Page 236 of Remorseless

Rebel suspected her showing up at the rehearsals emboldened Harley. Never mind that Rebel barely spoke two words to her, barelynodded.

Harley was just fucking stupid like that.

When Momma drove up and Harley stood, Rebel knew her intuition was correct. Although Momma didn’t look pleased, she didn’t turn Harley away. However, Rebel refused to sit near that heifer. Even if Mattie sat between then, Harley would’ve been too close, so Rebel directed her to the front passenger seat, then slid in the back with Mattie. No one attempted to talk to Harley.

They kept to their new routine of visiting Jo after Momma picked up Rebel and Mattie. Harley was leftto decide whether or not she wanted to go to NICU with them. Unfortunately, she tagged along. The elevator ride was very uncomfortable. While Mama visited the baby, Rebel, Mattie—and Harley—went to the cafeteria.

Harley’s presence after school became a regular thing again. She’d stare out the window. Momma played the radio. Rebel texted Kaia and Mattie read a book. They’d visit Jo and the cycle of ignoring Harley would repeat on the drive home.

Whether CJ knew Harley reinserted herself into their lives, Rebel couldn’t say. She didn’t see hide nor hair of her brother whenever Harley was around. He even managed to make himself scarce at the family get-together.

The next evening, exactly seven days after her date, Momma and Daddy allowed Rebel to invite Kaia over for dinner. Inviting him over with the family would’ve been a little too overwhelming. The scrutiny also would’ve been a lot. Not only from her cousins and uncles, but her grandmother and her aunts. It was bad enough her brothers would be there. What she didn’t expect was her uncles—Mort, Digger, and Val—to show up anyway. Or Diesel, Ryan, Rory, Devon, and Grant, who flew in because of Nyx’s event. Seeing all the boys made her glad she’d also invited Mattie for moral support. She hadn’t invited Harley, but that cheeky witch showed up anyway.

They were standing in the foyer waiting for Daddy to bring Kaia, and his brother, Kayce, to the house. Mattie, Momma, and Rebel were talking and giggling, while her uncles, brothers, and cousins laughed and joked.

The door opened and Harley walked in, stunning everyone into silence.

“Why you here, Harley?” UncleMort blurted.

They all wore either jeans or leather pants, but Harley was dressed in an oversized terry sweatshirt dress with combat boots. She glanced from her daddy to Ryan, then Grant, and finally CJ.

“Mommie sent me,” she mumbled.

Momma pasted a smile on her face.

“How Bailey sendyousomewhere and she not even here?” Uncle Mort grumbled. “Fuck, you don’t even stay under our fucking roof right now. That’s some cheeky shit.”

“Cheekier than cheeky,” Uncle Digger said with a straight face.

Uncle Mort glared at him, and Uncle Digger raised his hands.

“I wish someone had told me the dress code,” Harley lamented, ignoring anything she didn’t want to hear.

CJ took a drag on his cigarette and glowered at Harley. “I wish someone had invited you.”

Harley’s face fell.

Rebel would kill Harley if she ruined tonight either with tears or making everything about herself and pissing off CJ, so she made a quick decision.

“Harley, please join us for dinner,” Rebel said. “Yes, thank you, I’m happy to accept since I’d never dream of crashing,” she parroted.

“Bro,” Mattie said, nodding to Harley.

Predictably, tears rushed to her eyes. Uncle Mort rubbed the back of his neck.

“The door’s always opened to you, Harley,” Momma said in a tone just this side of cordial. “As long as you are aware of the rules and follow them.”

Sniffling, Harley nodded. “Th-thank you, Aunt Meggie.” She looked at CJ. “How are you?”

“Still not interested in talking to you, Harley.”

“But you talked to me at lunch. You made it a point to come to me three weeks ago.”

“For Uncle Mort. You were crying. I wanted to see what was wrong.”

“All Harley does is cry,” Devon said, shaking his head.

“Enough,” Uncle Mort said sternly. “Lay off Harley. She going through a lot right now.”