#god I hate how much this conniving brat makes me smile..

[rundownstage]

And so he arrives! (Still relevant in our hearts)

[caroline18mars]

A Man On Fire - Chapter 28

The party seemed to go on forever and the alcohol was flowing abundantly, but Harper was ready to call it a day, not even the dancefloor could lure her back, and if she had to do one more round of shots with the crew she was gonna throw up. “And where do you think you're going?” Jared's sweaty arms folded around her waist, that dancefloor was on fire and so was he, he was still on his post-concert high, the lights were dancing around him, the music was still as loud as on stage and he simply didn't want to come down. “Back to the hotel, I'm tired” she turned in his arms, zipping up her handbag, “oh..ok, I'll come with you” he seemed genuinely dissapointed, “no, it's alright, I'm gonna get a cab, you stay here and keep on dancing, you're better at that than I thought, you've got some amazing moves going on there, floppy hair” she smiled her goodnight kiss against his lips. “You absolutely sure?” such a nice change from all the other women, no nagging, no arguments, no trying to convince him to come along, just a warm smile and a fiery kiss and a lot of trust, how did he deserve such a woman?. “Positive! I just need to go lie down and I'll be right as rain, I was thinking to go check out a museum tomorrow morning, so maybe it's best if I stay in my own room so I don't wake you”, what? No!. “Oh no you don't! I want you in my bed when I get back, we'll make it a morning, breakfast, museum, coffee..hot, rampant sex” he wiggled his eyebrows in a silly attempt to make her laugh. Mission accomplished “oohhhh, sold! Now go have some more fun and I'll go rub some ointment on my butt, knowing you, I'll need it” she giggled “because apart from your hair, there's nothing floppy about you” another kiss, a lick of her tongue against his and off she went, her thick, long pony tail dancing on her back to the rhythm of the music. 

Ooohhh cold, she quickly pulled up the cap of her hoodie, cabs at this time of night? Ughh, see that was one reason why she missed New York, everything was available almost 24/7, wolf whistles from a bunch of guys hanging around doing some dope on the corner of the street, ok ignore them, it's gonna be ok, why do guys want to scare the living daylights out of girls that way?. “Harper? Wait up” a familiar voice made her turn around, “Sean..” oh please no more arguments, no more bitching, “heading back to the hotel?” he came running up to her, “yeah, I was just looking for a cab, is it urgent?” she folded her arms over her chest, strange how defensive she acted around him these days, when they had been so close. “I've got a car parked around the corner, I can take you if you want” Sean took a deep breath, wait, was he as nervous and uncomfortable as she was? “Ok..yeah sure” whatever, it was better than a cab right now. “This is me” he held open the passenger's door for her “just like the old days in NY” he let her get in and then quickly circled the car to get behind the wheel and steered the car into the night. “I was kinda hoping we could talk..” even in the dark she could see the nervousness on his face, “I don't know, Sean, I don't want any more trouble with Shayla, is this a trap or something? I mean, has she put you up to this so she can blame me for everything that is obviously wrong in her life and needs a scapegoat for?” Harper sighed as she looked out the side window. “No..this is only my idea..Shayla's got nothing to do with this..I don't even think she knows I left, I told her I was going to a pub with the boys, I don't think she heard me as she was too busy winding some guy around her little finger at that party” wait, and he didn't sound dissapointed or hurt by that at all?. “Ahh, I see, lying and mistrust, the most wonderful qualities of a healthy and loving relationship” Harper sarcastically hissed, thank god she and Jared didn't have to do that.

”Can I come up?” Ugh that hopeful glint in his eye, what the hell was wrong with you, Sean? “you've been waiting to talk to me all this ride down here? You're putting me in a bit of a pickle, Sean, I mean I'm not in the mood for a drink, my back is killing me and I was kinda hoping on a bit of lay down” she was torn, but he had time and opportunity enough to talk to her. “Oh ok..” no, not the puppy eyes, no, come on, don't do this, don't look genuinely sad, arrghh, dammit!, “Ok then,fine, you can come up to my room, but 10 minutes alright?” she opened the door and ran up the hotel steps while Sean handed his keys to the valet. “You wanted to talk, so talk” Harper closed the door behind Sean on his way inside her room, they had been friends for so long and yet this time it just didn’t feel ok to let him in or even be around him, not after the ‘barge-right-into-my-bathroom-while-I’m-naked-and-you-know-it’ incident. But he had been her friend, you know? and friends..well you simply did everything to help them out, especially when they were at their lowest, like he somehow seemed to be right now, just don’t make me regret this, Sean, please?!. Sean sat down on the couch and fidgeted with the on-off button of the lamp on the dresser next to it “Alright..well..I don’t know, I guess it’s kinda difficult when you put me on the spot like that” he nervously grinned at her, oh god come on Sean, say what you have to say, she’ll understand, she always does. “Out with it, Sean, I’m tired, or was this just another one of your excuses to just bug me? as far as I can remember I’ve never put you on the spot, unlike you remember? just don’t tell me this is one of your devious plans and Shayla is gonna come knocking again and this whole good Samaritan act is gonna blow up in my face?” Harper took off her hoodie, feeling his eyes on that piece of naked stomach that was revealed, she quickly pulled down her T-shirt she wore underneath the hoodie, bad frikkin idea, Coco, bad idea!. 

“What? No! no of course not!” he turned bright red as his eyes caught hers “look Harper, I..” he swallowed hard and broke eyecontact “I don’t want us to fight anymore, I hate the way things are going between us lately, I mean, ever since you and Jared..”. What? Whooaaaa “Hold it right there, Sean, don’t make this about Jared, alright? he’s got nothing to do with all that has happened, we fell in love, alright?” she cut him right off, don’t you fucking dare to give someone completely innocent the blame for all you and Cruella have done, “I’m not, what I’m trying to say, badly, is that we’ve been fighting ever since you and Jared became an item..that’s all..and..I..I..” he stopped abruptly and closed his eyes, biting his lip ever so nervously. “I think you’ve got your timeframe wrong, sweetheart, the real issue started when you snuck up on me in the bathroom, remember? that was way before Jared and I became an item, and for the record, it was Shayla who went absolutely nuts and accused me, while we both know I did nothing to provoke anyone, so before you go accusing anyone, get your facts straight” don’t get angry Coco, don’t let him get to you, is there actually a reason why he is still here?. Sean seemed to crumble there and then, he leaned forward and covered his face with his hands, wait..was he..? no, don’t cry, come on, no..she stood there all helpless, not knowing what to do all of a sudden, she sat down next to him, she couldn’t stand tears, she wanted to give in to the urge of throwing her arms around him, but she decided not to. “Hey..what’s wrong?” ok he was crying and she had never seen him cry before so she put her hand on his back and slowly caressed it “Sean, come on, I’m not psychic, so I can’t help you if you won’t tell me what’s wrong?” don’t forget his foul play, Coco, oh fuck that, he was genuinely hurting. “You wanna know what’s wrong with me?” he suddenly put his hands down again and let his watery eyes connect with hers, “well yes, I do, I mean we’ve been friends for such a long time and it pains me to see you this way” she ruffled her hand through his hair in some silly attempt to comfort him, “ok, I’ll tell you what’s wrong! I’m in love” he broke the eyecontact once again and wrung his hands. “Duh, of course you are, you’re in love with Shayla, that’s a good thing, right?” she rolled her eyes at him, no that wasn’t a good thing, how he could fall for such a conniving brat was beyond her, but hey it was his life, and it was none of her business. “No, that’s not a good thing, it’s not good at all, it’s beyond fucked up” he sighed like he was about to lose his patience with her, “fucked up? Wait, have you? did you..don’t tell me you have fallen in love with someone else?” oh for crying out loud, Sean, get yourself into trouble much?. 

He bit his lip and nodded “yeah..I have”, oh no don’t tell me this, tell Shayla, I so do not want to get in the middle of this, but he broke her naïve bubble immediately “I’m in love..with you, Harper..”, HUH? What did you just say? No, this wasn’t happening, he did not just say what he said. “I fell in love with you the first time I came knocking on your door when you first moved into the building in NY, I tried to play it cool with you all this time, I really did, but I can’t keep the truth from you any longer, seeing you with Jared..it’s just..I” he paused when she shot up from the couch like she had been stung by a bee “This isn’t happening, this isn’t fuckin’ happening” where were those hidden cameras? Because she sure felt like this was all one big, very bad joke. “You’re probably drunk or high, I don’t know, but what I do know is that you’re gonna regret this in the morning, Sean, and I want you to leave right now, if this is another one of your sick jokes, then I don’t want to hear about it..” she kept shaking her head at him, and stepped away from the couch. “It’s not a joke, Harper, believe me, I fell in love with you, it’s not like I planned it or anything..I mean, you and I, we were thick as thieves, the reason I actually left NY and you behind was to put some distance between you and my feelings for you, unrequited love is a real bitch, Harper..and I thought I was being smart throwing myself in a relationship with the first girl that came along just to forget about you, but I was being a total dumbass because I don’t feel anything for Shayla..I never did, I just thought that if I kept telling myself that I was in love with her then it was gonna make me forget about you, but I was lying to myself and her all along..and then you showed up here and disappeared and came back..in a relationship with Jared all of a sudden..you’re nothing but a casual fuck to him, why can’t you see that? I just don’t want to see you hurt, Harper, you’ve gotta believe me” he got up too and stepped up to her “Harper, please..say something” he touched her upper arm. “Don’t touch me” she jumped back, “what do you expect me to say, Sean? I’m in love with Jared, very much so in fact, and he is in love with me..” tears of frustration were bubbling up in her eyes now as well, don’t..don’t give him the goddamn satisfaction “you keep going on and on about how I’m just a casual fuck to him, well you know what? it’s none of your business, Sean, if he’s only in this for sex then so be it, but I’m not gonna anticipate on the worst case scenario any longer, I won’t, I won’t throw away the little I have with him because you tell me so or you don’t like it, you don’t even have that right! no..no way, I’m not in love with you, Sean”