All At Once (Completed) - Finding You Book 1

Harper, cont.

       

Fourteen Years Ago

"Are those hickies?" Avery blinks as I walk out of her bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Maybe," I say, smiling. I spin around to face her and my eyes catch on the dress on her bed. I'll be wearing it tonight for my belated sweet sixteen party. When the Clark's offered to host it, I immediately turned them down. I was embarrassed that my friend's family wanted to give me something my own could not. But Avery, being the sweet, amazing friend she is, convinced me.

Now it's just hours away. 

"Harper!" Avery squeals and color rises in my cheeks. "Since when do you have someone to give you hickies? What have I missed? Who's the guy?" She asks as I pull on my strapless black and white dress. My fingers brush over the small bruises and when I look in the mirror, I realize how easily they'll show. 

"This was not a good dress choice for tonight. Give me your concealer. My parents are going to die if they see these," my heart pounds with rebellion.

"Honey, nothing's covering those up," she says loudly, "We need a backup dress."

She shuffles through her closet wildly. "At least we're the same size. Seriously, though...I'm shocked. Who was it?"

I definitely can't tell her, and I sort of feel guilty for sneaking around with her brother behind her back. I love her, but no matter how I spin it, she'll never accept what's going on with Rhys.

"Do I seem like the person to kiss and tell, Av?" I ask with a teasing smile. I'm not a very good liar, so I'm afraid she's going to see right through me.

"I hadn't realized you were kissing someone," she pouts. "I'll never get a boyfriend,"

But if she knew was I've been doing, she wouldn't call me lucky. Keeping this thing with Rhys quiet is getting harder by the day. His eyes bore into me from across the living room. He lingers a little too long when he passes me the rolls at dinner. He mouths things to me at the table when no one else is looking. It's a miracle she hasn't caught on yet with all the innuendos he tosses my way.

Kissing Rhys for the first time a few months ago felt dangerous and amazing. My thoughts on celibacy are fleeting, practically nonexistent. My hormones are getting the better of me, and that's perfectly normal. Rhys is older and wiser in that department, but I know I can trust him.

"Here," Avery smiles, "They're mostly at the bottom of your neck. If we just get you a little cardigan or something no one will ever know. I think I have one down in the wash," she says, biting her lip. "Come on!" She yells, pulling me down the stairs by the elbow.

"Black or white - which do you think would go better?"

"Black," his deep voice says from behind me. 

Rhys has popped up out of nowhere again, and it's no surprise. We're playing a dangerous game and I love it. We both agree it's best if Avery never finds out.

"What do you want?" Avery huffs at her brother. "I thought you were hanging out with Chris tonight,"

Rhys is still behind me, so close I feel his breath on my neck.

"Yeah well, plans changed. He's out with Samantha again, and I'm no third wheel," he says. "So now I'm completely free for the entire night," he says carefully. My heart pounds as our plan rolls into place. He never had plans with Chris. "Any ideas on what I can do to stay busy?"