Page 55

Keep your panties on. I’m on my way out.
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A few minutes later, as promised, Harper snuck across the parking lot. I had to cover my mouth because I couldn’t help laughing. She wore a pink pleated mini skirt, a white silk shirt, and white sandals while ducking low and looking over her shoulders every few feet. She looked like Tom Cruise from Mission Impossible and Reese Witherspoon from Legally Blonde had a baby.
When she neared the car, I hummed the Mission Impossible theme song. When she opened the door and got in, I became louder, and she glared at me.
“Ha-ha. You’rehilarious.”
I laughed. “Come on. Admit it. It was a little funny.”
She slammed the door and studied me. “Maybe. Why are you being nice?”
I raised a brow. “If you have to ask that question, you clearly have the mental capacity to understand that Ishouldn’thave a reason to be nice. That means you know what you did is fucked up.”
She shrugged and put her seatbelt on. “Maybe. Doesn’t mean it’s going to change anything. You are who you are, and I am who I am.” She sighed heavily. “Drive before someone sees me in this retro hell hoopty with you.”
I laughed hard and looked at her. “Retro hell hoopty? Oh,come on!God damn it. I hate that you’re so fucking witty and sarcastic. It makes me want to like you.” I shook my head and put the car in first gear before pulling out of the parking lot. “What a damn waste. This shit just gets more and more complicated.”
Silence filled the air as we made our way through the double security checkpoints and out to the highway. I had no idea where we were going, and I didn’t really care. I doubted she’d want to stop anywhere, so I only planned to drive.
“So, what’s this little field trip about?” she asked, her voice full of annoyance.
“I’m sick of this shit,” I said, briefly looking over at her as I downshifted while going around a curve. “I want us to be friends.”
She snorted, and it sounded just like me. “Right. You want to be my friend. I’m not falling for that shit again.”
“You didn’tfallfor anything thefirsttime!” I groaned loudly. “I’m going to talk, and you’re going to listen. When I’m done, you can tell me whatever you have to say—for better or worse. My car, my rules. Does that work for you?”
In true Harper fashion, she rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
I gave an exaggerated nod. “Good!” I paused as I thought of where to start. “I grew up in a small town in hell’s handbasket. Indiana is boring as fuck, and about the only thing to do there is drive four-wheelers and go mudding. If you don’t know what that is, don’t worry about it. It isn’t important. Point is, it was a simple life. We weren’t rich, but I had everything I needed. Therichestkids at my school wore Nikes and Adidas—not Louboutin and Gucci. Sure, they had nicer houses, nicer cars, and they sure as hell would have gone off to nicer schools. But those schools were state universities. Maybe,maybeone or two out of the whole school would go off to Harvard or some shit, but it wasn’t many.”
We weren’t far from a small town, so I decided to see if they had a coffee shop or anything. I flipped my turn signal and headed down another road, following the road signs. I didn’t bother with the GPS. I figured if we got lost, we could always use it to find our way back.
“My dad worked his ass off, and my mom was gone. I didn’t grow up with two parents, but I had everything I needed even if I didn’t have everything I wanted. I’m not a selfish person. I don’t give two fucks about money. As long as I have food, shelter, a car I can depend on, and good friends, I’m good. Still, there was one thing I always wanted, and I never got it. And whether or not you want to believe me, that thing was a sibling. I wanted a little brother or sister to spend time with.”
“Why the hell would you want that?” she asks. “You’ve told me that before. I didn’t believe it before, and I don’t believe it now.”
Instead of griping at her for interrupting, I just shrugged. “Because I was lonely.”
I risked a look over at her, and I saw a brief flash of something in her eyes. More than likely understanding. Rick was a good man, and he was a good dad, but he had a demanding job. Way more demanding than my dad had, and my dad was rarely home. I hadn’t known her mother for long, but from what I could tell, she was always leaving and getting her hair or nails done, going out with friends, drinking by the pool and wanting to be left alone, or something else that didn’t involve Harper.
Angela liked to put on a good show, but she didn’t give two shits about Harper.
“That’s a stupid fucking reason. It definitely doesn’t make this bullshit story any more believable.”
I rolled my eyes, which was a form of sign language she could understand.
“Whatever. The point is, I was lonely. Again, whether or not you want to believe it doesn’t matter. It’s true. I thought if I had someone like that, I’d be able to play with them, teach them things, and just spend time with them. I never wanted to be a mom because hell, I wouldn’t even know how, but I always wanted to be a big sister.” My eyes began to water a little, and I blinked it away. The last thing I wanted was to cry in front of heartless Harper.
“I want to tell you a story, and it would mean a lot if you’d listen. More than that, I want you to imagine it’s you, Rick, and Angela. I’ll even tell it from a point of view you can understand and relate to.”
I briefly looked over, and her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Sighing, I said, “Just humor me.”
Surprisingly, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. Her body was tense, but I pressed on anyway. Her comfort was none of my concern. I needed her to understand.