Chapter 22: Can’t Get Out of Bed

** Harper **

They spent a good part of the evening reminiscing about home cooking from Harper's mom. Harper thought wistfully of her favorite shepherd's pie, and Eli missed the divine brownies they used to smear all over their faces while they played games on the couch. Harper reminded him that she could make brownies from boxed mixes — not something that came anywhere close to divine, but passable in a pinch — so they spent the next couple of hours baking and snacking while trying out one of her company's newest games.

Harper was surprised by how easily time passed when she was with Eli. At the end of their heated "lesson", she had been a bit worried that the sudden step toward intimacy would make things awkward, but she was relieved to find out that it wasn't the case. It was so easy to settle back into the old rhythm between them, as if the past four years and the past few days changed nothing at all, and that they were still just each other's best friend next door.

Or … Was it really as simple as that? She wondered occasionally as she darted surreptitious glances at him, her eyes always automatically drawn to his lips.

It had felt so divine — much more divine than any brownies — to be kissed by those lips. To be held by his arms, touched by his hands … No one else had ever made her feel that way before.

Whenever she thought about it, the image and the sensation from her memory would make her cheeks burn, and she'd have to shove another bite of dessert into her mouth so that he wouldn't notice. But she couldn't stop thinking about it. She couldn't stop replaying that sensual scene again and again in her head, and she couldn't stop reminding herself that the man sitting next to her, who was now casually chewing a brownie while passing her his loots in the game, was the same man who had just given her a taste of that unimaginable bliss.

Did that moment they shared really not change things? What was the true relationship between them now? Childhood neighbors? Editor and client with prior acquaintances? Friends with certain benefits?

Harper wasn't sure. Or it simply didn't matter, she thought as she snuggled up closer to him and leaned into his shoulder. The feeling was familiar, comfortable and welcoming like home, but it was also a bit different now, with a kind of intimate warmth that wasn't there before. She let herself ease into that feeling — did it matter what labels were the most fitting? She was happy in this moment, and that was enough.

Well, that, and the fact that she'd now learned how to write her next chapter.

~ ~

Eli left quite late again, and Harper went to sleep even later. She didn't want to forget anything by sleeping it all off, so she pulled out her laptop and kept typing until well into the early morning. By the time she finally went to bed, she was exhausted, but also giddy again and probably high on hormones.

She was dreaming about Eli kissing her when her phone woke her up.

… Who calls so early in the morning on a Sunday? With a frustrated groan, Harper rolled over and reached for her phone. She made a face when she saw Chelsea's name light up on the screen.

"… Hey," she slurred a little.

"Harper! You got any plans for the day?" Chelsea's bright voice literally boomed through the speaker.

Harper rubbed her bleary eyes. "Yeah, I was planning to sleep in until you called."

"You … what? But it's past noon already! What kind of—" Chelsea paused. "Do you mean you were too busy with something — someone — last night to sleep?"

The gossiping tone made Harper snort. That was totally Chelsea for you. "I stayed up late to write my web novel."

"Goodness gracious. It was Saturday night! You stayed up late for work on a Saturday night?" Harper would practically hear Chelsea rolling her eyes. "You need to get a life, darling. Stop working for just a little bit and enjoy some beauty time to yourself! I should've called sooner and invited you to brunch with us."

"I'm not working right now, I'm beauty-sleeping," Harper argued. "Or would've been if you didn't wake me up … Wait, who is 'us'?"

"Me and my friend May — the editor that I originally sent your web novel to. We were just talking about you! You guys should meet someday." The voice coming through the phone turned insinuating again. "I mean, if you'd like, we can always turn it into a work meeting too … She can still take a look at your story! Or, better yet, she can tell you a thing or two about that Eli guy. They work together after all, and she knows him pretty well!"

The mention of Eli's name finally drove the last shred of sleepiness out of Harper's head. Hmm … The other editor friend who worked together with him? Not that she needed two people to look at her book for her, but if this person was working with Eli regularly … It'd be cool indeed to hear some anecdotes from a different perspective, wouldn't it? There was still so much about him that she missed out on over the years.

"Oooo, that silence on your end sounds suspicious." Chelsea whistled when she caught that slightest hint, and her volume lowered conspiringly. "Spill — I know there must be some delicious story you aren't telling me! Did you meet up with him this weekend? How was it? Is he really so wild that you still can't get out of bed at noon?"

"…"

Sometimes, it really was hard to be best friends with someone who never learned the meaning of the word "subtle".

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