Page 67 of On the Double

Silence filledthe house as the early morning light filtered into the room. I tiptoed from the couch to the bathroom and quickly did my business. As quietly as possible, I folded the blanket and grabbed my shoes. I was out the door before the sun was fully up in the sky.

Brushing my hair from my face, I walked through the grass, bypassing the other houses as my shoes dangled from my fingers. I could have put them on, but I always enjoyed the feel of the cool grass on my feet. Several men were already up, sitting on their porches and drinking what I assumed was coffee. They waved, giving me strangelooks as I passed. I wondered how far I would be able to make it before Edu received a phone call. I had no doubt he would since these men all seemed to be in each other’s business.

As it turned out, I made it as far as the burnt building before I heard the dust kick up behind me and tires skid to a stop. Sighing, I glanced over at Edu, who was sitting in the truck, glaring at me like I was the problem.

“Harper, get in the damn truck.”

I spun on him, thrusting my hand to my hip. “Are all your friends this nosy?”

“Worse,” he snapped. “Now, get in the truck.”

I wasn’t about to start an argument with him in the middle of the property, so I stomped over to his truck and climbed inside, slamming the door behind me.

“What the fuck were you thinking?”

I slowly turned my gaze on him. “Is this your way of apologizing for your attitude yesterday?”

“Apologize for what?” he argued. “I did nothing wrong.”

I snorted in amusement and stayed silent as he pulled out of the drive and headed into town.

“I don’t know what the fuck you think I should apologize for. I was just making my position clear.”

Again, I snorted and didn’t say a word. His frustration mounted on the other side of the truck. It was clear he didn’t know what to do in this situation, having never been in a relationship before. Not that we were in one. But the way he talked to me was beyond anything a respectable human being would say to another. My fantasies about him went down at least ten percent with every word he said.

“Alright, I may have overstepped yesterday, but seriously, what are you doing with your life?”

Eyes wide and jaw hanging open, I stared at him in astonishment. If this was his version of an apology, he was failing miserably. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Let’s say that we’re friends. You would want another friend to step in if there was a problem, right?”

“Friends,” I said, testing the word. “You…think we’re friends?”

“We did sleep together,” he pointed out.

“Yes, but you also made it clear that it was nothing more than sex.”

“I—”

“And now you’re trying to use that sex as some kind of way to have the freedom to say whatever you want about me by claiming the friendship card.”

“No, you’re misunderstanding my meaning.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I cocked my head at him. “Then, please, clear things up for me. I would love to know how I’m misunderstanding the way you insulted me last night and are continuing to do so today.”

His jaw clenched hard as he stared out the window. As many times as he opened his mouth, he closed it again, proving he had no way to justify the things he had said to me. By the time we pulled up to my house, it was well beyond the point of return for his argument.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said, hopping down from the truck. I slammed the door and trudged into the house. I still had to get ready for my workday. What should have been a magnificent night, filled with all my dreams and desires unfolding in this beautiful, magical way, was instead tarnished by his harsh words. “Rough night?” Oliver asked, sipping his coffee in the kitchen.

I didn’t want to talk about it, so I ignored his comment. “Where are Grams and Grandpa?”

“Still sleeping. They took Mom and Dad’s old room.”

I nodded. “Did you get the job with Duke?”

He grinned at me. “I start in two weeks.”

“That’s great,” I smiled, feeling really happy for him, but it brought about feelings of sadness after the words Edu spoke to me.

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