Page 86 of His to Teach
“Don’t.”
Mercedes appears with her coat. “Would you like me to call for that cab, Miss Cain?” she asks kindly, ignoring me.
“Yes, please,” Harper whispers.
“Right away.”
“I’ll wait outside.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Mercedes assures her.
Harper manages a watery smile for the receptionist. “I could use the fresh air.”
Mercedes casts me a suspicious glance. “You can be assured the parking lot is well-guarded and there are security cameras.”She raises an eyebrow at me, even as she speaks to Harper. “Should anyone bother you.”
I roll my eyes. Like I’m the one she should be concerned with here, not the complete stranger she’s about to get in a cab with.
“Thank you,” Harper says, voice a little stronger. “For everything.”
“I hope to see you back soon.”
Not if I can fucking help it. I follow Harper out into the cool night air, wanting to wrap her up in my coat when she shivers under her own thin one. But I doubt she would let me do that, so I focus on the more important thing. “Please don’t take a cab.”
“Nate, I take cabs all the time,” she says, sounding exhausted now.
“Not on my watch,” I argue.
She spins to face me, eyes wide and burning with anger. “You don’t get to do this,” she says, her voice rising. “You don’t get to keep…rescuing me!”
I know I should keep my distance. Know that the closer I get to her, the harder it will be to let go again. But I can’t seem to help myself. I take a step closer, not missing the way her breathing picks up as I near. “I will always rescue you.”
“No!” she cries, pain dripping from the single syllable. “Youwon’t. Because you gave me up. You decided you didn’t want me anymore.”
My heart goes cold. “That isnotwhat happened.”
She shrugs, looking smaller, suddenly. Small and vulnerable. “It comes down to the same thing, doesn’t it? You’re not going to be in my life anymore. You’re not going to be there to make sure I get home safely or keep me from meeting the wrong guy.”
The picture she paints makes me feel insane with panic. And still she watches me with those sad eyes. “You made that choice, Nate. So now I have to take care of myself.”
No. Everything about this is wrong. I’m supposed to take care of her. Taking care of Harper is the most primal, elemental act I can think of. Screw her brother, screw the university. Keeping this woman safe is my fucking purpose, no matter what.
Before I can tell her that, a cab pulls up to the curb. I reach out for her but she steps out of my grasp, never once looking back.
A moment ago, I had thought her vulnerable, but now I can see the truth. There’s more strength in the set of her shoulders than I’ve ever seen on any man. Even with all the pain I know she’s feeling, she’s still fucking standing tall.
And all I want to do is sink down to the pavement under the weight of letting her go.
NATE
Philip insists on driving me home. I’m fairly certain I’m sober by now—my anger at seeing Harper with Aden Roth burned away whatever buzz I had. But the pain of watching her get into that taxi on her own has gutted me to the point that I don’t have the strength to argue with my old friend when he all but forces me into his waiting Bentley.
He does me the favor of not talking to me during the ride, leaving me to dwell on how shitty I feel in peace. The respite doesn’t last long. Instead of pulling up to the curb in front of my house, he circles the block until he finds a spot, then parks.
“You don’t have to come in,” I mutter, reaching for the door handle.
“Yes,” he says quietly. “I do.”
I still have zero energy to fight him, so I lead the way up the steps to my townhouse. Only when I pull out my keys do I realize that in my haste to get to the club earlier, I left the door unlocked. Philip casts me a concerned glance, but doesn’t say anything about the uncharacteristic carelessness.
