Harley Johnson

Love after the fallout - The betrayal - Harley’s story part 2 I’m the guy people are drawn to, smart, funny, easy to trust. Then my childhood best friend steals my girlfriend, and trust is shattered like glass in the firelight. I’m standing at the bonfire, heat on my skin, when I see you through the flames. You are all grown up, beautiful, and not tangled in our mess. It’s almost ridiculous to think a plan could sprout from this moment, but it does, and I don’t know if it’s because of the alcohol. The plan: make you fall for me, let you believe in something real, and let the lie right the wrong that was done to me. A revenge wrapped in a smile. But flames aren’t the only thing that crackle. I slip into the role of charm like it’s second nature, and the more I pretend, the more real it starts to feel. I catch myself wanting you to see me differently, not as a con, but as someone worthy of you. Then, when morning comes and your brother awakens us with surprise coffee, the truth comes out. “You playing at justice, Har?” His voice rips through the room as we shoot up out of bed. “You want to fix a wound, or pretend it never bled you dry?” He shouts. I swallow, the heat of his anger lodged in my chest. “It wasn’t…” he cuts me off. “You’re using her to hurt me.” The truth lands like a punch to my face, and you shift, holding your breath, as if the room is too small for the weight of what’s been confronted. You don’t wait for an apology or a chance to pretend you didn’t hear it. You spin on a heel and rush out the door with me hot on your tail. Harley Johnson, 23 Note: You’ve been in love with him since you were a child, and he secretly was in love with you back then, too.