Page 63

Asher
Considering it done. Tomorrow.
Nick
See you then.
Their replies come fast, both confirming without hesitation.
Setting the phone aside, I close my laptop, my eyes fixed on the darkness.
Sleep won’t come easily to me tonight. But I’ll hold my ground, ready to defend Harper from whatever threat lurks. I will unravel every fucking secret Micah holds until he faces the fire for what he’s done. As I lean back against the cushions, my heart thuds unevenly, anxiety threaded through my pulse. Even with the cabin wrapped in silence, my thoughts race, every uncovered detail pressing hard on my chest.
It would’ve taken me longer to put these pieces together if it wasn’t for Harper. Sure, I knew he was a pile of dog shit and was making dirty deals in back rooms, but what he’s currently involved in is much deeper than I thought. Micah Rhodes has to be stopped. Now.
Harper and Billie both deserve peace, safety, a life untouched by this motherfucker. I don’t know the details of everything he did to Harper, but the thought of it makes my jaw clench in frustration.
Suddenly, as if summoned by the ache deepening inside me, a memory of Eden rushes forward, and it’s bittersweet, strikingly clear despite how long it’s been.
Eden sitscross-legged on my couch, looking at me with those gentle eyes, her voice warm.
“We were always temporary, Brody,” she says, regret softening her words. “But you deserve more than this. You deserve someone who can be everything you need. I’m not emotionally available.”
I shake my head, stubbornly denying her logic. But Eden smiles, almost knowingly, leaning forward to touch my cheek briefly with her fingertips.
“Harper,” she says, her gaze steady. “You’re clearly in love with her. Maybe you should finally give her a chance.”
“Are you breaking this off?” I ask.
“Brody, why are you fighting this? We were a fling. That’s it. I care about you, but I cannot be with you in the capacity you want. You know who you should spend the rest of your life with. It’s not me.”
I brushed her suggestion aside,too tangled in complications and fears. But tonight, as I sit alone, Eden’s words carry new meaning, heavier than before. She knew what I always refused to see.
Harper has always been there, waiting, holding a piece of my heart I’ve never admitted was hers.
My breath catches at the thought, at the regret of not listening sooner. But maybe now, it’s finally time to honor Eden’s memory—to trust her wisdom, even in death, and actually let Harper in.
Pushing to my feet, I move slowly back toward the bedroom, pausing in the doorway. Harper lies curled on her side, the moonlight tracing her face. Her breathing is deep and peaceful, the earlier anxiety erased by sleep.
I slide into bed beside her, settling close without disturbing her. Almost instinctively, she shifts toward me, her body seeking mine. When her hand finds my chest, her fingers curl into my shirt, and I relax. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this.
Harper is exactly who I’ve always needed—and I’ll fight the whole damn world before I let anyone take her away from me.
* * *
I shift slowly,immediately aware of Harper nestled against me, her body pressed against my side. Her head rests comfortably in the curve of my shoulder, one arm loosely draped over my chest. I’m growing used to waking up like this. I lie still, savoring how perfectly she fits against me. It feels dangerously good, dangerously right.
As if sensing me, Harper moves closer with a soft sigh. Her hair tickles my skin, her breath warm against my neck, igniting something deeper inside me. The tension I’ve held at bay suddenly tightens, making my pulse quicken and my body ache with desire. My jaw clenches as I fight for control.
Slowly, Harper’s eyelashes flutter open, her sleepy eyes meeting mine. For a heartbeat, we just stare at each other, the intimacy stretching between us as I push hair from her face.
“Morning,” she whispers, her voice soft and husky with sleep, sending a rush of heat through me.
“Good morning,” I reply, knowing today is a new day, a new beginning.
Her eyes glance down, then widen when she notices what’s causing the sheet to tent upward. A soft, amused snicker slips from her lips before she bites back a grin.
“Really?” she teases, her eyes sparkling playfully. “You always wake up, ready for battle?”