“I don’t mind,” Eric says. “Gavin, why don’t you show me all your cars.”
As Gavin gets out the rest of his toys, I follow Jon to his office. He takes a seat at his desk and I slowly sink into the chair across from him, my throat so tight I’m not sure I’ll be able to speak.
“I’ll get right to the point.”
“I’m sorry,” I push out. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I’m sure everything will die down soon, and everything will go back to normal.”
“We can’t take this bad publicity, and as much as I hate to, I’m going to have to let you go.”
I open my mouth, but what’s the point? He’s not going to change his mind and no amount of begging from me is going to help. I’m a damn dog walker, a pet groomer, and I’ll be replaced by the time I make it to the sidewalk. I snort. Liam replaced me before I even hit the sidewalk.
As that thought tumbles around inside my brain, my heart tightens. Nothing about Liam’s actions, his deceit, feels right. But Jeremy assured me the pictures were real and I was nothing but a prop to help him clean up his image.
Were you though, Harper?
As I leave the office, and watch Gavin and Eric play, the last month flashes before my eyes. The Liam I got to know was nothing like the media portrayed. He was kind and caring, quiet and reflective. He seemed genuinely crushed and violated—betrayed—when he talked about the first sex video that was leaked. I get that I ran away without talking to him. Jeremy practically shoved me from the stoop. But if Liam wasn’t with another woman like Jeremy said, wouldn’t he have tried to talk to me? I mean, he did call, and I did say goodbye over text, but if what we had was real between us, and he was as upset by the pictures as I was—the video, even—wouldn’t he have fought for me?
You’re not fighting for him.
It’s true, I’m not, and why is that? Am I afraid that he really is going to hurt me, that what we had wasn’t real and was all in my head? That maybe I’m just not loveable? Have I made a huge mistake? Oh, God, I think I have. I need to talk to him, hear his side. I’m about to grab Gavin and run when fear invades once again.
Why isn’t he trying to tell you his side, Harper?
I mull that over for a second, and as understanding dawns, my legs go weak and I nearly sink to the floor.
He thinks I’m behind the video!
Oh, God, I really need to talk to him. But would he even listen to me now? Would he even want to hear me, or believe in me? Lord knows, I jumped to the worst conclusions about him—when I shouldn’t have. Nor should I have let old fears and insecurities creep to the surface. Liam is not like the other men in my life. Not one little bit, and now I’m afraid he’s never going to talk to me again.
“Penny for your thoughts.” I glance up and see Nina coming my way, Brandon and Casey at her side.
“Brandon. Casey,” Gavin says and jumps up.
“What…what are you doing here?” I ask, my voice bordering on panic. Is she here to tell me off for selling a sex video and hurting her friend?
“I thought you might like to go for ice cream.”
“Can we, Mom, can we?” Gavin asks, and I don’t have the heart to say no.
“Sure, that would be nice,” I say.
Nina glances around. “Can you get away?”
I snort, and shake my head. “I have all the time in the world. I was just fired.”
Nina’s face falls. She leans in and hugs me. “I’m so sorry, but you don’t need this place. Not anymore.”
God, she is so wrong about that. Everyone might think I made bank with the video, but they’d be wrong, and my bank has the barest of savings, especially after treating Liam to a night at the cabin.
“I just need a second.” I struggle really hard to keep myself together and my tears at bay as I head to the back room and gather my things. I swallow hard, swat away the water leaking from my eyes, and plaster on a smile as I meet Nina and the boys.
“All set?” she asks.
I nod, and we head outside. The sun falls over us, but it does little to warm the chill in my bones. I glance around. “Walk or drive?” I ask.
“I’ll drive,” Nina says, and I’m grateful for that. I don’t have the concentration and will likely wrap old Dixey around a lamp pole.
We all climb into her SUV, and I turn to find her staring at me. Liam is her friend, not mine, and she’ll always take his side, but she’s here with me now, so that counts for something. Can I open up to her? “Nina.”
“Yeah?”
I bite the inside of my cheek hard enough to cause pain. “I think I made a big mistake.”
She gives me a smile, reaches across the seat and gives my hand a squeeze. “You really love him, huh?”
I nod, and try so hard not to cry. I don’t want to upset Gavin, Brandon or Casey, and I’m so grateful that Nina still wants them to be friends. “I think you two need to talk.” She starts the vehicle, and pulls into traffic.
I shake my head as I stare at the road through watery eyes. “I don’t think he’ll ever talk to me again.”
“Why is that?”
“Because he thinks I sold the video of us. It’s not the first time something like this happened to him, some girl betrayed him.”
“Yeah, but you’re not ‘any’ girl.” I stare at her, and she gives me a soft smile. “What made you fall in love with him?”
I laugh and curl
