Chapter 18
HARPER
Everything goes back to normal, or as normal as it was before.
I return to classes thanks to Warren, who is actually making an effort not to be so territorial when it comes to his friends.
It seems like everything is going well, considering we are pretty much starting all over again.
Well, apart from all the fighting he is doing with his father. That isn’t making things easy.
Still, things are much better than they were before, and I do feel good about the future. That is until I walk by the bulletin board outside the library.
Right there in front of me, in black and white, is a flyer with James’ picture on it. In big, bold letters, it says MISSING PERSON underneath his photo, and all I can do is stand there staring at it, willing an explanation to pop into my head as to why he would be missing.
Warren didn’t… Oh, god. Lifting a hand to my chest, I try and calm myself down. I can’t jump to conclusions and assume he would do something like that. He couldn’t have. He beat James up, but he was alive when we left.
Like a detective, I try and piece everything together in my mind. Warren took me back to his place, and he didn’t leave again, so it couldn’t have been him, right? I need to ask him and see what he says and go from there.
Somehow, I get my feet to move and exit the building, walking toward the cafeteria where I’m meeting Warren and Easton for lunch.
The entire walk, I’m filled with worry, wondering what the hell happened to James that night.
Yes, what he did was wrong, but that doesn’t mean he should die, and we all know that when someone goes missing, they generally don’t just reappear alive and well.
Entering the cafeteria, the sounds of silverware clanking and people chattering meet my ears.
Right away, I notice there are more of the flyers taped to the walls in here.
I spot Warren sitting in our usual spot, a tray that’s partially empty in front of him.
Easton is sitting to his right, and Parker, his other best friend, sits across from him.
There is one spot to his left open that I know is for me.
As I cross the room and see all the flyers, I suddenly start to feel like I’m in a horror film, his image appearing in front of my eyes over and over again.
“Hey, babe,” Warren greets, his smile falling when he sees my horror-stricken face. I slink down into the seat beside him and start to chew on my bottom lip nervously. “What’s going on? Why do you look like you’re going to be sick?” he asks.
“Did you do it?” I twist in my seat and look up at Warren. His jaw is sharp, his eyes hauntingly beautiful, and I still can’t believe that we’re doing this.
Confusion overtakes his god-like features. “What are you talking about?”
I point to the nearest flyer and watch as he pieces the puzzle together. The air in my lungs stills as I wait for his answer.
“I don’t know what that’s about. Parker took care of him.” Warren looks away and pierces Parker with a hard gaze.
Parker took care of him… What does that mean?
“If this is about James going missing, I don’t know what the hell happened. I waited until he woke up, and then I told him to go home. He was disoriented and could barely walk but he got up, and started walking away.”
“Are you sure?” I whisper as if the FBI or someone is listening.
Parker leans across the table, “Yes, I’m sure.” He whispers back in a mocking tone.
“Well, forgive me if I jump to conclusions,” I roll my eyes and relax a little knowing that Warren had nothing to do with his disappearance.
“I’m an asshole, sweetheart, but not a killer.
” Warren leans into my ear and whispers.
Goosebumps erupt across my skin and a shiver ripples down my spine.
“Plus, I was with you all night, tending to your hands and knees.” I know that, but the fact that we were the last people to see him doesn’t sit well with me, and I know how violent Warren can get, and I was totally out of it that night.
“What happened to him then?” I ask anyone who is listening.
“Maybe he got eaten by wolves,” Easton adds, and for a second, I forgot he was even sitting with us.
“Doubtful,” Warren replies, rubbing at his chin.
“I can have someone check the video surveillance and see what happened after he walked off? But I’m pretty sure the police already took a look at it, so if they didn’t find anything, I doubt we will,” Parker suggests.
“Yeah, let’s do that. I would still feel better if I knew,” I agree, the knot of worry unraveling a little more in my belly.
“What you mean is, you would rather make sure I’m not lying to you?” Warren snaps.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I murmur, even though it’s partially true. If I’m honest, I do worry that he is lying to me.
“Why do you even care, Harper? I heard what he did to you. Warren told us. If anyone should want him to disappear, it should be you.” Easton pipes up.
He’s not wrong, but just because someone does something bad doesn’t mean that they automatically should die or go missing. If that were the case, the world would be a much better place.
“I’m just worried. I thought maybe you guys did something, but now that I know you didn’t, I wonder if something else happened to him. I know what he did was fucked up, but that doesn’t mean we have to be as ruthless as he was.”
“If there is anything to be found, the police will find it. No point in worrying over nothing.” Parker shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“You should eat something,” Warren says, and I nod in agreement. I should, but I’m not sure I could stomach any food right now. I’ve been feeling nauseous all day long, and now the worrying is making it even worse.
“I’ll grab something,” I say just to appease him. Leaving my backpack on the chair, I get up and walk over to the line. Grabbing a tray, I place a slice of pizza, an apple, and a bottle of water down on it and move to the front of the line to pay.
When I return to my seat, it’s just Parker and Warren sitting there. I place the tray on the table and pick the pizza slice up to take a bite, but my stomach clenches so badly it feels like all of its contents are going to come flying out of it.
Dropping the slice back down on the tray, I stare at the apple. Should I even try?
“Are you okay?” Warren asks, concern etched into his features.
“Yeah, just a stomach bug, I think. Maybe I’ll go home and try and sleep it off.”
“That sounds good. I’ll come with you and keep you company.” He wiggles his eyebrows, but I shake my head because there will be none of that. I feel like I’m going to barf all over the place.
“I’m sure that’s what you’ll do,” Parker snorts, “keep her vagina company, more like.”
Warren shrugs, “So, she’s mine, and so is her pussy. I’ll do with it as I please.”
“Can we please go,” I interrupt them before they can get into a full-on conversation about vaginas, something neither of them has.
“Yes,” Warren sighs, and we get up and dump our trays. Parker says goodbye and runs off, probably to meet up with Willow.
By the time we reach the car, I’m so exhausted, I sag into my seat and let my eyes drift closed. Sleep comes to me far easier than expected, and I pray that when I wake up, this illness will be over with.
I wake completely disoriented, my eyes scanning the nearly dark room, while the familiar scent of Warren fills my nostrils.
The soft mattress cradles my body, and I lie there for a long second.
The last thing I remember is falling asleep in the car.
I must’ve really been out of it if I didn’t wake up when he carried me in?
Before I can draw up a conclusion, I’m rushing from the bed, my feet sliding across the floor as I barely make it to the toilet in time to vomit. My eyes water and my throat burns as my fingers curl around the toilet bowl, while my stomach empties itself.
After a few minutes, I stop vomiting and manage to push away from the toilet. My eyes move over the contents that line the back of it, and dread consumes me when I notice the not even open box of tampons.
They sit there, taunting me while I try and do the math inside of my head. I can’t be, there isn’t any way. I’m on birth control…
“Oh, god…” I whisper in horror. Whirling around, I run from the bathroom and back into the bedroom.
Warren isn’t anywhere to be seen, and that only leaves me feeling more panicked.
Walking out into the living room, I find him sitting on the couch.
My heart clenches in my chest when I see his half-shadowed face.
He looks broken, shattered, and I know instantly that something is wrong.
As I pad across the floor toward him, his eyes shoot up and land on mine.
“And the queen finally wakes up.” He smiles, but it’s not full of joy or sunshine. It’s cruel and angry. I swallow thickly and stop in my tracks, wondering if I should really tell him right now. He looks like he might kill someone, me included.
“Is everything okay?” I croak.
“Of course, come here. I’ve missed you. Are you feeling better?” His eyes soften, and the tension in the room eases.
“Well, actually no,” I whisper. When I reach him, he circles my waist with his hands and buries his face in my chest. He inhales deeply like I’m oxygen, and he needs me to breathe.
My heart thuds so loudly in my chest that I wonder if he can tell how scared I am right now. The pungent smell of whiskey tickles my nostrils and my stomach rolls. Oh, god, not again.
Warren pulls away and looks up at me. His eyes are glassy, and I’m guessing from the amount of whiskey missing from the bottle, he drank beyond what he needed to.
“You look like you’re going to be sick again,” his voice is soft and wraps around me like a wool blanket. I just need to tell him, come out with it.