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“I know,” I say, appearing calm even though the hairs on my neck stand straight up. “May I please have my phone now?”
“No,” he replies, voice gentle but firm.
“I’d like to ask Billie if she can attend our wedding tomorrow. She might change her mind and take a helicopter here now that I’m pregnant. Easton can?—”
“She already said no. Look, I can tell you’re getting upset. Maybe you need some rest after the morning you’ve had. Maybe some tea to help calm your nerves. Earl Grey with a splash of milk?”
“Okay,” I say, feeling nauseated by this revelation.
He’s manipulating me, right? I’m growing more confused by my reality with each passing second.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he offers, stepping toward me, pressing his mouth roughly against mine.
I want to resist as he fists the back of my dress, but I play along. His fingertips brush my hair behind my ear when he finally pulls away.
“I’ll never let you go, Harper,” he whispers intensely.
“I know. That’s why I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you get exactly what you’ve always deserved,” I reply carefully, smiling sweetly at him, knowing my words hold a darker meaning. “That’s a promise, my love.”
“Thank you. I love you,” he says, his eyes sparkling triumphantly.
“I love you,” I mutter.
“Forever.” He wraps his arm firmly around my shoulders, guiding me upstairs.
Each step feels heavier, like chains tightening around me, sealing me further into this nightmare I need to escape.
Brody, please come for me. Please.
6
BRODY
Night falls. Moonlight spills across the ocean, illuminating the dark landscape just enough for me to see. As I park near the Cliff Walk trailhead entrance, my mind replays the unsettling conversation I overheard at breakfast between Micah and Harper.
He wants to marry Harper this week, which can’t happen. It won’t fucking happen as long as my heart beats and I have breath left in my lungs. She will be out of his reach within the next hour. The thought of that makes me smirk.
As I continue down the paved trail, I picture Harper with him, touching him, kissing him. It makes anger boil under my skin, and it twists deep in my gut like a knife. I shouldn’t give a single fuck who she chooses to be with, but I do. I just want the best for her because that’s what she deserves—even if she refuses to see it.
Harper’s charm is undeniable. She’s a beautiful woman, wrapped up in a fiery-spirit package. Her sassiness and stubbornness drive at my nerves, but underneath that is pure sunshine. When she smiles, it lights up an entire room. When she laughs, it’s contagious. Harper spreads happiness effortlessly and can find the silver lining in any situation, even a shitty one. It’s both endearing and annoying. I just selfishly hope she can still find something good in this mess she’s gotten herself tangled in. The one I’m rescuing her from.
Right now, I personally find it hard to be positive. There’s no bright side to Micah Rhodes or to Harper being with him.
Fuck.
I should’ve forced her to come with me when I confronted her at the restaurant, consequences be damned. Yet I know Harper or Micah would’ve made a scene, drawing more attention than either of us needed. Micah’s father has influence in this town that can ruin lives. Had he seen me today, he might have tightened his grip on her even more, put me in jail, and then my rescue mission would’ve been severely delayed.
I grit my teeth, remembering the possessive way he secured her seat belt earlier. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to rip him from the car right then and bash his face into the pavement in broad daylight. I imagined taking her and leaving him to bleed out on the concrete.
My phone buzzes, pulling me from the spiral of my thoughts. Billie texted me a picture.
I click on it, lowering the brightness of my screen so I don’t draw any unnecessary attention.
It’s Harper at the grocery store, Micah behind her, whispering something sinister in her ear while she clutches a pregnancy test in her hand. My chest tightens painfully as I recall seeing her carrying it when they left the grocery store. I hoped no one recognized her.
Billie
WTAF IS THIS? Did you know about this?