Harper agreed to another coffee with Eli. She told herself it was just for closure—that something about him unsettled her, and she needed to trust that instinct.
The café was the same quiet corner spot he'd chosen before. Eli greeted her with a warm smile and pulled her chair out for her. Too formal. Too rehearsed.
"I got your usual," he said, placing the tea in front of her. "Figured I should remember what you like."
Harper sat down slowly, her smile faint. "Thanks… that's thoughtful."
His eyes lingered on her a second too long.
"I was thinking," Eli said, sipping his coffee, "maybe next time we could do dinner? I know a place with this incredible candlelight vibe. Romantic, quiet. Perfect for just two people."
Harper blinked. "Oh… I didn't think this was a date."
Eli tilted his head. "Wasn't it?"
She laughed lightly—more out of discomfort than amusement. "No, I mean—we've only talked a couple of times, and mostly about work. You mentioned you wanted to connect over our shared projects."
"True," Eli said. "But I feel like we connect on more than just that. You're interesting, Harper. Honest. And frankly, I don't meet many people who make me want to know everything about them."
He reached out, barely brushing his fingers against hers on the table.
Harper pulled her hand back.
"I think you may have gotten the wrong idea," she said.
Eli's smile didn't fade. "Maybe you just haven't figured it out yet."
Harper's posture stiffened. "Look, I don't want to be rude, but I'm seeing someone. Jacob. You know that. You've met him."
Eli blinked slowly. "Yes, I know."
"Then you also know it's completely inappropriate for you to be making these kinds of suggestions."
"I was just being honest," he said, the edges of his voice hardening for the first time.
"Well, I'm being honest too," Harper replied, standing. "This was a mistake."
She left the café without waiting for the bill.
⸻
Back home, Sofia watched Harper come in, shoulders tight, lips pressed into a thin line. She dropped her bag, then went straight to the sink and splashed water on her face. Her hands trembled.
Jacob wasn't home yet.
Sofia approached slowly. "Bad day?"
Harper forced a tight smile. "Weird."
"Weird how?"
Harper hesitated. "You ever feel like someone's pretending to be someone they're not?"
Sofia's throat clenched. "Yeah… all the time."
⸻
In Sofia's room, Naomi sat cross-legged on the bed, gripping her phone.
"He hit on her?" Naomi asked, horrified.
"Yeah. She didn't say it directly, but I could tell. And she looked so uncomfortable."
"He's spiraling," Naomi said. "And that's dangerous."
Sofia sat down beside her, tense. "I think she told him off. Maybe that'll scare him off."
"Or maybe it'll piss him off," Naomi said darkly. "We need to keep going. We're close. If we get enough, we take it all to the police, not just our parents."
Sofia hesitated. "But what if Ian sees it coming?"
Naomi stared her down. "Then we make sure we hit first."
⸻
That night, Harper lay in bed beside Jacob, listening to him breathe. He'd fallen asleep minutes ago, unaware of how shaken she still was. Her tea sat cold on the nightstand.
She thought about Eli. His smooth voice, the way he knew exactly how she liked her tea, the way he smiled too easily. It wasn't just the hand on hers, or the invitation to a romantic dinner—it was how much he already seemed to know. How confident he was that she would say yes.
She reached for her phone and hovered over the contacts list.
She didn't know what she was looking for. Maybe just a name. A clue.
She locked the phone again.
Then got up and quietly checked the locks on every door and window in the house—twice.
She didn't sleep that night either.