Unexpected Rush (Play-By-Play #11)(90)

“Harmony,” he said, but she took a step back.

Drake went toward her as well. “Hey, baby sis. Don’t cry. This * isn’t worth it.”

She held up both hands and shook her head.

“Stop. I’m sick to death of both of you.” She looked at Drake. “If you weren’t so obsessively overprotective, Barrett and I wouldn’t have had to hide our relationship this entire time and none of this would be happening.”

Then she turned her attention on Barrett. “And if you weren’t so afraid of ending your friendship with Drake, you might have actually had the balls to face him and tell him we were seeing each other.

“I don’t even want to look at either of you right now.”

She turned and went inside. Barrett saw her grab her purse, then she and Alyssa left.

Mama Diane turned to Drake. “For God’s sake, Drake. What is wrong with you? Your sister is a grown woman more than capable of running her own life. You need to let it go. It’s time to let her go. I’m ashamed of your behavior toward your sister and your best friend.”

Then she turned to Barrett. “Harmony’s right, you know. This is not the way someone who claims to care about my daughter should act. I know you love my son. No one has been a better friend to him than you have. But this.”

Mama Diane shook her head. “You handled this whole situation poorly, Barrett. I’d like you to leave now, while I have a few more words with Drake.”

He’d never once been asked to leave Mama Diane’s house. He felt like someone had shot a hole in his heart.

For more reasons than one.

With a short nod, he walked inside, then out the front door, feeling like he’d just lost an entire family of people he loved.

And the woman he loved right along with them.





Thirty-Five





Barrett went home, but he didn’t feel settled. He needed to talk to Harmony.

He called her, but she didn’t answer. He texted her, but she didn’t answer his texts, either.

No way was he going to leave town tomorrow without seeing her, so he got in his SUV and drove over to her town house. When he knocked at the door, Alyssa answered.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you right now, Barrett.”

He inhaled, then let it out. “I just need five minutes.”

Alyssa opened her mouth as if she had a very definite opinion about him needing five minutes, but then she just shrugged. “I’ll ask her.”

She shut the door in his face.

He waited, pacing the small front porch until the door opened again. This time, it was Harmony.

“What?”

Wow, she was really mad. He deserved it.

“I’m sorry. Can I come in?”

“No.”

He raked his fingers through his hair. “Harmony, I don’t want to do this on the porch. Please.”

She sighed. “Fine.”

She opened the door and he stepped in. Alyssa stood just behind Harmony, arms folded like a warrior bodyguard.

“Alyssa,” Barrett said. “Can we have a minute, please?”

Alyssa looked over at Harmony, who gave her friend a short nod.

“I’ll be upstairs. You holler if you need me.”

Alyssa gave him a look that told him not to upset her best friend, then went upstairs.

“Can we sit down?” Barrett asked.

“I’d rather stand. Plus, you’re not staying long.”

Okay, so it was going to be like that.

“I’m sorry. I picked the wrong time and place to talk to Drake.”

“You think? You knew he wasn’t going to react well, and to do it in front of my mother?”

“I know. I need to have a conversation with your mother—to apologize to her.”

“No, I’ll have a conversation with my mother. I think you’ve done enough.”

“Fine. Then I’ll talk to Drake.”

“Right. Because that went so well the first time.”

He threw up his hands. “What do you want me to do, Harmony?”

“I don’t want you to do anything. No, what I want you to do is turn back the clock, man up and tell my brother we were together when we were first together, like you should have.”

“You know that wasn’t the right time.”

“Why wasn’t it the right time? Because you just wanted to f*ck me then, and if it didn’t work out, then your friendship with Drake wouldn’t have been tested? What about me, Barrett? What about my feelings? You’ve been hiding me away like some ugly secret for months now, and I’ve gone along with it because I thought you and I might have something worth working toward. But you know what? I’m done with that. And I’m done with you.”

Cold dread settled in the pit of his stomach. “You don’t mean that. And I told you before I never thought you were an ugly secret. We agreed—”

“We never agreed. I reluctantly settled because that was the way you wanted it. But no more. If you’d cared about me, if you’d respected me, none of this would have happened. I’m done.”

He reached out for her. “Harmony, there are things I need to tell you.”

She held out her hand. “I don’t want to hear anything else you have to say. Please leave.”