The fluffy rug under my feet did little to ease the pain in my chest as I sat curled up on the nursery floor for an unknown amount of time. I was only able to concentrate on the soft rustle of the wind on the windows and the soft tick of the wall clock—until someone knocked.
Not quite as heavy as Ethan's.
softer and more feminine.
"Grace?" Harper's cautious, low voice entered the room. "May I enter?"
Despite her being unable to see it, I hesitated before nodding. "Yeah."
Harper entered with her blond curls put up in a high bun, dressed in a comfortable oversized sweater and leggings. The door creaked open. When she spotted me, her eyes softened.
She sat on the floor next to me and hugged her knees without asking.
She whispered, "Ethan told me what happened." Or, more accurately, what didn't occur.
Breathing shakily and bitterly, I exhaled. Are you here to protect him, then?
She said plainly, "No." "To sit with you is my purpose here. And to say this, Grace, he's scared. Not mean.
I raised my eyebrows as I turned to face her. "What are you afraid of? Rekindling your love for someone? Observed? Being exposed? I detested how raw I sounded, and my voice cracked.
"Everything," Harper muttered. "Ethan was raised to be the company's leader and to be like our father—perfect, calculating, and cold. They never promoted love. The cost of affection was high.
I swallowed, bewilderment burning behind my rage. "That isn't a justification."
"It isn't," she concurred. However, there's a reason. One that he most likely doesn't fully comprehend yet.
For a time, we sat there in silence.
I murmured, barely audible, "I don't want to be someone he tolerates." or a person who is part of a plan. I'd like to be selected. Freely."
Harper gave a slow nod. Then show him what it's like to lose you. That's what it takes to wake up sometimes.
I looked down at my stomach. Like a gentle prod, a reminder that life is still in progress, my child kicked. I had no idea what Ethan's future held. But I did know this: I wouldn't shrink to fit into his world. Not anymore.
Harper reached over and held my hand.
"I'm on your side," she stated firmly. "Not because you're pregnant. But because I see the way you light up spaces he's spent years closing out."
For the first time that day, I smiled.
Maybe—just maybe—I wasn't as alone as I thought.