Forbidden Harmony (Harmony Falls #3) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,102

held it there with one big hand as he rested his head on the pillow behind hers.

“Thank you,” she whispered. She was feeling a little weepy at how nice he was being to her and she held back the tears grimly. Crying would just stuff her up even more.

“Go to sleep,” he said.

“Okay,” she said. “Good night, Preacher.”

“Night, Sunshine.”

* * *

“Pinky-pie, you’re not looking so hot.”

Addison laughed and tried a different angle with her phone. “Better?”

“Nope. You sound terrible too,” Harper said.

“Remind me again why I answered your video call?”

“Because you love me and because when you didn’t answer three of my texts in a row, I threatened to text Gideon and have him do a wellness check on you?”

“I’ve been passed out on cold medicine for the past two days,” Addison said.

“My poor girl. Summer colds are the worst,” Harper said.

“They really are. But as awful as I look, I’m actually feeling better today,” Addison said. “My sinus headache is gone and I’m not sneezing every thirty seconds.”

“Where are you?” Harper said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, where are you?”

“I’m in bed.”

“I can see you’re in bed,” Harper said. “But it ain’t your bed. So, whose bed is it?”

“Why do you think it’s not my bed?” Addison hedged.

“Addison Mabel Moore, I know what the wall behind your bed looks like and,” Harper squinted into the camera, “I know your quilt is a blue checkered pattern, not a plain gray. So, answer the question you’re so blatantly avoiding.”

“Fine,” Addison said. “I’m at Preacher’s apartment above the shop.”

Harper’s mouth dropped open. “The fuck you are.”

“It’s not a big deal,” she said.

“Show me his apartment,” Harper said.

“What? Why?”

“Just do it.”

Addison flipped the camera around and did a slow scan of the apartment before flipping the camera back to face her. “There, satisfied?”

“It’s a small place,” Harper said. “I like the shag carpet and the avocado fridge… very seventies retro.”

“It’s a studio apartment,” Addie said. “He doesn’t even have a stove or a microwave.”

“Okay, I have some questions. First – where is Preacher?”

“Downstairs in the shop,” she said.

“On a Sunday? I thought his shop was closed on Sunday and Monday.”

“It is. He uses the washer and dryer in the shop to do his laundry. And he said he had a sketch he wanted to work on.”

“Okay. Second – why are you at Preacher’s place?”

“On Friday I took the bus to Walgreens to pick up some cold meds and tampons, and Preacher was in the store. I had a bad fever and was feeling really awful and he…”

“He what?”

“He brought me back to his apartment. He said I needed someone to look after me while I was sick. I thought he just wanted sex again, so I tried to leave Friday night after I’d slept in his bed for the day. I have my period and between that and this stupid cold, I am so not into trying to be sexy, you know? But he said he didn’t want sex.”

“So, you’ve been staying with Preacher while you’re sick and have your period in his tiny little apartment since Friday?”

“Yes.”

“In his tiny apartment with only one bathroom where he might hear or smell you doing certain unsexy things in said bathroom?” Harper said.

“It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Okay, so your body has definitely been invaded by an alien who is now controlling your every move. Addie, if you can hear me, hang tight. I’ll be there in seventeen hours with a team of scientists to save your life.”

“You’re being weird, Harper,” Addison said.

“Pinky-pie, you refused to poop if Harrison was within a two-mile radius of you the first five years you dated him. Now, you’re practically living with Preacher in his apartment that’s even smaller than this crackhole I’m living in, and you’re pooping all willy-nilly like it ain’t no thing. Don’t act like I’m being the crazy one.”

“There’s a fan in the bathroom,” Addison said.

Harper laughed until tears ran down her cheeks and she had to hold onto her stomach with one hand. “Oh my God, Addie, I love you so much.”

“Have you found another job yet?” Addie said.

“No but stop changing the subject. Are you and Preacher dating?”

“Of course not,” she said. “Why would you think that?”

“You’re pooping in -”

“Oh my God, enough with the pooping,” Addison said. “We’re not dating. He’s just being nice. Preacher has a sweet side to him, okay?”

“Okay, but, Addie, just remember that -”

She could hear Preacher’s footsteps on the stairs, and she said, “Harper, I have to