Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45063 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45063 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Eva smiles at the camera as tears slide down her cheeks.
“Oh, God,” Adam croaks, hunching over, collapsing into sobs.
With a question in her eyes, Harper rubs his back in small circles. She’s probably only seen Adam cry a few times like me, and it’s difficult to know the right thing to say. So we say nothing. The video ends. The screen goes black.
We sit in pain with Adam, letting him cry into his hands as Harper makes circle upon circle on his back.
“I need a minute,” Adam finally says, rising to his feet. “Then we’re going to talk about a few things.”
Adam walks from the room up the stairs, probably so he can go splash cold water on his face. Harper returns to the couch, reaching out for me with a shaky hand. I hold her hand, savoring her warmth, the heat moving between us.
“Poor Eva,” Harper says, and then lets out a sob.
I know it’s probably not the best idea with Adam upstairs, but there’s no way I’m going to let my woman suffer alone. Raising my arm is enough for her to fall into my embrace, and then I hold her tightly.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Harper
The sound of my sobs must block out the noise of Adam returning. I only know he’s seen Bryson and me embracing when he walks in front of us, past the couch.
Distancing myself from Bryson, I rub at my cheeks, looking through blurry eyes at Adam as he sits on the opposite couch, running one hand over the other. He stares at us with red eyes.
“I need to know when and how this started,” Adam says. “Was it while you were still on the West Coast?”
“No,” Bryson replies. “It began the day of Eva’s funeral.”
Shock makes me gape at him, but Bryson only returns a hard stare, one which says he’s not going to lie to Adam or trick him to gain his approval. The time for deceit is gone, his face says.
Adam nods. “Everything Eva said is true. Bryson, you’re a good man, which is why this is difficult to accept. Of all the women you could choose.”
“I don’t want to piss you off,” Bryson says, “but nobody compares with Harper. Nobody has ever made me feel… hell, anything even close to what she makes me feel. I meant what I said. I want a family with her, a future.”
“And you?” Adam says, staring at me. “How does that sit with you, considering this only started at Eva’s funeral? Are you ready to throw yourself into marriage to have Bryson’s kids?”
I sit up straighter, just like Eva did in the video.
Bryson’s right. We can’t lie. We can’t sneak around anymore. Outside, the rain gets heavier, pattering loudly, underscoring my words.
“I know what you’re thinking. It’s what the whole world will probably think when they hear about this. They’ll say I’m rushing into this and I’m not thinking clearly. I don’t have the experience. I’m too young. Too this. Too that.”
My voice rises. Adam sits with that familiar patient look on his face, not judging, not pressing, simply waiting for me to go on.
“It will be hard for some people to accept that, Adam. I know I want to be with Bryson for the rest of my life. I want to have a family with him. I want to be his wife one day.”
I’ve known it for a long time, I almost add, but hold that part back.
“I knew something was going on,” Adam says after a pause. “I almost stopped it… But I wanted to honor Eva’s wishes. Ah.”
On the ah, he stands, running both hands over his head, like he doesn’t know what else to do with them.
“I don’t understand how you can be sure so quickly,” he says after a pause.
“I was sure the second I saw her,” Bryson says. “You know that. You might want to hit me again for saying it, but it’s the truth. The second I saw her, something clicked. I never believed in destiny or any of that stuff, but I do now.”
“But you…,” Adam stares at me. “You’re not even twenty yet, and you’ve had a crush on him for years. I never said anything before, but it matters now, sis. Try to see this from where I’m standing.”
“How does it look to you?” I ask.
“Like you’re jumping on a fantasy. Like you’re so happy your childhood dream is coming true, you’ll agree to anything.”
“That’s just plain wrong,” I say fiercely. “Bryson said the same thing.”
“He did?” Adam cuts in.
“Pretty much,” I say. “He said he had to know this wasn’t some teenage crush on steroids. It was important for him to know it was real. He didn’t want to take advantage of me.”
Adam looks at Bryson, respect in his eyes.
“I know, Adam. When I think about the future, it’s not in hazy terms. It’s not like it’s all rainbows and sunshine and impossible happiness. I think about getting up in the middle of the night to nurse our children. I think about Bryson working late and sharing a quick meal with him at eleven p.m. or midnight before going to bed. I think about the wedding, but also after the wedding.