Page 71 of Fractured

If I looked on the plus side, our evening would be spent focused on her and not me.

Famous last words.

* * *

“You know, this is getting old.”Harper smiled as she brought the whole bottle of Moscato with her to the couch. This time, it was a different kind, like she was slowly making her way through all the flavors to pick out her favorite. She topped off our wine glasses and then set it on the coffee table so she could get comfortable and crossed her legs underneath her.

“What is?” I cupped my palm over my jean-clad knee and pressed hard, erasing as much of the palm sweat as I could on the rough material. My good mood had drastically deteriorated the longer I’d been here, and it had only been ten minutes.

“You coming to my place. I need to go to yours next time.” She gave me a shark’s smile as she rolled the stem of her glass between her fingers.

I shifted in my seat. This was the part where I should be polite and invite her over. Harper did have a point. We traded visits to each other’s house just as often as we went to restaurants and bars. “Sure,” I said as I gulped down my freshly poured drink. The sweet, cool taste went down smoothly.

“Geesh, don’t get so excited. It’s not like I’m going to snoop through your trash looking for dirty condoms or anything. One, that would be weird.” She made a comically disgusted face. “Two, we’re adults. You can have relationships with as many people as you want. What the fuck do I care? I just miss my girl, and it feels shady that I haven’t gotten to meet them. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Wow,” I said through a cough. “Wow, you’re going right for it. Not holding anything back.” I checked the time, then set my phone on the coffee table next to the pink bottle of Moscato.

Harper laughed, and her messy bun tipped sideways on top of her head. “I’m just giving you a hard time. You look really good. The last time I saw you, you looked great then too. If they can do this for you, then I’m firmly in the share-a-dick camp.” She nodded firmly.

Harper seemed extra sassy tonight. I had always loved when she was like this. It meant she was happy and not as stressed out as normal, but I was afraid if I asked her about it, she’d mention Brett, and that was a road I wasn’t ready to travel down just yet.

“Fine, I’ll introduce you to them…eventually.” I brought one leg up to hug it against my chest, resting my chin on my knee.

“All right, all right. I’ll wait. Now stop looking like a sad puppy dog.” She waved a hand and turned the TV on a classical music streaming station, then turned the volume on low.

I relaxed a little at the familiar notes of one of Randolf’s favorite songs. I couldn’t remember the name of it, but it had played a few times in his office when I’d stopped in to talk to him over the years.

Closing my eyes, I swayed with the soft melody and let myself get lost in the moment. My breath came easier, and the anxiety suffocating me slowly seemed to loosen its tight grip on my neck.

“Lilith?” Harper called.

“Hmm?” I slowly opened my eyes and focused on her.

She was concerned. It radiating off of her like a too sweet perfume.

“Are you okay?” She bent forward, her hand suspended as if she were about to touch me. Her brows were drawn low over her eyes, casting shadows across her face.

“Yeah, of course. I just had something I wanted to talk about tonight, but I’m realizing it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be. And I already knew it was going to be difficult.” I shook my head and reached for the bottle of Moscato, topping off my wine glass.

The rosy pink liquid sloshed up the sides, and tiny bubbles floated to the top before popping. After I set the bottle back down, I wiped the condensation on my thigh.

“Okay, girl.” She moved the bottle to the end table and tugged the coffee table closer so she could sit on it. Her knees touched me as she took my hand in hers. “You’re off tonight. Very off. Literally ten seconds ago, you were fine, and now you’re acting strange. Whatever’s on your mind, you can always share it with me.”

Could I? Would she still be my friend after I shattered her dreams?

I knew she would. She was my closest friend and knew me better than most anyone else, as much as I had let her know me. And I knew she wasn’t the kind of woman to throw away a friendship when I was only trying to protect her.

But would she believe me? She might think me crazy, and that ignited my fear as much as the anxiety clotting my throat.

No, the guys were right—she was my closest friend, and I couldn’t let my own insecurities stop me from doing the right thing.

“I think Brett might not be the man you think he is,” I blurted out, thinking that if I just put it out there, everything would be okay.

Harper jerked back away from me.

“What are you talking about? You’ve barely met him.” Her words were spoken with confusion more than anything else, but for some reason, they still burned me. She tilted her head to the side as a more upbeat song started in the background. It was the wrong song for this moment, making me think of sunny spring days with happy chirping songbirds than what this moment really was.

“I—” How did I tell her where this information came from? If I botched this up, she’d think me a paranoid lunatic instead of listening to the problem.

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