Invisible to My First Love (Harper and Maddox) novel Chapter 120

Maddox

Two weeks ago, I wasn’t prepared to hear whatever Harper had to say. But now, standing face to face with her, I felt ready—ready to take whatever words were about to spill from those soft, red lips.

“That night, you never even let me get a word in,” she said softly, her voice tinged with frustration. “You just walked away.”

I let out a slow breath. “When I told you how I felt and saw the look in your eyes, I thought, ‘Damn, here comes the rejection.’ Whatever you were going to say—I didn’t want to stick around to hear it.”

“You’ve got it all wrong. I wasn’t going to say I didn’t feel the same,” she replied firmly.

“But you also weren’t going to admit you did. I knew that pretty well.” I paused, then added with a hint of regret, “You know what? If I could rewind that night, I’d still tell you how I felt.”

“Then run away afterward?” she teased, trying to lighten the mood with a playful smirk.

“Absolutely.” I leaned in closer, my tone growing serious. “Here’s the thing—you have to understand, I’d never done anything like that before. Saying it out loud for the first time felt strange, especially when I realized you didn’t feel the same. I was a fool because deep down, I’d always known.”

She turned her gaze away, jaw clenched tightly. After a moment, she spoke again, voice barely above a whisper. “My whole life, it’s always been Grayson who held my heart, even when I was with Mike. Now, I regret every damn second I spent hoping there was a chance. Even saying that asshole’s name tastes bitter in my mouth. He’s a fucking—”

“Whoa,” I interrupted, narrowing my eyes. “Are you okay?”

She forced a shaky laugh. “Nope. But this isn’t the time to get into it.”

“Actually, this is exactly the time.” I glanced down at her hand trembling on the table. “You’re shaking.”

She exhaled heavily. “It just hurts so damn much.”

Her eyes glistened, on the verge of tears, and I wasn’t about to let her break down like that.

“You don’t have to say anything more right now,” I said gently, squeezing her hand to offer some comfort.

“I’m fine. Really, don’t worry about me.” She managed a small, reassuring smile and took a moment to compose herself. “Yesterday started off well. Grayson told me he’d spoken to Anna in London, and she was coming to Los Angeles. She wanted to meet me.”

“What?” I tilted my head in surprise.

“Yeah! I was so excited—”

“Wait a second. When exactly did Grayson meet Anna in London?”

“Yesterday morning, on his way back to San Francisco,” she answered confidently.

“That can’t be right.” I shook my head firmly. “He never left San Francisco. He had back-to-back meetings all day—even the day before, he didn’t go to London. He and Tiffany spent the evening at a friend’s place here in San Francisco.”

Confusion crept over her face as she leaned back, brows furrowing. “That doesn’t add up. He told me—”

“Hey,” she said gently, reaching out to grasp my hand resting on the table. “Let’s pretend I never said any of that about Gr—that fucking guy.”

I chuckled, the tension easing a bit.

“I want everything to go just like you originally planned. So, tell me.”

“Well, at this point, we should have ordered our food,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, I’m starving, but that can wait. Talk to me.”

Taking a deep breath, I finally dove in. “When we first… you know, it was wild and passionate. The second time was just as intense, the third, the fourth—you get the idea. But that night I left you hanging in the kitchen? That was the first time I told myself I needed to figure out what was going on with me before I buried myself inside you completely.”

She gasped, nodding in understanding. “So that’s why you stopped.”

“Exactly. And it didn’t take long to realize I’d fallen for you. The next time I held you in my arms was two weeks ago, and everything changed. When you were in bed, moaning my name, that moment felt different. Unlike all the other times, I felt connected—I wanted more. I wanted all of you. Because being with you isn’t just about sex anymore. I know I’ve made you feel like I wanted to own you during those moments, but what I mean is I want you to be mine, even when it’s not about passion or wild nights.”

Her face brightened, and that gave me the courage to keep going.

“We’ve been pretending our relationship is fake to get some people off your back, but I don’t want that anymore. I want you to be mine for real. I know your feelings for Grayson run deep, but all I need is a chance—to sweep you off your feet. Before you know it, the only one in your heart will be me. Call me overly confident, but I mean it, and I’ll prove it to you. The only thing standing in my way is you, and I’m going to change that. I just need you to let me in.”

I looked into her eyes and asked, “So, Harper Moore, will you give me a chance to earn my way into your heart?”