Chapter 81


    Chapter 81


    Harper


    "Sooocoon." Sadie says a half hourter after I''ve changed my sheets with my cheeks heating every


    time


    while she gives me side eye. I''m not that bad of a friend, clearly we just had sex and that would be


    weird. "You guys...doing good?"


    | put on the duvet andugh. "Define good?"


    "Great? Awesome? Does he make you want to run out into a random field and go all Disney on his ass


    while you sing about your feelings or...." Her voice trails off.


    Iugh. "It''s at least notplicated anymore." | frown.


    “We talked, actually other than some weird texts he got after dropping me off at my house...| don''t


    know...it was different, deeper.”


    She snorts. “Deeper?”


    | scowl."Not that way, it''s just, we had some really good conversations and | finally feel like we''re at a


    good ce.


    | know it''s easy to get insecure. | mean it''s Easton and | just have a really good feeling | can''t exin it


    any other way.”


    Her face changes. Uh-oh trouble in paradise? "That''s


    good, Harper.”


    “Sit.” | pat the bed. “And try to forget | just had sex here.”


    “Yeah the floor is good!" She quickly sits on the floor and looks up at me. "Okay so it''s your brother. |


    don''t even


    know how to have this conversation with him sleeping a few doors down, even though | know he knows


    it''s gonna


    happen because we''re best friends.”


    | get on the floor, grab a pillow and lean back against my bed. "Start at the beginning then." N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    She exhales. "Yeah that''s not gonna be a short story and it''ste..let''s just say, things were going well


    because neither of us were taking anything seriously which is my


    fault because | didn''t want to scare him away."


    Yeah Ryan gets scared easily, | think to myself. "So what''s wrong now?"


    "That''s the whole issue!" She throws her hands up. "He''s been amazing but not himself. | think |


    honestly freaked him out with this whole, ‘hey let''s be casual’ thing and now we both don’t know how to


    have the rtionship


    talk."


    "Ah," | nodded. "Yeah | can see that, he''s worried you''re


    worried about the things he''s worried about and—"


    "Everyone is fucking worried!” She hisses. “And | just want to be with him and enjoy him and..." She


    starts tugging her ponytail. “| want us to be official. Okay?”


    | smile, | can''t help it. "Okay, so why not say that?"


    "Communication isn''t our strong suit,” she grumbles. “It''s


    more like, oh look a mouth | should kiss it, oh look a dick |


    should—"


    "Yeah I''m good." | hold up my hand. "No need to get


    descriptive.”


    "Sorry," Sheughs. "But seriously his—”


    "Time out !" | interrupt. "Nope, not going there nope. Find a new best friend, eww my brother.”


    We fall into fits of giggles and soon we''reying on the


    ground with pillows surrounding us and nkets, almost


    like a fort.


    "Life is crazy,” | say. "If you would have told me all this months ago, | would''veughed in your face."


    “Yeah.” She grips my hand. “High school, am | right? It''s both the best and the worst.”


    | blow out a breath | didn''t realize I''d been holding.


    "Right."


    She turns on her side and gives me a yful shove. "I have a good feeling though, about you guys,


    about me and Ryan, things are finally looking up. ke hasn''t started shit and Aisha just seems pissed


    at the world.


    Maybe they deserve each other."


    "Haha," |ugh but feel guilty because ke really has been nice to me, despite what everyone thinks


    or believes.


    | frown.


    "Hey,” She nudges me. "Promise me we''ll get a good night''s sleep and stop overthinking things? After


    all, that''s what girls are so good at and our guys for all their dumb dumbness have been really good,


    you know? Maybe we should start trusting more and doubting less."


    Something makes my chest go tight.


    It’s my paranoia.


    Because she''s so freaking right. This whole time I''ve been questioning what''s right in front of me.


    | nod, then grab my phone and send Easton a quick text to see if he''s okay but also because | miss him


    and while he couldn''t have stayed the night, | still would have liked more minutes by his side, touching,


    talking,ughing.


    Me: Get home okay?


    Easton: You know it, how''s my girl doing?


    I smile.


    Me: Good. Hey thanks for those things you said today...


    just...| think | needed that.


    He takes a minute to get back to me then types out.


    Easton: I''d do anything for you...anything.


    Me: | know.


    Easton: Hopefully you''ll never have to know the depths I''ll


    go to for you, Harper. Sleep tight, beautiful.


    Something about the way he says it has me frowning.


    Me: Sleep well too, I''tl miss you.


    Easton: Damn cock blocking Sadie.


    |ugh and text him back.


    Me: Cut her some ck, she’s feeling things.


    Easton: | am too...my dick getting hard and my heart missing you.


    Me: How can that be both romantic and offensive?


    Easton: It''s a gift, wee to rtionships.


    My heart does a little skip as | stare at his text, the fact that he''s acknowledging us again just solidifies


    the way | feel about him, because he gets it too, and he cares, and nothing is going to stand in the way


    of us being together.


    Fight me.


    Me: <3


    "Shit I''m tired." Sadie yawns. “Let''s go to bed before we get a second wind again, yeah?"


    "Yeah, yeah,” | nod and mimic her yawn then plug in my phone and crawl into bed. {t was such a good


    night. | remember his hands on me, his mouth drawing out every feeling.


    | memorize everything he said, everything he did and ignore all the red gs that had me wanting to


    question him.


    It''s fine.


    It''s going to be fine.


    Because what else could possibly go wrong?