How to ruin your ex's wedding: fake date a hockey player novel - Chapter 125

Chapter 125 "I love this plan." Harper looked at me. "You okay with a food tour?" "I'm okay with anything that doesn't involve weddings or emotional conversations with exes." We spent the afternoon wandering through Pike Place Market, eating everything we could find. Fresh donuts from the mini donut stand. Clam chowder in bread bowls. Piroshky from the Russian bakery. Harper bought flowers from one of the vendors-sunflowers, bright and cheerful. "For the new apartment," she said. "First thing we're putting in our new place. Something alive and growing." We walked down to the waterfront.

Watched the ferries crossing Elliott Bay. Tourists everywhere, taking selfies and buying overpriced souvenirs. Seattle in summer, busy and beautiful and completely indifferent to our departure. "I'm going to miss this," Harper said quietly. "Even though this city broke me. Even though I spent six months here thinking my life was over. I'm still going to miss it." "You can miss something and still be glad you're leaving," Maya said. "Both things can be true." We got ice cream at Molly Moon's-salted caramel for Harper, strawberry for Maya, coffee for me.

Sat on a bench in Cal Anderson Park watching people and dogs and skateboarders enjoying the long summer evening. "Tell me about Vancouver," Maya said. "What's the apartment like?" "Two bedrooms, den, balcony with mountain views," I said. "Hardwood floors. Updated kitchen. Walking distance to the arena." "And there's a commercial space two blocks away that's perfect for Harper's clinic," Harper added. "Ground floor, lots of natural light, already zoned for medical use. I'm meeting with the landlord next week." "Look at you, opening a clinic. Being a business owner.

Very adult." Maya bumped Harper's shoulder. "I'm proud of you. You know that, right?" "I know." "No, I mean it. Six months ago you were sleeping on my couch crying over Joel and thinking your life was over. Now you're moving cities with a man you love, opening your dream business, building an actual life. That's huge, Harper. That's real growth." Harper got teary again. "Stop making me cry. I've cried enough this weekend." "Then stop doing impressive things that make me emotional," Maya stood up. "Come on.

One more stop before dinner." She drove us to Discovery Park, to the overlook where you could see the Olympic Mountains across the Sound. The same mountains that 1/4 had been the backdrop to Joel's wedding yesterday. But from here, they looked different. Peaceful. Just mountains, not symbols of anything. We sat on a bench watching the sunset paint everything gold and pink. "I've been thinking," Maya said. "About what happened at the wedding. With Joel asking you to dance and Brianna confronting you and all of it. "What about it?" "I think Joel knew exactly what he was doing.