Page 30 of Dear Ripley

“Uh, yeah. You think I’m going to forget you telling me which flowers mean rejection? Got to have those things on standby for my enemies.”

Harlow laughed. “Have a lot of enemies, do you?”

“You think I can look this good and not have enemies?” She gestured to herself. I wasn’t entirely sure that was the look to make such a point with, but Morgan wore it well.

The two of them turned to look at me.

I wanted to ask how Alicia was, whether she was angry or upset with my note and the carnation. She obviously knew what it meant. Harlow had asked the question, but she’d already known the answer. Which meant Alicia knew the answer. Which meant the message had been received loud and clear.

And I wasn’t sure I felt okay about that.

Ridiculous since I was the one who’d sent it.

When I didn’t speak, Harlow sighed, still amused. “She wrote a reply. Though, to be fair, I don’t think she was planning on you actually reading it.”

Morgan gasped. “You stole it from her to bring it here?”

“Maybe.”

“Amazing.” She laughed, and I wasn’t sure I liked the pair of them teaming up like this.

“Whydidyou bring it here?” I asked, watching Harlow. She was Alicia’s best friend and this seemed like a betrayal.

“Because nobody sends a package like the one you did if there aren’t still feelings there—”

“I don’t have feelings for her,” I replied urgently.

She watched me through narrowed, penetrating eyes. “If you say so.”

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. They were both looking at me like they knew I was lying.

My brain was looking at me like it knew I was lying.

Still, I stared Harlow down like I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Eventually, she laughed. “So, do you want the letter or not?”

What could Alicia have possibly said? Especially if she wasn’t intending for me to read it. Which probably meant I shouldn’t read it. I wasn’t sure what I’d say to her if I thought she wasn’t going to read it, but I knew it would be a million miles from the things I’d purposely write to her.

I sighed. “You can leave it, but I’m not going to read it.”

“Yes, she is,” Morgan said immediately. And I was the betrayer?

“Oh, don’t worry,” Harlow told her conspiratorially. “I know she will, but I also know she’s going to want to save face right now and pretend she won’t.”

Morgan nodded sagely. “Easier to pretend we don’t all know the truth that way.”

“I don’t know what this is,” I said, pointing between the two of them, “but I don’t like it.”

“You will, though,” Morgan said, smiling sweetly and looking far more awake than she did before Harlow came in. “When we get you and Alicia back together, you’ll love it.”

“I won’t because we’re not getting back together. How is everyone having such a hard time with that?”

She shot me a look that implied I shouldn’t need to ask. Which, even if I did want to get back together with Alicia, I’d definitely still be asking questions about why everyone else seemed to be so into the idea.

Harlow closed the distance between us, holding the envelope out for me—that fancy, high-quality stuff again. “Well, Morgan, nice to see you. I imagine we’ll be doing business again soon.”

“Morgan doesn’t work here,” I said flatly.

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