Him coming back was all it took to turn her world upside down.
Harper Collins is perfectly content with where her life is at. Is it perfect? No. But she's content. Now a guidance counselor at her old elementary school, a volunteer safety officer...
Before reading please know that this chapter has mature content and trigger warning for violence in school.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I'M STANDING AT PATTY'S DESK telling her all about Saturday night. I choose to leave out the part about me kissing Owen though. That is still raw. The pity in his eyes when he had turned me around burned my skin right off and I yanked him into me, kissing him full-force. I took that as my official rejection and that he will never develop any feelings for me.
But God, did I want that kiss to last forever.
Daniel was nice though and charming, but he's still not Owen. I bounce a pencil on Patty's desk. "He was sweet Patty. I think I'll take him up on the second date."
She gives a motherly smile that says, sweetie I know that's not what you really want. "Harper, Daniel told me you and Owen were constantly flirting with each other."
I give a heavy sigh. "We were just being our normal selves. All brotherly and sisterly."
Patty gets up from her chair and crosses her arms, placing them on the high part on the desk where I'm at. "I'm going to quote exactly what Daniel said... Brother's don't look or touch their sisters the way he did."
I shift on my feet and push the pencil back and forth on its eraser. "I love him Patty but he doesn't feel the same way."
She tugs on a piece of my hair then tucks it behind my ear. "He loves you. He just might not know it yet."
We say nothing, allowing the morning silence to bring in some peace before the school day. A knock on the door interrupts the pleasant sound of bird's chirping. Patty and I see Owen holding up a bag filled with my favorite breakfast.
"I've got an order of bacon, egg and cheese egg rolls with a side of tater tots."
Come to momma.
I snatch the bag out of his hand mumbling my thanks. Patty gives him a big momma bear hug. "Daniel told me how much fun he had getting to know you both."
Owen gives her his big dimple filled smile. "It was a fun night."
His eyes clash with mine and I wonder what's going on in his mind. I've never been able to tell. My attention draws to his lips and a flash back to last night makes my heartbeat as fast as it did then. When he teased me, my lips shook, my hands quaked, but when his irresistible, seductive mouth trimmed my cheek I had fully melted and all my shaking had stopped. I hum at the memory of the feeling that small moment of the most pleasing high.
It was almost as good as the kiss itself.
The sound of Patty smacking his arm brings us both back from our thoughts and stare down. "He also told me about your heroic act."
"No heroic act Mrs. Newhouse...
Patty quickly interrupts him, "For the last time. Please call me Patty."
