I swallowed hard over the lump in my throat and nodded as I did as he said and sat down. “Are we waiting for anyone else?” I asked him, my voice quiet.
He shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary.” He took a sip of his water. “Would you like to go first or shall I?”
“I can,” I said without any hesitation. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid. The jump was going to be the scariest part of my journey, but it had to be done. “I want to apologize first. I never meant for something like this to happen.”
“Yeah, that’s usually how it goes.” He fell silent and frowned. “I hate to have to let you go, but you understand this goes against our strict rules. Knowing what we do and the fact that it has gotten out to the public, we can no longer employ you as a photographer for the team.”
I nodded. “Yes, I understand that.”
He stared at me for a moment as his shoulders sagged. “I don’t know you well, Harper, but this was honestly unexpected and a bit of a disappointment. You are an extremely talented photographer, so this is really not what I wanted to have to do today.”
“I really am sorry, Phillip,” I said to him, feeling the deep regret inside. “I never wanted this to happen, but I accept the consequences for what I have done. There is nothing I can do to take it back.”
Phillip nodded. “This is effective immediately, so we won’t be needing you at the game tomorrow.”
“I understand,” I responded as we both rose from our seats. There was nothing else to really say. Phillip was my boss and not my friend, so what happened in my life after this moment didn’t concern him. “Thank you for the opportunity of working for the team.”
“Of course, Harper,” he said with a sad smile. “Please take care of yourself and I wish you the best in life.”
I thanked him again and felt lighter as I walked out of the media room. I had served my purpose here and it was time for me to close out this chapter of my life. As I stepped into the hallway and the door closed behind me, I glanced over my shoulder once more as I looked back at the room.
This job would always be special to me, even if it wasn’t my career anymore. If I hadn't gotten the job, I wouldn't have ended up in Orchid Beach. And if I weren’t here, chances were that I wouldn’t have run into Nico that night. I would have never gotten the opportunity to meet him and have him in my life.
It was a bittersweet moment. A part of me didn’t want to give it up because this was quite possibly the scariest thing I had ever done. I came in here knowing I would no longer be employed, but I also came here with a plan. It was as if it were that final last push I needed to branch out on my own.
I didn’t need to work here anymore. It was time for me to start doing my own thing.
As I reached my car and glanced up at the stadium once more, I pulled out my phone and tapped on Ava’s name. She texted me as soon as she heard about the accident and made sure I was okay. She was the one who instantly knew I was with Nico so when I talked to Phillip yesterday, I made sure I let her know we were having an official meeting.
“Hey, girl. What are you doing?” Ava said as she answered the phone.
“Well,” I started as I turned the key to bring the engine of my car to life, “I just got fired.”
Ava was silent for a beat. “Okay. We knew this was going to happen. It was inevitable. So, what do you have planned next?”
“I’m finally going to follow my dreams,” I told her, my voice soft as I didn’t fully trust it. Speaking it out into the universe felt weird and almost as if it wasn’t reality. “I’m officially starting my own photography business.”
“Harper, this is the best news ever!” Ava exclaimed and the excitement was evident in her voice. “I’m so proud of you for finally doing it. I knew you could do this and that things would work out for you.”
“I don’t want to get my hopes up yet, but I have some shoots lined up and had other people reaching out, so I’m really excited and hopeful for it.”
“I’ve never doubted you, Harper, and I know you can do this,” Ava assured me. “It’s almost like this whole ordeal was a blessing in disguise.”
I mulled over her words for a moment. “You know what, maybe you’re right.”
Ava laughed. “I know I am.”
We chatted until I was pulling back into my parking space at my apartment building. We ended our call with the promise of meeting up for lunch tomorrow. I tucked my phone back into my purse before heading to my apartment. The door was still locked when I had left it when I left earlier.
I slid the key in and turned the knob before slowly letting myself into the small space. It was quiet inside and I gently closed the door behind me. Nico must have still been in bed, which had me breathing a sigh of relief. I set my purse and keys down on the counter in the small kitchen area.
“Where were you, love?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
NICO
I leaned against the doorframe to Harper’s bedroom as I stared at her in the kitchen. My hands were lazily tucked in the front pockets of my sweats and I watched her carefully as she turned around to face me. A pink tint crept up her neck and spread across her cheeks as her eyes searched mine with a brief panic.
“I woke up and you were gone,” I told her as I pushed away from the doorframe and began to close the distance between us.
Harper’s slender throat bobbed and she nervously shifted her weight on her feet. “I went to have my meeting with Phillip.”
My eyebrows pulled together as I stopped in front of her. “I thought it wasn’t until tomorrow?”
“I spoke to him yesterday afternoon and we changed it to today.”
I stared at her for a moment. “And you didn’t want me to go along.”
She shook her head at me. “It was something I needed to handle by myself.”
“What happened to us figuring it out together?”
Harper stepped into my space and laced her hands together behind my neck. “I don’t need you to fight all my battles for me, Nico. I love you but I also like my independence, and it’s important to me that it’s something I don’t lose.”
Her words hit me harder than I expected. I stared down at her as I slid my hands around her waist. “I would never ask you to give up your independence, love. If I’m ever overstepping, please just let me know. I promise that you won’t hurt my feelings.”
Her eyes widened as they searched mine. “So you’re not mad at me?”
I lifted an eyebrow at her. “Why would I be mad at you? Do I wish you would have told me you changed the meeting? Absolutely, but there’s no reason for me to be mad at you.”
“Thank you,” she said softly as a smile touched her lips. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to get mad that I changed it and I didn’t want you to argue with me about coming along.”
Laughter rumbled in my chest and I slid my hands down to cup the backs of her thighs as I lifted her up into the air. I gently set her down on the counter and stood between her legs. “I might be stubborn and I might argue, but if you tell me no to something I will always listen to you, Harper.”