Chapter 5 #3
“I didn’t know what else to do. In my mind I was protecting you from all of this by not talking to you. But I found out that you were hurt by my leaving and thought I was rejecting you. I will never reject you. I will never intentionally cause you pain.”
“Okay.”
“I’m really not sure what else there is to say,” he admitted. “If you decide you have any other questions, or just want to talk to me, you know how to find me.”
“I don’t want to be an interruption.”
“You will never be an interruption.”
“Are you sure?”
“Keegan, the thought of you keeps me focused. Keeps me level and moving forward. You are not a distraction, you are the focus. Everything I do is to better myself so that when you’re ready, if you’re ready, I’ll be a better me.”
“So, I’m like your compass, or maybe your north star,” she said, laughing at herself.
“I know you think you’re being funny, but you’re more right than you know.”
She laughed even harder. “Don’t follow where I’m leading! I’ll just spin us in circles!”
Kaiser joined in, laughing with her.
When their laughter died down, he made an effort to end their conversation and try to make it less formal. “I’m always available if you need me. But if you don’t, just keep doing you. There is nothing you owe me.”
“Thank you for calling me, Kaiser. It’s helped so much.”
“I’m glad. I’m sorry I didn’t just talk to you to begin with.”
“It’s okay. And hey, make lots of touchdowns!”
“Touchdowns?!” he exclaimed, knowing she was teasing him.
Keegan laughed so hard she was short of breath. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding, I know it’s runs.”
“Thank God! I kinda hope you at least know what I do.”
“I know. Believe me, I know. Take care of you.”
“I will. Take care, Keegan. Bye.”
“Bye, Kaiser.”
~~~
Harper sat on the end of her bed with her phone in hand, smiling to herself as she typed out a message to Clay to let him know she was home, just as he’d asked.
“I’m home. Pizza in the fridge for midnight snack. On the way to the shower so
I can get in bed without smelling like Miss Millie. Thank you for spending the day
with me. Best day I’ve had in a long time.”
Sitting at his kitchen table with his father still talking about his future plans, Clay’s phone buzzed. Clay picked it up and read the message, grinning like a loon.
“Harper?” Richie asked.
“Yeah. She’s letting me know she’s home, and thanking me for spending the day with her.” Clay looked up at his father suddenly. “How’d you know it was her?”
“Nothing else in your life has ever made you smile like that.”
Clay grinned and nodded. Then he started typing out his own message.
“Thank you for letting me know you made it. I was about to come looking for you!
I’ll be holding up my pizza in a toast to you at midnight. Thank you for letting me
tag along today. It was exactly what I needed, and the best day ever.
Sleep well Harper.”
Harper was still smiling to herself as she read his reply.
She grinned even bigger when she thought about him forcing the waitress to respect her presence, and getting angry at the waitress coming on to him with her sitting right there.
Then her smile slowly faded as she remembered their conversation about the reason it bothered him so much — he’d found his mate, maybe.
She chastised herself for ridiculous wishful thinking as she put her phone down, and gathered her nightgown and undies to change into after her shower.
She left her room and went to the bathroom across the hall, and after a few moments stepped into the shower, letting the hot water soothe away the fatigue in her muscles from the day’s work.
She leaned her head against the tiles and marveled at how much tiredness was washed away from her body with just a simple hot shower.
“Shame it doesn’t wash away the heaviness, too,” she whispered.
Shaking herself out of the wave of unexpected emotion, she grabbed her shampoo and squirted some in her hand.
“What is wrong with me? I was happy! I was smiling twenty minutes ago!”
She scrubbed her hair, then rinsed it out and quickly washed her body. “I don’t want to be sad,” she whispered. “Why does he have to find his mate now?”
Go to mate, her tiger said, her voice raspy from never being used before.
Harper’s eyes popped open beneath the hot water and she looked around herself. Her Tiger had never spoken to her before. Gentle nudges here and there, sure, but never actually spoken.
“What?” Harper said aloud.
Go to mate.
“Are you finally speaking to me?”
In her mind’s eye she saw her sleek, pale orange and white Tiger glaring, sitting and waiting to be acknowledged.
“It’s you! Where have you been? Why haven't you spoken before?”
No need.
“I’m glad you’re here now,” Harper said.
Mate.
“We don’t have a mate,” Harper said.
Her Tiger shook her head dismissively, then turned her back on Harper as she moved to the back of her mind.
“Hey!” Harper said, shaking her head at the Tiger’s silence. “Great. Wonderful talk. Thank you!” Harper said.
No speak loud.
“How would I know that? I’m not used to it, you know, since you’ve always ignored me,” Harper snapped.
Her Tiger shut down, tired of interacting already.
“Hey! Tiger!”
No answer at all came from her Tiger.
“And she’s gone,” Harper said as she turned off the water. “Great first talk. Appreciate it. Patient, cohesive relationship we have here between the two of us. You do know we have to work together, right?!” Harper demanded.
Still, there was no reply from her Tiger or sign of her at all.
Sighing in frustration, she dried off, put on her nightgown and brushed her teeth before she went back to her bedroom.
As she tucked herself back in bed, her mind turned back to Clay and the ‘maybe’ mate he’d found.
She pulled her covers up to her chin, hoping sleep would come soon.
She didn’t know why it bothered her so much.
She should be happy for him, right? Deciding she didn’t want to think about it anymore, she closed her eyes and let her body relax.
But then her eyes popped open. “Midnight! I have to be having pizza at midnight!” She grabbed her phone and set an alarm for midnight, so she and Clay could share a midnight snack.