Chapter 40
Harper
The next morning, I do the walk of shame.
Never in a million years did I think I would say that.
Of course, I don’t think it counts as the actual walk of shame since we didn’t have sex last night.
Well, not at his house, anyway. I guess I just feel ashamed about everything right now, and I need to be alone.
Once I get home, I check my phone. I wasn’t going to just up and leave with no explanation, so I sent Ash a text letting him know that I needed to be at home.
He hasn’t read it yet, which tells me he’s still asleep.
That gives me a little peace. What doesn’t give me peace is the left on read message I sent to Jaylen asking if we could please talk?
I head to the shower, hoping the hot water will ease the pain. It feels amazing on my achy, cold bones, but unfortunately, it doesn’t do much for my heart. I don’t know if anything will.
Afterwards, I throw on some PJs and crawl into bed with no intention of leaving anytime soon. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work out because about two hours into a nap, there’s a very insistent knocking on my door, followed by a muffled voice.
“Harper? Harper, open up!”
It’s Darlene.
I drag myself out of bed, anxiety settling into the pit of my stomach like battery acid, and I make my way to the door. When I open it, the smile falls off her face and hits the icy cement of my porch.
“Jesus Christ, you look like hell,” she blurts out.
“Thanks. I feel like hell,” I mutter, opening the door and letting her inside.
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all morning. I came to the speakeasy last night right after my date I told you about. Which, by the way, I really need to tell you all about because men in their thirties be fuckin’ trippin’! Everyone said you had left. You and Ash, and Jaylen.”
“Yeah, we left early,” I say, walking over to the couch and crawling under a blanket with my knees against my chest.
Darlene sits down in front of me, her eyes wide and curious. “Well. Are you going to tell me what happened? Because something obviously happened,” she says.
“Daniel was there,” I say after sighing.
“Why was that asshole there? What did he do?” she asks.
“He made a speech,” I say monotonously.
“A speech?” she asks.
“Well, it was more of a toast…to the newlyweds.”
Darlene pulls back, surprised. Then her brows knit together in confusion. “Wait. He thinks you’re actually married?” she asks.
“I don’t know, but that’s not the problem.”
“Okay?”
“The problem,” I pause, not really in the mood to relive it, but also needing my best friend’s support. “The problem was that he also announced to the room that Ash and I are sleeping together.”
“Shit. Oh. Shit. I’m assuming Jaylen didn’t know yet,” she deduces.
“Yep. We were planning to talk to him. Or I was, anyway, after the opening. But the good news revealed itself a little early.”
“Damn,” she says, flopping back onto the couch with me. “I take it that it didn’t go over well.”
“You could say that,” I say.
“Alright, well, call me intuitive, but when you ghosted me, I had this gut feeling that you were one of two things. Hungover from the party or upset about something. So, I brought provisions.”
“What kind of provisions?” I ask, perking up a notch.
Darlene gets off the couch, goes to the kitchen, and grabs a bag I hadn’t even noticed when she came in. “I have potato chips, the kettle kind, chocolate chip cookies, party mix, wine, and ice cream. Pick your poison.”
I sigh, looking at all the things spread out on my counter. For whatever reason, it triggers me.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry,” Darlene says, wrapping her arms around me. “I didn’t want to be right. I know it’s all really shitty. Falling in love with your brother’s best friend is only fun when it’s in a romance novel, not real life.”
“No,” I sniff. “It’s the absolute worst.”
“You and Jaylen are close though. I’m sure he will come around.”
She’s saying that to comfort me. I didn’t believe Asher when he said it, and I don’t believe her.
“You didn’t see him, Dar,” I shake my head.
My stomach feels like it’s full of battery acid.
I subconsciously reach for the Cherry Chocolate Chunk ice cream, peel off the lid and rummage through the drawer for a spoon.
I finish my sentence, talking around a bite.
“I’ve never seen him so mad, or so hurt. They got into a fistfight.”
Darlene pauses. She has a spoonful of ice cream halfway between the carton and her mouth. “You had two men fighting over you?” she asks.
“A man and my brother,” I say.
“He’s not my brother. Still, Harper, that’s some tropey shit,” she giggles, as the spoonful of Cherry Chocolate Chunk makes it to her mouth.
“It’s not a good thing, Dar! They were punching each other,” I say.
But Darlene’s eyes are sparkling as she stares off into the distance. “Yeah, they were. Who won?”
“Jaylen. He punched Ash in the mouth. Twice,” I drone, taking another bite. The ice cream really is hitting the spot.
“Damn…is he okay?” She asks, taking another bite. She’s eating this up about as much as she’s eating up the ice cream.
“He’s got a fat lip,” I say, going in for another scoop.
“That’s so hot,” she says with a full mouth.
I roll my eyes at her. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry.
But listen. I know it seems like the end of the world, but I really don’t think it is.
I’m sure Jaylen is fuming right now, but do you really think he would throw away the two most important relationships in his life because he’s butt hurt that his friend is kissing his sister? ”
“Well, after what happened at the Gatsby Underground, I think it’s safe to say he has no issue watching the bridge burn,” I answer. I know I sound like a pessimist right now. But it’s kind of hard to be sunshiny when you watch your brother try to kill the man you’ve recently fallen for.
“Fair,” she says, breaking open the wine. “I’ve watched you and Jaylen over the years, and you aren’t like most siblings. You stick together. Your relationship is deeper than blood. So I have a very hard time believing that anything could actually come between you.”
“Even fucking his best friend?” I ask, resorting to the crude humor she has always been famous for.
“Even fucking his friend,” she says. It earns her the first and maybe only smile anyone is going to get out of me today.