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Twigs, Tangled Hair, and Tension

Penulis: Nicolae Staten
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-23 07:13:42

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Twigs, Tangled Hair, and Tension

Harper

They were curled up on Harper’s bed like they’d been planted there for days—legs tangled, pillows everywhere, a plate with forgotten pancake crumbs shoved to the side. Morning sunlight poured through the half-drawn curtains, casting warm streaks across the chaos. The air smelled faintly of syrup and leftover drama.

Mia had Harper’s largest mug cupped in both hands, filled to the brim with dark coffee that could’ve passed for jet fuel. Harper was still in her tank top from the night before, hair half-fallen from a messy knot, twigs clinging to strands that refused to be tamed.

“So,” Harper said, raising an eyebrow and tugging a rogue branch from her hair. “You wanna tell me what you and Eli were really doing in the woods while I was busy being publicly annihilated?”

Mia took a long sip, trying and failing to look unbothered. “We were walking.”

Harper gave her a flat look. “Try again.”

“We were admiring the lake,” Mia replied
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    Chapter Sixty-Three: Curfews and ChemistryHarperThe hum of the box fan in the corner mixed with the muffled sounds of the movie neither of them had been paying attention to. Harper lay nestled into Jaxon’s side, her bare legs tangled with his under the thin throw blanket that always smelled like their laundry detergent and a hint of lemon from his cologne. Her cheek was pressed to his shoulder, his arm draped lazily around her as his thumb traced slow circles into her hip.Outside the living room window, the summer cicadas sang their nightly lullaby, a steady, sleepy rhythm that matched the slow beat of her heart. The heat of the day had finally settled into something manageable, and the open windows let in a breeze just strong enough to ruffle the curtain every few minutes.Neither of them had said much in the past half hour—not because there was nothing to say, but because the silence between them didn’t feel awkward. It felt... full. Like even without words, everything important

  • Playing Hard To Get   The Morning After and Everything In Between

    Chapter Sixty-Two: The Morning After and Everything In BetweenThe morning sun streamed through Harper’s bedroom window as she blinked awake, still feeling the warmth of Jaxon’s jacket draped over the back of her desk chair. Her first date—her first real date—was over, but her mind hadn’t stopped spinning since the moment she stepped back inside. It wasn’t just that he’d taken her out. It was how he looked at her, the things he said, the way he kissed her on the tailgate like it meant more than just a kiss.She rolled onto her back and let out a groan, already dreading the text she knew would come. And there it was, buzzing against her nightstand.Jaxon: "Okay but when’s our second date? Because I’m not emotionally stable enough to wait a whole week."Harper stared at it for a second, smiled, and tossed the phone aside.Downstairs, her dad was already in the kitchen, frying bacon. He glanced up when she walked in, raising an eyebrow."You look... glowy."She groaned. “Do not say ‘glow

  • Playing Hard To Get   The Goofball Proposal

    Chapter Sixty-One: The Goofball ProposalHarper had just finished twisting her hair into a messy bun when she heard the unmistakable rumble of Jaxon’s truck pulling into the driveway. She peeked through her bedroom window, heart already skipping. The second she saw him standing in her yard—arms behind his back, pacing like a nervous actor about to hit the stage—she knew something was up.Her phone buzzed.Jaxon: "Come outside. Just trust me."She rolled her eyes, already grinning. Slipping on her slides, she padded down the steps and stepped into the front yard.And there he was. Kneeling. In the middle of her grass. On one knee."Oh my God," she whispered, covering her mouth.He looked up at her with that familiar, cocky grin she hated how much she loved. And then he pulled a red plastic ring from behind his back—the kind from a grocery store vending machine."Harper Lane, will you go on our first actual, honest-to-God date with me? We’ve done everything backwards. We kissed, we foug

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    Chapter Sixty: The Dinner VisitHarperThe sink water ran warm over her fingers as she rinsed out a coffee mug she didn’t even remember using. She scrubbed it harder than necessary, the motion more about nerves than cleanliness.Every few seconds, her eyes flicked to the phone perched on the windowsill above the sink, lighting up with every buzz. Jaxon had already confirmed dinner. He was on his way.That didn’t mean her heart had gotten the memo to chill.Especially not after everything.Especially not after being walked in on, naked, by her dad.She hadn’t stopped replaying that moment since it happened—Kenzie’s shriek, the crash of the door, the sheer mortification.And now Jaxon was coming over... for dinner... with her dad.Harper’s phone buzzed again, and she yanked it into her palm like it owed her an apology.Jaxon:“Leaving now. Got the food. Extra fries, obviously.”She exhaled a breathy laugh, shoulders relaxing just a fraction. Her fingers flew over the keyboard.Harper:“

  • Playing Hard To Get   The Morning After

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  • Playing Hard To Get   What He Never Gave Her

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