“Harper,” I say. “Answer me. What did he do? You’ve been crying.”
She ignores me. There’s no way he’s going inside. She should know better than to let some stranger bring her home. What is she thinking? At the very least, he’s aiming for a good time. She’ll regret it tomorrow.
His hand is now on the center of her back, and I grab his shoulder with my fingers digging into his bulk.
Navy shrugs me off and looks at Harper. “Do you want me to take care of this nuisance?”
That’s when my brain abandons logical thought.
I draw back and punch him. The smash of knuckles against cartilage makes a faintly crunching sound. Blood courses down his face. Pain explodes through my hand and shoots straight up my arm.
Harper screams as if I’ve hit her. I drag him away a few feet to make sure we aren’t too close.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a fight. I wonder if I’ll regret it later. Probably not. It feels too damn good.
20
Get Religion
Harper
My shift begins in ten minutes. I pick at the Dastardly’s shorts, pulling them down to cover more leg. The uniform is sized for a girl in middle school.
“Let Harper tell the story one more time.” Dane shoots a foam basketball toward the hoop mounted on his office door. It falls short.
Josie retrieves the squishy orange ball and shoots. The ball glides in. “It’s pretty unbelievable. My brother is a raging madman. Antonio is huge. What was Leo thinking? A writer can’t type with broken fingers.”
“He’s lucky that Antonio let it go. And Leo’s fingers aren’t broken. They’re probably only bruised.” I stare at my own knuckles in my lap. I can still see how Leo’s bloodied knuckles looked when I pulled his hands from their grip on Antonio’s shirt.
I focus on Dane’s desk and then look away. It makes me blush just thinking of the time I was in here with Leo.
“So,” Dane says, “Leo pops Antonio in the face—BAM—and then what? Does Antonio get one in or—” Dane darts from side to side with his fists up like he’s sparring.
“Argh. I’ve already told you. That’s it. I jumped between them because I panicked that someone would get hurt—”
“Someone? You mean Leo,” Josie says. “My brother hasn’t been in a fight since high school.”
“Leo’s fist came out of nowhere. One minute they’re both mouthy and next thing Antonio holding his nose. Leo was so fast and—”
“Leo must’ve caught him off-guard. That’s all I can figure,” Josie says.
“Go on, Harper. Josie hon. Let the girl finish her story.” Dane raises both eyebrows.
Josie throws the foam ball at his head.
I sigh. “That’s basically it. Then Antonio put his hands up in the air and his nose was bleeding and it was awful. I asked him to leave.”
“Leo or Antonio?” Dane asks.
Josie throws a pen at him this time. “Antonio. Why would Leo leave? He lives there.”
“So. Cool,” Dane says. “You and Leo make up?”
“It’s not that easy.” I bend over and place my face in my hands. I peer up at Dane. “I need a stable guy. One I can trust with my heart, you know?” I stand so I can get back to my shift.
Dane makes a sad face and nods slowly. “So, you and this Antonio guy. You’re seeing him now?”
Josie rolls her eyes. “Antonio doesn’t want to date her. He’s probably got his eye on my brother, not Harper.”
“That guy? No way.” Dane’s brow furrows into deep lines.
“Told me himself.” Josie says.
Dane grins and takes his feet off the desk. “There’s never a dull moment with you two.” He chucks my chin on the way out. “It’ll turn out how it’s supposed to turn out,” he says over his shoulder.
“He’s such a wise one,” Josie says.
It’s a Friday and I have the day off. Leo and I have passed each other in the hallway exactly two times this week. The first time, I pretended to read my cell phone while walking. The second, I held the phone to my ear and had a long conversation with myself.
It’s beyond sad that the conversation was actually interesting. I’m so lonely for Leo in my life. Still, I’m not about to apologize for anything. What would I apologize for? I don’t understand why he cares if Antonio walked me to the door.
Because even if Leo wasn’t on a date that night, he was flirting with a girl—buying her drinks, sitting next to her, letting her whisper sweet somethings in his ear. I get physically ill every time I picture the scene.
Antonio’s just a nice guy who commiserated when I started blubbering like some sad baby over losing Leo and not wanting to let go.
I pocket my cell and walk downstairs to the bakery. Today, my landlord stands behind the counter in a purple apron.
“Hey pretty lady.” Erik grabs a plate. “Let me guess. You look like you need one of my famous bear claws.”
“That’s exactly right. You are amazing.”
“No charge.” He hands me the pastry. “Let me get you a coffee.”
“Yes, please. Listen. I have something really awkward to ask.”
“Go for it. Awkward is my specialty.”
“If I can find someone to take over my apartment, can I break my lease early?” I take the coffee mug from him.
He frowns and comes around the counter to my side. “Let’s sit.”
The place is empty since the early morning crowd has already been by for their breakfast. There’s a spot in the front near the windows where I set up my breakfast and settle in.
Erik sits back and crosses his legs at the ankles. “Why do you want to move? Is the rent too much?”
“Well, no. I just…” I stare out the window. “The truth is that Leo and I don’t get along. We had this thing and now we don’t.”
“And you hate him.”
“No.” I give Erik an exasperated look. “I wish I did. Then I could probably be okay living next door. But please don’t tell him that.”
“If you have to move, I understand. You can break the lease early. But we like renting to you. Don’t do anything drastic. Sometimes, these things blow over.”
After everything that’s happened, I can’t imagine not feeling something when I see him. Seeing him at Dastardly’s is one thing. I can fake it and pretend he’s any customer off the street. We don’t have to be personal.
But some days when I stand in the hallway, I gaze at his door in hopes that he’ll open it and say he’s sorry. I want him to drag me inside and make me take a chance.
It’s never going to happen. He changes his mind too much and he’s too scared. I can’t be brave for both of us.
Erik reaches across and lays his hand on mine. “I respect and understand whatever you need. James and I can always find another renter.”
He rises and returns to the counter, throwing a sweet smile my way whenever I glance up.
My cell rings and I check the display. It’s Grandma Lulu. She’s a regular caller and I enjoy our chats, even though it’s sometimes difficult to follow along with her.
“Harper?”
“Yes, Ma’am?”
“You’re my guest at the senior citizens breakfast on Sunday morning. Be there or be square. Wear something cute. Do you have a mini-dress?”
A grin splits my face at her statement. “Oh, all right. I guess I can. And no, I do not have a mini-dress. Are you saying I need to dress up? Is there a service?”
“Yes. There’s a pastor who comes and does a very brief sermon. I don’t think I could stand anything more. But wear something short and fun. I need to remember what it’s like to be young and thin. You can shake it up.”