by Mj Fields
Collin relaxed, ���Come to bed?���
Tessa nodded her head yes.
Harper lay in bed waiting for Maddox to say he was sorry, she knew he wanted to. He could not possibly want her to feel bad. He was different, like her dad. Her dad would never want her mom to feel bad. She waited ten more minutes and still nothing. She re-read his last text.
What part of leave it alone do you not fucking get Harper, goodnight���MH
Her eyes burned, and she swallowed hard and she began responding
The part where it���s okay for you to be nasty to me when I am just showing concern. The part that crushed my heart because I know I could love you and that you could love me��� that part asshole!
She looked at it, pushed the send button, and threw her phone on the floor then turned off her light and tried to fall asleep. She tossed and turned, all she could think was this was the worst day ever. She replayed the scene at lunch in her head.
���Harper we need to talk,��� Ava was nervous, and she did not know why.
���Okay.���
���Can we go somewhere, maybe the locker room?���
They walked into the locker room and sat down.
���Ava, you look so upset what is going on?��� Harper was concerned. Ava Links was the one girl in the school who knew almost everything about her. Back at home, Ava was indeed Harper���s closest friend.
���It���s about Senior Prom,��� Ava sat next to her. Her jet black long hair covered her blue eyes when she looked down.
���Okay, its next week right?��� Harper joked, ���Unless they changed it.���
���Harper don���t be mad at me, but I like���really like Carter. He and I have been talking, and he and I want to know if it���s okay for us to go together?��� Ava closed her eyes tightly and waited for Harper to respond.
���Oh���okay,��� Harper said softly.
���No, you are mad forget it,��� Ava began.
���I am not mad that you like each other it���s just���what about your date, who will he go with?��� Harper didn���t want it to be an issue, but it was, it truly was. One week before prom and she was going to be dateless which normally would mean nothing to her but a week before PROM, WHAT THE HELL, she screamed in her head.
���We thought maybe he could go with you?��� Ava said nervously.
���No way. Ava you and Carter go ahead, but I will not be going with Joe,��� Harper stood up.
���Well why not?��� Ava was annoyed.
How the hell can you be annoyed at me? Harper shouted in her head but instead she took the highroad. She always took the damn highroad, ���He is my second or third cousin Ava, no thanks.���
���Well, so Carter and you were just friends what���s the difference?��� Ava pushed forward, always pushing things to the limit.
���Ava, it was different���is different. I am not mad, but I will absolutely not have a relative as a prom date,��� Harper laughed it off.
���Was different? Why because you kissed him? He said it was like kissing his sister, he said you agreed that it was a mistake. Do you like him?��� Ava was irritated.
���He said WHAT?��� Harper snapped, ���He kissed me, I turned my head avoiding it. Like his sister, shit it was like kissing a damn frog!���
���Like kissing a frog? Really he is hot Harper, you like him that���s why you are getting pissed,��� Ava snapped back.
���No, actually I don���t. I liked the idea of having a date to the prom!��� Harper laughed loudly.
���I know you���re pissed, the whole girl code thing, he figured you would be,��� Ava scowled at Harper.
���Girl code thing? What a joke, — I don���t own him, and he doesn���t own me. What a freaking idiotic thing. Girl code, seriously? Ava get over it,��� Harper walked out the door.
When she got home from school she sat in her car and banged her head on the steering wheel. She was still trying to figure out how to tell her parents that they wasted a ton of money, enough to feed a village for at least three days, on a stupid dance she would not be attending. Her phone rang, and it was Carter.
Great, she thought as she answered it, ���Hello.���
���Are you mad?��� Carter asked.
���Yes, but not about what you think I may be mad about,��� Harper opened the door and grabbed her bag.
���I am sorry, but you really should take Joe, he���s a good guy. Ava is having a hard time trying to figure out how to tell him,��� Carter said quietly, ���And hey, if he could go with you, I bet he would be happy as hell.���
���Carter I owe you nothing, so don���t try to sweet talk me! You told Ava I kissed you, and it was like kissing your sister. Seriously, what is wrong with you? If you remember correctly, you tried to kiss me and I turned away so you managed to kiss my cheek, and it freaked me the hell out. And then, ���Oh Harper you skin tastes like heaven I want your lips. Please Harper��� I will die if I don���t taste your lips.��� And it went on and on and on,��� Harper was aware of her obnoxiousness and more than aware it was because she was pissed that she had to tell her parents.
���Listen you spoiled little princess. I tried to kiss you, and would have said whatever it took to get what I wanted. I thought you were a nice girl not some snobby little bitch. Did you tell Ava that?��� Carter snapped.
���I told her it wasn���t like kissing a sibling more like a frog! Not about you being a hormone fueled raging lunatic. Or about your hard-on pressing on my stomach as I tried my damnedest to pull away from you!��� Harper snapped.
���So you liked my dick against you, huh? Pretty unforgettable was it?��� Carter chuckled.
���Something that size should not be called a dick. Maybe a prick but not a dick, goodbye freak,��� Harper pushed end and turned around smugly to walk into the house.
She walked in the door, and her parents were standing by the window. Collin was ready to explode, and Tessa was trying not to laugh.
���Good day at school, Harper?��� Tessa asked.
���Where does that little bastard live?��� Collin yelled.
Harper froze and looked at the ground.
���Answer me, damn it, Harper! Or I will get Tomas on it!��� Collin insisted.
���Collin she did just fine on her own, let it be,��� Tessa tried not to laugh.
���He���his���damn it!��� Collin yelled into the air.
���Collin go take a walk, calm down, and then come back okay?��� Tessa grabbed his face, ���She did very well. I am proud of her, and once you process it, you will be too.���
Collin stormed outside and Tessa took Harper���s hand and lead her to the couch. Harper sat, while Tessa went and grabbed a couple glasses of milk and some cookies.
���Tell me how you are,��� Tessa said dunking a cookie in milk and brought it to Harper���s mouth.
���Mom, seriously?��� Harper rolled her eyes.
���Yep, seriously Harper Ann. You are my little girl, and you have had a pretty rough day. If I want to feed you cookies, you better let me.���
Harper took a bite, and her lip began to quiver, ���I don���t have a date to the prom.���
���Okay, but it sounds like you did not like your date very much anyway,��� Tessa dunked the cookie again, and Harper took a bite.
When Harper finished chewing she started to cry, ���You both heard me?���
���Yep.��� Tessa smiled and rubbed Harper���s head.
/> ���Am I in trouble?��� Harper���s voice broke.
���No, Harper,��� Tessa pulled Harper in to her arms and held her as she cried.
���Ask Maddox Hines.��� Tessa smiled and watched Harper���s face change.
Harper was asleep on Tessa���s lap when Collin walked in.
Tessa smiled, ���Did you go swimming or running?���
���She okay?��� Collin grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it.
Tessa nodded her head yes, ���She doesn���t have a prom date.���
���Good.��� Collin clenched his jaw and walked away.
He was in the shower when Tessa walked into the bathroom and got in the shower with him, ���She did not like him, Collin, but she is upset. It���s her prom.���
���You do know you have clothes on?��� Collin said trying to remain angry.
���I do,��� Tessa smiled, ���This was something normal for her to do. Every girl dreams of prom.���
���Fine I will lighten up if you let me take those clothes off of you���ll probably be even more relaxed. And by the way, the prom means nothing to guys. But this, a hot chick in the shower,��� he began undressing her, ���Naked, is every man���s fantasy.���
���I could care less about every man, Collin, just you,��� Tessa smiled as she leaned against the shower wall.
He went down on his knees, and he lifted her leg over his shoulder and smiled up at her and growled.
Harper still lay awake. She grabbed her phone off the floor to see if he had returned her text and he had not. How could she ask him to go to prom with her after that? Screw him!
No, he has already been screwed. She could not believe someone had posted his personal file online. God she wanted to know he was okay, but he made it clear
- What part of leave it alone do you not fucking get Harper, goodnight���MH
Harper cried herself to sleep.
Harper sat in the library at lunch. Ava was still mad at her after a week, and she wanted to just disappear. Ava being mad was not a big deal. Maddox hurting her feelings—well that crushed her.
She grabbed her phone to torture herself once again and read his text.
She turned it on, and she had three missed messages.
Her mom and dad had both sent her a message wishing her a better day and Maddox. A message from Maddox sent only minutes ago.
- I have reconsidered���.MH
- What have you reconsidered?... HA
She waited anxiously for his reply.
- Apparently you asked me to Prom next week, and I said no. I have reconsidered���MH
- I don���t know what you are talking about���HA
Her heart beat faster as she waited.
- Emma told me that Tessa told her you asked me to prom and I said I was busy, I am available if you still want me to go���MH
- Well I did not ask you���HA
- Listen, I was in a bad place the last time we texted. Apparently you had a rough day as well. I have a fight scheduled, I am canceling it. So what do you say���MH
- What fight?...HA
- Boxing. A week in and I am a natural. It���s good for me. First fight tonight wish me luck?...MH
- Do your parents know?...HA
- Yes Harper���MH
She could tell he rolled his eyes when he wrote that, and it made her smile.
- Good Luck���HA
- Thank you, so I will see you next week?...MH
- For what?...HA
He did not reply right away, and she started to get nervous.
- Harper Ann Abraham, may I escort you to Senior Prom?���MH
- Maddox…I will have to think about it���HA
- WHAT?!?!?!...MH
- Sorry have to go to class. I hope you have a great day XOXOXO���HA
- Oh I get it, you are going to make me work���MH
Harper smiled, Hell Yes, she thought as she walked out of the library and floated around, beaming the rest of the day.
Harper walked into the house and smiled at Tessa and Collin, and she ran up the stairs and changed.
���Going for a run,��� she smiled as she ran past them.
She took out her phone and sent him a message.
- KICK BUTT TODAY MADDOX! Be safe please���HA
- Thank you, I will try to keep my face free from bruises���MH���
- You better���HA
- Why are you accepting my request to escort you to prom?���MH
- We will see���still thinking it over���send me a picture after your fight. I want to make sure any date I may or may not accept is presentable���HA
- Will do���MH
Harper showered and ate dinner and she watched her phone all night. She went to bed worried that he had been hurt.
She closed her book and reached for her phone. A text popped up, and it was him. Holy cow!
Harper stared at the picture of Maddox covered in sweat. His arms lifted in the air, and his smile was amazing. His hair was shorter, and his body had definitely changed. He wasn���t just lean muscles anymore— he had a six pack, and pecks, and oh my, my, my, the V. His arms were bulky and his jaw appeared even squarer than she remembered. The lips, she thought as she ran her fingers gently across hers remembering how they felt. That dimple damn, damn, damn.
- CONGRATULATIONS!!!!���HA
Her phone rang, and she answered.
���So, Harper, I have had a great night. I won my first fight,��� Maddox had a smile in his voice.
���Congratulations,��� her voice was a whisper.
���Make it even better, say yes you want me to take you to prom,��� Maddox voice was unchanged, still a smile.
���Do you still have those shorts on?��� Harper asked.
Maddox laughed, ���Still at the gym, so yes.���
���Good send me a video of you asking me to prom and then call me and ask me again,��� Harper said softly.
���What?��� Maddox laughed.
���You heard me,��� Harper said and hung up.
She started to get nervous that he was annoyed, and the video came. He had a white robe on, and a hood over his head, ���Harper may I please take you to prom?���
Harper texted him back.
- Loose the robe and try again���HA
- Seriously?!?!...MH
- Please���HA
- Why?...MH
- You are beautiful���HA
���And I sent it what the hell was I thinking sending that?���
She got just what she asked for and watched it three times before he called.
���Anything else, Harper?��� Maddox asked,
���No,��� she smiled.
���Are you telling me no after all that?��� Maddox groaned.
���No, nothing else. I would be honored to go to prom with you. Thank you, Maddox,��� Harper blushed. Even though he could not see her, he could tell.
���Harper, do you think I am beautiful?��� Maddox whispered.
���Well, yes— I always have,��� Harper whispered.
���Hmm. I want a picture send me one,��� he said softly.
���Nope, you can see me on prom night,��� Harper laughed, ���Ivory Tux.���
She hung up and giggled as she looked at the picture and watched the videos over and over again.
CHAPTER THREE
Prom
Harper looked in the mirror and felt sick to her stomach. She looked great and knew it, but just different. Her hair was beautiful, yet unrecognizable to her. She wore makeup a
nd heels that she knew would be long gone when she danced (if she danced), and she thought to herself: Did Maddox dance���oh God I am going to throw up all over him. She looked away from the mirror. Her dress was a champagne color with a pale blue underlay covering the important parts. Her father was shocked when he saw it. His face turned red, and he scowled at Tessa and she laughed. He looked back at Harper.
���You are stunning, Harper Ann, too stunning. Beautiful, too damn beautiful. Look at my baby girl, Tessa,��� he squeezed his eyes shut and let out an angry, frustrated breath, scowled at Tessa and walked out of the room.
���Is he mad, Mom?���
���Not at you, maybe at me,��� Tessa smiled, ���You look amazing���it���s just hard to see you all grown up.���
���It���s hard for me too— my lord, look at my boobs, Mom! They have gotten huge,��� Harper pushed them in trying to make them smaller, and Tessa laughed.
���You ready? They are waiting in the family room,��� Tessa grinned.
���Sure,��� Harper whispered.
They walked in, and Maddox stood, swallowed hard and looked at the ground. He looked up and his eyes widened.
���Wow, Harper you look —wow!��� London ran and hugged her, ���Your boobs are enormous! Are mine going to get that big?���
Harper laughed, ���I hope not, for your sake.���
Tessa laughed and covered her mouth.
Harper looked around, hoping no one else heard London���and it appeared no one had.
���You���re sure about not wanting to ride in the limo with your friends?��� Collin asked.
���No, I think it���ll be fine if Tomas takes us, Dad,��� Harper smiled, ���Is that all right with you Maddox?���
He nodded in agreement, ���Yeah that sounds great. You look outstanding, Harper.���