Chapter Six

Harper's POV:

Connor was standing right there in front of me and the shock on his face would have been funny if I wasn't so angry I could barely see straight.

"Harper, wait." He blinked like he thought I was some kind of ghost that shouldn't be here. "You moved to LA? Of all places? I thought you'd crawl back to your village."

He was blocking my path and I wanted to just walk past him, pretend he didn't exist, but he kept standing there with that stupid look on his face like he had any right to talk to me.

"Since you couldn't answer my question, why did you think I'll answer yours?" I pushed him out of my way and I don't know where the strength came from but I loved that I could do it, loved that he stumbled back a little. "Get out of my way Connor."

"Feisty, I love it." He laughed but it wasn't a nice laugh, it was the kind that made fun of you. "Harper you're now showing your true color huh? I knew you were always pretending to be the good one, see? It's not even up to a week, your true self is showing."

I should have kept walking the moment I pushed him but what he was saying made something hot burn in my chest because I'd done nothing, absolutely nothing but love this man, and he was still calling me names like I was the one who did something wrong.

I turned back and my fingers were already curled into fists beside me and before I could think about it my hand was moving and the sound when it hit his face echoed loud enough that people walking past us stopped to stare.

"Never in your life call me names anymore Connor." My voice came out shaking but not because I was scared, because I was so angry I could taste it. "I've put up with your foolish self for too long. Yes I went through a lot, of course when you met me I was in a bad shape, but did you know how I helped Blake Industries become what it is today? And do you think the stupid president position James promoted you to, I didn't beg your father to do that?"

I almost called him Dad but I couldn't anymore, nobody in that family deserved to be called anything good and I was done pretending they did.

"I begged him Connor. I told him you were ready when he said you weren't. I fought for you and this is how you repay me? By sleeping with my best friend in our bed?"

"You slapped me Harper?" His hand went to his face and he was looking at me like he didn't recognize me. "You touched me?"

The shock on his face made something in my chest feel good, made me want to do it again but I was starting to calm down a little and even though he deserved it, I couldn't make myself do it twice.

"If you don't leave me alone and stop stalking me, you'll get worse than that you fool." I turned away from him and started walking and my hands were still shaking. "What was he even doing in LA anyways? And in front of Novare Group?"

The thought made my stomach twist because I'd just been up in that building, just walked away from a job that could have changed everything, and now Connor was here like some kind of bad omen following me around.

Should I have taken the job? The question kept playing in my head and I hated it, hated that I was doubting myself. You're a fool for rejecting that kind of offer, the voice in my head whispered. You could get all you want with that man, he's hot, wants you, makes you feel good, and you're saying no because why? Being a righteous girl won't bring food to your table.

I shook my head trying to make the thoughts stop. "I'll get another job," I said it out loud like that would make it true.

That's when someone grabbed me from behind and I spun around to see Jenny running toward me with her face all twisted up in anger.

"What a hoe that you are Harper." She was practically spitting the words at me. "Slapping my fiance and thinking you'll go scot free?"

Her hand was already coming up toward my face and I grabbed her wrist before she could touch me.

"You'd better stop there." I held her arm tight and she looked shocked that I was fighting back, like she expected me to just stand there and let her hit me. "It's your confidence for me. You want to slap me?"

I pushed her back and I couldn't help but notice what she was wearing, the tight dress that showed everything, the same kind Connor used to tell me I couldn't wear because I'd be selling myself to other men, but here was Jenny wearing exactly that and he didn't care at all.

"Harper do you want to kill me?" Jenny's whole face changed in a second and she was holding her cheek like I'd hit her even though I'd barely touched her. "Connor didn't want you again, is that why you slapped me? I only came to apologize and let us be friends again but you slapped me?"

Then she started crying, real tears running down her face, and I just stood there staring because how had I missed this in all the years I'd known her? How had I not seen that she could cry on command like this?

People were stopping to look now, pulling out their phones, and Jenny was on the ground holding onto my legs like I was hurting her.

"Jenny why are you doing this?" I tried to pull my feet away but she was holding on so tight. "What do you have to gain from this?"

Connor was running toward us and behind him I could see people with big cameras, real photographers, and they were all pointing at us and I tried to hide my face because this looked bad, this looked like I was the one attacking her when I hadn't done anything.

"Who the hell do you think you're treating my fiancée this way?" Connor reached out to push me but before his hand could touch me someone grabbed his wrist and twisted it.

"Leave her alone, and both of you should get off my property." The voice came from behind me and it was deep and dangerous and I knew who it was before I even turned around.