The List

Prologue

Harper

"So do I hear wedding bells soon" a muffled male voice said.

Sounds like Bran's best friend Axel.  Wedding?

"What the fuck are you talking about" and that was Bran.

"Oh come on man! You've been with Harper for 6 months! That's the longest I've ever seen you with a girl. You are the pump and dump guy. The wam bam thank you ma'am guy. The..."

"Stop. Just fucking stop. No wedding bells. Not ever."

What the fuck!? Not ever. I mean I'm still young at 22. I'm not thinking of marriage yet, but really, not ever.

"Not ever? What do you mean? She's a great girl".

"She is, just not for me. She doesn't check off all the boxes".

"Holy fuck! You ain't talking about that stupid ass list you made when we were 20. Dude come on! We are 30 years old. No one has come close to your unattainable expectations and no one will. Harper is perfect for you. She's beautiful, smart, kind, fun. Tell me what she doesn't check off".

A list. He has a fucking list.

"She is working on her Art degree, but she isn't going to use it for anything. She just picked it. Who does that? She's going to work for her family business because as she says 'it is what it is'."

I have a Business degree too you dick and my MBA. I decided to go back and get my Master's in Art. Clearly someone doesn't listen. I did my first 2 years of college in high school. Double majored in college and graduated at 20. MBA at 22, but hey why would you listen when I don't check everything off your list.

"You are such an asshole. Who cares what she is getting her degree in. She's still young and figuring out her place in this world".

"Nah when we were her age we were sent overseas to fight in a war. We worked hard and moved up in the ranks. We love what we do. She's that next generation of let me just coast on by. Carmen got her MBA at 24. She decided to go to Law School and now works for a large firm that she is in line to be partnered with. Harper don't even know how to use a dish washer. Come on man who doesn't know how to use a dish washer."

I want to run in there and raise my hand and let him know I didn't know how to use a washer and dryer when I left for college. Used laundry services until my roommate Clara showed me how. Why would I know how. I grew up in a house that had a chef, housekeeper, guards. Yup I was privileged, but when given the opportunity I learned all that stuff and now I'm proud to say my whites no longer come out dirty looking anymore.

"Not everyone has a dishwasher you privileged asshole. So what you are telling me is that you are comparing a 22 years old's accomplishments to a 32 year old. They are 10 years apart. I'm disappointed in you man. There is a reason you and Carmen didn't work out. Big reason is that she didn't know monogamy if it punched her in the face. She was also shady and manipulative. Money hungry. None of us liked her".

"I'm not saying I would go back to Carmen. Just that Carmen is hard to live up to for someone like Harper. Besides the cheating, I loved Carmen's passion. How excited she was to move up that corporate ladder.  How driven she was. It has nothing to do with how much she's making, it's the drive that I'm attracted to. Harper just doesn't have that and she doesn't have the basic skills to take of of herself. I liked the company, but I wouldn't even notice if she was gone. I do everything for her. So yeah I'll admit it. I want a woman like Carmen just one that won't cheat on me.  When we ended things I definitely noticed she was gone".

I'm trying so hard to not walk in there and announce my presence. I'm also trying so hard to not cry. 6 months I wasted with this ass. 6 months that I thought we were going somewhere. I saw him in my future in that tux waiting for me at the front of the church. I'm so stupid. Why would you tell someone you loved them if you didn't see them in your future. He said I love you first.

"If that is how you feel, you need to end things with Harper. You should have ended it the minute you realized you didn't see a future with her. Stop giving me that look. I'll stop talking about it, but let me just say one last thing. I think you are making the biggest mistake of your life". 

Damn right he is. Fuck I need to get out of here. I wish I didn't rush through that assignment so fast to hear this, but again I'm glad I did. I did text Bran to let him know I was coming over. Did he plan for me to hear this?

I turn to leave, but stop. I look down at my bracelet. It has both our zodiac signs as charms and an engraving with our initials. Why would you buy me this? 

I take it off and lay it on his bed side table. I want him to know I was here. I'll be gone by morning and good luck on finding me, but he probably won't even notice.