ARROGANT | HS |

THIRTY TWO

Harry

"Are you ready?"

Standing outside of my parents house, I look over at Murphy as I gently squeeze her hand in mine.

"No." Turning to look at me, she swallows thickly. "I mean, yes — but no."

Cupping her jaw in my hand, I lean down to place a gentle kiss to her soft lips. "What's wrong, Murph?"

"What if they don't like me?" Tears form in her bottom lash line as I shake my head.

"That's not possible." Sliding my arm around her waist, I pull her in close to me. "Everyone has talked about how excited they are to meet you. Plus, it's kind of like you've already met through facetime."

Blowing out a shaky breath she nods. "Right. I just have to get over the idea that they are going to hate me."

"Everyone is going to love you, okay?" I press one last kiss to her lips before taking the few steps up to the front door.

This trip with Murphy has been more than I could have ever imagined.

When we were first paired together, the first thing that came to my mind was how I was going to get out of it. What could I do to make sure I didn't have to spend any time with the woman I despised?

Now?

Now I would sell every last piece of my soul to the devil just in order to spend three seconds in the same room with her.

We closed on our deal within the first few days of our meetings which gave us one of the most lucrative deals in our company's history.

Murphy was a complete and total powerhouse.

One of the most intelligent women I've ever known, she continues to blow me away every day with all that she is.

It's becoming so clear to me how the feelings I've been carrying around with are growing exponentially and turning into something as simple as riding a bike.

Loving Murphy is one of the best things I've ever allowed myself to do. Everything that she is pulls me deeper and deeper.

Bringing her to meet my family doesn't seem like a big deal to me for how much time I've spent with hers. Murphy has talked with my parents and Jordan on multiple occasions on the phone and through facetime and they've always got along so well. Jordan has told me on multiple occasions how excited she is to feel like she has someone other than me to talk to.

Even with that I knew why she was so nervous.

Murphy put herself through hell with a man who didn't appreciate her or treat her even remotely close to how you would treat someone you wanted to spend your life with.

God, I fucking hate that man.

David never should have had the privilege of even talking to Murphy.

He took something wild and precious and stuffed her into the lines and boxes that worked for his life — never once taking her wants and needs into consideration.

Even his own family treated her like she wasn't even worth their time.

Murphy has opened up to me so much about how they made her feel and how alone she felt.

A time in her life that should have been exciting and full of happiness, planning a wedding, turned into one of the most stressful experiences of her life. Watching someone else take all her own ideas and throwing them away and telling her that they weren't good enough.