Page 150 of Her Ex-Husband's Brother
Her face breaks. I think mine does too.
Then we’re running.
We hit each other so hard in a mutual hug, I lose my breath. Harper’s arms lock around my shoulders while mine wrap around her waist, and suddenly she’s laughing and crying against my hair.
“Oh my God,” she says. “Oh my God, Marie.”
I can’t speak.
Ten years fold in on themselves.
For one dizzy second, we’re girls again. We’re whispering things to each other that no one else in the world knows. We’re sharing clothes and secrets. We’re making promises neither of us understands enough to keep.
Then the years crash back over me.
The things that happened. That horrible moment in the hallway where I should have stood up for her but didn’t.
“I’m sorry,” I sob.
Harper jerks back far enough to look at me.
“I’m so sorry. Harper, I’m so fucking sorry.”
Her eyes widen. Tears spill down her cheeks, too, as she starts shaking her head. “No.”
“I just froze. But you stood up for me and I should have done the same?—”
“Marie.”
“I knew you didn’t?—”
“Stop.”
She grips both sides of my face.
People flow around us, some of them staring. Someone steps over the spreading puddle of coffee. I don’t care.
“Z said you hated me,” I say. “Every time I thought about calling you, I heard his voice telling me you didn’t want anything to do with me.”
Harper’s hands tighten against my face.
“He was lying. He did a lot of that.” Pain flashes in her eyes that speaks of a lot worse. “He would have done anything to get me away from Caleb and all to himself. He put the weed in my locker.”
My mouth drops open and I grab her forearms. “Oh my God, Harper! Are you okay? Did you get away from him?”
More pain flashes, etched in her brow. “He’s gone now. And I’m with Caleb. And our son.”
A horrible sound comes out of me, half laugh and half sob, and Harper pulls me against her again.
“I missed you,” she whispers.
That hurts worse than anything else.
I bury my face against her shoulder. “I missed you too.”
“I looked you up.”
I lift my head. “You did?”
