Love and War | book 1 #Wattys2016 #tbpa2016

>> chapter 21

   I avoided Pete at work the next few days. My head was whirling with the different ways that Grant could free himself from Mindy and I couldn't be bothered by Pete's advances.

   As I stepped onto the elevator, a pen pressed into my lip, I pondered a few scenarios. Threaten her? No she probably has proof. Break into her place and steal it? She'd call the cops before I got the chance. Try and reason with her? I wish but she's psycho.

   "Harper? Harper?! HARPER?"

   I glance up to see Pete standing in the elevator scowling at me. He was dressed business casual and his hair was its usual dark mess atop his perfect head. I hadn't even noticed him or the fact that we had arrived at the parking garage. I winced before pushing past him and beginning towards my car.

   I cursed my boss for having a meeting today. I was in heels and a pencil skirt and unable to move as quickly as I'd hoped.

   Pete snagged my arm in his hand and forced me to stop. "Are you avoiding me?" Pete asked with a raised eyebrow.

   I turned to him and grimaced. "Just a little?" I tell him honestly with a shrug.

   "Seriously?! Did something happen at Lola's birthday?! I thought everything was going perfect!" He releases my arm and tangles his fingers in his disheveled dark hair.

   "It was and you're great Pete maybe just not for me?" I ask as I step away from him.

   His perfect lips pulled down into a frown as he crossed his arms. "What's going on with you? Lola says you've been weird too."

   I glare at him with the mention of Lola. Though we have been a lot better since her birthday she had no clue about Grant's confession to me. Unless he had already told her. That idiot. I mentally pull at my hair. Lola would do something totally rash if she knew that Mindy was practically blackmailing Grant to marry her.

   "No it's just since we work together I don't think it's a good idea for us to date," I say trying my best to sound believable.

   "But you want me to date Lola?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

   I nod my head and chuckle awkwardly. "I mean well we work in the same department and see each other for like eight hours a day. Plus Lola and you are perfect for each other."

   Pete shakes his head as if he cant believe what I'm saying. I can't believe what I'm saying. Though he doesn't know about my incidents with Grant I can't help but feel guilty. I tried to use Pete as a rebound and it did not go as planned.

   "So you're breaking up with me for a reason I can't know?"

   "Kind of? I mean we weren't official in the first place," and the words come out wrong like always.

   Pete glares at me before scoffing and turning to head to his car. "You're unbelievable Harper. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Pete!" I call after him but he ignores me and climbs into his jeep. I couldn't blame him for hating me at the moment. I did just drop him for some vague reason. I needed to straighten things out but I couldn't do that now.

I danced slightly around the kitchen as I prepared my dinner. My music filled the apartment and it was nearly impossible not to sway my hips. I was surprisingly in a good mood even though I had my relationship with Pete get turned around. That could be because I was supposed to be seeing Grant tonight.

Though I knew we couldn't be anything just yet and that this was technically extremely wrong it also felt exhilarating. He wanted to be with me and he would do anything to make it happen. If anyone would've mentioned the idea of this to me before the graduation I'd think they were insane.

I settled on an oversized tank and shorts. It wasn't like I needed to dress up for him, he had seen me at my worst and best. Right on cue I could hear the intercom buzz. I licked my fingers free of sauce as I headed over to it.

"Grant?" I asked suddenly feeling like we should have code names for some reason.

"As expected!" He called back and I buzzed him up.

Within the next few minutes he was coming through the door and he was relatively down dressed as well. A dark top and jeans, probably a quick change at the hospital. He slid in and placed a kiss on my forehead and I couldn't help but smile. If Mindy was out of the picture this would feel so much better.

I could feel a twinge of guilt as I looked at the scene: only a week or two earlier I had Pete over making him dinner. I was a terrible friend and coworker. I'd need to give him a much better explanation but when the time was right. He was there for the news about Mindy and Grant. Plus there was so many parts of the story I had to leave out. Once I perfected it I'd tell him the truth. At least some form of it.

"Chicken tortellini," I say as I follow behind Grant to the kitchen.

He turns and smirks at me saying, "It smells delicious."

I shrug. "I'm a good cook."

"And punctual? Whole package," he laughs.

I prepare our plates and we sit at the kitchen counter eating and talking. He tells me about some of the patients he had throughout the day. His favorite was a group of teenage girls who had to stop in with their mother. They practically begged for his number. Not shocking when you take his looks and witty personality into consideration. I mention how the internship is going fantastic and that I'm nervous because they usually only hire five or six interns and there are at least twenty of us.

It was the perfect image of what I've always wanted with Grant. I wanted to make him dinner and talk about our days. I wanted to kiss him, laugh with him, be with him. But there was a certain blond poodle who was making that impossible.

"So I broke up with Pete today..." I trailed as I stood over the sink, rinsing our dinner dishes.

Grant only grunted in response clearly not having anything to say about it. I wanted him to tell me that it was a good idea and that Mindy was going to be a thing of the past really soon.

I turned to him and I could tell he was preparing to leave. He was standing and adjusting his sleeves when I frown at him. "What?" He asks, returning my facial expression.

"You're leaving?"

"Mindy will wonder where I am. We have a lot of preparing to do with the picnic this weekend," Grant states as he moves towards the door to slip his shoes on.

I trudge up to him and take his hand in mine. "You're not going to have this figured out before then?"

Grant shakes his head and I can tell from the way he furrows his brows he is becoming frustrated. "It's not that simple Harper. We're engaged, I'm expected to be with my fiancée at the the picnic."

"And I'm suppose to stand there and watch you get congratulated for you're, I don't know, fake engagement?"

"Yes that's exactly what I expect," he snips back.

I groan before I scrunch my fingers in my brown hair. It's in heavy waves around me and I just have the urge to pull it from my skull.

Suddenly Grant steps close to me, placing his body against mine. His arm snakes around my waist and he dips his head to place a kiss right below my left ear. I'm taken by surprise and suck in a breath.

"I'm sorry..." He murmurs as he trails kisses around my ear and in my hair. "Dinner was perfect."

My eyes slide closed and I finally exhale as I relax in his grasp. "Please stay?"

A/N: what's Harper getting herself into!? Tell me what you think: is it wrong for them to be together if his relationship with Mindy is illegitimate?

As always comments and votes are appreciated!

xoxo