Page 129 of Perfect Harmony

“Tell me about it.” Addison toyed with thefriendship bracelets around her wrist.

“How did you sleep last night?” Harperasked Grace.

“Fine.”

Harper laughed. “Bullshit. This loveseatis not comfortable. I’m sorry I don’t have a spare bedroom. I’d offer to letyou sleep in the bed with Addie and me but it’s only a double.”

“Don’t apologize,” Grace said. “My insomniais back in full force anyway, so it’s not like I actually need a bed. You’reamazing for letting me crash at your place for the weekend.”

“She is amazing.” Addison smiled at Harper.“I’d be lost without her.”

“Right back at ya, babe,” Harper said. “Youboth know you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you want.”

“Maybe I should move to New York, like youdid,” Grace said. “Start fresh and forget all about stupid Gideon Walker.”

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be livinghere,” Harper said.

“Are you not happy?” Grace said. “I thoughtyou loved New York and your job.”

“I don’t hate it,” Harper said. “But it’s outrageouslyexpensive to live here, you don’t even want to know what this shithole of anapartment costs. I can’t afford to eat anything but ramen. I’m sooo sick of ramen.”

“You are looking a little on the thin side,”Addie said.

“I love my job at the art gallery, but Idunno, I thought I would be someone by now. I’m trying to break into the art scene,and I can’t get any type of footing at all. Every gallery I’ve approached hassaid ‘thanks, but no thanks’. I couldn’t get a friggin’ art show if I paidthem.”

“What about the gallery you work at?” Gracesaid. “They won’t give you a show?”

Harper laughed. “Not a chance. They’reway too high-end for my work. They call my stuff simple and cute.”

Addison scowled. “They wouldn’t knowtalent if it kicked them in the butt.”

“They do,” Harper said. “I love working thereand I didn’t expect to get a showing with them, but with all the art gallerieshere in the city, I thought I’d get at least one of them to give me a chance.”

“You’re good at what you do, Harper,”Addison said. “You just need to be patient and keep trying. You’ll be famoussomeday.”

“Doubtful,” Harper said. “Plus, my dad isacting weird lately. Every time I talk to him on the phone, he brings up theidea of retirement. He’s really not that close to retirement age and he loveswhat he does. He always has. It’s been almost six years since Mom died and Iknow he still misses her, but to give up being a vet? That doesn’t seem likehim. Did I tell you he hired some new vet to work at the clinic?”

“He mentioned it to me,” Grace said. “Doyou really think your dad is going to retire?”

“I don’t know. Something is going on withhim, and I feel like he’s going to do something or make a choice that he regrets.And I’m so far away that it’s hard for me to get a good handle on what exactlyis going on with him.”

“Maybe you should come back for a visit,”Grace said. “You haven’t been back once since you moved here.”

“I haven’t canceled my flight for September,”Harper said. She rubbed Addie’s leg with her foot.

Addison grimaced. “I don’t even want tothink about what my emotional state will be on the day I was supposed to marryHarrison.”

“Girl, I’m gonna have you so plastered, youwon’t be able to think straight,” Harper said. “Fuck Harrison and his cheatingdick.”

Grace patted Addison’s leg. “I’m sorry,honey, I haven’t even really asked how you were doing.”

“You’ve had your own stuff to deal with,”Addison said. “But to answer your question – I’m doing okay, I think.”

“Are you? You love Harrison and -”

“Loved,” Addison said. “I loved him. Maybethis makes me an awful person, but I can say with full confidence that I nolonger love Harrison.”

“I don’t think that makes you awful. Hewas cheating and he wasn’t always the nicest person to you.”

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