He shrugged. “I suppose so.”

I sat up and straddled him and laid my head on his chest, while my arms squeezed his sides. My eyes started to water.

“Thank you. Just … thank you … for being there for me.”

He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. It was his silent, “you’re welcome”.

We ended up falling asleep like that for several hours, and I was the happiest I’d ever been.

My time with Harper went by way too quickly. The days after the birthday party incident were so amazing, I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that Harper had said she loved me. I was sure that some might have thought I was a complete dickhead for not saying it back to her, but I didn’t just want her to hear it … I wanted her to feel it. Also, I didn’t want to say it just because she’d said it to me. And I did, I loved her very much. There was no other woman out there for me, and it was something I’d always known. But I also wanted to make sure that she trusted me too.

Harper may be the most beautiful person I’d ever seen on the outside, but she was also extremely insecure. It was the only flaw I’d found in her and still, it was something I found endearing. Everything else about her drove me mad. If you set aside her looks, she had so much drive and determination to succeed, and I’d never seen that in another person before. She was stubborn as a mule, and shit if that didn’t chap my ass, but it was also a massive turn on to spar with her … after all, who didn’t love make-up sex? And her heart … her fucking heart was made of gold. All of these qualities made her amazing to me, but that damn insecurity of hers …

I had a feeling it had everything to do with her dad leaving her when she was young, but she hadn’t talked to me about it.

When I’d dropped her off at the airport to catch a late morning flight, it had taken everything in me not to say “fuck the tour,” and go home with her. But I’d made this commitment and I wouldn’t leave the band like that. If what Harper and I had was real, then we would make it through the distance, and end up on the other side happy … and together. I only had one more month left anyway, with a dozen cities to perform in, the last one being in Boise—my hometown. I’d head home from there, check on my dad, and spend some time with Harper. We could figure out where we’d go from there.

My cell beeped, alerting me to a text.

Harper: Hey! Made it back. Remind me 2 always fly 1 st class.

Me: lol enjoyed it huh?

Harper: Think I got drunk on the small bottles of wine.

Me: U would. U driving home?

Several minutes passed but I didn’t receive a text back. I had to l laugh at my girl boozing it up in first class, but I also hoped she hadn’t got too sloshed. I started to get worried when I didn’t hear from her. Hoping she was just at the baggage claim and couldn’t text me back, I shot her a quick message asking her to call me when she was able.

In the meantime, I kept myself busy with packing. Boston was going to be loads of fun. We would only be in Beantown for a day, before we moved on to the next destination. I concluded that there was no better way to see the US than going on a band tour.

My cell was sitting on the nightstand when it started ringing Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”. I chuckled when I looked at the screen and saw Harper’s name.

“Clever girl, stealing my tricks?”

I could hear her smile through the phone. “I’ll never tell you my secrets. Like the song?”

“I suppose. But you like eighties hair bands and a whiny chick’s voice. Any relevance?”

“Girls just want to have fun.” I pictured her shrugging her shoulders.

“Alright, very funny,” I chuckled. “Now tell me, are you driving yourself home?”

She was quiet, and I knew right then that I hadn’t received a text back from her for a reason. It made me nervous.

“Harper?”

“I’m still here. No, I’m not driving.”

I shook my head. “I hope you didn’t take a cab all the way home from the airport. That’s going to cost you a fortune.”

“No, I uh … I got a ride,” she said.

Then I knew … the tone in her voice, the way it shook when she spoke. I swallowed down the anger that was already building.

“If you didn’t take a cab, who did you get a ride from? Boise is an hour away.”

I heard someone clear their throat, then I heard a man ask Harper if she wanted something to eat. I dropped my head and sat my ass down on the bed, hard. My elbows rested on my knees and I ran a hand through my hair.

“Who was that, Harper?”

“It’s Michael. I called him to pick me up because I had too much to drink while I was on the plane. Flying makes me nervous, you know that.”

“I understand that part, but why didn’t you call me?”

“Seriously, Ky? And you could have what, come to pick me up?”

“I could have sent a car for you. Don’t be such a smart ass.”

She took a deep breath and spoke again. “I did what I thought was best, okay? Just remember what we talked about the other day. I’m still your girl.”

I did remember, and that made me feel better to hear her say it. Plus it gave me some perverse satisfaction that she’d said it in front of Michael. Take that, dick-fluffer. I shook my head to clear the anger.

“Okay. Just … call me when you get home, alright?”

“I will. Promise.”

We hung up the phone and I sat there for I don’t know how long. My mind went over every possibility that it could come up with. Was Michael talking to her about me? Was he trying to prove that he was a better man? I didn’t know. The not knowing was making me crazy. I was jealous, just like she had been.

“Fuck!” I shouted and threw my phone across the room.

Boy, that hadn’t gone well. I hadn’t planned on telling Ky that Michael was driving me home. Well, at least not until I was home and I could tell him without Michael right next to me. I could tell that he was pissed off and wanted to yell at me. It was probably a good thing that Ky wasn’t there because I had no doubt he would have hit Michael out of sheer anger.

Still in the car, and not wanting to make a big deal out of the conversation I’d just had in front of him, I turned toward Michael and gave him a small smile.

“Do you mind stopping at the burger stand outside of Mountain Home? Food will probably help the buzz.”

I was certain that whatever buzz I’d had was now officially gone after that phone call. I was anxious to get home so I could call him without someone else listening. I needed to explain to him that I hadn’t sought Michael out.

“No problem. Do you want your usual?”

I looked over at him. “How do you know what my usual is?”

Michael grinned. “I pay attention, Harper. You’ve always gotten a quarter pound hamburger, no mayo, add ketchup, extra bacon, and extra pickles. You like their homemade fries, but no salt. And you always get an extra large chocolate milkshake, although, I don’t know where you put all that food.”

Wow. I’d never realized that Michael had noticed such small details about me. If I hadn’t been so concerned about the phone call I had to make when I got home, or the fact that I was in love with someone else, I would probably have been flattered.

“I’m impressed. You either really do pay attention, or you’re a stalker and watch my every move.” I tried joking to make myself feel better.

He laughed, thankfully not noticing my mood. “Maybe a little bit of both.” He waggled both eyebrows at me.