my flannel shirt over him like a blanket. Then I stood up shakily and got dressed.
The office was pretty trashed, so I spent a couple of minutes cleaning it up. I briefly considered going back to the stacks of invitations, but I was wiped out. Instead, I went and found a blanket in one of the guest rooms and used it to cover Harper. I would have liked to get him to move to a bed, but he’d been so exhausted that I thought it was best to let him sleep.
I wrote him a note, which said good night and that I’d be back first thing in the morning. Then I grabbed my bag, crouched down, and kissed his forehead before slipping out of the office.
The house was oddly quiet. Even the pets had all wandered off to bed. I picked up my duffle bag, then set the alarm on the way out and made sure to lock the door behind me.
I’d totally forgotten about the spilled air freshener until I opened the door to my SUV and was hit by a wave of fake lavender. By the time I reached my apartment, I absolutely reeked of it. I dropped my stuff and stripped just inside the door, then went straight to the shower.
Afterwards, I put on my most comfortable T-shirt, which was gray, soft, and oversized, along with a pair of old sweats. Then I gathered the clothes I’d been wearing and my dirty laundry and stuffed everything in the stackable washing machine in the hall closet.
My next stop was the kitchen. I’d barely been home in weeks, so there was nothing in the fridge, aside from a random assortment of condiments. I resigned myself to the crackers I found in the cupboard and brought them with me to the living room. Even though I was hungry, they were so unappealing that I tossed the box on the coffee table. Then I paused and looked around me.
Had my apartment always felt this empty?
It was way too quiet, and it just seemed so drab. Maybe it couldn’t help but suffer by comparison, after spending time in Harper’s beautiful home and the luxurious hotel suite. But it wasn’t just that it was plain and kind of basic. It was also lifeless.
To distract myself, I picked up my guitar and settled in on the couch. Then I spent some time tuning it before running through one of my favorite ballads. This was how most of my free time was spent, either practicing or writing songs. Tonight though, my mind kept wandering—straight to Harper.
If only I’d stayed with him. But since we’d just spent all weekend together, I figured he’d probably had enough of me for a while, so here I was.
I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. Loneliness was nothing new for me, but it felt so much sharper now. Apparently the last two nights with Harper had destroyed my ability to just be by myself.
A knock at the door startled me. I’d never really gotten to know any of my neighbors, so I couldn’t imagine who that’d be. It felt late too, but I had no idea what time it was.
When I opened the door, I was shocked to discover Harper standing there with an armload of groceries. He flashed me that stunning smile of his as I blurted, “What are you doing here?”
“I needed a do-over on the grilled cheese sandwich. I got real cheese this time, which should help it along.” I stared at him in disbelief for a moment, until he asked, “Can I come in?”
I mumbled, “Yes. Sorry,” as I moved out of the way and held the door open for him. As he stepped into my living room, I asked, “Can I take some of that?” For some reason, all the groceries were just loose in his arms.
“Actually, that might cause an avalanche. I’ve barely got a hold of it.” I trailed after him as he went into the kitchen and piled everything on the counter. “I should have gotten a shopping bag, but it didn’t seem like that much stuff. Not until I tried to bring it in, anyway.”
He turned to face me, and I finally got a good look at him. He’d obviously showered, because he smelled like his expensive body wash, and he was dressed in gray sweats and a form-fitting white T-shirt. The thing that absolutely killed me was the fact that he was wearing my red and gray flannel shirt, the