Chapter 27 HARPER-RAYN
HARPER-RAYN
Awide smile stretches across my face as I sit front row at the Izabelle Grace Winter Runway Show with Knight right by my side.
Both Ace and Diesel are here as well, pretending that they’re here to make sure I can make it through the night without being killed by Knight’s psycho brother, but really, they’re here for Izzy.
The way they’re both infatuated with her is insane. She’s the apple of their eye, and from what I’ve heard from Knight, the boys fighting over a girl is a common occurrence. Only problem is, it usually disappears faster than it started, but this one seems to be sticking around.
Every seat around the runway is filled with A-list celebrities, other big-name designers, and stylists. I don’t doubt that this show is about to turn Izzy from a well-known local boutique into a universal name, her designs splashed across the front of every major fashion magazine.
The music pumps as the models strut down the runway, one by one, highlighting the incredible winter line Izzy worked her ass off to put together.
Every hour she spent agonizing over her designs paid off the moment the very first model walked out onto the stage with the spotlight shining down on her, and I’ve never been so proud of Izzy.
This is her moment, and I hope like fuck that she’s standing backstage, soaking in every damn second of this. Runway shows are nothing new to her. She’s put one on nearly every season for the past few years, but it’s never drawn this type of A-list crowd. It’s the best type of insanity.
“Whoa,” Ace says from my other side. “She created all of these?”
“From scratch,” I tell him, watching as his eyes widen, more than impressed, and honestly, I fucking love it. I’ve always been proud of her, but seeing that same pride and adoration reflected in his eyes is amazing. But it’s Diesel’s stare that really gets me.
He watches each model strut down the walkway with his jaw literally hanging open.
I’m sure he’s attended his fair share of events like this as protection detail for models, designers, or celebrity guests, but I can guarantee he’s never sat front row at a show like this.
His eyes occasionally dart across the runway to the Chiefs’ star football player, who is here with his wife, and I can tell he’s utterly starstruck.
All three of the guys are gaping. While I’m sure they had an idea of what they were about to walk into tonight, there’s no doubt that their minds have been blown.
The show doesn’t take long, twenty minutes tops, before each model strides out in a single-file line for the grand finale. Izzy steps out last to a standing ovation, and obviously Ace and Diesel are cheering the loudest.
We wait for her backstage after the show, and I watch in awe as bigwigs approach her, putting in countless orders to stock her line, and damn it, the grin on my face is starting to hurt my cheeks. Tonight is exactly what I’ve been needing.
Every day has been a struggle for me, dealing with the guilt of everything that’s gone down.
We had Dr. McKullan’s funeral this morning , and Anders was laid to rest just yesterday, and they were the hardest things I’ve ever sat through.
And while I’m sure I’m overthinking this, I couldn’t help but feel as though every time somebody looked my way, they were blaming me, accusing me of taking away their friend, and it gutted me.
I’ve spent days sitting in the shower, crying my eyes out, but no amount of time can take away the pain.
But tonight, watching Izzy shine is going a long way to heal something that’s very broken inside me.
We wait for Izzy for almost an hour, watching as the hair and makeup artists rush around, cleaning up their stations, and Izzy’s team racks all the designs and stuffs them back into their garment bags.
It’s a beautiful chaos back here, and while it’s not my kind of chaos, it’s right up Izzy’s alley.
Once everything is done, Izzy finally sets her sights on us, and as she makes her way over with a beaming smile, both Ace and Diesel try to beat one another to her, but they aren’t as fast as me.
I slip right past them before throwing my arms around my best friend.
“Holy fucking shit,” I tell her. “That was incredible.”
“Thanks,” she says. “You really think so? I wasn’t expecting such an amazing turnout. The editor of Vogue was here.”
My eyes widen in surprise. “No way! Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Holy shit, Iz. That’s huge.”
“Yeah, she requested a meeting with me next week,” she tells me. “This could mean huge things for my brand.”
“Huge?” I scoff. “It’s enormous. Massive. Gigantic. No, it’s colossal!”
Izzy laughs and shoves my shoulder before Ace barrels past me, physically stealing Izzy out of my arms. He scoops her up and pulls her against his chest before spinning her around and planting a kiss on her cheek.
“That was fucking amazing.” He beams at her like the perfect golden retriever.
“We’re taking you out. We need to celebrate. ”
“Yeah?” she says as he settles her back on her feet.
Diesel steps into her other side, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her in, his fingers going to her chin and gently lifting until she’s staring straight through to his soul. “Yeah, Izabelle,” he murmurs. “You should be celebrated every night of your goddamn life.”
Well, shit. Why did that make my stomach drop right out of my ass?
Ace scoffs as he tugs on Izzy’s arm, pulling her just an inch away from Diesel and breaking the hold he has over her. “Laying it on thick, don’t you think, man?”
Diesel just glares at his friend. “Don’t hate on me just because you’ve got shit game.”
“Goddamn it,” Knight murmurs, slipping his hand into mine. “It’s going to be a rough night.”
An hour later, I sit on Knight’s lap, his arm wrapped around my waist as Ace scowls across the bar, watching Diesel shamelessly flirt with Izzy, and there’s no denying it, she’s eating up everything he’s dishing out.
“Quit sulking, man,” Knight tells Ace. “If you want her, you’re going to have to go and get her, but you know Diesel, he’s not going to give her up without a fight.”
Ace’s shoulders sink as he reaches for his glass and takes a long drink. “That’s what I’m worried about,” he says. “I know we fight over girls all the time, and generally, it’s all just surface-level shit, but with Izzy, it feels different.”
I gaze at Ace until his attention sweeps to me. “Yes?” he asks, arching a brow.
“Are you in love with my best friend?”
He gapes at me, his eyes going wide with fear as though the concept of possibly being in love with someone absolutely terrifies him.
“I, uhhh, ummm. No. I—no.” Ace hastily reaches for his glass again, awkwardly averting his stare as he throws back what’s left of his drink, looking anywhere but at me, all while Knight silently laughs because there’s no doubting it now.
We both saw it loud and clear in his eyes.
He’s absolutely, wholeheartedly, crazy in love with Izabelle Grace Davenport.
The only problem is, he has no clue that he is. I dare say that Diesel feels the same.
“Fuck it,” Ace mutters. “Diesel can catch the next one. Izzy’s mine.”
He gets up, and Knight instinctively shuffles me off his lap, seeing exactly where this is going, and judging by the way Ace strides over toward Diesel and Izzy on the dance floor, I’d dare say he knows it too.
“Fuck, this isn’t going to go down well,” Knight tells me, watching everything with a keen eye.
“You’re the one who told him he’s gotta swoop in and take her if he wants her. Whatever’s about to happen here, this is on you.”
“Shit.”
Knight gets up, dragging me along, and just as I get to my feet, I watch Ace step in behind Izzy, physically removing her from Diesel, putting her at a safe distance, before throwing one hell of a punch right at Diesel’s jaw.
Twenty minutes later, we sit on the curb outside the bar, our night somehow going from celebrating Izzy’s incredible show to being reprimanded by half of the police force.
While the boys were beating the shit out of each other, Izzy and I got to hang out at the bar and watch them get all hot and sweaty as she told me about all the orders that have been coming in since the close of the show.
Then, as Diesel got Ace in a headlock, we toasted with our mimosas and had the time of our lives.
“You know,” I tell her as Ace and Diesel get their asses handed to them by the chief of police, thankfully ignoring us at the end of the line.
“You’re going to have to pick one of them at some point.
They’re both crazy about you. That much is clear, but aren’t you worried about coming between their relationship? ”
“I am,” she says, “which is exactly why I don’t want to choose.
They’re both amazing, and absolutely gorgeous.
I mean, Ace has that cute, flirty thing going that makes my heart race.
He’s goofy and sexy but could throw down if needed.
Not to mention, you saw him in the gym the other week.
He’s so strong, and while I haven’t seen him in action, I know he’d be a force to be reckoned with.
I’d never have to worry with him. I’d always be safe.
Like how you feel when you’re around Knight.
Nothing could ever happen to you with him at your side. ”
I nod, understanding it more than she’ll ever know. “And Diesel?”
“Well,” she says, a smirk pulling across her lips as she glances around me to the deliciously broody man in question. “What more could I possibly say? He’s Diesel.”
I grin right back at her. “Enough said.”