Chapter 123


    Harper


    "No."


    It''s all I can say, alll can think. No. No. No. No. “Harper.”


    He reaches for me.


    All I can do is p his phone into his hand and turn away from him. This isn''t okay. Nothing about this


    is okay. He has a naked picture of the school counselor on his phone in order to ckmail her and he


    never told me.


    He fucking left me that night and lied. The problem is his lies.


    Had he just said, oh hey, btw, this woman is the worst and I slept with her and here''s everythingid out


    on the table, full disclosure, like he SAID he was going to do. I feel sick to my stomach.


    Forget feeling like shit this morning thanks to my cold. Nothingpares to this feeling of finding that


    photo on his phone.


    I turn around and start to walk away. “Harper.”


    The way he says my name kills a part of my soul.


    He says it like a prayer every time, and it''s so damn hard not to fall to my knees and worship the way


    he treats me or how I thought he treated me.


    I think back on when I was sick and he dropped stuff off, I think back on all the times he was my rock


    and I wonder what I did wrong to make him feel he couldn''t trust me, when he fucking lied and said he


    did.


    I want to be his as much as he''s mine. So why doesn''t it work?


    Why are there so many obstacles the minute I think things are okay?


    The stress is starting to really get to me.


    “Not now,’ I finally say. It''s all I really can say without puking all over the sidewalk and I make my way


    back into the school for myst ss. Shit. I know I probably look horrible. I rush into the girls bathroom


    and grip the sink, then stare at my reflection, wondering why it''s hard to even recognize myself


    anymore. The door opens. “Girl, Sadie says.


    "I saw you running, are you okay?”


    "Yes."


    I fib. And then fall into broken sobs. "No, he I—lied. He went to her and I had his phone...”


    After checking all the Stalls it only takes me three minutes to tell her before the bell rings. “This isn''t


    over.”


    She juts a finger at me. “If Ryan knew about this, I''m burning his ass with a fucking torch!"


    I sniffle and shrug. "Can you at least tell me I don''t look like hell before I head over to gym?"


    She winces. “Maybe just...put on some lipgloss?”


    "Lipgloss doesn''t fix broken hearts,”


    I point out. "No."


    She braces my shoulders with her hands.


    “But it does give you more power when you''re wearing lipstick. Ask my grandma, she''s eighty, and red


    lipstick still gets herid."


    Iugh through my tears. “I knew I liked your grandma.”


    “Everyone clearly does."


    She winks. "Put on the pink gloss, go to gym, ignore him for the rest of the afternoon.


    You only have fifty minutes of hell before you can sneak into the liquor cab or DoorDash fries, kay?"


    I nod and swallow the giant sized golf ball in my throat, trying to clean up my face as much as possible


    before I head to gym.


    With Aisha and ke.


    Yay, the hits just keeping. I don''t even have a phone I can utilize just in case Easton actually does


    have a better confession or exnation.


    I want to say we''re done, but right now I just need a break from it all before I rage.


    I change into my gym clothes and walk into the giant space.


    Aisha is off to the side, talking to Julia, and when ke sees me, he frowns as he approaches.


    Like literally thest thing I need right now is one of his pep talks.


    I turn away as the teacher blows his whistle. “Line up, we''re ying badminton! Find a partner and


    remember if I see any more cell phones out or Toks or Tiks— whatever the hell you kids call it being


    filmed, it''s detention.


    You know things happen in actual real time here at school and filming your life for the world to see


    because you want to be an influencer isn''t how it''s done if you want to go to college."


    “Someone''s pissed, ke says from behind me.


    "His daughter, by the way, has two million followers on TikTok. Think he''s triggered that she makes


    more than him?"


    I smile, despite my grumpy mood, and turn around. “It''s not like teachers are rolling in it.”


    “Especially gym teachers.”


    He runs a hand through his dark hair, pieces of it falling against his high cheekbones. "Let''s team up,


    you look like you could use a win today.”


    I shrug. “Technically, you''re ying against me.”


    "Right."


    He takes a step forward until he''s inches from me, licking his lips before saying, "I suck at badminton,


    couldn''t ever get into it once I found out you technically call the little birdie shit a shuttlecock.”


    He grins. "So, what do you say?


    You wanna shuttle my cock?


    And I mean that in the most respectful way possible.”N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Our teacher starts yelling about lining up again as ke holds out the shuttlecock. And for some


    reason. I want nothing more than to grab him. Rage. And beat his ass.