Chapter 9
Harper hadn’t expected in wake up alive
When her eyes finally flustered open, she found Jemma beside her bed, mascara streaked down her cheeks
“Oh my God. Harper,” Jemma choked out, grabbing her hand carefully. “I thought we’d lost you. Does it hurt bad? The doctors say you’ve got second degree burns, but I pulled strings to get that specialist from Mount Sinal–the one who worked on that movie star after her yacht accident. He swears you won’t have
“It’s just a few burns” Harper reassured her, forcing a sole despite the white hot pain radiating through her bandaged hands. She reached out and hugged Jemana anyway. “Nothing worth crying over,
“Actually,” she continued softly, “There’s something I’ve been trying to tell you since yesterday. Don’t flip out, okay?” She took a steadying breath. “Em flying back to Boston this afternoon. That arranged marriage situation ing parents set up years ago? I’ve decided to go through with it. My flight’s already booked. Would zoo…maybe drive me to the airport? |
Jemma’s jaw dropped, fresh tears instantly spilling.
“What the actual fuck? You’re just hailing? To marry some random guy your parents picked? So that’s it–you’re gone for good? What am I supposed to do without you?” She dissolved into hiccupping sobe.
Harper spent the next thirty minutes talking Jemma down from her emotional ledge, promising regular FaceTime sessions and holiday visits until her friend finally got herself together.
After tearfully exchanging contacts for Jemma’s therapist “just in case,” Jemia reluctantly went to handle the discharge paperwork
Harper had just finished struggling into jeans and a loose sweater, grining tur worth with every movement, when the door banged open. Dylan stood in the doorway, his fare a thundercloud.||]
“You attacked her and then tried to burn her alive,” he stated flatly, Not a question|||
seeing him now, Harper felt absolutely nothing–no flumer, no pain, just emptiness ||
“Ruby find you that bullshit and you just swallowed it whole? Without a shred of proof? Her voice was equally cold
Danin right. Whatever Ruby tells me, I believe without question. I don’t need fucking proud.
His mind was already made up. His judgment already passed
Looking at his hostile glare, Harper knew arguing was pointless
mall, humorless laugh. “So what exactly do you want from me?
You’re going to drag
your as to huby’s room and apologize. Now.“]
Without warning, Dylan graded her injured hand, intending to physically forte her down the hall.||
Harper gasped as his grip tore open her barely closed wounds, blood immediately soaking through the white gauze. Tears sprang to her eyes from the searing pain.]
But she’d be damned if sled cry in front of him. She yanked back, desperately trying to freak free ||
1
Cinto the room
nuneately wedged herself between them|||
“Get your hands off her show alouted, shoving her luler back.||
Dylan’s eyes narrowed dugerously. “Move, Jemana, los apologizing to baby if I have to carry her t
there myself.“]
“Over my dead body!” jemans shot back, planting her feet. “Harper didn’t do stat wrong! You may be completely whipped by that manipulative bitch, but
1–1 had security cameras in ing room. Everything that happened is mis video. If you’re so desperate for apologies, wait until we check the goddamn
footager
A wein visibly throbbed in Dylan’s eagle as he opened his mouth to retaliate, when his phone buzzed. He glanced down at kuby’s text||
He inhaled sharply, visibly struggling to contains his rage Tine. We’ll watch the security footage tonight. When it proves exactly what happened, let’s see what padielic excuse you come up with then
He slammed the door hard enough to cattle the medical equipment, leaving the room in suddent, elaging silence🙁]
While Jabbing antiser on Harper’s reopened wounds, Jemma kept apologizing for her brother’s behavior[]
Dos1” Barger said softly, wiping away jemma’s tears with her least damaged fingertips. “You’ve never done anything wrong. I’m leaving soon, but promise ma you’ll take care of yourself, okay? Don’t let them steamroll you.”
Jemma nodded shakily, helped collect Harper’s belongings, and drove her straight to JFK ||
Harper gave Jemma one last
there up b
Inig before walicing through security without looking back.
As the final boarding call for Boston echoed through the terminal,
Once buckled inin her window seat, she deleted every y tree of Dylan from her phone–contacts, photos, text threads, all of it.||
Jenna’s final text came through just before the flight attendant announced airplane mode ||
Ime when you land. []
“This isn’t over. I’m getting to the bottom of this tonight and making them both eat crow. Love you tons. Call me
Harper smiled faintly at the screen before turning to watch the ground disappear beneath her.
pe of it mattered anymore.
Truth, justice, dovure–nope
After all, Dylan Rodriguez and all the pain he’d inflicted had already vanished from her memory
She was leaving it all behind.]
Completely.
Permanendy.
