Chapter 47 HARPER
I’d had a chance at breaking down Tyler’s walls completely—and I’d fumbled so badly. Things might as well have gone back to square one. And it was all my fault.
This weekend’s sessions had been strictly professional. Tyler didn’t say a word to me unless absolutely necessary. He kept his distance. Didn’t even acknowledge me when I tried to apologize. And he immediately locked me out of his room the moment our sessions were over.
It hurt like crazy. To think the one thing you wanted most had been within reach before slipping away… it had to be the worst feeling in the world. Now here I was, hiding out in the girls’ bathroom on a Monday morning, mentally bracing myself for how I was going to survive Tyler ignoring me all day right in front of our friends.
Splashing cold water on my face, I tried to pull myself together in front of the mirror. Tried and failed. My mascara had smudged around my eyes from the earlier tears I’d shed when I remembered the betrayal on Tyler’s face.
My bottom lip was swollen from the constant biting every time I tried to hold the tears back. Worse, my eyes and nose had turned bright, rosy red—evidence to anyone who saw me that I’d been crying all morning.
Luckily, none of the girls coming in and out had mustered the guts to confront me about it. And I hadn’t heard any whispering. But I wasn’t stupid. The second I stepped out of this bathroom, I’d be the hot topic of gossip. Still, the thought of facing Tyler in class filled me with more dread than circulating through the school's rumor mill.
“I swear I’d almost had him,” a familiar pitchy voice said just as the bathroom door swung open.
I bolted into the closest stall, praying Racquel didn’t pick the same one.
“I can’t believe he left midway. Who the hell walks away from a consenting naked girl?”
“Right?” Racquel squeaked.
I took an involuntary step back, irritation prickling through me. I did not have the energy for any of their drama this morning.
“This close,” Racquel said, and I could already picture her pinching her fingers together. “I was this close, and I swear I could’ve had him wrapped around my finger.”
The sound of water running muffled her voice, and—yeah—I begrudgingly pressed my ear closer to the door, just to listen.
“But the poor boy doesn’t know ignoring me only makes him hotter. And you know, Claire, I do love a challenge,” Racquel drawled.
“And if you finally get that night with him, what next? To Tyler, it’ll only be a hookup. Doesn’t mean you have him in your clutches.”
Racquel tsked, the crisp echo bouncing off the tiles just as the water shut off.
“That’s why I always tell you to think two steps ahead, Claire,” she sighed dramatically. “Of course I know how stubborn Tyler can be. Which is why one night with him is all I need to seal my fate with his.”
“I still don’t—”
“Oh my gosh. Pregnancy, Claire. Fake pregnancy!”
“Oh—” Claire started, but Racquel was already storming toward the door.
“Sometimes I wonder why I’m even friends with you when you’re this slow,” she muttered, slamming the door behind her.
“I’m sorry, Racquel. I just—I just haven’t been eating my vegetables,” Claire called weakly, her voice fading.
I waited a beat after the door closed, making sure they were gone before stepping out.
So something had happened between Tyler and Racquel? What? When? If Tyler had been home all weekend for sessions, then when—
My chest tightened. My stomach knotted at the thought that Tyler and Racquel had almost gotten intimate. And it might’ve been because of me.
I should’ve felt guilty for pushing him over the edge, because I knew he’d never go to Racquel with a clear mind. But somehow, I felt… betrayed. Mad. Was this what it felt like to be cheated on?
Having that tiny excuse to not feel guilty tipped me over. I grabbed my bag, ran quick fingers through my waves to smooth them into place, then stepped out into the hallway. I’d spared him the truth because I'd known it would break him, but he’d gone to flirt with his ex after almost kissing me at the game—I had a right to be offended.
I was so caught up in my fury that I didn’t realize I’d crashed directly into another student entering class at the same time.
“Watch where the hell you’re going,” Tyler snapped, glaring daggers at me.
I didn’t apologize or scuttle away like before. I dragged my gaze down from his ridiculously attractive face to his even more tempting—
You’re losing it, Harps, I scolded myself.
“Maybe if you weren’t so insufferable and self-absorbed, you’d know you’re supposed to show proper courtesy and let the lady walk in first.”
The chatter inside the classroom quieted instantly. You could practically hear a pin drop.
Tyler took a menacing step forward, but I didn’t flinch.
“If I were you, I’d watch your tone,” he warned, voice dropping so low a shiver shot up my spine. “You really don’t want to see the other side of me that’s still mad you lied.”
I swallowed, hard. The venom dripping from his words made me wish I’d just apologized and walked off.
I tried to speak, tried to tell him I wasn't threatened, but the words stuck.
He didn’t wait for a reply. He just glared at me with icy, emotionless blue eyes, then brushed past me into class.
Goosebumps prickled my skin. This wasn’t the Tyler I’d had to endure when I first started working with him—no. This version of Tyler… was much worse.
I tried to walk with my head held high, keeping my breathing even as pairs of eyes followed me into class, trailing after him. Stupid didn’t even begin to describe how dumb I felt for pissing him off when I was the one in the wrong.
And now, I’d just gone ahead and made everything twice as bad.