Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
EMERSON
“ W hy don’t you move away from the window and get on a treadmill?” I say to Declan.
He hasn’t moved from that spot since we came up here. His jaw is clenched so tightly I swear I can hear his teeth grinding away at each other. I get that he’s feeling over-protective, I do too, but we’re literally twenty feet from the house.
“I’m good here.”
Cy and I share a look of defeat.
“Well, we should at least talk about fall break.” Cy pats his forehead dry with a towel as he gets off a treadmill. “Everything is good on my end. Should we invite Banks?”
“He has a meet that week.” Declan doesn’t look away from the window. “I already checked with him.”
“Have you thought more about his proposal?” I ask Declan.
“It’s all I think about.”
It’s been a few days since he sat us all down and brought up the idea. Harper continues to wear the ring, which doesn’t bother Cy or me, but I don’t know about Declan. He’s got his walls way up right now, a mask of indifference constantly on his face.
“Are you going to share those thoughts with us?” Cy asks him.
“No.”
“Are you going to share them with Harper?”
He gives us a slight nod. “Have you noticed anyone weird hanging around when you guys are with her?” He glances at Cy since he spends more time with her than either of us.
“No. When we go running together, I rarely see anyone on the trail, and there hasn’t been anyone new in her classes from what I can tell.”
“No one ever bothers her at the barn,” I add. “And I never see anyone I don’t recognize.”
“So it could be someone who was planted in her life prior to us following her.” Declan looks over at us, pulling his gaze from the house for the first time in nearly two hours. “I’m going to call my dad tonight and see if his PI has found anything.”
“Is Annabelle still being harassed?”
“I think so.” His phone chimes with a timer. “Two hours is up.” He pulls open the door and is down the stairs before Cy and I even make it out of the gym.
Cy gives me an exasperated look and follows him down the steps and over to the house while I shut off all the lights and lock up the space. I’m glad the girls came over tonight to give Harper some time without one or more of us lingering around. Regardless of what Declan thinks, she needs friends aside from us.
Lou gives me a hug on her way out of the house followed by Emilia who gives me a wave. The two of them stop between their cars and chat for a bit while Saylor pulls me aside.
“Mom wants to know your plans for Thanksgiving.”
Fuck. I knew I couldn’t put this off any longer.
“I’m going to be out of town this year.”
Saylor’s eyebrows raise. “Where are you going?”
“Greece.”
She throws back her head and laughs. “Can I be there when you tell Mom?”
“I was actually hoping you would be.” Mainly so that she can do it for me.
She sobers and realizes my thoughts before I even have to ask. “No. Absolutely fucking not. No.” She shakes her head. “I’m not telling her.”
“Please?” I press my hands together in front of my chest and give her my best pleading expression.
“She’s going to be so upset. And she likes you more.”
“She does not like me more.”
Saylor just stares at me.
“Lies. She does not.” I can see I’m not winning her over at all, so I decide to pull out the big guns. “Remember back in high school when I covered for you?” She snuck off with her girlfriend for spring break in Miami, and I told our parents she was with me.
“No. I don’t recall.”
“Saylor.” I raise an eyebrow.
“Ugh. Fine,” she grits through her teeth. “After this, we’re equal.”
“You’re the best,” I lean down and wrap my arms around her, lifting her off the ground. “I love you, pipsqueak.”
“Yeah, yeah. Put me down.”
I set her back down on her feet.
“I’m assuming you’re all going together?” She glances at the house.
“Yeah. Cyrus has a few things he has to take care of, so we’re just going to hang out on a yacht and relax.”
“What a rough life.” She rolls her eyes. “I’ll keep the conversation off of you and your absence.”
“They love Lou. Just bring her along to distract.”
She nods. “I will. Let’s get lunch before you leave, though.”
We make plans, and then she’s off. I watch until their taillights disappear down the street and then head inside. Declan and Harper are discussing something in the kitchen, it’ll either lead to fighting or fucking. Probably both.
Cy’s nowhere to be found, but I know he has some work on a few projects to get finished before break. I assume that’s where he’s gone off to. I pick up a few of the glasses from the coffee table to bring them to the kitchen, hoping my presence will ease the mounting tension.
“Thank you.” Harper takes the glasses from my hands. “I could have gotten them.”
“It’s no problem.”
Just as I look at Declan, one of the glasses falls into the sink and shatters.
“Damn,” she says as she reaches down to pluck a few shards. “Those are nice glasses, I’m so sorry.”
“Be careful?—”
Before Declan can even finish the sentence, Harper cries out in pain and clutches her right hand to her chest. We’re both right up on either side of her in the blink of an eye. Blood runs down her hand, dripping into the basin.
“Go grab the first aid kit in my room,” I tell Declan while gently cradling her hand in my own.
She winces at the sight of a shard sticking out of her palm. “It stings.”
“I bet. I’ll get it out with some tweezers, though. Next time, put some gloves on first, yeah?” I smile down at her.
“I wasn’t thinking, I just wanted to clean it up as soon as possible so I wouldn’t get yelled at.”
“No one is going to yell at you.” I run my thumb over the inside of her wrist.
“I know. I think it was just a knee jerk reaction.” She shakes her head and looks away. “Sorry.”
I hate that she grew up in a home where anything less than perfection was punished. It hasn’t escaped my notice how she flinches when the three of us are playing video games and yell at each other, even if it is all in good fun. Hopefully someday she’ll feel fully safe with us and not be scared when we get loud or rowdy.
“You don’t have to apologize for breaking anything, or for anything else.” I use my other hand to tilt her head back until she’s looking up into my eyes. “You’re safe here, no matter what.”
She nods and then looks down at the blood in the sink. “What is it about this sink and my bodily fluids?”
The joke works as intended to ease the tension of the moment just as Declan’s footsteps pound down the stairs and he jogs into the kitchen. He drops the kit on the counter and looks down over her shoulder at the wound.
“Do you want to hold my hand while he cleans the cut?” he asks her.
She quirks her lips in a tiny smile and looks at me briefly before putting her other hand in his. He steps behind her pressing his front against her back and wraps his other arm around her waist holding her close. Between the two of us, we dwarf her. I get the shard of glass out of her hand and then clean her up. The main cut isn’t deep enough to need stitches or anything, so I grab some gauze and wrap a bit of tape around her hand to secure it since a bandaid won’t work on a palm like that.
“All better?”
“Yes.” She rises on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to my lips. “Thank you.”
I put the entirety of my focus on the black and white ball I’m dribbling between my feet as I work my way through a set of cones. Coach follows along beside me, a stopwatch in his hand as the sounds of my teammates fade into the background. Running these timed drills has always been my favorite part of practice. I love these fleeting moments where it’s just the ball and me and my skills. Where the only person I’m going up against is myself.
“Forty-seven flat,” Coach calls out my time as I jog off to the side to grab a drink of water. The tournament is coming up, meaning it’ll be my last few games of my college career. It’s bittersweet to think about since soccer has been such a huge part of my life for years. Right after the final game, which we’ll hopefully be playing in, we’ll leave for Greece.
I watch as Declan goes through the same drill I just did. He’s just as good as me, maybe even a bit better. Not that he’d ever acknowledge it. That’s the best thing about not only being his teammate but his best friend, knowing how humble he actually is underneath his brash and broody exterior.
“Forty-six two,” Coach yells.
“Beat me by eight tenths,” I say as I toss him a bottle. “Way to go.”
“You were distracted.”
“I wasn’t actually.” I take another drink. “Why do you say that?”
“Your eyes weren’t locked in the way they usually are.”
“It’s just practice.”
“And?”
I don’t think my mind was wandering too much, but I do have a few exams to study for tonight. That could definitely distract me. Or knowing that I need to pack.
“Are you ready for Greece?” I ask.
“Yes. Getting Harper out of here and disappearing for a few days on a yacht is going to be amazing.”
“Has Cy said anything to you about what he has to do for his uncle?”
Declan’s expression clouds over. “No. Every time I bring it up, he gets upset.”
“Or deflects.”
“Exactly. I do know that whatever day he has to go won’t involve Harper at all. He’s very sure he’ll be able to keep us all safe.”
“I’m less inclined to worry about us and more worried about her.”
“Same.”
“Run eight laps and then you’re done for the day,” Coach yells from across the field.
I fall in step beside Declan as we pace ourselves together and wait for the rest of the guys to fall in with us. Cy and Harper have kept up with running together nearly every day. I can’t stop myself from wondering if they chat while they run or if they’re quiet. Probably a combination of the two.
At one point she wanted to run on her own or to use headphones, but those are two things she just doesn’t have the option to do yet. I wish she did, because I know running helps her clear her mind. It’s important to have that. Hopefully soon we’ll be safe to just live without random people talking about social media videos and stalkers at some point.
“I have to stop by the library before I go home today,” Declan says as we finish the final lap. “I’ll probably be home later. Don’t hold dinner if you get hungry. I can heat up leftovers.”
“Sounds good. I’ll let Harper and Cy know. What do you need there?”
“Small group project. Hopefully today is the only time we have to meet up.”
My lip curls. I hate group work, which is ironic considering my position on the university’s soccer team. But it’s different when everyone is working for the same goal, versus having overeager parents who just want you to succeed, no matter what. The pressure to be perfect does linger in ways I wish it wouldn’t.