“No.”
I frowned.
“Why didn’t you let me know you were home? I was just up with Gray and Emory. You could have joined us.”
“I was tired from the trip.”
“Why don’t you come over to my apartment? I don’t have much, but I can make you some toast and tea. I won’t burn that.”
She didn’t
even smile at my shit cooking skills.
“We can take a nap together.” The idea of climbing into my bed and wrapping her in my arms sounded like heaven. If we were naked while doing it, so much the better.
“No. It’s best if you go.”
I took a step toward her, but she held up a hand, and I stopped. The last thing I wanted to do was spook her.
“Please.” I couldn’t miss the frantic tone of her voice, the wildness of her eyes.
I glanced into her apartment. It looked as if she hadn’t touched any of her boxes or furniture since the movers dropped it off when she moved in. There were no pictures on the wall, no lamps lit to fight off the growing darkness outside. She had been away, but I didn’t even see a TV.
“You’re just going to spend Christmas alone?” I’d enjoyed the afternoon with Gray and Emory, her son Chris. Even her old neighbor, Simon, came to watch football and eat. They were more family than any blood relatives I ever had. But seeing Harper like this, something bothering her and alone, pissed me off. Not at her, but she shouldn’t be by herself. No one should be alone on Christmas.
“Yes.”
I shook my head. “Princess, I can’t let you do that. Come over, yeah? Besides, I’ve got a present for you.”
It wasn’t much, something silly really, but I couldn’t not get her something.
She shook her head even harder now. “No. I’m going to sleep. It’s seven hours ahead, and I’ve been up forever.”
“That’s not it.” It wasn’t.
She pinched her lips together into a thin line.
“After all the phone calls, the texts, you’re going to shut me out?”
I watched her throat as she swallowed, blinked hard. Looked over my shoulder. Anywhere but at me. “You should go. I’m… I’m taking a job in London. It would be best if we ended… it now.”
I felt as if I’d been kicked in the gut with a wicked side kick.
“It?”
“Our—” She cleared her throat. “—friendship.”
“That’s what you think this is?” I tried to keep my voice steady, but it was damn hard. I didn’t want to scare her, but I was practically vibrating with frustration. “A simple friendship?”
I could see it in her eyes, knew she was right there with me, but something was up.
“Did someone hurt you?”
She looked away. Not like before when her eyes glanced around, but she turned her head to the side, blocking me out.
“Harper. What the fuck happened?” Yeah, I hadn’t meant to swear, but if I touched her, she might freak. I had to let my frustration out somehow, like a slow bleed. Someone had hurt her, but she wouldn’t say. “Tell me.”
“No. You need to go.”