Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
HARPER
Marcus
Hey, I’m going to be a little late from practice today. Would you mind taking the girls home? Emma is sick
Harper
Sure, I can do that
You’re a lifesaver.
They have chess practice in the library
I owe you
I can think of a few ways you can pay me back…
Damn it, Harper. I’m at practice
I can’t have this problem
Well, then I guess you’re going to have to make it up to me tonight
You’re evil
I laugh, grabbing my purse from my desk and tucking my phone into it. I gather up my lesson plans and papers, hiding them away in my desk for tomorrow. Being ahead has its perks. Instead of having to worry about them tonight, I can spend the time with the girls.
Before, I would have spent all night working on my plans. It was all I would do during the week. I had the occasional nights out with friends, but school always came first.
Since Marcus came back into my life, it feels like I actually have one now.
Heading toward the library, I peek through the windows and watch the remainder of chess practice. A few students are gathered around Sadie and another boy who are playing one another. They’re both concentrating hard, but I know the moment the move comes to Sadie. Her face lights up and she’s moving her piece with easy confidence.
The two of them shake hands and I know she’s won.
That’s my girl.
Damn it. I don’t need to be thinking of them like that. They’re not mine. Marcus has always meant so much to me, but now, so do his girls. Marcus and I fell into this thing between the two of us so easily, that I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I handled the heartbreak once. I don’t know if I could do it again.
Shaking off the thoughts, I head into the library to watch the end of practice.
“Hey, Harper.”
“Hi, Max,” I greet the fifth-grade teacher who is in charge of the club. “I’m taking the girls home tonight.”
“I just saw the email come through. ”
“Miss Smith! I won!” Sadie comes bolting over to me, jumping up and down with excitement. “I haven’t beat a fifth grader yet.”
“Did you tell him it was a good game?”
She nods, hair spilling out of her ponytail. “I did. We shook hands.”
“Good job.” An idea comes to mind. “What do you say we get ice cream on the way home to celebrate your big win?”
“Ice cream?” Sam comes over, threading her arms through her backpack straps. “We never get ice cream on the way home from school.”
“I think we can make an exception with Sadie’s big win.”
“Okay!”
“And then maybe we can make dinner together so it’s ready when Dad gets home?”
“Best day ever!” Sadie grabs Sam’s hand and they run off toward the lobby of the school.
I wave to Max as I chase after them.
“Slow down, girls.”
I grab their hands as I steer them toward my car. With Marcus’s mom being gone, I got an extra set of booster seats.
Just in case.
I’ve ended up using them more than I thought I would. It’s like Marcus knew he would need me. I like that he can rely on me. Anything for him and the girls.
But I don’t mind. Making sure they’re strapped in, I hop into the driver’s seat and start the car.
“Tell me about this winning chess move,” I say to Sadie.
There’s a small mom-and-pop ice cream shop a few miles from the school, but with traffic, it’s taking us a while to get there.
“He thought he had me with his queen, but I saw a move with my bishop and I was able to take it. After that, it was an easy checkmate.”
“Is that the one you used to beat me?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’m not very good, but I’m glad you won.”
“I was able to capture seven pieces,” Sam tells me. “I usually don’t get that many.”
“Good job, Sam. Looks like we’ll have two chess wizards to contend with.”
“She did a really good job,” Sadie agrees.
I smile, inching our way toward our destination. I like that these two have each other. Sam might not like chess all that much, but she plays so she can spend the time with Sadie. My older sister and I were never that close when we were younger. We are now, but we still don’t get to see each other that often since she lives in California.
The girls are chattering about their day as the arrow lights up. The car in front of me goes, but the next thing I know, the sound of squealing brakes hits me. I have less than a second to throw my arm out before the air bags explode.
Holy shit.
The smell of smoke is thick in the small car as my ears ring.
Sam and Sadie. It’s the only thought that penetrates my rattled brain as I turn to find them screaming in the backseat.
“Are you okay?”
Sam is crying and Sadie has her eyes squeezed shut with her hands over her ears. They’re both frazzled, but at first glance, they look okay .
Holy shit. There’s a dull throbbing in my head, and my wrist aches.
“It’s okay, girls. It’ll be okay.”
I’m saying it as much to them as I am to myself.
“I want Daddy,” Sam cries. “Where’s Daddy?”
Marcus.
Oh God. We were in an accident. He’s going to hate me. Knowing everything that happened to his sister, he is going to hate me.
I try to take a few deep breaths so I don’t lose it in front of the girls.
“I’m scared, Harper,” Sadie tells me.
“I know, sweetheart.”
Unsnapping my seat belt, I shoulder open the front door. The front end of my car is smashed in. Fear ripples through me.
God, what if the girls are more hurt than I can see?
Don’t cry, Harper. Don’t cry.
Sirens sound in the distance as I try to open the back door behind me to get them out. Shit. It won’t budge. Running around the car to the passenger side, I’m able to squeeze it open and help both of them unbuckle themselves and get out of the car.
“Does anything hurt?” I ask, looking them over, trying to find any signs of injury.
“I’m scared,” Sadie tells me again.
“I know, baby. I am too.” I press a kiss to her forehead and hold both girls close to me.
“Can we help you and your daughters?” a stranger asks, dropping down next to us.
“I don’t know,” I tell them.
“The police are here. It was a teenager that hit you,” he tells me.
Standing up, there’s a police officer talking to a teenage girl that is hysterical. I can only imagine what is going through her head. But she’s not my concern.
This is not how I expected the day to go. All I wanted was to take the girls to get ice cream and spend the afternoon with them before Marcus came home. Get dinner and then spend the night with Marcus.
This is a clusterfuck.
I can’t imagine his reaction.
“Ma’am, we’re going to need you and your daughters to come with us.” This comes from a police officer. “The EMTs want to check you over before taking you to the hospital.”
“Hospital?” Dread settles in my gut. “Why do we need to go to the hospital?”
“With the airbags deploying, they want to make sure, especially with children involved. And they’ll want to check you over for a concussion with your head wound.”
“Head wound?”
He nods. “You’re bleeding.”
“Shit.”
Pressing my hand to my forehead, I feel that it’s wet.
Whatever I was doing to stop the tears no longer works. They slide down my cheeks as the three of us follow the police officer over to the ambulance.
“Hi girls,” the woman greets them. “We’re going to check you over and then you’re going to get to ride in the ambulance. Have you ever ridden in one before?”
Both girls shake their heads.
“I promise, you won’t be scared.”
“You’re not going to leave us?” Sam turns wide, wet eyes onto me.
“Never.”
Not if I can help it .
“Let’s get you looked over and then we’ll even turn on the lights for you two, okay?”
“Okay.” Sadie sniffles, hopping up into the truck. I try to help, but pain shoots through my wrist.
“And we’ll make sure your mom is taken care of.”
Mom. That’s the first time I’ve ever been called that. And not for the first time, these two were called my daughters.
I want that more than anything.
Both girls tuck themselves into my arms as the EMTs look them over. They are kind and patient with them. It goes a long way to soothing the scared girls I’m holding.
“Is Daddy going to meet us at the hospital?” Sadie asks.
“Yeah. I’ll call him.”
“Everything looks okay with the girls?—”
“Thank God,” I breathe.
“Did you lose consciousness at all?” the second EMT asks.
“No.”
“Good. They may do a CT scan at the hospital, but they’ll be able to go over everything there once we arrive.”
“Thank you.”
They pack up before heading to the front.
“What about your car?” Sadie asks.
“I think the police will take care of it. Don’t you worry about it.”
“Can we call Daddy? I want him.”
“We’ll call him on the way.”
Both girls squeeze closer to me as the ambulance starts moving, sirens loud.
Thankfully I had the foresight to grab my phone. Marcus’s phone goes straight to voicemail. Which is going to make the next call even worse when I have to call the team’s main switchboard.
I only hope he doesn’t hate me by the end of the day.