“Carter,” I warned.
“Yeah, yeah, I got the memo. But come on, Nix. Little Harleigh Wren is all grown up. And if you don’t stake your claim tonight, someone will. Because holy shit… girl looks fine.”
The knot in my stomach tightened. He wasn’t wrong, Harleigh looked… fuck, she looked like sin and sex. Every guy’s wet dream.
She’d knocked me on my fucking ass, and I didn’t know how to get back up or what the hell to say to her.
Things were changing between us, had been for a while. We were juniors now, but I didn’t want to rush her. I wasn’t exactly a saint where girls were concerned, and until recently, I’d never allowed myself to even think that there might be a possibility of me and Harleigh taking things to the next level.
I knew she liked me. Knew she harbored feelings for me. But it had always been so innocent—she was so innocent—that I’d never acted on it.
Fuck, what was I talking about?
I wasn’t good enough for her. I never would be. And there was no doubt in my mind that Harleigh was too good for a place like The Row. For a guy like me. She was quiet and kind and loyal. All she needed was the confidence to spread her wings and fly and she would never have to look back at this place.
My stomach sank. I couldn’t imagine a world where I didn’t have Harleigh by my side. She was my best friend. Every-fucking-thing to me. But she’d get out of The Row one day, she had to.
And although it would fucking kill me to set her free, I would.
Because that’s what you did for the people you cared about.
The people you loved.
You let them go.