Chapter 1: Still the One

Harper

As I pulled up behind one of the luxury cars packed along the street, I could already hear the music and laughter from inside Grayson‘s residence. He was my childhood best friend and the only one I had loved for more than ten years.

A minute passed but I still couldn’t let go of the steering wheel. In fact, I tightened my grip on it. Thinking back to it, maybe it was stupid of me to show up to his place after his invitation. The two of us had barely spoken when I left for college. But the moment his name flashed on my phone screen a few days ago with an invite to a party, I felt sixteen again and I wanted to come as soon as possible.

Taking a deep breath, I loosened my grip on the steering wheel and stepped out of the car, smoothing my tight emerald green dress with the length above the knees. I didn’t even spend too much time checking out how I looked because I told myself it didn’t matter.

Just as I made my way to the front door, which was already open. I noticed that there was no one in the foyer. Even the music had stopped, but the whispers coming from a certain direction, made it clear that everyone had gathered in the living room.

I was about to turn at the corner and join the crowd, when I heard Grayson speak.

“Excuse me, everyone? I’d like to share a few words with you all.”

I froze at the sound of his deep voice, and I closed my eyes as I leaned against the wall. It had been four years since I had heard his voice in person and it still made me feel the same way. It was still so charismatic, charming, and commanded attention. I couldn’t help but smile to myself and even bit the side of my lip.

It was only when he spoke again that I paid attention, yet I couldn’t wipe the smile off my red lips.

“Thank you all for coming this evening. Now, about the ring on Tiffany’s finger, yes, it’s true.”

Hearing her name made me frown. I had no idea they were still together as I hadn't checked his social media profiles in a long time. 

I wondered what he was going to say next, so I held my breath.

“We’re engaged!”

My eyes shot open and my fingers curled around the strap of my handbag so tightly that I thought it might snap, but I didn’t care. My heart already raced painfully in my chest. Even my jaw ached from locking it tightly. It was just so I could stop it from trembling but that still wasn’t enough because when I loosened it and exhaled in a series of short breaths, my lower lip had a slight tremble to it.

I took a peek into the room and my eyes were fixed on him. He smiled at her in a way he never smiled at me as he pulled her closer to his side, right where she had always been.

He and I were very close but when he became popular in junior high school and she showed interest in him, everything changed. She was rich and beautiful, everything I wasn’t back then. I felt invisible and it was because she was in the picture that he and I grew distant until I left for college.

The engagement announcement had my tears blur my vision as this wasn’t how I pictured seeing him again.

When they shared a kiss while she fixed his jet black hair, I looked to the side, telling myself that I should just leave before anyone else would notice me, but I was already there.

It also wasn’t the first time that I was seeing the two of them all over each other like that. For as long as I could remember, she always came first and Grayson never noticed me the way I wished he would.

I walked in when they were announcing their engagement, which meant what they had would last forever, but I pulled myself together, holding back my tears.

Right as the applause began to fade, I held my head high and stepped forward into the living room, the sound of my heels making heads turn. I hadn’t seen any of those people in years, but I never forgot how they mocked my baggy dressing and unappealing presence in school.

Now, all eyes were on me and the room fell silent for a few seconds, everyone trying to study me. One of the girls leaned over to whisper something to her friend, mentioning my name in the process to find out it was really Harper Moore.

Being the center of attention was the one thing I never wanted for as long as I could remember, but it just couldn’t be helped. I also expected this to happen. I wasn’t the girl I used to be. Even the guys looked at me differently.

I played it cool, my lips curving into a smile, and then, my gaze landed on Grayson.

His eyes widened as he pulled his hand away from Tiffany, taking a few steps towards me before he could stop himself. He parted his lips, but no words came out immediately. He looked at me from head to toe a few times, like he couldn’t believe it was me.

“Harp?” he said, pushing past a few people in his way.

I swallowed hard, trying not to get too excited just by how he called my name.

“Yup, that’s me!” I forced a chuckle.

He slowly lifted the corners of his mouth, stunned. “Wow….you look….”

“Different?”

“Beautiful.” He said it too quickly and that compliment left my heart racing. I was now twenty two years old, but felt sixteen again.

Right before I could respond, Tiffany rushed to his side, holding onto his arm. She had this look of amusement on her face, but there was nothing friendly about it.

With an exaggerated gasp, she said, “Oh, it’s really you.”

She looked at me from head to toe with the same fake smile that was always plastered across her face.

“It’s so good to see you too.” I forced a smile.

“You’re really back in town after graduation, huh? It looks like college did wonders. Just look at you. You’re almost unrecognizable, but hey, some things never change. You still have that bookworm vibe despite the makeover.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Grayson cut in, his tone sharp as he shook his head with disapproval.

She feigned innocence, running the palm of her hand along his jacket. “What? I’m just saying hi.”

He said nothing more, but only gave me an apologetic and soft look, then gently pulled her to the side. He whispered something in her ear, then held her hand as he led her down the hallway.

She looked back at me with a triumphant smile, like she was right where she wanted to be and had been waiting for this exact moment. She was the same old Tiffany.

He wrapped his arm around her waist as he said something to her and she paid attention to him. I didn’t even care what they were talking about, but that arm around her waist shattered something inside of me.

I even wished that time machines existed so I could rewind the last few minutes and stop myself from ever showing up that night.

Every step that I took, all eyes were on me and I just wanted to be alone, so I came to the backyard, my arms wrapped around myself as I faced the ground. I wanted to leave, but how could I just walk out when I had only arrived?

When I turned around in a hurry so I could go to the bathroom and hide my face, I ran into a broad and solid chest. I stumbled back, constantly blinking as I looked up and froze at the sight before me. He was tall, dressed in all black with his sleeves rolled halfway. His collar was open enough to show just the right amount of muscle. With his honey blond hair brushed back, that only accentuated his facial features, especially his sharp jawline. His presence was nothing but a dangerous vibe.

Something about him felt familiar, but I couldn’t figure it out.

With a slow grin that only added to his charm, he said. “Maybe if you kept your head up, you’d see where you’re going.”

There was an immediate arrogance in his tone, one which also felt familiar.

Maybe I was just imagining it, so I stepped to the side to leave and be alone again, but he got in the way.

“Leaving so soon when we’re finally seeing each other after so many years?”

I sighed with irritation as I looked up at his gorgeous face. “Do I know you?”

He scoffed. “What’s this? Clingy Harper doesn’t remember me?”

Clingy Harper? I narrowed my eyes. Only one person had ever called me that and I hated it. At that moment, it all came back to me. I just hadn’t realised it sooner as so much had changed about him. At twenty three, he was way more attractive than he was at seventeen. Not only was he the wealthy playboy that the girls wished they could have a chance with, he was also Tiffany’s annoying half-brother. They shared the same father.

“Maddox?”

“There you go,” he said. “You know, I still remember how you used to follow Grayson around like a lost puppy.”

I hated how obvious that had always been, but I laughed at his description of me. “I didn’t think I’d run into you here, but hey, at least I got to see with my own eyes that you’re still an ass.”

His grin twitched a little. “I guess college changed so much about you. You’re quite feisty now. The party is inside, but why would you be there when you’re upset?”

My heart skipped to beat, and I looked to the side. “I’m fine.”

He scoffed. “Oh, Harper, I saw you when you arrived. You were glowing the moment you walked in, but hearing that your childhood crush was engaged to my younger sister got to you, hmm?”