“Shane…”
“Just trust me… Okay?”
His words only confused me, so I said nothing as he took my hand and linked our fingers as the hostess showed us to our table. The place was full of familiar faces, none of whom I knew personally but from celebrity gossip pages instead. Some of them turned to watch as Shane pulled me through the masses, others didn’t find us interesting enough to bother.
I was too concerned about what Shane could have possibly meant to care or to notice the two women sitting at one of the best tables in the restaurant, watching us make our way toward them. It wasn’t until we were mere feet away from them that I realized my mother and stepsister were about to pounce.
Shane
I felt Harper stiffen beside me and knew that she had spotted her family. Dallas’ warning that I could possibly lose the best thing to ever happen to me echoed in the back of my mind. My stomach clenched with what could only be fear, but I pushed through it.
If I was to understand the girl I intended to spend the rest of my life with, we had to deal with this now.
Harper suddenly stopped and I was forced to turn and face her. My heart ached at the sight of her pale face and the hurt shining at me through those glasses I loved so much. “I don’t want to be here,” she whispered so softly I had to strain to hear her.
My fingers tightened around hers, and I bent my knees so that we were on the same eye level. “Why?”
She glanced over my shoulder for a moment, taking in her mother and stepsister. Before my eyes I saw her transform from a scared little kitten to a very sexy, very angry tigress. Her jaw clenched and those incredible violet eyes grew cold. I wasn’t confident that was a good thing, but at least she no longer looked like a kicked puppy.
“Let’s get this over with,” she bit out in a voice that told me I was not her favorite person any longer.
Knowing that I had hurt her hurt me twice as much. In that moment, I was ready to take her away from there and beg for her forgiveness. I could only pray that Dallas wasn’t right and that I wasn’t about to lose the beautiful creature before me. “We don’t have to stay,” I rushed to tell her. “We can go home. Make love. Forget that this ever happened.”
“No. You obviously had a reason to set this up.” I wish I knew what she was thinking behind those now arctic purple eyes of hers. “I’m not sure I care what that reason was, but whatever.”
She jerked her hand from mine when I tried to keep hold of it and pushed past me. I swallowed hard and pulled my phone from my dress pants. A rapid texted message was all I had time for before I turned and stepped beside Harper.
Monica and Ariana Calloway looked more like mother and daughter than Harper and her mom. Sure, the two other women were beautiful with their designer label dresses and makeup perfectly applied. Both had dark blonde hair that was obviously from a bottle. It couldn’t compare to Harper’s natural caramel hair. A glance at Monica told me that Harper must have gotten her eyes from her father because hers were a kind of muddy brown that weren’t even close to interesting. Their makeup was so thick it looked like if they smiled the wrong way their faces would crack.
As I stepped behind Harper I was overwhelmed by the very expensive—very French—perfume that the two women wore. As a kid I had suffered from asthma and the feeling of being unable to draw fresh air came back with a vengeance for a moment. When I could finally breathe, I found two sets of eyes on me: one hungry, the other disbelieving.
“This is your boyfriend ?” Monica demanded.
The very tone of her voice made my hackles rise. I had planned on a simple dinner where I found out what the deal was with Harper and her mother. I could already make a small guess and was hating the bitch standing before me more and more with each passing second.
“Boyfriend?” Harper’s tone was still cold. “Is that what you call the guy that warms your bed?”
Her words were a stab to my heart, but I knew that I deserved it.
Monica sucked in a shocked gasp. “Harper! You don’t say things like that in public. I swear, that Dallas has really ruined you.”
“No, Dallas saved me,” Harper corrected her mother.
I felt a cool hand touch my arm and glanced down to find Ariana had moved closer. “Wow. Shane Stevenson. I never thought Harper would be able to get the most talked about sex god of rock and roll to look twice at her.”
The way she looked up at me through her fake lashes with those blue eyes of hers was supposed to be sexy. And maybe two months ago I would have quickly taken the blatant invitation being offered with that smile of hers. But Harper was the only female that could even make my dick twitch. I covered her hand on my arm and pushed it away. The coy look left her face, and her cheeks heated with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
“Harper is everything I’ve always wanted. Beautiful inside and out. Unlike some of the fake bitches I see right now.”
Harper pulled a chair out and sat gracefully, leaving us all to follow suit. I took the seat directly beside her and attempted to catch her hand. She pulled away and clasped her hands together in her lap as the other two women took their seats. A waiter appeared and offered a wine list. I ordered a bottle of Harper’s favorite white wine and a bourbon for myself, knowing I was going to need it.
“Well, Harper,” Monica lifted her water glass and took a sip before continuing, “tell us how you met this…charming young man.”
“He’s Lana’s brother-in-law.”
“Ah.” Monica grimaced in distaste. “I see.”
“How is dear Lana?” Ariana asked, her tone full of sarcasm. “And the rest of your roommates.”
“Fine.” Harper’s answer was pointed, leaving no room for follow up questions.
“There is no reason to be so snippy, Harper,” Monica scolded. “Your sister is only being nice.”
“Stepsister,” Harper snapped.
“What is wrong with you? You never talk to me like this.”
Harper raised a brow at her mother. “You mean I usually say nothing while you and Ariana sit and tell me how awkward I am. How I will never compare or be beautiful. Sorry, Mother. Shall I sit here and shut my mouth now? Maybe I should offer suggestions? I have gained two pounds since you last saw me. Ready, set, go!”
All of Harper’s self-esteem issues clicked for me.
For so many years I’d seen the effects of the physical abuse on Emmie from her mother. Now I was understanding that abuse didn’t always leave bruises that were visible. Some broke the soul and, in this case, destroyed a person’s feeling of self-worth.