All Chapters of Playing Hard To Get: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Graduation Gone WildHarperIf graduation night felt like a dream, then the after-party was an outright fever dream—a glittering, chaotic, slightly dangerous spiral of lights, laughter, and bad decisions.Harper hadn’t known what to expect when Eli told her the party was at Jaxon’s house. She’d pictured something simple. Maybe a bonfire in the backyard, some music, a cooler or two. Jaxon was never flashy—he drove a beat-up truck with a dented bumper and lived in the same hoodie rotation like clockwork. He never posted about vacations or wore anything with a brand label unless it was a baseball cap.But apparently the Brooks family knew how to throw a party.The second Harper stepped through the front gate, she blinked like she’d crossed into another dimension.The backyard wasn’t just big—it was massive. Lawn stretching like a field, string lights crisscrossing the night sky like glowing constellations. Tents were set up with kegs and tables full of snacks. A bonf

Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Morning AfterHarperShe slipped out of Jaxon’s front door just as the sky began to shift from deep navy to a pale lavender haze.Her sneakers dangled from one hand. The other clutched the hem of his oversized hoodie, the sleeves swallowing her fingers as she pulled it tighter around her frame. Her hair was a messy halo from the night before, her legs bare beneath the sweatshirt, and every step down the long front walkway made her heart beat a little faster.It wasn’t just what had happened in his room.It was everything that came after.The way he whispered I love you against her skin. The way she didn’t say it back with words, but with the kind of kiss that told the truth anyway. The way Kenzie’s scream still rang in her ears.Cow in your bed.You never even touched me.Harper flinched at the memory, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. Her chest was heavy—too full and too fragile. She wasn’t ashamed of what happened between her and Jaxon, not even a li

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

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

Chapter Sixty-Five: Plastic PromisesHarperIt started as just a drive.No expectations. No pressure. No deep talks unless she wanted them. Jaxon had made that clear from the start.He picked her up just after seven, his truck cleaned out and the center console freshly wiped like he’d tried for once. They grabbed fast food and parked at one of those quiet backroads where the stars were bright enough to rival the streetlights.They talked. About nothing. About everything. About the weird dreams he kept having and how she used to think pineapples grew underground. They laughed more than they spoke, their voices sometimes dissolving into quiet as the sky melted from orange to pink to navy.And eventually, without either of them saying it aloud, they ended up at his house.“Come inside?” he asked, voice low, one hand still on the keys.Harper hesitated for just a second. “Just for a little while.”He unlocked the door and held it open like always, and she stepped into the familiar quiet.