.”
“And what happened next?” he asks, moving closer, unable to disguise the concern in his voice.
“We skidded along the road for about fifty yards or so. I was on my back, and Harley was on top of me, but she’s hurt her leg, and her shoulder. I did my best to—”
“It sounds like you did everything you could,” he says, interrupting me, and stepping even closer still. “Do either of you need me to examine you?”
“No, thanks. Brady insisted on us going to the hospital, and they checked us over. There’s no lasting damage. Like I say, it’s just Harley’s leg and shoulder.”
“And you?” he says.
“My back’s bruised, but I’ll survive.”
He nods his head. “Harley’s reaction is probably delayed shock.”
“I imagine so. I just had a moment of it myself, thinking about how close I came to losing her.”
He smiles, like maybe he understands, which I guess means he has someone special in his life, too.
“Take her home,” he says. “She shouldn’t be here. And I’m not sure you should be working, either. You both need to rest until you feel better.”
I can’t argue with that. Based on how we’ve both reacted, I think we’ve tried to return to ‘normal’ way too soon, and I pull Harley to her feet and into my arms.
“Come on, babe. I’m taking you home.”
She sniffles against me and then turns her head, looking at her boss. “I—I’ll be in tomorrow,” she says.
“No.” His voice is firm. “I don’t wanna see you until you’re fully recovered. No matter how long that takes.” She hesitates and then nods her head, like she’s realized he’s making sense, too. He turns his eyes on me. “Keep me updated, won’t you?” he says. “And if there’s anything I can do, just call.”
“Thanks,” I say, waiting while Harley grabs her purse, and then leading her out through the door. “Do you want me to carry you?” I ask, but she shakes her head, and I keep my arm around her instead, all the way down Main Street, letting us in through the front door of the store.
“Can I sit with you down here?” she says. “I don’t wanna be on my own upstairs.”
I shake my head. “I’m coming up there with you.”
“But the store…”
“To hell with the store. I had a…. well, I think it was a kind of panic attack right before Doctor Dodds called.” She looks up at me, her eyes filled with worry, as she rests her hands on my chest. “I was thinking about the accident, reliving how it felt…” I let my voice fade and she moves closer, resting her head against me, and putting her arms around my waist.
“You too?” she says, as I hug her close.
“Yeah. Your boss is right. We need to take some time. Your parents would agree if they were here.”
“They would,” she says, and I bend, kissing the top of her head, before I lead her up the stairs.
“Why don’t you change into something more comfortable?” I suggest as we enter the apartment. “I’ll fix us some coffee.”
She pulls away from me, but I keep hold of her hand and drag her back, pushing those strands of hair behind her ears and gazing into her eyes.
“It’s gonna be okay.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. I promise.”
She nods her head, like that’s all she needs to hear, and then she turns away again. I let her go this time, wandering into the kitchen, where I lean against the countertop for a moment. The weekend was so perfect, I thought we were okay. But I was wrong. We’re not okay at all, and until we are, we’re staying right here, so we can mend each other.
Harley comes out a while later, wearing jeans and another of my hoodies. It’s not cold today, but I guess she needs to feel safe, and this is her way of doing it. I bring the coffee over and sit beside her on the couch, holding her in my arms.
She rests against me, letting out a sigh as she sips from her cup.
“Why were you crying on Friday?” I ask, and she looks up at me.
“How did you know about that?”
“Doctor Dodds just told me. Didn’t you hear him?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t remember.” I hold her closer, unsure whether to ask again, fearful of reminding her. It seems unfair to rake up something she can’t even remember, and I’ve just resigned myself to leaving it for now, when she whispers, “There were several reasons.”
“For you crying on Friday?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you tell me about them?”
“Doctor Singleton was one,” she says.
“Why? What did he do?”
“He was trying to find a patient’s records, but was looking in the wrong place. For some reason, that was my fault.”
“That sounds a little unreasonable.”
“It felt that way to me, although it wouldn’t normally have been enough to make me cry.”
“So, what tipped you over the edge?” I ask her.
“The events of the previous evening, I suppose.”
I frown, thinking back, and then realize what she’s talking about. “You mean what happened at MD’s… with Kaiden?”
She gazes up at me. “Mostly, yes. But I think it was also about you, too. I knew I’d had a lucky escape… thanks to you, but at the time, I didn’t think you liked me as anything more than a friend. I wanted so much more than that, Pierce, and…” Tears well in her eyes and I lean in, kissing them away.
“I wanted you, too. If I’d known you were gonna cry all over your boss, I’d have found a way to tell you on Thursday night.”
She shakes her head. “Like I said to you on Saturday, I’m kinda glad you didn’t. I liked the way it worked out in the end.”
“So did I,” I say, smiling and leaning in to kiss her. She kisses me back, but I don’t let things get too heated. That’s not what we need right now, and after a few minutes, I pull back. “Sleep, if you want to,” I say, looking down at her perfect face.
She shakes her head. “I just need to be here with you.”
“I’ve got you.”
“Keep telling me that. I need to hear it.”
“I’ve got you, babe.”
She sighs against me, and despite her words, I hear her breathing change, and glance down as her eyes flutter closed.
The sleep did Harley good. By late afternoon, she’s a lot better, although her leg is really painful now. I’ve given her some Advil and taken a look. There’s a large bruise forming at the top of her thigh, spreading up over her hip.
“Is it bad?” she asks, pulling her jeans back up.
“Fairly. But the painkillers should help.”
“Do you want me to check your back?”
“No, I’m fine.” I get to my feet. “I’ll just take our jackets down to the garage, and then I’ll come back up and start the dinner.”
“Why are you taking our jackets down?” she asks.
“Because I don’t think it’s helpful to have them lying around up here, reminding us of what happened.”
She nods her head, seeing my point, and I kiss her before I head for the bedroom, collecting my jacket. The tears in the fabric are a sad reminder, but I fold it over my arm, so they don’t show, and come back out, adding her jacket, before I blow her a kiss and head down the stairs. Our helmets are still down here, and I pick them up, too, struggling to carry everything and open the doors, although I manage it, and make my way outside.
The garage door has been open since I left here on Saturday, and I stop in my tracks when I look up and see my bike parked inside. I hadn’t realized Brady had brought it back yet, but he must have done it earlier today, without telling me, and I wander slowly inside, my eyes grazing over the twisted, mangled metal. It’s worse than I thought… worse than I dared imagine, and I drop to my knees, the jackets and helmets sliding from my arms to the floor. I don’t know where to look, or what to think, but I can’t move. I can barely breathe, and I just stare into space, fear washing over me.
I don’t know how long I’ve been here, just staring, my body shaking, reliving it all, over and over, but suddenly, I feel a pair of arms come around me and Harley’s familiar body sliding down my back, her head resting against me.
“Pierce,” she whispers. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.”
“No,” she says simply and I turn around, clasping her face in my hands, even as she blurs before me.
“I—I love you so fucking much.” I falter over my words, emotion getting the better of me.
“I love you.” Tears fall down her cheeks. “Take me upstairs,” she whispers, and knowing we both need to be elsewhere, I pull her to her feet, leaving the jackets and helmets where they are, lying on the floor, as I lock the garage door behind us.
Upstairs, she sits again, her feet up on the couch, and I cover her legs with the throw, sitting beside her for a while, just holding her in my arms. We both need this. We need to feel safe together, and this is the only way we’re gonna do that. Words aren’t necessary, and even if they were, I don’t think either of us is capable of speaking.
I remember I promised to cook something for dinner and sit forward slightly, which disturbs Harley.
“Where are you going?” she says, and I can hear the panic in her voice.
“To the kitchen. I said I’d cook.”
She nods her head and I lean down to kiss her before quickly fixing us a stir-fry, which we eat while watching a movie.
At bedtime, I clear away the dishes and tidy the kitchen, and then carry her through to the bedroom, undressing her slowly, my eyes never leaving hers, even for a second. We’re both too tired and in too much pain to make love, but we don’t need to. We have each other… and that’s more than enough.
Harley returned to work yesterday morning. We’d been to see Brady on Tuesday, which probably wasn’t a good idea. It brought everything back, and although Harley held it together while we were at the sheriff’s office, she fell apart the moment we got back to the apartment. I couldn’t blame her for that, and I held her for the rest of the afternoon, trying to reassure her.
Ideally, I’d have liked her to take the entire week off, even though I knew I ought to open the store, but I think we both knew we couldn’t hide away forever.
“Fridays are always the worst,” she said, when we talked it through on Wednesday afternoon. “I’d rather ease myself in by going back tomorrow. That way, Friday won’t seem so hard.”
I could understand the logic, and I called Reed Dodds to let him know. I’d been keeping him up to date each day, so he wasn’t surprised, and he told me he’d keep an eye on Harley, which I was pleased about.
I missed her when she went, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been on Monday. Sure, I wanted to hold her, and know she was safe, but there wasn’t that underlying panic accompanying my thoughts. I knew where she was, and that we’d see each other for lunch… and I was okay with that.
She texted me a couple of times during the morning, but only to make sure I was okay, and to reassure me she was, too. And then she picked up some sandwiches from the deli and we ate them at the apartment. I texted her four times during the afternoon, which was fairly quiet for me, and when she got home, I locked up the shop and turned to her.
“You didn’t mind me contacting you so often this afternoon, did you?” I asked.
She flew into my arms. “No. I needed it, Pierce. I need to know you’re here.”
“I’m always here, babe.”
She smiled up at me, with a sparkle in her eyes, and reading that in the only way I could, I carried her up the stairs and took her to bed. It was the first time we’d made love since Sunday, and I think we both needed it. It seemed that way, as we stayed in bed for hours, ignoring all our aches and pains, but keeping it gentle… slow… and so full of love.
It was the perfect end to our first day of ‘normality’, and if that’s what forever is gonna be like for us, then I’m looking forward to every second.
We’ve agreed to meet for lunch again today, but rather than a sandwich at the apartment, we’re going to the coffee shop. Harley sends me a text message when the last patient of the morning leaves, and I lock up the store and rush to the doctor’s office, meeting her outside.
She greets me with a kiss, and I take her hand, leading her across the street to the coffee shop. Inside, we find a table by the window, and Seth comes over to take our order. He’s a few years older than me, and although we’ve never been close friends, he’s a nice guy. He used to live here, above the coffee shop, with Everly, who owns this place, but he left a while ago now, fueling a great deal of gossip…
“I didn’t realize you were back,” I say, looking up at him, and he smiles.
“Yeah. I came home a few weeks ago. Everly and I we’re… well, we’re back together.” I sense there’s something he’s not saying, but before I can ask, he murmurs, “I got lucky,” like he really means it.
I nod my head. “I know how you feel.”
I’m still holding Harley’s hand and Seth looks at her, and then me, his smile widening. “Are you two…?” He leaves his sentence hanging and I nod again.
“Yeah, we are.”
He chuckles. “Good for you.”
Harley blushes, asking for a Greek salad, while I opt for a Spanish omelet, both of us choosing sparkling water to drink.
Seth leaves, and Harley squeezes my hand. “You realize the news will be all over town before I get back to work, don’t you?”
“Seth isn’t like that… but even if he were, I wouldn’t care.”
She thinks for a moment and then smiles. “No. Neither would I.”
At that moment, Everly comes out through the swing door that leads to the kitchen. She speaks to Seth, and he nods his head, going back the way she came, and leaving her behind the counter. Within seconds, the sound of a crying baby fills the air, and Seth reappears, carrying the infant. He walks straight up to Everly, places something in her hand, kisses her on the cheek, and disappears again, cooing softly to the distraught infant.
“I wasn’t working in Hart’s Creek when they broke up, but Mom told me there was a lot of gossip about whether Everly’s baby was his,” Harley says, tipping her head slightly.
“Among other things… like why they’d broken up, whether he’d known she was pregnant, if there was anyone else involved.” I roll my eyes.
“The scandalmongers sure went to town.”
“And all for nothing,” I say. “They’re back together, and happier than ever by the looks of things.”
“They’re not the only ones.”
I smile, nodding my head, then raise her hand to my lips, kissing the palm, before I lower it again. “Would you like to go out for dinner tonight? I mean… it’s practically our anniversary, and I feel like we should celebrate.”
“Anniversary?”
“Yeah. It was last Friday I came into your office and told you about finding the woman of my dreams.”
“Was that really only a week ago?”
“Yeah… so how about dinner?”
She shakes her head, leaning in a little closer. “Would you mind if I said no?”
“Of course not. Is anything wrong?”
“No. I’d just rather stay in and be alone… with you.”
“I like the sound of that,” I whisper, leaning over the table to kiss her.
Lunch was delicious, and after we’d eaten, I paid Everly and saw Harley back to her office, kissing her on the threshold.
“I’ll see you later,” I said, pulling back from her.
She nodded her head and went inside while I returned to the store.
Thankfully, my afternoon has been quiet, and I’ve used some of the time I’ve had on my hands to fill in the online insurance claim for the damage to my bike. In between doing that, I’ve sent three text messages to Harley, to make sure she’s okay. The last one was just five minutes ago, but knowing how busy her afternoon was set to be, I’m not surprised when she doesn’t answer straight away, and I go out into the kitchen at the back of the store to fix myself a coffee.
When I get back, my phone screen lights up, which I assume is a response from Harley… except it’s not. It’s an alert to let me know I’ve got a message on my social media page. I don’t really do social media for myself, but I find it a useful place to show off my paintings, so I’m always interested in any messages or comments that come through, and I click on it, waiting for the app to open, and sipping at my coffee, putting it down carefully, when I read…
‘Good afternoon, I’m sorry to contact you out of the blue, but we’d be interested in exhibiting your work here at the gallery. Perhaps you could get back to me and we can discuss what I have in mind. K. Bowman.’
“Is he fucking serious?” I say out loud, relieved there are no customers in the shop to hear me.
This is obviously Kaiden’s idea of a joke, although it would have worked a lot better if he’d used someone else’s name, instead of his own. Still, the guy never was that bright, and I close the app, knowing silence will annoy him so much more than any reply I could invent. Even so, I can’t help shaking my head as I put my phone in my back pocket, and to take my mind off of Kaiden, I go over the insurance form one last time before submitting it.
It takes a while for Harley to reply, although I don’t tell her about Kaiden’s stupid games, and instead just explain that I’ll need to stop at the deli after work, and I’ll walk down and collect her afterwards. She responds with a thumbs up emoji, and a row of kisses, which makes me smile. I guess she must be really busy, and in a way, I envy her. My afternoon has been incredibly slow, and I’m relieved when it gets to closing time, and I can call it a day.
Locking up, I turn around to make my way to the deli, practically bumping into Kaiden, who’s sauntering along the sidewalk. He gives me a sly smile and murmurs, “Found your way into Harley’s panties yet? Or has she still got them locked and bolted?”
I see red and grab him, pushing him back against the storefront, and holding him there, one arm across his throat.
“Shut the fuck up, asshole.”
“Hit a raw nerve, have I? I guess that means she’s still holding out on you.”
“Grow up, will you? And stop playing games.”
“What games? I’m not playing games. I’m just saying she’s all promise and no delivery. That’s her…”
“I’m not talking about Harley. I’m talking about the dumb message you sent me earlier.”
He frowns, trying to lean away from me. “I didn’t send you a message. Why the fuck would I want to message the guy who stole my girl?”
I step back, letting him go. “She wasn’t your girl, Kaiden. And don’t deny you sent me a message this afternoon. We both know it came from you.”
“I don’t know any such thing,” he says, straightening his shirt. “You’re the one who’s been sending messages.”
“Who to?”
“Me, of course. Via Dawson Pine,” he says, like the answer is obvious. “You got him to warn me off.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Oh?” he says, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes at me. “So, the guy just told me to stay away from Harley because he felt like it, did he?”
“I guess so.” He rolls his eyes. “Whatever Dawson said to you, it had nothing to do with me… although we all know he had a good reason for saying it. He saw what you were doing to Harley. He even offered her a way out.”
“He hit on Harley?” he says, sounding incredulous.
“No. He saw how scared she was of you and offered to get her out of the situation you’d gotten her into.”
“Yeah… right. She wasn’t scared, she was teasing. It’s what she does best, and as for…”
I hold up my hand, and he stops talking. “Kid yourself all you want, Kaiden. I don’t really care what you think. I just want you to stop sending messages.”
“I’m not. I’ve never messaged you in my life.”
“Then what’s this?” I ask, pulling out my phone and opening the app. The message is still displayed on the page and I turn my phone around, showing it to him.
“That’s not from me,” he says, shaking his head.
“Really?”
He studies the screen a little more closely. “It’s from my father.”
“But it says ‘K. Bowman’.”
“Yeah. His name’s Karl, you fucking idiot.” He steps away, shaking his head. “Try doing some research before throwing accusations around, will you?”
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to have accused him of, other than sending me messages, which is hardly a crime.
“Why would your father be messaging me?” I ask.
“Fuck knows. And by the way, you’re welcome to Harley. I never really liked her that much.”
“Then why did you ask her out?”
“To kill some time. I thought she’d be fun, but she’s just like the rest of them.”
That feels like an odd thing to say, but I don’t dwell on it. I don’t waste any time studying him as he walks away, either. My head is too full of the fact that his father sent me the message. That means it’s not a game, and I take a moment to clear my head before I quickly type out a reply.