Raised Mateless (On Hold)

Chapter 8

Harper West -

I fell into the classic female mistake of thinking that when a guy acted like a jerk to you, he obviously secretly wanted you. Unfortunately though, the rules that applied in grade school don't apply to your life in the real world. I realized this after Chris had dropped off the face of the Earth for over a week.

"I thought it was all just a game, Emilee, which would all turn into some cliché story we would tell our kids of mommy chasing after daddy." I sighed; pushing untouched my plate across the table.

Emilee shook her head, and pushed the food piled plate back in front of me. "Harper, eat some damn food."

"I'm not hungry." I whined, though even to my own ears, it sounded childish and pathetic. It also sobered me out of my bad mood.

A twenty year old mother that was lost without a man is not what I wanted my son to remember me as while he was growing up. I should be strong, and if I'm not what Chris wanted then I needed to move on and not let the lost of another man run my life.

"Well it's almost four in the morning, and I think our girl's night out has come to an end - are you ready go to?"

I nodded, throwing a twenty onto the table, not bothering with change. I had been only a tad more active than a hermit; leaving the house to take Dakota to school, shop for groceries and having a girl's night with Emilee. But for the most part, if I didn't need to leave the house I wouldn't; I barely had the drive to drag my ass out of bed to go to work this week.

"Oh come on, Chris, tell me!" A shrilly voice probed.

I had one hand on the handle, and felt my whole body tense up at the name. It can't be him, please don't let that Chris be my Chris. I sent my silent plea to whoever was listening.

"She's not anything, alright? She's pathetic, plain and simple." His voice flooded through my ears, causing my body to shake with sudden anger.

His words hit me like a wrecking ball, shaking my anger into raging resentment. The feeling he was talking about me overwhelmed me, and I couldn't just walk away anymore.

I let go of the door handle and twisted around to come face to face with Christopher Lawson himself. "Pathetic, plain, and simple, huh?" I snapped, my hands balling into fists.

My hand instantly slammed the glass door back into place, and his annoyingly handsome face snapped into view. Chris' eyes widen a fraction and his lips were pressed into a firm line, he looked as if he was about to say something but I cut him off.

"If I could describe you in three words it would be," I hesitated trying to be quick on my feet, "Conceited, lazy... and lonely." I hadn't meant to say the last word but it was the truth. If that's how he viewed me, then I would let him know I could see the loneliness swimming in his eyes, too.

"Harper," His horrid voice wrapped around my name, yet I only wanted to punch him in the face.

Emilee's hand gently wrapped around my wrist, tugging me to leave. I nodded slightly to her. "Just don't."

I tortured myself with a quick glance at the stupid Barbie doll sitting across the booth from him. Her pink coloured lips were fitted into a victorious smirk as she mouthed her goodbye to me. Pure rage and jealousy flooded through my veins and clouded my vision as I darted towards Emilee's car.

"Wait!"

Just go away, I sighed wishing I could turn invisible already. The rejection and anger I felt caused my eyes to water and my hands to shake. I turned around to face the man who was supposed to make these feelings go away. "What? What could you possibly want from me, Christopher?"