Harper's Rules 1 & 2

Chapter 31: Jake

Weddings make people crazy.

At least, I tried to convince myself that's what mindset I was in when I changed my travel plans and arrived a day earlier to Ellie and Logan's because I heard second-hand that Harper flew in that day... solo.

"Congrats," I mumbled and kissed Camille on her cheek, even as my eyes tracked Harper's retreat. "Sorry for this."

"Jake..." Her lips tugged closer into the cheek I kissed and her eyes shifted to where Harper had stomped off. "I'm not even going to pretend to understand what's between you two this time."

"I don't even get it myself," I groaned quietly and dragged my hands through both my hair, then cupped the back of my neck.

A soft hand patted my shoulder and Camille's blue-gray eyes shone with sympathy. "You've always been in love with her. Even in high school, when we dated. That's why I was so crazy..."

My jaw dropped at her simple but incredibly honest admission.

Her eyes filled with guilt and deepened the tint of gray in them. "I'm sorry. For everything, Jake. We were never good together, I see that now. But when you cheated, I just... didn't handle it well. I'm embarrassed whenever I think about it."

"Don't be." I dropped my hands to my sides. "I'm the one who fucked up."

I'd certainly never cheated since then. While others didn't deserve the fallout, like Brody getting tied to a damn tree, I did. And as much as I wanted to believe I was a lot better off now, I still had obvious room for improvement.

"Cami?" A male voice called out. We both looked over, to a tall, thin guy in a ridiculous pink and black Hawaiian print shirt, white-rimmed brown hat, and khaki shorts. What drew my eyes down were his shin-length white socks under brown sandals.

"Degree in fashion and I can't get my husband to ditch those socks," Camille muttered but a huge smile pulled across her lips. "Jake, this is my husband Tom. He's an architect in Providence."

I fought to keep my eyebrows in place and extended my right hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too, Jake." Tom's eyes dropped down to my chest, then stomach. "That's uhh... some shirt."

I wasn't at all surprised he'd noticed the horrible Hawaiian print shirt that had been left on my bed as a welcome gift. The bottom part started out dark blue, then faded into light blue, green, yellow, orange, red, then back into dark blue. If the blurry horizontal rainbow stripes weren't enough, then the white flowers laid out in vertical patterns did me in.

But I'd worn it, which surprisingly fit my broad shoulders, so Harper couldn't have missed seeing me if she tried. At the risk that everyone noticed me, I looked like a walking color explosion that someone threw white flowers on top of, like a hiding a spill under a napkin.

"Wait. Are you... Is he, him?" Tom shook my hand but kept his other arm wrapped tightly around Camille's waist.

"The asshole high school boyfriend," I admitted with a sigh. "Camille was telling me you were on your honeymoon, congratulations."

"Which reminds me, why are you here, Jake?" she asked me before Tom responded.

My throat dried at the admission, "I'm walking Ellie down the aisle in two days. She and -"

"Logan Hightower," Camille filled in with a smile. "I always knew those two would be together. He always looked at her like..." she paused then brightened her smile at Tom and tucked herself against his chest. "I get it now."

"Congrats again," I replied sincerely because she practically glowed with happiness, offered a tight smile, and offered zero protest when my feet led me after Harper.