Sleepless: Callum And Harper - Sleepless: Callum and Harper Part 14
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Sleepless: Callum and Harper Part 14

"Harper, you look amazing."

"Thank you," she said and walked toward her bag, stuffing all its contents inside.

I watched the muscles in her exposed legs flex with every movement as the t-shirt clung to her flat stomach, making my head swim.

"You can leave that here, Harper. Cherry will let us come back for it."

"Oh, okay," she said, leaning against the sofa arm and crossing her legs at the ankles. I gulped down how sexy I thought that was.

"Uh, are you ready?"

"Yup," she said, shortly, refusing to look at me as she stood.

I started walking toward the door and heard her follow. "Are you excited to see Barcelona?"

"Of course," she answered.

She was so short with me.

"Is, I mean, did I do something wrong, Harper?" I asked as we descended the narrow stairs.

"Um, no, of course not," she said too softly.

"Well, you aren't acting yourself. What's up?"

"Seriously, nothing."

I didn't say anything back. There was nothing to say. She was obviously ticked off. I decided I'd just have to let it come out on its own.

We rode the subway there in complete silence and she barely looked at me the entire time. I put my hand around her shoulder to let her know that I didn't care if she was mad at me or not, I wanted to be near her and to my surprise, she didn't shove me off. Instead, she laid her head on my shoulder like she couldn't get close enough yet still refused to look at me.

"I thought we'd get off here," I said a few blocks from the concert.

"What for?"

"Charlie said I could park my motorcycle where all the bands buses are. I need to pick it up."

"Alright," she conceded easily.

The concert was held in Central Park and was more like a summer festival. There was a main stage and several side stages, where The Ivories were supposed to be playing. We rode right up the path behind the main stage and were stopped at the fenced in gate.

"Whoa!" A security guard said. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry," I said, flashing my backstage pass. "I'm here with Charlie James."

The guy didn't say a word, opening the make-shift gate and letting us through. I slowly brought my bike toward the rear where Charlie said he'd be. I spotted Cherry first and stopped by their trailer. When I got off my bike, I helped Harper slide off the seat so her skirt wouldn't show anything. I got a small smile for that and breathed a slight sigh of relief. She stood beside me, letting me unbuckle her helmet for her and I could feel the eyes of the band and Charlie watching us. I got the helmet off and hung it on my handle bar but when I turned around, I saw Harper shaking out her hair. The scent assaulted me, a fragrant punch to the chest, and my fingers itched to run through every single strand, to feel its silk. I caught myself and turned toward my friends and was taken completely back. The girls were talking amongst themselves, laughing and joking...but the guys. The guys were apparently struck as dumb as I had been when they caught a glimpse of Harper. Instinctively, I reached for Harper but she had already headed for Cherry, doing a little turn to show how her outfit looked on her.

I strode over to the guys and punched Josiah in the shoulder.

"What the hell, dude?" He asked, rubbing his arm.

"Can you all pick your jaws off the floor?" I asked, a little bit peeved. "Charlie? Charlie?" I snapped my fingers in his face to grab his attention.

"What? Yes?" He asked and the others laughed.

"Can you, maybe, not stare at Harper?"

He shook his head to clear it. "Oh, of course. I'm sorry, Callum. She's extraordinary."

"I know," I said, sighing at the typical direction our conversations usually went. That's when I realized that Harper was one girl Charlie couldn't have. "Listen, Charlie. I know you and Sam are over or whatever but I'd appreciate it if you could not go after Harper. She's....She's..."

"Yours?" He asked, a twinkle in his eye.

The others had walked off at this point to visit with Harper, leaving us alone. "She's not mine. No."

"But you want her to be," Charlie said, stating it more as a fact than posing it as a question. He leaned against The Ivories' sleek black trailer they bought for the previous summer's tour.

"More than anything," I admitted out loud.

"Stop wasting time then or I can't be responsible for my actions," he teased.

This held me slightly on edge. "Please, I can't joke about this with you. You have no idea how much Harper's beginning to mean to me."

"I apologize, Callum," he said sincerely, throwing his arm over my shoulder in a peace offering. "I was only joshing. Honestly, I'll stay away." A small smile curved around his lips. "It'll be hard but I'll stay away."

"Charlie!"

"What? Callum, calm down. I'm teasing you!"

I eyed Harper, my jaw clenching, making the muscles in them flex. I opened my fists, then closed them, over and over. I wanted her more than anything in this entire world.

Charlie's hand came flitting over my face to break the trance.

"My God, Callum," he whispered.

"What?" I asked, turning his direction.

"You're in love with her."

"What? No, that's impossible. I've only known her two weeks," I said, watching her intently again laughing at something Tie-Dye Tom said. They're standing awfully close.

"That may be but you're either most definitely in love with that creature there in that fetching skirt or there's something between you and Tom you haven't yet discussed with me." I rolled my eyes but laughed. "I can't say I blame you. I've never seen you like this, Callum, not even with Sam."

My head snapped his direction again.

"You knew?"

"Everyone knew."

"Then why would you go out with her?"

"I didn't realize until much later. It's why I broke up with her last night. I thought you may still be in love with her and I didn't want to stand between that. I was only mildly interested myself." Funny, he broke up with her.

"But I'm not."

"I can see that now," he said, laughing a bit.

"I'm sorry I made you feel you had to do that."

"I'm not. I was ready to move on."

I stood there next to Charlie watching Harper and Cherry gossip closely.

"She's in love with you, by the way," I said.

"Samantha? No, she's not. She's only in love with herself."

"Not Sam, Charlie. Cherry."

This took Charlie by surprise.

"What? You're mad! She's my best friend!" He exclaimed in disbelief.

"She is and I can honestly say, I'll consider you the biggest idiot if you don't realize soon that she's perfect for you."

"I can't, Callum," he said, sighing loudly in exasperation. "She's the only person in my life, besides you, I can count on. If I fall in love with her, I could never lose her and that's scares me more than anything."

"So you've thought about it then?"

"Of course I have. I just never knew she felt the same way." Charlie swallowed and stared hard at the ground. "I don't think I've ever met anyone more beautiful then Evelyn. She's the kindest, most lovely girl."

"I agree. Well, almost," I said, nodding my head toward Harper, making Charlie laugh and shake his head. "Wait a minute! Evelyn?"

"That's Cherry's real name. It was her grandmother's. I think I'm the only one she's told."

"Wow. I've never thought to ask if Cherry was her real name or not."

"Nah, I called her that when we first met seven years ago. She was super tall, porcelain skinned, crazy deep red hair. When she stood next to me, she was only a few inches shorter than I and I was so intimidated by her. That was what made me think she looked exactly like a cherry bomb. Beautiful to look at but there was something alarming there as well, like a fire was nearing the end of her wick. Her eyes make me feel like if she exploded anywhere near me, I couldn't help but be a very willing casualty.

"Haven't you ever wondered why I've never tried it out with her?"

"Not really," I said honestly. "I just figured you weren't into red heads."

"No," he said emphatically. "She is the reason I don't date red heads."

"Damn, Charlie. You got it bad."

He laughed wholeheartedly and slapped me on the shoulder.

"What a pair we are, eh?" He asked.

"Listen," I said, seriously. "I promised her I wouldn't say a word about the way she felt and that makes me feel like the most horrible friend right now but after you confessed to that phenomenal crush, I don't feel as guilty as I probably should. Just, figure it out, will ya'?"

"I'll try," he said, readjusting against the trailer.

"You know, Harper's here for Barcelona. Particularly Please, Don't Go. Think you could...?"

"Already on it," he said, standing upright and smoothly walking away from our group.

When Charlie left, Harper walked toward me. I held my breath and with every inch she closed the distance between us, my body began to tremble more and more.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey." I swallowed hard.

"Should we, ya' know, head toward The Ivories' stage?"

I nodded my answer.

It was crowded so I grabbed Harper's hand so I wouldn't lose her. We weaved our way through sweaty bodies and watched The Ivories but I had a hard time concentrating on their set because I still possessed Harper's hand and I finally realized she possessed my heart.

When The Ivories left the stage, Harper and I left to camp in front of the main stage to see Barcelona. The rest of the band told us they'd meet us after they broke down their equipment and placed it in their trailer. We sat on the grass, side by side, a silence building between the two of us and it was becoming shockingly awkward.

"Dude, Harper. Tell me what's up."

"Uh, noth..."

"Don't say nothing, Harper. I may have only known you a few weeks but we've practically lived a lifetime in those few weeks. I know you. You're upset."

She sighed loudly and brought her knees to her chest, resting her cheek on her knee, facing me. "I'm embarrassed to say," she admitted.

"Just tell me what's wrong."

"I'm jealous," she said bluntly, making me choke on my own spit.

"Wh-what?"

"I'm jealous of Sam. I don't like her for no other reason than that she obviously wants you. There, I said it."

Her face turned a bright red in the artificial light of the stage lights. I opened my mouth to confess everything but was interrupted by the roar of the crowd. Everyone stood abruptly, surrounding us as we stayed on the grass, staring at one another. I wanted to reveal all. I just needed everyone to quiet down enough that she could hear me.

"Hi, we're Barcelona," we heard over the thunder of the crowd. "Our first song is dedicated to Harper Bailey from Callum Tate," he said right before the first resonating piano note of Please, Don't Go began to play.

Tears began to fill Harper's eyes. I stood and offered her my hand and to my utter relief she took it. I enveloped her in my arms and brought her close, squeezing her tightly against my chest. I brought her hand in mine to my chest and splayed my free hand across the broad of her back.

I bent slightly toward her ear. "You don't have to be jealous of Sam, Harper. It's not her I want."

My hand rose slowly with her breath. We bent to the rhythm of our song, her face buried in my neck and my cheek resting on the side of her head. What I needed in my life was right there, in my arms. I closed my eyes and drunk in the most perfect moment of my life.