Silence Reveals Hidden Answers’ by Michael Anderson novel Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Harvey Prescott.

New York.

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The air hits different. It’s not the gentle, perfumed breeze of Italy. It’s concrete, exhaust, and home. I take Jennifer’s hand as she descends the jet stairs in the landing area. She melts against me for a second, a little unsteady, and I chuckle.

“Feels good to be grounded?”

She nods, and I catch Jenna’s scowling face right behind her over Jennifer’s shoulder. Yeah, she can scowl all she wants. That little stunt, barging into the VIP section, just guaranteed she’ll never be within a hundred yards of my private space again.

I adjust my sunglasses and keep Jennifer’s hand firmly in mine as Elio greets us beside the waiting Maybach. While our luggage’s loaded into the car, I open the door for Jennifer. I arranged a separate car for Emily to take her home cause her little dog’s yapping was enough for one lifetime. Nate and David can figure their own way. My patience for babysitting ran out somewhere over the Atlantic.

Inside the car, Jennifer is already on FaceTime while she puts her hair into a ponytail. “Yeah, I just touched down in New York,” she’s saying, and then I hear a sharp gasp from the phone.

“Is that… is that Harvey?!”

Jennifer shoots me a nervous, wide-eyed look. I lean into the frame and give her bestie a casual wave.

“Shit, it’s him! He’s gorgeous!”

I accept the accolade with a triumphant smirk as the car pulls smoothly away from the curb.

“Wait, last time we talked, you and him-”

“I’ll see you after you’re done with work. We’ll talk later.” she says hurriedly, ending the call.

I pop open a can of beer from the car’s fridge. “What was she about to say?”

“Um, girly stuff, you know?” Jennifer deflects, taking the soda from me for a sip before handing it back.

“Thanks.”

I let the silence stretch for a beat, then cut to the chase. “Have you told her we fucked?”

“Uh…”

“Have you told her we’re together?”

“Not yet. It’s better to say it in person. I’ll also have to tell my mom so she can stop sending me on blind dates.”

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Chapter 41

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My fingers tighten slightly around the beer can. “Hmm. Blind dates. How many have you been on?”

“Not much. I’ve never really been interested.”

“Not much’ is not a number, Jennifer.”.I keep my voice even, but the possessiveness is a low hum in my veins.

“Harvey, really?” She sighs.

I roll my eyes. I don’t want to be the jealous boyfriend. But ‘not much’ sounds like more than zero. “One? Two? Three?”

She just gives me a scowl at that point and focuses on her phone. This is the reality check. We’re back in New York. Her city. Her life. The probability of some other guy noticing her now that she’s walking around looking like a fucking goddess who’s been thoroughly loved is unacceptably high.

The solution is simple.

“How about I stay over at your apartment?” I say it casually, like it’s just an idea, but it’s not a question. It’s a strategic move. Mark my territory. Let her world see she’s taken. Permanently.

Jennifer looks up at me, and I see the spark of interest and hunger flare in her eyes.

“I have work tonight, but I’m free in the day.” I tell her. “Plus… we didn’t get to finish.”

Our gazes lock, close to each other on the buttery leather seats, and I don’t wait. I bring my mouth to hers and kiss her.

“Yes.” She closes her eyes with a smile when I pull back. “I would… love that. Let me just make sure Jeremy isn’t still there.”

“Oh, I’d love to meet your brother, too. And your mom. Do I have to meet your dad?”

“Let’s not meet anyone yet,” she says quickly, biting her lip. “You’re my first boyfriend. I can’t imagine how they’re gonna act knowing you…” She trails off, but I know exactly what she means without her saying it. My own parents look at me like I’m a necessary stain on the family name.

I drop my head for a moment.

“Harvey, I don’t mean it that way.”

“No, they’re gonna ask me what I do. And I’m gonna say casino owner, does business in Italy, has tattoos, has the legal right to carry a firearm. My own parents judge me for it. You think yours won’t?”

“You are not a bad guy, and that’s all that matters,” she insists, her hands finding mine where they’re clenched between my spread legs. “It’s not like my dad and brother are the best examples, okay? My mom is just… way overprotective because she doesn’t want me to end up with someone like my dad. Or my brother, whose job we still have no idea about.”

I must not look convinced, because she leans all the way over from her seat and her small hands wrap around my tense ones. “Harvey.”

12:41 Wed, Feb 4 M

Chapter 41

She says my name like it’s a prayer and a command. I finally look at her.

“I hear you.” I finally say.

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It’s not an agreement that it’s fine, but an acknowledgment. I’m not perfect for her. I know that. But she’s mine, and that’s the only fact that matters now.

We beat the traffic, and soon the car pulls up to her high-rise apartment building. Her place is exactly what I pictured. The first thing I see in the sitting area is a pile of plushies. White chairs, stuffies everywhere, a thick brown rug, and those huge penthouse windows overlooking the city she loves. Yeah, this was her college dream. I’m not shocked to see she made it real.

She immediately starts gathering armfuls of the stuffed animals, blushing as she tries to shove them behind a chair.

“I’ve already seen them,” I chuckle. “Show me your room.”

“It’s… probably messy. Uh, one moment!” She kicks off her shoes and sprints down the corridor.

I take my time, wandering the cozy space. Orchids, soft blankets, interesting art on the walls….it’s all her. She comes running back, a little breathless.

“Okay, you can… come take a look. It seems my brother has left.” She starts a nervous, adorable tour. “Here’s the kitchen.” I follow right behind her, close enough to feel the heat from her body, nodding as she points.

“My closet of shoes. My closet of clothes.”

“My small office where I work on designs. It’s got this nice view.” She gestures to the sprawling cityscape beyond the glass. I nod, enjoying the way she’s showing me her world, like it’s her most prized dollhouse.

“And here… is my bedroom.”

Soft pink sheets. White faux fur throws. More plushies, a mountain of pillows… It’s definitively Barbie’s dream house. And I am immediately, intensely interested in the size of that bed. My own taste runs to monochrome grays and black but as long as Jen is in it, I could learn to love godforsaken pink. I don’t care.

My hands are my pockets in my pocket as I say, “Big bed.”

“Of course you’d notice the bed.” Jennifer shakes her head as she walks toward me. But before she slips past into the en-suite, she pauses, rising on her toes to bring her lips to my ear.

“I’m going to take a shower. You can join.”

I feel the command and the invitation hit me straight in the gut. My body goes hot and tight in an instant.

Elio is still waiting downstairs, so I let her start the water while I head back to the front door. He’s there, holding a bag of fresh clothes.

“Get my sports car here in an hour.” I tell him, taking the bag.

“You are not coming home tonight?” he asks, a trace of fatherly concern in his voice.

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Chapter 41

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“No. The whole family in Italy will be descending later. Maybe tomorrow. So I have today.” I rub the tension from the back of my neck. “Today, I don’t have to answer to anyone.”

“Is the lady… your girlfriend now?” Elio’s old, weathered face breaks into one of his rare, genuine smiles. He only ever smiles for two reasons: when I tell him I’m coming home instead of living at the penthouse, and moments exactly like this.

“Yeah,” I say, the word feeling solid and right. “She is. Can you order us some Wingstop? Burgers. Milkshakes. Leave it at the door when it gets here.”

I shut the door after. I know, with absolute certainty, that after what I’m about to do to Jennifer in that shower, she’s going to need all the calories she can get.

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