Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
18
HARLEY
Waiting was torture.
Whitt and Eve were happy to see me lounging on their couch when they came home from their date. It immediately shifted to concern when it was clear it was not a leisurely visit. Keeping Whitt from hunting Chase down was an effort in civility. Eve and Bailey pitched in.
Especially because Chase hadn’t really hurt me. Not the way Whitt was thinking. But we were still on the rocks. Which made my stomach hurt.
I went to bed, restless and feeling sick, and woke up feeling worse. I could just text or call him and see where his head was at, but I also couldn’t do that. He needed the time.
I had a new appreciation for how hard it must have been for Chase to wait and see with me. Knowing that he’d wanted me the whole time and that he also needed to give me space. He’d been right then, and I was right now.
Bailey cooked me a fancy breakfast, and we watched more ’80s rom-coms. It was a pleasant distraction while my stomach was rumbling uncertainly. I didn’t know how long I’d have to stay here. Luckily, I could fit into Bailey’s clothes even though she was taller than me, but I wouldn’t be able to do that for work on Monday. I’d have to find time to go home and get clothes. Should I send Bailey on a reconnaissance mission for me?
Ugh!
The idea of being here another whole day, let alone having to sneak back into my house to get clothes to go to work, was depressing. I was going to break before then. I could feel it. Even though Bailey insisted that I wouldn’t. I’d never done it before. But this was Chase.
Bailey popped into the shower while I was doomscrolling on my phone after lunch when the text came through.
Meet me at the lake? Our spot?
My heart leaped. Chase.
Radio silence for nearly twenty-four hours, and now, he wanted me to meet him at the lake? That was pretty ballsy of him. I didn’t even have a change of clothes. I wasn’t going to just pretend nothing had happened. Even if I’d thought about it all night.
For what?
To talk.
Why can’t we talk at home?
Harley, please, our spot. I’ll meet you there.
I wanted to shoot back that I didn’t have a change of clothes. That I didn’t want to drive twenty minutes out of Lubbock to have this conversation. I wanted to know where his head was at right now. But that was just my own impatience.
I’d meet him.
Of course I’d fucking meet him.
I rapped on the bathroom door in Bailey’s room. She opened it, wrapped in a towel. “What’s up?”
“Heard from Chase. I’m going to go meet him to talk.”
She broke into a smile. “Good! I knew he’d come around. What did he say?”
“Nothing really, just that we should meet at the lake to talk.”
Her brow furrowed. “Why the lake?”
“I don’t know. It’s our spot. I asked if we could talk at home, but he insisted.”
“Well, this is good, right?” Bailey sounded hopeful. “I’m sure this is good.”
“Can I borrow a change of clothes?” I gestured to her grungy sweats I was wearing.
“Raid my closet. I’m sure there’s something black in there.”
I rolled my eyes at her, but did just that. In fact, I found one of my own dresses in there. I held the ruffled-sleeve black dress up and arched an eyebrow at her. “Stealing my shit?”
Bailey laughed. “It’s too long on you!”
“No, it isn’t! You thief,” I said with a laugh.
Suddenly, everything felt lighter at the prospect of seeing Chase. I didn’t even know what he was going to say, but at least we were going to figure it out. I couldn’t sit around another day and wait. How had he gone months, waiting for me?
I threw the dress over my head. Despite Bailey’s insistence, the dress fit perfect. Maybe better than the last time I’d remembered wearing it. My finger went to the H pendant necklace around my neck. I’d considered taking it off last night, but I’d just tucked it into my shirt. Now, I pulled it back out, on display.
Then I hugged Bailey, thanked her for the girl time, and then headed out of the house to see my man.
The dirt road to our spot at Buffalo Springs Lake was dry and dusty. We were in a drought, as per usual in the summer, but it seemed even dustier than normal. Chase’s Subaru was parked in the dirt nearby. He’d laid out a blanket on the shoreline. No Bowie in sight.
My heart beat furiously at the sight of him staring off at the water. His hands in the pockets of his khakis. A white Polo completing what was a dressed-down look for him. At least he’d kicked off his boat shoes and was standing barefoot, his eyes hidden behind Ray-Bans.