Chapter 46
FORTY-SIX
HER NIGHT IN the hotel was fitful. Because it wasn’t Bastian’s hotel?
Maybe. Or it could be that she couldn’t stop playing the possible scenarios of his and Robyn’s reunion in her head.
Did Bastian kiss Robyn first? Touch her?
Who made the move? Did they make love in the bed that she and Bastian had—no, damnit, she was doing it again.
After her meeting that morning, she’d come straight to her parents’ house. The timing was great actually. Her mom, Adara, and Charissa had a standing weekly appointment at a beauty salon. The guys, her dad and Damon, should be at work.
Still, sneaking in, she didn’t dawdle. Through the front door, up the stairs, into her bedroom. A woman on a mission.
Why did she need to hang out with billionaires? God, this was a terrible plan.
Most of her things were at Bastian’s. Her daily things. Which was exactly where they’d stay. She wouldn’t risk going over there again. Knowing him like she did, there was every chance he and Robyn were still in his room, reuniting over and over and—argh! Enough!
Okay, look forward. The future. What would come at the beginning of her next new chapter. Another chapter or a whole other book?
If she was going to hang with a billionairess, she needed to reach deep into her closet.
To retrieve the dresses she feared seeing the light of day.
Not because they were shocking, but because their price tags made them museum pieces.
That only she got to see. Actually, even she didn’t, most were in garment bags.
Should she really go join Roxie? Is that truly what she intended to do?
This could be a bad idea.
She’d lost her mind.
She flicked on the closet light and grabbed a holdall. This would be fast. She flung in some jewelry, cosmetics… What else would she need?
Crazy. Crazy.
The thought went round and round as she filled her bag and zipped it fast. Dresses. Right. Concentrate. She didn’t have time to—
“Harper?” Charissa’s voice brought her around fast. “What are you doing?”
“Why are you in my room?”
“I heard—I didn’t know anyone else was here.”
“I’m not here,” she said, grabbing three garment bags. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Are you moving out?” Wouldn’t she just love that. “What’s happening?”
“Charissa…” she said, fighting to maintain her calm. “Just forget you saw me.”
“Adara is worried about you. Why haven’t you called?”
“Charissa,” she said, draping the garment bags over her arm. “This is none of your business.”
“Is it Bastian? Are you moving in with him?” Couldn’t this woman get a hint? “Are you staying with him? Or Zairn Lomond? How did you meet those guys?”
“Excuse me.”
Charissa didn’t move out of her way. “Will you wait and talk to Adara? Please?”
It was nice the woman was worried about Adara, who they both loved. That was maybe the only thing they had in common. They’re taste in men couldn’t be matched because she’d come to her senses.
Though if she let her cynical side in, she’d admit that telling Adara anything could amount to telling Charissa too. The women were best friends, she didn’t know what one confided in the other.
One bonus was with Charissa and Damon on the outs, hopefully he wouldn’t hear her secrets as well.
Best plan? Don’t talk to Adara. She couldn’t guarantee what might come out.
“I’ll call her later.”
“You haven’t called,” Charissa persisted. “You said you’d call and haven’t. Damon’s really worried too. He thinks Bastian and Zairn are a bad influence. You could get in trouble.”
“Now he cares about me getting hurt? Too little, too late. And what do you care? I thought you and Damon were done.”
“Oh, we…” She shifted, raising a defiant chin. “We’re back together.”
“Of course you are,” she said. “Because where else would he sleep?”
No one bothered to admit their fault or apologize for the mess they’d dragged her into. She didn’t care, she just wanted out of there.
“He told me you and him hadn’t…”
“No, we hadn’t, haven’t, never will. Be careful. That doesn’t mean he’ll never drop you again. Learn from my mistakes, get out before he finds someone shiny new with breasts he hasn’t played with yet.”
She didn’t actually expect the woman to do that, but something had to be said.
“Don’t you care about him?” Charissa’s innocence was an act, had to be. “He cares about you.”
“As his girlfriend, you should be asking why. He didn’t care about me when he was cheating on me, but he cares now I have attractive people in my life? My life is none of his business.”
“He’s a caring person.”
Okay, it took all of her energy not to laugh in Charissa’s face.
“What is it you want from me, Charissa?” she asked. “My blessing?” She opened her arms as much as her wares would allow. “You have my blessing. Go forth and multiply. I couldn’t care less.”
“Why are you running away?”
Had Charissa completely forgotten their history. This was hardly the time to start confiding in each other.
“I’m not running away, I’m moving on… for now… for a while.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know. And, still, none of your business.”
“Bastian Hunt is—”
“Someone you don’t know in the slightest,” she said. “Don’t take everything Damon tells you as gospel truth. Think for yourself. I’m not with Damon. I’m not with Bastian. I don’t answer to either of them, and I don’t answer to you.”
“There’s no need to get defensive.”
“I will stop getting defensive when you get out of my way.”
Though she lingered, Charissa did step aside. About damn time. She wanted to be out of there before anyone else came in or the drama cranked up a notch. Leaving the family home was supposed to save her from conversations like this.
“You can’t run out on your family,” Charissa said after she passed.
She paused without turning around. “Watch me.”
This wasn’t a final goodbye, she wasn’t cutting herself off from them completely. She just needed some time. How much was anyone’s guess.