Page 10 of Love, Honor, and Ink

When she opened the door, she froze, not expecting to see who waited there. Not only Harper but also Colleen. Colleen looked a bit tired, but much better than Arianna must look at the moment.

“Hey, Ari, I was walking over to get your butt off the couch when I saw your friend Colleen here get out of her car,” Harper said as he pushed his way into the house.

She glared at him before trying to smile at Colleen. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

Colleen raised her eyebrows then looked behind Arianna. She followed Colleen’s gaze to Harper’s ass and held back a grin. Well, he did have a nice ass. And neither one of them should be staring at it.

“Colleen, snap out of it,” Arianna whispered, though she smiled.

Her friend shook her head then faced Arianna. “Why did you never bring him to work or one of our lunches?”

Arianna rolled her eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter, woman. Also, I never brought him to work because he’s Justin’s brother.”

Colleen’s smile deflated. “Oh.”

“I’m not like Justin,” Harper said from the kitchen doorway, a slight growl in his voice.

“Good to know,” Arianna said absently before wincing. “Sorry. I know you aren’t your brother.” Arianna and Colleen made their way into the kitchen, and Arianna brushed by Harper, doing her best not to touch him. She didn’t know what was going on with her right then, but she needed to stop from freaking out more than she already was. She had enough on her plate. “And thank you for all of your supplies. I have no idea how you have everything ready for me already. Honestly, you have your head on way straighter than I do right now.”

Harper studied her face. “You needed help, and I was able to give it. I know you’d do the same for me if I were where you are. Hell, I was where you are a year ago when I was looking for another company to work for. You helped me get ready to work with Montgomery Inc.. That’s what friends are for.”

Not knowing what to say, and with an odd emotion clogging her throat, Arianna went to his side and wrapped her arms around his waist. He froze for a moment before returning the hug. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” he grunted then pulled away.

Arianna turned back to the table only to see Colleen staring at them with a knowing look on her face.

“What?” she asked, her voice low, though Harper would have been able to hear her anyway.

“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all,” her friend answered coyly.

Arianna didn’t believe her, but it wasn’t like she could question her friend with Harper in the room. “So, what are you two doing here? Not that I don’t enjoy seeing you, because I do, it’s just odd that you’re both here.”

“Is it?” Harper asked as he put a plate in her hand. “Eat this. You haven’t been eating right even though I put things in your fridge. I let you wallow for three days because you needed to. Now, we can make plans.”

Irritation boiled through her. She’d needed time to breathe after quitting the only thing she truly loved. She might trust Harper fully, but she wouldn’t take him making her feel like crap. “Wallow? Jesus, you’re high-handed. Maybe you should go if you’re going to be an ass about it.”

Harper gave her a look and poured iced tea. “I’m not acting any differently than I usually do. We push each other. That’s how we work. Plus, if you’re going to move on, you need someone in your corner. Or in this case, more than one someone. At least, that’s what I’m gathering by Colleen’s presence.”

Arianna sat down on the stool and took a bite of her sandwich, knowing Harper was right about the fact that sugar and caffeine weren’t the best things to live off of.

“Thank you for the food,” Colleen said as she smiled at Harper. “Okay, so why am I here you ask? I’m here for you, of course, Arianna. There’s no way I could just let you leave like that. I waited as long as I could because I know you hate letting me see you down, and I had a few things to handle at King’s, but now, I’m here. For you.”

Arianna shook her head, a sense of warmth from her friend sliding through her, mixing with the ice that had so long ago taken hold. “I’m not going back. I can’t. You know why.” On her way out the door while she’d been in her haze, Colleen had come to ask what had happened. After Arianna had explained, the other woman had even helped her pack. Not that Arianna had owned many personal things for her desk. Everything had been…fluff. Ice to go with her image and nothing too personal and emotional.

Who had she become in these past two years?

“Oh, there’s no way you’re going back,” Colleen said. “In fact, I’m coming with you.”

Tea went down the wrong pipe, and Arianna choked. Harper came up to her and rubbed her back until the stinging left her eyes. It wasn’t her fault that she leaned into his touch.

Not at all.

“You can’t come with me, honey. I’m not going anywhere for you to come with. You’re doing so well at King’s.”

Colleen shook her head. “No, I was doing well there because you protected me from your father. Even though I told you not to. He’s a freaking tyrant, and we both know it. I don’t want to be there without you. You were the driving force, and I know that anything you do in the future is not only going to be successful, it’s also going to be amazing. So, I want to be part of it. Yes, that’s selfish, but you’ll need me anyway.”

Arianna couldn’t believe it. Colleen was ready to jump ship and join her in an endeavor she hadn’t even planned yet. Planning weddings and organizing everything having to do with that special day were the only things she knew how to do, but she still didn’t have a full idea.

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