ch 8
554 Words
The wind whipped around them, Jaxon didn’t move or blink. He swallowed hard. “Sorry for what?” he asked, his voice rough.
“For this,” she whispered. “For coming here and letting things go too far.”
Jaxon stepped forward once, “Harper, look at me.”
She did. His eyes were hurting, deep. “You didn’t confuse me,” he said. “You told me the truth. I would rather have that than lies.”
She shook her head. “But I can’t be with you, Jaxon… not like this. Not right after everything blew up.”
“You’re not choosing him, are you?” His voice cracked. Harper didn’t answer, because she didn't know and her whole life suddenly felt like broken glass, sharp and dangerous that is impossible to touch without bleeding.
“I’m choosing…” She exhaled shakily. “I’m choosing myself. I want alone time to breathe for a minute, think and, not to make another mistake.”
His jaw tightened. “You think being with me would be a mistake?”
“No,” she whispered. “That’s the problem.”
The rain began again, soft at first, then harder, drumming against the wooden planks of the pier. Jaxon stepped closer until their foreheads almost touched. She felt his breath, warm against the cold night. “You’re hurting,” he murmured. “Let me be there for you.”
“That’s what scares me,” she breathed. Silence stretched between them.
Finally, she stepped back, pulling her coat tighter around herself. “I need to figure out my life before I ruin yours.”
“Harper—”
“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t follow me.”
The words shattered him. She saw it, the way his shoulders dropped, and the way he looked away to hide the pain but he didn’t disobey. He didn’t chase her.
He just nodded once. “If you ever need me… you know where to find me.”
Harper turned and walked away, her footsteps splashing through puddles. She didn’t look back. If she did, she wasn’t sure she’d be strong enough to keep going.
By the time she reached her car, her hands were shaking, from betrayal and guilt. Her life felt like it had cracked open in one night. She slid behind the wheel, soaked and trembling, and let out a broken laugh.
“What am I doing…?” she whispered.
Her phone buzzed.
Liam: Harper, where are you? Please come home. We need to talk.
Her heart squeezed painfully. That house didn’t feel like home anymore. She dropped the phone onto the seat and started the car, but halfway down the road, headlights flashed in her rearview mirror. A car swerved behind her going fast. Her breath hitched, it was Liam’s car.
He pulled up beside her at a red light, rain sliding across his windshield. He rolled his window down, face tight, frantic.
“Harper! Pull over, we need to talk now!”
Her pulse spiked. Liam didn't look calm, he looked desperate. The light turned green. Harper’s hands tightened around the wheel, and she had to make a choice to pull over… or keep driving.
The moment stretched, then, she hit the gas. Liam didn't chase her, he watched as she sped away.
- Writer
