Hey guys! Happy New Year!

So sorry for not having a new chapter on Saturday! I was SO busy getting things settled in my new house that I wasn’t able to finish a chapter in time. However, I finally managed to finish this one, and decided to share it with you guys on a Tuesday (instead of the normal Saturday or Wednesday!)

Moving forward, we are going to have an irregular update schedule for a little while. Still expect about one chapter a week, but the actual DAY of the week will probably vary a bit until I’m able to get back into the swing of things and back on a normal schedule. So if you follow my blog, please pay attention to emails or your reader! Or otherwise, just check back periodically for new chapters 🙂 Thank you all so much!

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Harper’s entire body shook as another burst of laughter passed her open lips. Devin had her and Rylie in stitches yet again, sharing a crazy story from one of the many parties he attended on campus.

It felt so good to laugh like that again. Harper hadn’t laughed so hard since… When was the last time all of us were together? She wondered. No one could ever make her laugh the way they could. Not even Erik, even when he was at his best.

Their waiter’s return to their table abruptly called Harper’s mind back to the present. She could tell the man was saying something, but it was impossible to make out his words over the sound of her own laughter. Even Rylie and Devin seemed unable to hear his question.

“Sorry?” Harper choked back her laughter as she turned her full attention back to the man beside the table.

“Do you want separate checks?” He repeated.

Rylie shook her head instantly. “Just one.” She smiled kindly at him

“And I’ll take it.” Harper interjected abruptly. “You can bring it to me.”

Before her friends could protest, the waiter nodded and headed off to the register.

“Are you sure? I thought we were gonna treat you.” Devin’s lips curled slightly. “Early birthday present.”

She shook her head. Devin was making pennies at his on-campus job, and Rylie always bitched about how shitty most of the venues paid her and her band. Now that Harper had come into so much money, it would be selfish to force her friends to pay, wouldn’t it? Especially when I ordered so much food… God, they aren’t kidding about this whole ‘eating for two’ thing, are they? She thought, amused.

“I’ve got this one, guys.” Harper assured them. The look her two friends exchanged made her uneasy.

“What?” She demanded a bit more harshly than she’d intended. “What is it?”

It was a few moments before either of them replied. “We, uh… We weren’t exactly sure how to bring it up…” Rylie began almost guiltily. “But we’re kinda wondering what’s been going on with you lately…”

Harper could already feel the back of her neck growing warm. “What are you talking about?”

“I dunno, just…” It was Devin who responded this time. “Maybe we’re reading too much into it. But remember that new PC you got last week?”

“What about it?!” Harper snapped. “Our old one was about to die, and Erik’s gonna need it for work once he finds a job.”

“I know, I know. It’s just… Well, that thing had to cost hundreds of euros…”

“So what?”

Rylie sighed, leaning forward slightly as she spoke. “What he’s trying to say is, how the hell did you afford it?”

“Excuse me?!” Harper was floored. What the fuck was going on? Why were they being so goddamn nosy?! “What the fuck kind of question is that?! It’s none of your business!”

“It’s not.” Rylie agreed almost sadly. “But you’re our best friend, Harper.”

Beside her, Devin nodded. “You’re our business. We’re just worried.”

“Well you can both sleep easy tonight, because you have nothing to worry about, okay?!” She sighed heavily in frustration as the waiter awkwardly scuttled over to their table and placed the bill in front of her. “Now are we done here?”

Devin shook his head. “You still never answered our question.” His voice was suddenly firm. “How were you able to afford it? I mean, new computer last week, and you upgraded your phone like a week or two before that too, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, and now offering to pay for lunch today… And you haven’t bitched about money in weeks!” For a moment, Rylie looked almost amused. “We’re not dumb, Harper. We know something’s up.”

Her throat suddenly went dry. This was so much like the conversation she’d had with her parents last week. They’d started noticing all her spending too. But lying to them was easy. All she had to say was that she’d sold a bunch of copies of one of her novellas. And they’d believed it.

But something told her her friends couldn’t be fooled so easily.

When Harper didn’t immediately reply, Devin’s voice filled the silence. “We know you got kinda desperate for money when things were bad with Erik… ” He bit his lip nervously. “And I remember how awful it was when you got caught. That was when you promised everyone you were gonna stop, remember?”

“But if things are getting bad again, you know you can talk to us, right?” Rylie continued gently. “We can help you figure it out. We’ve got your back.”

Harper felt an awful mixture of shame and anger swirling together with every word they spoke, rising from the pit of her stomach all the way to her burning neck and cheeks. “That’s not where the money’s coming from, okay?!” She spluttered at last. “I’m not getting it from swiping shit. So you can stop with all these fucking accusations!”

Yet again, her friends shared a look. Harper hated it when they did that. What the hell could they be thinking?

“I believe you.” Rylie replied at last. “And I’m sorry we jumped to conclusions, we just… We wanna know what’s going on.” She shrugged slightly as she spoke.

Harper sighed heavily. No matter how furious she felt, it still seemed so wrong to tell an outright lie to her two best friends. So she didn’t. Not completely, anyway. “It’s from my Oma, alright? She’s helping me.”

Both of her friends’ eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Oh.” Devin muttered softly. “That’s… That’s really good!” His smile was so forced. “Why didn’t you just tell us that in the first place?”

She shrugged. “Guess I was just kinda embarrassed about needing help.” The words felt so natural, Harper almost believed it herself. “You guys know me.”

“We do.” Rylie agreed. “And… that also means we know when there’s something you aren’t telling us.” Her face fell immediately. “Fuck. I hate pushing like this. But come on! We’re your friends. Spill.”

Rylie was absolutely right, of course. There was so much she wasn’t telling them. Like about the baby. Or Erik’s relapse. Or the real way she’d gained access to Jocelyne’s money.

“It’s Erik, isn’t it?” Devin suggested, his voice small. “He’s using again. That’s why he still can’t get a job…” He paused for a moment, his brow furrowing in thought. “Your Oma doesn’t know, does she?” Devin knew just as well as she did that Jocelyne would never enable Erik’s addiction like that.

Harper wasn’t quite sure what face she made in response… But whatever it was, her friends’ reactions made it clear that it wasn’t good.

“Shit. Harper, you’ve gotta tell her. And don’t keep wasting that money on stupid shit. You’ve gotta get Erik some help again.” Rylie’s voice sounded almost pained. She glanced around for a moment, as though suddenly aware of just how public their conversation was. “Listen, why don’t we go back to my place?” She suggested. “We can talk more there.”

Shaking her head, Harper rose to her feet. “No. We’re done talking.” She tried her best to keep her voice calm. “Every fucking time the three of us get together, it turns into some kind of stupid ‘intervention’. And I’m sick of it! Just leave me alone, okay? Let me handle my own shit.”

Her eyes flicked down at the small slip of paper on the table for a moment. “And you know what? If you’re so worried about where my money’s coming from, fine. Pay your own bill.” She turned away from them without another word.

“Harper! Wait!”

For a moment, she thought she could hear them calling her name.

But she kept walking.

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