Being Harrison Bloom’s Girl

Chapter 6

“Leigh.”

Harrison sounded surprised, because he was. He hadn’t expected Leigh to call him again. After all, Leigh had needed time away from him. How could she have time away from him if she talked to him?

“Harrison, how are you?”

Harrison bit back the harsh words that had risen to his lips.

How did she think he was?

She had promised him everything and then left him.

But with effort, he managed to rein in the frustration and the anger and replied civilly.

Politely.

Distantly.

“I’m well, Leigh. And you?”

There was a pause before he heard her voice again. Harrison realized that he was gripping his phone hard enough to make his fingers ache, and made himself relax.

“I’m doing well in school. I’m in the top ten percent now. So that’s improvement.”

“I’m glad it’s working out well for you.”

He knew he was being formal, but that was all he could manage at the moment. Warmth was simply out of the question.

“Well… How’s work?”

Harrison sighed. He had no time or patience for this. It was bad enough to have to dream of Leigh every night, think of her every day, wish he had known what to do. But at the root of it all, there was one thought.

She had given up.

Whatever was wrong, giving up was not what you did, not after you made a decision. Sure, he might have been wrong, but that didn’t mean that demanding a break was the answer!

She hadn’t even talked about it. She had just declared it, and run away, without giving him the chance to explain.

Though what he might have done even if she had given him the chance to explain, he wasn’t too sure. Still… He’d never know now, because she hadn’t given him the chance.

“Did you really call to talk about work, Leigh?”

There was another pause. This time, he could feel the hurt in what she didn’t say. Well, fumed Harrison, she couldn’t exactly blame him for that.

“I guess I thought we could be friends. Like we used to be.”

Oh, the words hurt like a bi*ch. Harrison took a deep breath.

“Perhaps in time we can be, Leigh. But since you decided we needed a break, I must also have some say in the terms of the break.”

“So, you don’t want to talk to me at all?”

“I have to do what’s best for myself in this case. Thinking about you when you’re not mine is difficult for me. I’ll have to pretend that everything is fine when we meet Martha and Samuel. I think I’ll save all my energy for that. I’m sure you have no complaints.”

This time the hurt seemed like a real punch to the gut.

“All right, if that’s what you want, Harrison. Of course. I’m sorry I imposed on you by calling you.”

Now she sounded as stiff and formal as he had, and he had an inkling of how much it must’ve hurt to hear it.

Her choice, he reminded himself.

“Will you be here for dinner this Friday night?”

“I don’t think so. I must focus on school.”

“Of course. I hope you do well,” said Harrison, and without waiting to say goodbye, he hung up.

He hadn’t meant to be rude. But listening to her voice, and the hurt in her voice as if he had done her some grievous harm, was so hard. It hurt him.

She had hurt him.

What right did she have to expect friendship from him?

But Leigh had always been his friend. She had been there for him, no matter what, when he’d needed somebody so desperately. And when they had first gotten together – he had been the one who pushed it. Leigh had had doubts, precisely because she had wanted to be sure that it would last – because it would’ve broken up the family if it didn’t.

Well, he wouldn’t let that happen, of course. He would show her that she was wrong.

In that, as well as in her desire to leave him.

He would show her that he could go on without her just fine – even if Harrison had no idea if he could. It felt like he couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think without her.

But she could.

She could do well in college, and sound happy. Uncertain, perhaps, but happy.

She could move on, and Harrison knew that he should be happy for her, but he wasn’t.

He was allowed a little bit of pettiness, he decided.

Frustrated, he grabbed his keys. He was feeling suffocated in the penthouse. It had become as much Leigh’s as his own.

Maybe it was time to put it on the market and move someplace else. Maybe what he wanted was a nice cottage, with a nice little garden.

No, no garden. Leigh loved gardens.

Maybe what he needed was one of those smart, modern, streamlined places that needed absolutely no maintenance. Or maybe he should just move into a suite at one of the hotels in which he had stake.

After all, he had choices.

He didn’t need to stay where he could find no peace.

What was the point of amassing wealth and making sure he could afford anything he wanted if he didn’t use it to give himself some pleasure and comfort?

He would go for a drive. He would go somewhere and get a drink, or seven, or ten. He’d buy them all a few rounds, and forget all about Leigh.

Maybe he would even flirt with a few girls, and see if it led to something.

He would not let this affect him so.

But even as Harrison thought of the evening that could follow, he lost the will to follow through.

He didn’t want to do any of it. What he wanted was one of his quiet evenings at home with Leigh. Or maybe to attend one of those tedious functions they had always hated and make it tolerable by teasing each other.

He wanted to hold her, and look into her lovely eyes and know that he was hers.

But he couldn’t do any of that, because she wasn’t his anymore. She was gone. She had left him.