That never would have flown well if I was just August. I would have stumbled, tripped probably, but with the confidence of Troy Hartman, well, the Troy he typically was, not the child he was regressing to now, it was easy.
Harper Maxwell made it very clear he was the one she couldn’t get over after all these years. It was the only thing about my brother I envied.
I hit ignore on a call from one of my associates who was working on an important transaction this evening and I knew he’d be calling back.
I always made myself available to my team, and this broke me inside. I couldn’t very well answer that call and start talking about investment strategies with Harper here.
When he called again, I got antsy. “Get off the next exit. I’ll call an Uber.”
“I’m sorry—am I driving too slow?” she shouted, clearly annoyed. Then hit the gas and veered lanes so we could pick up the pace to ninety miles per hour.
I grabbed onto the door handle. “Harper, slow down. You’re going to get us killed.” I looked over, expecting to find her in full on road rage, instead, my chest clenched finding a beautiful, brilliant smile on her face as she swerved the wheel.
“This is so cool; I could never do this upstate. Especially when my parents were in the car.” Her smile fell only slightly, but I noticed.
Slipping my phone away, I put a hand over hers on the shift handle and spoke in a soft voice. “Slow down, Harp. We’ll make it.”
She nodded rapidly, keeping her eyes on the road. “I’m doing you a favor here, Hartman.”
“You’re right. You’re right, I apologize.” I could feel her unshed tears and it broke my heart to just ignore it. Harper didn’t know me well, other than I was the strange twin who was obsessed with robotics and arithmetic.
When in fact, my obsession was surrounding myself with things my brother couldn’t follow. Couldn’t take away from me.
No one could have known that I had a crush on Harper Maxwell in high school. So the fact that Troy asked her out halfway through senior year, was coincidence.
I had to believe that.
“I heard about Annie, Harp, I’m so sorry.” My voice was low and a little gruff, but it was only because it bothered me that she didn’t know who this was coming from.
“It’s fine,” she shook her shoulder casually, then added, “thank you.”
It wasn’t fine. I didn’t know if she was just holding back because she wasn’t alone or if she was just used to fighting emotion.
I pulled out my phone at the vibrating sound.
Ryan:What’s the story? Am I telling coach that Troy is MIA?
Me:I’m on my way.
Ryan:Good. Be ready to suit up.
I gave Harper the directions Ryan texted me for the side entrance so I wouldn’t be caught by the incoming crowd.
“Pull up at that blue door, Ryan said he sent someone.”
She pulled to a stop by the door where two men were waiting. As soon as she put the car in park, the two split, racing to either side of the vehicle, swinging our doors open.
“Come on, let’s go.” The one pulling open my door urged. Harper began to argue, since she clearly wasn’t planning on staying, but with the overhead speakers that the game was about to start on the side of the building, she wasn’t heard.
Instead, one pointed to the parking lot and mouthed something before driving off with her car.
“Wha—”
“It’s fine, I’ll get the keys back to you later. Come on.” I took her hand, feeling that same spark from when I’d touched her on the street. She’d never know that at one point in my life, I’d have died to hold her hand this way. For her arm and right side of her body clinging to me for safety the moment I reached for her.
As opposed to now, where I’d just about do anything tonot feelthose same things.
With no time for explanation, the two of us were forced to follow the taller ninja up two flights of stairs and one extra-long hallway that I remembered led to the locker room.
