Chapters 9, 10 ,11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are already on Pa tr eon
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Pat re on. c om(slash)wickedbunny(delete spaces)
"I have a bike rack on my Jeep," Emma said. "We can be in the middle of the cornfields in thirty minutes." Artur, who barely looked up during their conversation, glanced at his fiance. "That bike rack scratches the paint."
Emma rolled her eyes. "I'll wrap a towel around the handlebar."
Emma and Harry spent the next twenty minutes talking about their training, the races they participated in, and their best times. With each passing minute, Emma became more animated, and as the evening progressed, she seemed to study Harry's face with an intensity he had noticed before. She was a stunning beauty, just as hot as Gabrielle and Fleur, and he couldn't believe how promising the evening looked.
As if Gabrielle had reached her limit, she leaned in close and squeezed Harry's arm. "Darling, will you play darts with me?"
"Sure," he said, sliding off his stool.
Gabrielle smiled at Emma, almost as if she had achieved a silent victory, and pulled him toward the open dartboard.
Then the air left the room.
His best friend's brother appeared at the end of the table, his expression calm. He had abandoned his suit for a casual button-up shirt and a pair of jeans.
"Harry. You made it," Artur said, coming to life for the first time that night. He slid off his stool and approached the table, embracing Ron's brother in a standard hug.
Gabrielle and he froze before he looked at Fleur, who watched Ron's brother with ambivalence.
Bill and Artur broke the embrace before Bill glanced down the table at his goddess, Fleur. "I apologize for my behavior. Can we go somewhere and talk?"
He came with a hat in his hand, and if he knew Fleur, she would swallow the bait whole.
Fleur and Gabrielle exchanged a look he couldn't decipher before Fleur turned back to Bill. "Fine. You have ten minutes."
Bill exhaled and smiled as Fleur stood up, grabbed her bag, and followed him through the crowd.
"And they went back to their own business," he said. "Yeah," Gabrielle sighed.
"When he explains it, Fleur will come around," Artur said.
Emma furrowed her brow. "What does he need to explain?" Artur looked surprised. "I mean when he tells her how much he loves her, everything will be fine."
"Saying and showing are two different things," Gabrielle said. "Come on, honey, let's play darts." She pulled him by the arm.
Emma and he exchanged a glance that told him she wanted to join, so he invited them. "Do you want to play? We could make teams."
"Only if Gabrielle agrees," Emma said. "We don't want to ruin your date."
Gabrielle squeezed his hand, but it was already too late. "Sure," Gabrielle said without enthusiasm. "That's great." The four of them occupied a small table near the dartboard, and Emma retrieved the darts from the board before returning to the table. "Harry, do you want to be my partner?"
A spark ignited in Gabrielle's eyes, which Emma quickly caught.
"Never mind. You and Harry should be partners. I keep forgetting you're both new."
"Right," Gabrielle said, looking pleased.
Was this what his grandfather warned him about? These little things. Moments of control? It flattered him that Gabrielle wanted him as her partner, but what kind of precedent was this setting? "Forget it," he said. "Emma and I can be partners for one game." He smiled at Gabrielle. "Are you afraid of a little competition?"
Harry smiled, but the anger returned, this time directed at him. "You're getting involved."
Emma and he made a great team. They high-fived and laughed heartily, achieving an easy victory. Even Gabrielle seemed to calm down once he explained that he was with Emma. Throughout the game, he sat next to her, even playfully helping her with her stance, coming up behind her and wrapping his arm around her waist.
He replaced possessive Gabrielle with funny Gabrielle, whom he liked much more. At the end of the match, she high-fived both him and Emma. Artur looked bored and caught him yawning twice.
"New teams," he said, taking control. "As my partner, I choose the charming and beautiful Miss Gabrielle Delacour." Gabrielle smiled. "In the next game, Emma and I can join forces."
He glanced at Artur. "Do you feel like another round?" "Sure," he said, putting his phone away. Emma rolled her eyes. "It's Friday night," she whispered to him. "Work can wait."
"You're already up, honey," Gabrielle said, kissing him on the lips before handing him the darts.
At that moment, the bus dropped off. "Harry?" a woman's voice came from behind him. A woman with a distinct French accent.
He turned around to see Tracey standing in front of him with two other women beside her.
His stomach churned, and his jaw dropped. "Hi, Tracey."
Tracey looked stunning, dressed in a light blue summer dress that clung to her body perfectly. He caught a glimpse of her white lacy bra lip at the V-shaped neckline, showcasing ample cleavage. Her chestnut hair was down, cascading over her shoulders, shimmering and swaying. Her green eyes sparkled, and she exuded a magnetic aura of pure sexuality that drew everyone's attention like children to an ice cream truck. Three guys had already turned to look at her, and even Artur pocketed his phone, admiring Tracey with awe.
Tracey approached and greeted him with a light kiss on the cheek before turning to Gabrielle and smiling. "Good to see you again, Gabrielle."
Gabrielle crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at Tracey. "You too."
"Harry, these are my friends, Anna and Rose," Tracey said, then turned to the brunette Anna sitting on her right. "This is Harry."
"Oh," Anna said, smiling and nodding. "The famous Harry." A barely contained fire burned in Gabrielle's eyes, and he wrapped his arm around her waist as if to calm her. "Tracey is a beast when it comes to weightlifting," he said.
Emma looked between Gabrielle and Tracey, her eyes widening. She leaned in and whispered something to Artur, and he nodded with a serious expression.
He didn't like where this was going. Two alpha females vying for a piece of raw meat. He just hoped he wouldn't end up as the victim.
"Next time, maybe I'll join you for a few laps," Tracey said.
Steam practically erupted from Gabrielle's ears. "I would appreciate it if you stayed away from my boyfriend," she said to Tracey, her tone as sharp as a razor.
Tracey smiled, completely unfazed. "Harry and I are just friends. I'm glad he's with you. I encouraged him to go out with you." She smiled at him. "See, I was right."
"I saw you kiss him," Gabrielle said. "So, I'm not buying your nonsense, and I'm sure my sister wouldn't be happy about your visit."
His grandfather's voice screamed in his head. This was the moment. The moment he had to take control. He turned to Gabrielle. "Tracey is my friend. She did nothing wrong, and I didn't give you any reason to be jealous. Just stop it." Gabrielle gritted her teeth and clenched her jaw, looking at him with murder in her eyes. "Are you defending her over me?"
No one moved, and all eyes were on him. "I'm defending common sense against petty jealousy. Tracey is my friend, and I will continue to work out with her at the fitness center. It has nothing to do with my feelings for you."
"You want her? Fine. You can have her." Gabrielle grabbed her bag and practically shot him an icy glare. "Just don't come crawling back to me." She turned around and headed toward the exit.
He wanted to chase after her and tell her he was sorry, that she was right, and he was wrong. But he wasn't wrong. She was wrong. And if he lost her over something so trivial, they weren't meant to be. He stood there for a few seconds, watching her walk away before taking a deep breath.
Artur chuckled behind him. "It hasn't been a good week for you and Bill," he said, which infuriated him to no end.
"Artur, shut the fuck up," Emma said. She grabbed her bag and looked at him. "I'll go after her. Sometimes she does that when she's really upset." Emma walked after Gabrielle, while Artur picked up his phone and patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck," he said to him, then glanced down at Tracey and back up. "I think you'll come out of this okay." He whistled a cheerful tune and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Tracey approached him and put her arm around him. "Looks like you have some tough work ahead. Good luck, Harry."
He walked home feeling dazed. He felt manipulated. With all his willpower, he couldn't bring himself to pick up the phone and call or text Gabrielle. She didn't call or message him either, and no matter how many times he reached for his phone to call her, he knew he couldn't do it without losing her respect. Now he understood his grandfather. If Gabrielle and he were going to overcome this distance, she had to respect him just as he respected her. If the situation were reversed, he wouldn't treat one of her friends like this. Or would he? If he saw a guy kissing Gabrielle and then trying to befriend him, it would come off as insincere. But on the other hand, she and he weren't officially a couple when Tracey kissed him. Tracey didn't do anything wrong. Gabrielle overreacted.
Harry Potter didn't know how long he wandered the streets, but it was long enough for his cell phone battery to die. When he circled the street toward Bill's apartment building, the clock hanging in the bank's window told him it was 1:45. Had Gabrielle run off to Chloe? Was this the end? Nausea washed over him. At least when he was a lonely virgin, he didn't feel like someone had sucked the soul out of him through his nostrils. He loved Gabrielle. He didn't want to lose her. But he couldn't be with her if she acted like a maniac every time he talked to another woman.
The elevator was empty during the long ride up, and when he entered the apartment, the lights were off, and the bedroom door was closed.
But sounds emanated from Ron's brother's bedroom. Sounds of sex. Muffled moans and squeaking bed springs told him that Bill and Fleur had reunited once again. Once again, he fell for their lies. He sighed and sat on the edge of the couch, staring at the closed bedroom door. Was Gabrielle in there, waiting? Did she wake up and hope for his return, or did she escape to Chloe with a packed bag? Regardless, he couldn't crawl into bed with her, and he didn't want to listen to Bill fucking a woman he didn't deserve.
He slid off the couch, walked through the apartment, and opened the bedroom door.
There, beneath the covers, he saw Gabrielle lying on her side with her back to him.
Partly, he felt relief that it might not be the end yet. Hope sprouted. He wanted to slip into her bed and hold her, but would she even allow him to do that? And what would it achieve other than postponing the problem for later?
He quietly closed the door and returned to the carnal sounds of fucking that he couldn't bear to listen to for another second. He considered apparating to his grandfather's house, but since Gabrielle hadn't run away, he wouldn't run away either. He needed a hot shower to help him think and drown out Bill's hellish noise, indulging in something he didn't deserve.
He entered the bathroom, closed the door behind him, turned on the water, and undressed completely.
Chapters 9, 10 ,11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are already on Pa tr eon
If you would like to read the next chapters faster, see exclusive content, or support my work, please visit
Pat re on. c om(slash)wickedbunny(delete spaces)