Invisible to My First Love (Harper and Maddox) novel Chapter 115

Chapter 115

Maddox

Two weeks ago, I left San Francisco and only sent Harper a simple text, explaining where I’d be.

I’d seen all the calls I’d missed from her and never bothered to call back.

Everyone else believed we’d stayed in touch because that was what I’d told them.

But the truth was that I was hiding like a coward because hearing her silence after I’d told her how I felt about her that night cracked something open in me that I didn’t know how to close again.

Instead of facing her, I believed drowning myself in my work was going to be my armor, but even if I wanted to be as far away from her as possible, she was all I could think about every hour of the day.

The only way I could cope with my constant thoughts about her was to finally paint her bare face, so I spent hours in my studio every day whenever I wasn’t at the project site.

Since I couldn’t capture the exact expression that I wanted to see, I started over again and again on a new canvas each time.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t paint her perfectly.

I knew her beautiful face too damn well.

I was trying to paint the smile I wished I’d seen that night, the one she would’ve given me had she said she felt the same way.

And when I finally got it right that day, a wave of relief washed over me.

I brought my fingertips real close to the canvas but stopped before I could touch it.

I wanted to brush her cheeks, her smooth skin and her lips, but I knew it all too well that she wasn’t real.

I took a few steps back just to stare at the finished piece and for the first time in fourteen days, I didn’t feel like hiding.

It wasn’t just the fact that I missed the rush of her body against mine.

I missed everything about her.

With a sigh, I set the brush down carefully.

I might’ve gotten the expression I had wished to see right, but that was still just on a canvas.

I wanted the real deal so badly that it was time to face her.

I needed to do things the right way and I wasn’t going to get started until I would have her right in front of me.

I got closer again just to stare into her eyes looking back at me and I clasped my hands with determination as I knew exactly how I was going to do it, when and where.

Harper Zoey had come over to spend the weekend and she only had a few more hours to go before leaving.

That day, we hadn’t gone to eat out.

She’d offered to be the chef for the day and she was such a great cook that I had no objections.

We sat right next to each other in the kitchen, our elbows leaning against the counter as we enjoyed the delicious meal in silence for a while.

Then, she said, “Ella’s missing out on my awesome cooking!” I rolled my eyes before hyping her up.

“Of course she is.” “It feels weird not having her here for the first time because I’ve always come with her.

reason.

Her sexy date must be rearranging her guts right now.” I almost choked on my food.

“Come on.

She just met the guy yesterday.” “So what?!

He’s so hot!

If she focuses on him, she’ll forget all about Uncle Sebastian.” ell, it’s for a good My eyes narrowed with amusement.

“You do realize that there are so many women flocking to him, right?” She groaned.

“How could they not?” I chuckled.

“Maddox even got to a point where he stopped counting.” As soon as I mentioned Maddox, she pouted.

“I miss seeing you two post each other and having the people in the comments going crazy.” I did my best to hide the sadness behind my smile.

“You know why we haven’t done that.

He’s so far away.” She dropped her head to the side with a look of disbelief.

“You make it sound like there’s no way you can get to where he is when we both know you can easily go to him, so why haven’t you?” I sighed.

“He’s working and I don’t want to be a distraction.” “Oh, please, don’t tell me you’re okay with staying away from him this long?” “We still talk over the phone whenever he gets the chance.” “Hmm, let’s see.” She thoughtfully tapped the other end of the fork on the counter.

“Oh, yeah, that’s been three times in the past fourteen days.

We all know he’ll be there for several months.

Do you still think this is okay?” As she went on and on about everything that was wrong with the current situation, I was tempted to tell her what was actually going on because I hadn’t spoken to him at all.

The morning after he’d confessed his feelings, he’d sent me a text that he was going to work on a project far away and didn’t know when he’d be back.

There was limited connectivity and he was glad it was the case so he could focus on that project.

knew then that he was only trying to create some distance between us after I’d just let him leave that suite.

It Telt like he was running away and I blamed myself for it.

I’d typed the reason behind my reaction a few times but always deleted it before I could send it.

I didn’t know how he’d take it.

The last thing I wanted was for him to misunderstand me again.

I wanted to see him again and with each passing day, I wished I could ask his uncle or father about where exactly he was, but I couldn’t.

That would only raise suspicions.

II never forgive him for what he did to me.

I regretted how I’d handled things that night.

Since Grayson wasn’t him, I chose not to pick up.

Each time he came back into the picture while Maddox wasn’t around, I felt myself slipping back into my old ways.

I didn’t want that to happen again, so I just let it ring no matter how many times he called me.

When the time would come for me to talk to him, I was going to be the one to call or text him.

I believed that it was the only way I wouldn’t let my feelings control me.

I was just about to finish the laundry when my doorbell rang and once again, I thought that was Maddox.

Maybe he wanted to surprise me with his return.

I quickly dismissed that thought when I realized that had it really been him out there, I would’ve heard his engine or something, but I hadn’t heard anything.

With that in mind, I didn’t get my hopes up.

S hen I opened the door, there was no one out there, but I looked down and spotted a beautiful red box eatly wrapped.

The only one who had ever done things like that for me was Maddox and I gasped with pleasant surprise before even seeing what was inside.

I quickly picked up the box, rushed to the couch and opened it.

As soon as I saw the card inside with an elegant font, my lips curved into a wide smile the whole time I read what waS written.

“Remember that restaurant my uncle had mentioned in Paris?!

Tomorrow, get on my private jet on time so you can arrive by 7 PM.

You better wear that red dress I got you two weeks ago.

I can’t wait to see you, Harper.

I mean it.

Maddox.” I closed my eyes with a chuckle when I finished reading it.

He finally wanted to talk to me and this time, face- to–face.

I wasn’t even mad that he was acting like nothing had happened in that suite and there was no apology for just shutting me out.

At that point, he could’ve even wanted to see me in a dark alley and I would’ve gone to him.

I just wanted us to talk.

I was certain that nothing was more important than going to Paris to see him, but it all changed when Grayson sent me a text message.

Harp, call me when you can.

I spoke to Anna in London and she wants to see you as soon as possible.”