Page 46 of Accepting Fate
“But I’m still here, aren’t I? I told you I wasn’t totally in the right mind when it happened. But it did and I’m not mad it did. I like him a lot, H. And that’s not normal for me. You know that.”
Harper drops the shirt she is folding in her lap and sighs. “I know, Lolo. But you told me yourself that you are always so careful. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. I’m not totally convinced he didn’t have anything to do with what happened to those victims. But you’re my best friend and sister so if you feel in your gut that you can trust him, then I guess I can too.”
Harper and I may be best friends but she has no clue why I ended up in Washington. Harper can read people like a book, and I think she recognized that my past wasn’t something that I want to discuss. I got the feeling that she has some skeletons in her closet as well. I give her the same respect she is giving me, which is to leave it in the past and don’t ask.
We built our friendship off of how we bonded together on my first day at the hospital. She knows about Allie and going to school in Alabama, but that’s the furthest into my past we have explored.
Harper is on the list of people that I want to protect fromhe who shall not be named. Telling her has the potential to put her in danger.
The same could be said about Grayson, but I get the feeling it would be harder to get rid of that man than it would be to beg him to stay.
I focus back on Harper. “Thanks, H. But I think you’re just pissed I met a mountain man and the odds of me moving back to the city with you are getting lower and lower.”
Harper returns to folding and shakes her head. In a fake defected voice, she says, “You caught me.”
Pausing her folding again, she leans close to the phone, so her face takes up the entire screen. Giving me the biggest blue puppy dog eyes, she begs, “Please move back. I miss our sleepovers after bar nights.”
Rising from the couch, I make my way upstairs to start getting ready.
“Sorry. Even if things with Grayson don’t go anywhere, I probably won’t be moving back until Mrs. Wanda kicks me out. I love this house and moving back to the city would be suffocating. Plus, there’s a bar we could go to here. It’s right across the street from Grayson’s shop. I haven’t been in yet, but it looks like it could be fun.”
Leaning my phone against the bathroom mirror, I plug in my straightener and grab the few makeup products I don’t despise wearing.
I take the giant claw clip out of my hair and brush my fingers through it. Grabbing my brush, I start attempting to untangle the nest that has formed at the back of my head.
“I guess it could, but didn’t you say Grayson’s brother owns the bar?” Harper asks.
My brow raises and I give her a questioning look. “Yeah. Why does that matter?”
She looks at me like I have five heads. “Wouldn’t that be weird?”
I’m still confused. “No, why?” I ask.
“What if shit doesn’t work out and then you want to go to a bar that his brother owns? That would be awkward as fuck.”
Finally understanding, I nod. “Well, first of all, I have no idea what’s going to happen with Grayson so let’s just take this day by day and not put an end to something that hasn’t even started. Second, I have no idea what his brother looks like. So, even if we don’t make it past tonight, neither of us will know who the other is so there would be nothing to be awkward about.”
“That’s true. What are you two doing tonight anyways?”
I go to answer but pause. “Actually I have no idea. He called me when I was just waking up and told me he was picking me up at seven. I didn’t think to ask.”
Looking at the time on my phone, I realize I need to get my ass moving. Grayson will be here in an hour, and I look like I rolled out of bed. That’s plenty of time but knowing him, he would show up early and claim he’s trying to earn extra points or something.
Harper gives me a pointed look. “Turn your location on for a few hours please.”
Taking the straightener to my hair, I quickly start ironing out the small waves. My hair is normally pin straight, but I let it air dry and put it in a clip while I got some housework done before I start my week.
“H, you know I don’t do the location bullshit, but I will text you updates throughout the night. I can even take a picture of his license plate if you want.”
“Fine. What are you wearing?”
We discuss options as I speed through my hair and make quick work of my makeup, which is just a touch of mascara and some eyebrow tint.
Rifling through my closet I find my favorite pair of dark wash skinny jeans with holes in the knees. I love the way they hug my body in all the right places. Plus, I can’t wait to see Grayson’s reaction.
I pull a soft black and red Rolling Stones band tee with a ‘v-neck cut’ and strappy detail across the front.
I don’t want to look like I’m trying to flash my tits, but I also want to feel sexy.