Total pages in book: 211
Estimated words: 201554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1008(@200wpm)___ 806(@250wpm)___ 672(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 201554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1008(@200wpm)___ 806(@250wpm)___ 672(@300wpm)
“This is what I’ve pulled together, but honestly, I’m not sure it helps much. It tells us there’s funny stuff going on but we know that already and it’s nothing.” Her cellphone rings again and she glances at the caller ID. “My mother,” she confirms. “I’m taking it on speaker. My reminder to you that I’m with you.” She doesn’t give me time to approve or object. She sits back down in her chair and answers the line.
“Hi, mom.”
“He’s still there with you, isn’t he?”
I sigh and sit down, removing my cube from my pocket. This is not going to be a short conversation nor a gentle one.
“Yes,” Harper confirms, glancing at me as she adds, “He is. We’re together. We’re seeing each other.”
“He’s your stepbrother. That’s embarrassing.”
Harper reacts about the same way I did to Isaac issuing that same jab. Irritation flits across her face and she snaps back. “We’re adults that never even lived together and I can’t even believe you went there. You’re married to a man who out ages you by a huge number. I know how sensitive you are to that, but when it’s me you’re going to attack?”
“Your father—”
“Okay, mom. This is more of the same conversation we had when you were here tonight. He’s not my father, and frankly, I’m tired of you dishonoring my real father, the man that was supposed to be your soul mate, by calling Jeff my father. I’m not going to say more. Right now, you’re not in a state of mind to listen.”
She’s silent for several beats. “There are things about Eric you don’t know. I need you to hear those things before you continue down this destructive path.”
“I’m going to let Eric tell me about Eric. Just like I want him to let me be the one to tell him about me.”
“When your fath—Jeff, gets here tomorrow, you’re going to have to talk to him about Eric.”
“Jeff needs to talk to Eric,” Harper says, “his son, which is what I will tell him.”
His son.
Fuck, I hate the way that reference cuts. I didn’t think it could cut anymore, but it does.
Harper’s mother is silent for several beats. “I beg of you, daughter, please don’t do this.”
“I’m protecting you,” Harper says. “One day you’ll thank me.” Her mother sobs and hangs up.
Harper sets the phone on the table. “I’m all for digging into the data.” She grabs my cube and stares at it. “I can never work these things. Can you?”
I take it from her, use a few rotations of my hand and solve the puzzle before setting it down. “Talk to me.”
For several beats she just searches my face, just looks at me. “What if I don’t know her anymore, Eric? What if she’s one of them now? What if she knows what’s going on and has willingly stayed involved?”
I lean forward and stroke a strand of hair from her eyes. “Then you save her anyway. She’s your mother.”
“That’s not what you said when I told you I had to save her.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Why?” she asks, covering my hand with hers.
“Because, sweetheart, I wanted to save my mother from this family and I couldn’t.” It’s a confession I’ve made to no one, ever. “Just like your mother, she didn’t want to be saved.”
“Your mother was trying to save you, not herself. That’s different. She did what she did out of love for you. Mine. Mine doesn’t seem to care about me at all.”
“Or she’s desperate to protect you,” I suggest. “She wants you to back off before someone hurts you. Give her the benefit of the doubt.”
She breathes out, her teeth worrying her bottom lip before she says, “Thank you, Eric. I know that you’re seeing her in a different light to help me. It really matters.”
“Yeah, well, sweetheart, I wouldn’t have gotten so damn pissed at you over Gigi if you didn’t matter to me. Trust is everything to me.”
She sucks in a breath and glances away before looking at me. “Because this family hurt you so badly.”
“They cut me, but I don’t bleed easily, not anymore.” Her phone buzzes with a text and she glances down at it and then shows it to me. It’s from Gigi and it reads: Answer me, Harper. Do not tell Eric.
I study it a few beats and look at Harper. “I’m not objective about Gigi. I hate her and I don’t hate easily. Tell her okay, you won’t tell me. Give her space to feel safe and we’ll sit back and see what she does next.” I wait for Harper to reject this directive, but she doesn’t.
She snatches up her phone, types a message and shows it to me. It reads almost identical to what I suggested she say, but she hasn’t pressed send yet. “Good?” she asks.