Invisible to My First Love (Harper and Maddox) novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29 

Maddox 

On the day that I met Zoey and Ella when I dropped off those snacks for Harper, she should’ve kept her mouth shut. No one had ever pointed out that there was an obvious difference when I spoke to my father and uncle. On that day, she peeled off a layer that I didn’t want to be seen, at least not that way. Not only did it make my skin itch, it also made me feel exposed. 

It was for this reason that I used Kate’s lipstick and invited Harper’s attractive friends to slip back into the only habit I ever wanted her to see, that I was there for fun. 

I saw Harper’s texts on time but I let them just sit there for hours before I’d reply in a cold and distant kind of way. But I never picked up her calls or called her again. I didn’t want to give her the chance to dig deeper. I wasn’t about to let her think she could read me. 

Kate was there for the fun, not bothering to read too much into any situation and I preferred that over what Harper had become. 

She was easy and stuck around me like she was waiting for me to toss her a bone. I knew that if I gave her the kind of attention she desperately wanted, Grayson would find out and that would find its way back to Harper. He wanted me to stay away from her as much as possible and I was certain he would use that to his advantage. The message would be clear – I was still the same Maddox, the untouchable, reckless playboy. 

I needed her to believe that. 

It was finally my birthday and everything was ready. I’d texted Harper about the slight change in time, the text itself just plain and simple and I hoped that would be enough to make her change her mind about coming to the party. 

A few guests arrived early but I didn’t go in right away to welcome them. I still had a few work calls to make, so I was in the backyard. 

“Still out here?” Kate said from behind me, her voice dragged out since she was already drunk. 

I nodded with a neutral expression when she was right in front of me. “I had to make a few phone calls.” 

She came closer, placing her hands on my shoulders. “Can’t you just go for a few hours without focusing on work? Maybe, it’s time I finally helped get your mind off it since it’s your birthday.” She ran her hand down my chest. 

“Not now.” I gently pushed her hand away. 

She frowned. “That again? You’ve been saying that each time I want us to do something more than just…kiss and touch.” 

While I had given her the attention she desperately wanted, not once was I able to fuck her. Each time I tried, I couldn’t unhear Harper’s words when she saw right through me. 

I thought it was going to be easy to fuck Kate like it’s nothing, but at the back of my mind, I knew the truth and using Kate for it just made it more obvious that I was trying too hard. 

I was glad there were actual complications at the company as I used that to my advantage each time I felt like I couldn’t do anything more than taste her lips and run my hands all over her thighs and ass. 

“You know how busy I’ve been with work. You’ve even heard me a few times.” 

She sighed dismissively. “You know, you’re allowed to take a break, especially with me.” 

I looked down at her hand on my chest. Her touch was familiar, but I wanted it to stop, so I gently grabbed her wrist. 

“Shouldn’t you be calling Tiffany to find out where she is?” I asked. 

“She’ll definitely be here. She has quite the surprise with her dress and this fun little game to humiliate Harper.” She snorted, closing her eyes and resting her head on my chest. 

My eyes narrowed and I was certain she wouldn’t have mentioned that had she been sober. 

“Tell me more.” My voice was low as I brushed the back of my knuckles against her cheek. 

That was enough to make her tell me about the whole plan and when Tiffany would do it. 

“Enough about that.” She gently brushed her fingertips against the nape of my neck. “I know you’ll be busy hosting, but before that, just a few minutes….upstairs.” 

It was clear she wanted me to fuck her. She had been waiting for that since the day I had started giving her attention. 

Right at that moment, Harper giggled, like her voice was getting louder and I huffed. She actually showed up. 

Kate and I were right behind a tall shrub and she was trying to guide my gaze back to her, but I held her wrist to stop her just so I could take in Harper’s beauty that night. Her dress clung to her like skin, accentuating the curves of her body that I had traced with my bare hands and tongue several times. 

She was looking around at the parked cars and I couldn’t hear what she was talking about with Ella and Zoey, but there was a way her face lit up when she spotted Grayson’s car. 

She then turned into a teenager when he showed up and made her twirl, not that I expected anything less. That was the same guy she had been in love with for years and still was. Those moments when I had my cock inside of her and she surrendered to me, made it seem like there was no one in the world that came close to the heat we shared, but he was always on her mind and in her heart. 

He seemed to be just as captivated as I was by her beauty. I had told him before that he wasn’t fooling me and right at that moment, I could see that even more. 

My hands were all over her hips and waist. She was so into it that she looked like she was ready to be fucked right on that spot without giving a shit about who would see us. 

“Happy birthday. This place looks amazing.” 

Her voice was so steady that I realized she was still cool with everything I had done in front of her and that bothered me. 

Even when I gave credit to Kate, her smile didn’t falter. 

With nothing going as I planned, I left Kate to meet my other guests, even letting the girls get a bit too close. 

When Tiffany arrived in the same dress Harper wore, she and Kate were tearing her up and even from a 

distance, I could tell that the vibe had changed. I could’ve gone back and stepped in, but I chose not to. That would’ve gone against what I was already trying to do. 

I then realized that if Kate was right about the dress, she was right about the game and I had to be on high alert, so I spoke to the DJ. 

Things didn’t get any better when Grayson showed up and they danced right in Harper’s face. She looked like she wanted to go far away, but how could she when that was only going to make her feelings obvious? 

Once again, I wanted to come to her rescue but told myself not to do anything. It was because I had gotten involved with her in the first place that she got to see something that no one else did. 

Not even her friends holding her hands made a difference. 

What came to her rescue was Margot’s arrival with my father and just by seeing the cake, I knew she had been in charge of it. She confirmed it when she bragged and it made my blood boil. 

I had to force a smile when she took the lead in singing the birthday song. 

When she brought a piece of cake to my lips, it felt like poison, but I took it because we were all going to have the same cake. 

She made it all about her even with the gift that was given to me, my father barely saying anything. 

I hated the direction my party had taken, but that was until Uncle Sebastian arrived. I instantly forgot about everyone else and rushed to him. 

My voice was full of life as I proudly introduced him so everyone would get to know him. I smiled brightly as I looked around and when I spotted Harper, my smile faded. She was still watching me when he made a joke about my cousins and I laughed hard. It was then that I realized she had already seen right through me again and maybe it was time for me to be okay with that.