Don't Promise Me Forever

10 | in which Lawson enjoys the hedge a little too much

Footsteps retreated.

Lawson waited until the sound vanished. Then he pushed himself up on his elbows, trying to quiet the roaring in his ears. Harper looked up at him, her cheeks flushed, lips swollen from kissing.

"That was quick thinking," she murmured.

Lawson blinked. "What?"

"Rolling me over," Harper said slowly. "So Jake wouldn't see me properly. Well done." She wiggled out from under him, calmly brushing dirt from her dress, as if she'd merely tripped and landed in the hedge. Lawson looked away. "What?"

"Nothing," he muttered.

He could hear her rise to her feet. "You seem angry."

"I'm not."

At least, Lawson didn't think so; he was feeling something, although he couldn't have said what it was. He rose, trying fruitlessly to straighten his tie. Harper bit her lip in a way that was absurdly distracting.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "You're not saying anything offensive or charming, so I'm worried."

"I'm good," Lawson said. "You just... surprised me."

That was true, at least. Harper frowned, shouldering her bag.

"Oh," she said. "Sorry. I'll warn you next time."

Lawson looked at her sharply. "There can't be a next time."

She crossed her arms. "What if Jake's at the wedding?"

Lawson half-closed his eyes. He knew it was inevitable that Jake Parker would be at the wedding; Parker's celebrity status meant that he was invited everywhere. But still. It didn't change anything.

"That's why we're finding you a date," Lawson said. "Right now."

Harper looked thoughtful. "Why don't I just go to the wedding with you?"

Lawson resisted the urge to wince. He could think of several reasons off the top of his head, the most burning one being that he wanted to pin her against a wall and kiss her senseless.

Which, you know.

Not great.

"Funnily enough," Lawson said mildly, "I'm very attached to my head remaining on my neck."

He started towards the stone bench, taking a direction at random. Harper followed, her face twisted into a frown. Then her expression cleared.

"Oh," she said. "Dad won't care."

"It's not your father I'm worried about."

"Diana?" Harper asked skeptically. When Lawson remained silent, her eyebrows flew up. "Wait, do you mean Griffin?"

"That's the one."

She gave him a 'don't-be-ridiculous' look. "Griffin never pays attention to who I date. I could show up at the wedding with a frying pan and he'd try to shake its hand."

Lawson sighed. "You don't know Griff as well as I do."

Harper gave him a sharp look. "He's my stepbrother."

"And he's my brother," Lawson said gently. "I've known him since we were kids. I've seen Griff through his parents splitting, and getting cut from the rugby team, and the time he set the West Wing on fire and nearly got expelled. I'm not trying to make it a competition," he added, seeing her face. "I'm just saying."

She fiddled with a bracelet. "You honestly think he'd be upset?"

Lawson thought for a moment. "I think Griffin is an engineer. He likes instruction manuals; he likes things to make sense. And you and I?" He half-turned, skirting around a potted plant. "We don't make sense."