Page 130 of Perfect Harmony

“Right?” Harper was working herself up,Grace could tell. “How many times did he fucking tell her to be a proper lady?How many times did he act like she was horrible if she said even the mildestcurse in front of him? He acted like she was his goddamn property half the time.”

“He wasn’t that bad,” Addie said.

“Addie,” Harper said. “We talked aboutbeing completely honest.”

“Fine,” Addison said. “He was a giant jerkand I’m better off without him.”

“Yeah, you are!” Harper clinked her glassagainst Addison’s. “Gracie, I’m trying to convince Addie that what she needs issome rebound sex. What do you say we get dressed up and go out tonight? Iknow the perfect bar, and we’re bound to find someone Addie can hit it and quitit with.”

Addison flushed. “I’m not that kind ofgirl, Harper.”

“You only think you aren’t, because Harrisonconvinced you that you weren’t. Maybe you are,” Harper said. “You won’t know untilyou try.”

She turned to Grace. “What do you say?Hell, we can find you a nice boy to have some rebound sex with too, if you’reready for -”

The knock on the door made them all jump. Harperstood and grabbed a baseball bat that was in the corner of the room.

“Seriously, Harper?” Grace said.

Harper shrugged. “I don’t live in the bestneighbourhood, Gracie-Lou. Better safe than sorry.”

She moved to the door and peered through thepeephole. “Holy fuck.”

“What?” Grace said when Harper turned and staredat her. “Who is it?”

Without replying, Harper unlocked themultiple locks on her door and opened it. Grace’s stomach plummeted to thetips of her toes and she barely heard Addie’s gasp of surprise over the thunderoussound of her heart beating in her ears.

“Hey, Gideon,” Harper said.

“Hi, Harper.” He studied the bat in her hand.“You gonna hit me with that?”

Harper grinned and rested the bat on her shoulder.“Depends. You here to beg for Gracie’s forgiveness?”

“Yes.”

“Then welcome to my lovely abode.” Harperstepped back and made a sweeping gesture with her free hand.

Gideon, his face pale but determined looking,stepped inside. There was awkward silence before Addison stood up. “Hey,Gideon.”

“Hi, Addie.”

“Um, it’s good to see you. Harper, we should…”

“Hit the bagel place down the street.” Harpergrabbed her keys and her cell phone. “Let’s go, Addie.”

They hurried out of the apartment, and Gideonhesitated before moving to the loveseat. Grace jumped up and backed away, hatingthe look of hurt that crossed Gideon’s face.

Too bad for him. You need to protect yourheart, Gracie.

“What are you doing here, Gideon?”

“I came to apologize,” he said.

“You drove all the way to New York to sayyou’re sorry?”

“You weren’t answering my calls,” he said.

“I blocked your number. I didn’t see thepoint of keeping it,” she said.

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