Chapter 37: My Promise
JUSTIN’S POV
I looked into the hallway and every where was quiet. Most of the residents had gone to bed hours ago. I unlocked my apartment, pushed the door open, and stepped inside first. Harper followed behind me and had barely crossed the threshold before she stopped.
"Oh."
I turned around. She was slowly taking everything in. The apartment wasn’t extravagant, but it was mine in all the ways that mattered. Warm lighting, dark wooden floors, hockey sticks mounted on one wall beside framed jerseys. A bookshelf overflowing with novels, textbooks, and a collection of documentaries I had watched more times than I’d ever admit out loud. A large sectional couch faced the television, and beyond it the open kitchen overlooked the city lights through floor-to-ceiling windows.
"I like it," she said quietly.
I locked the door behind us. "I’m glad." She took another slow look around. "So this is where the famous Justin Hayes actually lives."
"Famous?" I snorted.
"Campus famous."
"I’ll take it." She smiled and wandered another step forward.
"I really want to look around.She said, walking towards the kitchen.
I followed after her, shrugging off my suit jacket and tossing it over the back of a chair. Before she could wander any farther, I slipped my hands around her waist and lifted her onto the kitchen island.
"You will." I said, "But first," I said, pushing myself in between her legs, "I want to do something else."
Her cheeks flushed immediately. "Justin."
I glanced down at the heels she’d been wearing all evening. "Those must be killing your feet." Before she could answer, I crouched down. Her eyes widened. "What are you doing?"
"Taking these off."
I loosened the delicate straps and carefully slipped one heel from her foot, then the other. She sighed. "Okay." I looked up. "Better?" She flexed her toes slightly. "So much better." I set the shoes neatly beside the counter and stood again.
I leaned in slowly, giving her every chance to pull back. She didn’t.
Our lips met softly, without urgency, without an audience. It felt completely different here. Quieter. More honest than anything we’d shared before. My hand slid gently to the side of her face, my thumb tracing the curve of her cheek.
When I finally pulled back, we were both smiling like we couldn’t help it.
"Harper."
I brushed one of her corkscrew curls away from her face so I could see her properly. "Do you like me?"
Her eyes flickered from mine to my lips. Before I could even wonder what she was thinking, she leaned forward and closed the distance between us, pressing her mouth against mine.
God.
I kissed her back for one perfect moment. Then I forced myself to pull away, shaking my head and squeezing my eyes shut. Every selfish part of me wanted to kiss her forever.
"Don’t." I opened my eyes again. "Don’t do that unless there’s more that comes with it please. And I don’t mean physically."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
She knew. I could see it in her eyes. "You know exactly what I mean." I searched her face and the words I had been holding back for weeks finally spilled out. "I want more than just this fake relationship with you. I want you. All of you. I just want a chance."
She didn’t answer. For one terrifying second I thought I had pushed too far. The silence stretched between us and my stomach sank. I looked away before she could see the disappointment on my face. Maybe I’d imagined everything. Maybe every kiss had only meant something to me.
Then I felt her fingers beneath my chin, gentle, guiding my face back toward hers.
"Don’t hurt me."
Hope hit me so hard I almost forgot how to breathe. "I couldn’t." She searched my face as though she were trying to decide whether she believed me. "If there’s ever a time when you don’t want this anymore," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "when I’m not your first choice anymore, tell me."
A smile spread across my face before I could stop it. "You’ll always be my first choice." I didn’t even have to think about the answer. "You’ve been my first choice since the day we met, sweetheart."
"Be honest with me."
"I will." I cupped her face and rested my forehead against hers. "I am." I let out a slow breath. "But I’m not ready to be honest with the rest of the world yet."
She nodded against me. "You can fool everyone else." A tiny smile tugged at her lips. "But not me. Screw it, I’ll even support your made-up persona as long as you’re never that guy with me."
I couldn’t stop smiling. "So." I looked at her hopefully. "You like me?"
She laughed, actually laughed. "What do you think?"
"Oh, no." I shook my head. "Say it."
She rolled her eyes. "You seriously need your ego stroked, don’t you?"
"Absolutely."
She laughed harder, hiding her face against my shoulder for a second. I could get used to this. I tilted my head until I could see her again. "You like me." I couldn’t stop staring at her mouth.
"Kiss me."
I smiled. "Say it, and I’ll do a whole lot more than kiss you, sweetheart."
Her cheeks turned pink. She looked at me like she couldn’t decide whether to kiss me or hit me. Finally she sighed dramatically. "Fine. Yes. I like you." She smiled despite herself. "You ridiculously arrogant hockey player."
The weight I’d been carrying for weeks disappeared all at once. "I think you mean the sexiest hockey player on campus."
She snorted. "As I said. The most arrogant."
"I knew it." I spread my hands. "I mean, how could you not? I’m amazing. I’m—"
"Shut up." She slapped her palm over my mouth. "Shut. Up."
I laughed against her hand. The moment she lowered it, everything inside me shifted.
I kissed her before she could say another word and her laughter disappeared against my lips.
When we finally came up for air, she was smiling.
"How about I make you stop talking?" I kissed her before she could answer and her laughter disappeared against my lips.
"I’d rather you make me scream your name," she whispered.
I couldn’t help smiling. "Careful, sweetheart."
I tucked a curl behind her ear, my eyes never leaving hers. "You have no idea what you’ve just challenged me to." Her breath caught.
I leaned in until our lips touched.
"I fully intend to keep my promise."
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