Page 55

Every nerve in my body feels in tune to how close we are. Warmth radiates from her skin. I’m careful, moving slowly, guiding her arm back and forward again, showing her how to release at just the right moment. We stand close enough that I feel the hitch of her breath and notice the goose bumps that coat her arms when my chest brushes against her back.
“You’re thinking too much,” I say near her ear, my voice lower. “Just feel it.”
She tilts her head slightly, turning her face toward mine. Our eyes lock for a breathless instant. My pulse spikes, tension winding through my chest, as desire dances against the invisible line that keeps us apart.
Then, slowly, she turns forward again and flicks her wrist just as I taught her. This time, the stone skips—one, two, three, and even four times before disappearing beneath the surface.
Harper spins around, her face glowing, her eyes bright with excitement. “Did you see that?”
I step back with a smile, creating space, sucking air into my lungs as I try to regain composure. “Not bad.”
She lifts an eyebrow, her mouth curving. “I’d say it was pretty damn good actually.”
“Oh, don’t get cocky,” I tell her.
Her confidence sparkles in her eyes, and it almost undoes me.
She picks up another rock and repeats the process, and it skips even farther. I grin proudly and force my gaze away, silently reminding myself to breathe. I toss another rock, and it doesn’t go nearly as far.
“You didn’t try!” she says.
“Uh, yes, I did,” I tell her, taking the bottle and chugging, needing to relax.
After we’re both too buzzed to care anymore, we sit on the blanket, soaking in the sunshine. The cool breeze brushes over our skin. Harper’s so close to me that I can’t concentrate on anything else.
“I needed this,” she admits. “I don’t know if I want to ever leave this place.”
I turn to her, watching her hair blow, and smile. “I always feel like that when I come here,” I admit. “My sister and I used to do this when we were kids. Brandy was undefeatable.”
Harper’s smile slightly falters. “I admire you. You’ve been through so much, and you’re so resilient.”
“I could say the same about you,” I mutter as we both reach for the tequila with a laugh.
Two more gulps from each of us, and we lie back on the blanket and watch the fluffy clouds pass by.
Harper eventually turns her head toward me, and I meet her eyes. Our faces are inches apart and I imagine sliding my mouth across hers.
“What do you think would’ve happened had you kissed me the night of Billie’s eighteenth birthday?” she asks as if she could read my thoughts.
I think about the question. “I probably would’ve hurt you.”
Harper’s brows furrow. “What?”
“I was twenty-six and didn’t know what I wanted in life. You were obsessed with me. I would’ve used and discarded you like I did everyone else back then. I was running away from too many demons.”
“And now?” she asks.
The silence draws on between us.
“You’re my purpose, Harp.”
I can’t help but study her lips, feeling the magnetic pull between us as we inch our faces closer. Harper’s eyes flutter closed, and her breath hitches, but I carefully pull away.
“Not like this,” I mutter. “Too much tequila encourages people to do things they usually wouldn’t.”
Her gaze pierces through me, and she groans, lying back on the blanket with frustration. “Still the unwanted one.”
I burst into laughter, my vision blurring from the booze. “Shut the fuck up. You’re the woman everyone wants and can’t have. The girl who almost got away.”