Chapter 18 #3
“He’s just such an ass lately. What I want to do with my life doesn’t matter because I’m only supposed to do what he wants me to do.
It’s like he wants me to get on my knees and thank him for planning my entire life.
I’m not supposed to have opinions, desires, dreams. Nothing, all I’m supposed to want is what he wants for me. ”
“The farm?” Maia asked.
Harper nodded. “I know I sound ungrateful, as he’s pointed out more than enough times, but I’m not. I appreciate everything, I just want the right to build my own life. Why does it have to be a confrontation and insult to my father? Why can’t he just be happy for me, believe in me?”
“I don’t know, baby, but your dad has always been hard to figure out.
But that doesn’t mean he’s not a good male.
He’s as loyal as they come and I love him dearly.
But he seems to have forgotten that you’re twenty years old.
You don’t have to do a damn thing you don’t want to do.
In fact, I encourage you to follow your heart and it won’t steer you wrong.
Your father needs a reminder of that. As far as Clay…
I don’t know what’s happening there. But I will find out and no matter what it is, I give you my word that it will be okay.
It might not be what you want, but you’re strong.
You’re intelligent, and well spoken and bold.
You’ll survive and you’ll excel. The downside?
Unfortunately you’re going to have to face them both at some time.
We’re all members of the same Pride, and despite what you feel now, we all care about each other and take care of each other.
Even your father, and even Clay. And Clay is gentle, caring and even tempered.
I’m surprised that if he knew you’re mated he’d even consider someone else. ”
“I don’t honestly know if he knows or not.
But I know that it wasn’t my imagination that we had a connection.
But Clay is not responsible for this. If I’m right, he might not even know that we’re officially mated.
We just took a chance. Neither of us intended to make it official.
We’d just begun to explore what we felt.
Technically, if he hasn’t realized it yet, he didn’t do anything wrong.
He never claimed me, or said I was his. It just hurt so bad when I saw him with her and I’d already focused so much on him.
I was already on edge and I wasn’t equipped to handle the surge of emotion.
I behaved foolishly. I ran.” Harper hid her face in her hands.
“Like a child. Like somebody that’s not ready to live their own life.
Jesus! No wonder my father keeps trying to govern my life.
How much more embarrassing could I get?”
“Nope. Don’t go there. Let me tell you a little about me.
I know that feeling. There was time I thought Riley was seeing someone else before we were mated.
I ran. I shifted and hid in a hollowed out tree stump in the woods on Kaid’s clan’s property.
It took hours and a lot of time for my mother to find me.
She shifted and ended up forcing Riley away through threat of violence.
I felt just like you do. I just wanted to crawl in a hole and pull it in after me.
I even found a hole in a tree and tried. ”
“How did you get over it?”
Maia sighed and smiled softly at Harper.
“Oh, I made it much worse than that. I eventually went as far as renouncing him despite him screaming and begging me not to. It took us a long, long time to find our way back despite the fact that I thought we never could. But all I wanted to do during that time was hide. I didn’t want to see anybody.
I didn’t want to interact. I just wanted to lie in the dark and feel sorry for myself.
Don’t make my mistake. Cry, scream, kick something.
And when you’re done, take back your control and walk like the proud, strong female I know you are.
If Clay is with this other woman while knowing that it’s you he should be beside, show him what a mistake he’s made — whether you ever accept him or not, show him exactly who you are and what he is no longer welcome to.
It’ll help you, and it’ll stupefy him. It will get better. I promise it does.”
Harper nodded and leaned back in the chair. “I just wish I had my car here so I didn’t have to hide from anybody. I could have just driven off.”
Maia got up and opened her desk drawer. She walked back around the desk and tossed her keys to Harper. “Go.”
Harper caught Maia’s keys. “Huh?”
“You want to go to your horses, don’t you?” Maia asked.
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Go. Summer sent Clay to search the acreage across the road, since you might have shifted and run to hide over there.”
One side of Harper’s mouth curved up in a half-smile.
“That girl’s too good on the draw with those lies!
He’ll probably be looking for a while. At least a little while until somebody bothers to remember they can sniff your trail and find you over here.
But I just won’t answer the door and with my truck gone, they’ll think I’m not home and not enter the house.
At least you’ll have some time with your horses before they track you down.
And when they do, just look them emotionlessly in the eyes and say, ‘I don’t want to talk to you right now. Leave me alone’. Can you do that?”
“I think so.”
“I know so,” Maia said.
“I don’t know how to let you know how much I appreciate you, Maia. Not just for everything you always do for us, but for taking the time to talk to me today. To understand what I’m feeling. For sharing some of your history so I know I’m not the only one.”
“Say thank you, and go relax for a while. Take a much needed break. I know it’s easier said than done, because I’ve been there.
But it’ll be alright. Let’s let everyone calm down a little, then we’ll figure out what to do.
But you need to breathe. You need to realize that you are as you said, emotionally raw.
And you need a break from everything to get yourself together. Go to your happy place.”
“What about your truck?”
“I don’t need it at the moment. And it’s got dark windows, nobody will see that it’s you driving it. The only thing we need to camouflage is you when you go out to get in it. And I have hoodies that you can borrow. They’ll think it’s me.”
“You’re awesome.”
“I’m experienced. I’ve been there. Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
“I’ll call you later and let you know that I’m safe with your truck.”
“How? Your phone is with Summer.”
“Maybe she’ll find me and bring it to me.”
“She’s your best friend, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“She’ll find you. Just take some time for you for right now but let me know each day how you are. I’ll come for my truck when I need it.”
“Thank you. Oh, my mom…”
“I’ll call her, too. But will she send your father after you?”
“No, she’s not talking to him at the moment.”
“Oooo, yay Libby!” Maia said with a chuckle. “Libby’s a firecracker when you push her too far. You have no idea. She’ll have him in line in no time. And if that business associate dares to show his face again, call me. I’d like the chance to spend some time with him.”
“Now that I know I don’t have to remain professional so I don’t disappoint my father, I’d like to spend a little time with him myself,” Harper said with a growl.
“And there’s the Harper I know and love. You stay strong, honey.”
“I will, Aunt Maia. I’m sorry.”
“For what? For being an emotional mess and losing your shit because you got handed some more emotional mess? While it was unintentional, it was still a mess and just enough to send you over the edge.”
“You’re right.”
“It’s not your fault. We all do it sometimes. Now, let’s get you a hoodie and get you on your way.”