Page 15 of Never Been Worse

“The band needs to go on a break.” Her eyes go wide. “It’s for good reasons, but your face tells me you know the band’s history and what happened the last time we went on a break. You know Riggins’s history?”

She cringes then nods. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume and think the worst, I just?—”

I shake my head before cutting her off. “No, it’s fine. It’s his history, our history, and we don’t shy away from it. But that’s where everyone is going to jump to.” A small smile plays on my lips. “Stella’s actually pregnant.”

“Oh my god!” Harper says with a gush, her face lighting up and warmth filling me. I know Ava and her friends have gotten close to Stella, so they probably know she and Riggs have been trying for some time. “Oh, she’s going to be the best mom. She and Ava will have babies around the same time!” Harper claps her hands excitedly.

“Yeah, but she’s high-risk and wants to keep things under wraps for a while. She doesn’t want to have the press hounding her about it. Things just barely settled down for them after everything that happened.”

Harper nods with understanding. “So you need some kind of diversion?” she asks thoughtfully, and I nod. “Something to explain why the band would need to go on a break without the press jumping to the worst-case scenario.”

“Yeah.” My smile shifts into a grin, knowing what I’m about to say will sound absolutely insane but also knowing it could solve a lot of problems. “How do you feel about a quickie wedding?”

Her face slackens, and I fight back a laugh.

“A…a wedding?” she asks, confused. “Who’s getting married?”

“Us, if you say yes.”

“Us?” she squeaks out.

“You said you can’t get back at your ex, but you bid on this date because I’m in his favorite band. From what I remember, the night you, Ava, and Jules came up into the VIP section, that was the reason, too, right?”

She nods. I remember that night perfectly and the way the gorgeous redhead in front of me walked up into the space. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her the entire night.

“Why not up the ante?”

“Bymarryingyou?” she asks incredulously.

“Don’t make it seem like some kind of horrible jail sentence,” I say with a laugh and a shake of my head. I knew suggesting this would fluster Harper, but also, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. I’ve been waiting for the moment when I could try to get closer to Harper, intrigued by her since I first met her, and this is the perfect opportunity.

“I’m sorry, it’s not. God, it’sdefinitelynot a terrible thing. I mean, just look at you.” A blush burns over her cheeks, and she shakes her head frantically, copper locks shifting as she does. “You know what I mean?—”

“I don’t think I do. Please, feel free to elaborate,” I say, sitting back with a smile and crossing my arms on my chest. The blush on her cheeks burns brighter, but she glares at me and rolls her eyes.

Right then, I think I could like this, bantering with Harper, the back and forth of it, her poking at me and me poking back. I could like it a lot.

“I just mean, it’s crazy, isn’t it?”

I shrug, trying to play it off. It’s not the mostsaneproposition, but I won’t be telling her that.

“We could benefit from each other, and it’s a common-sense pairing. We have similar friends, live in the same town, the whole nine. We need a distraction, and a wedding and a whirlwind relationship would help with that. You want to make it so that ass can’t touch you? I can help with that,” I say, leaning forward.

I want her to say yes to this.

I can’t think of something I’ve wanted more in a long, long time.

I’ve spent two years watching Harper, becoming friends with her and hating that she was with a man who didn’t value the beauty, kindness, and intelligence that she has.

This is my chance, and I’m going to take it.

“Isn’t that…kind of crazy?” she asks, and I shake my head.

“No. It’s fun. Plus, then you can say that the ten thousand dollars you spent on this date really did go to your wedding.” She smiles at that, and I think with that alone, I might be getting through to her.

“I…that’s crazy, though.”

“It’s spontaneous, maybe, but I wouldn’t call it crazy.”

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