said, though she felt terrible for consigning the little half-sister she’d never met to even another sixty days of captivity. “Dom, please. The CIA is closing in on Marlowe and the rest of the cartel. I could be free to move around like a normal person by the end of the summer.”
“You’ll never be free,” he said, reaching for the door. “I think you’ve made that pretty fucking clear.”
Harley lifted her hand, but let it fall back to her side without saying a word. She couldn’t reach out to him, not when she had nothing to offer him. At least nothing that he wanted.
Instead, she watched Dom walk out the door with nothing but the clothes on his back. He hadn’t even taken the time to pack his bags. That’s how desperate he was to get away from her. She had pushed another perfectly good person out of her life and now she was alone, without a single friend in the world, or anyone by her side except a man who had nearly killed her less than three weeks ago and a little boy who needed all the friends he could get.
She was about to go after Dom, to beg him to stay for just a few more days for Jasper’s sake, when Clay’s voice sounded behind her.
“I’m sorry about your friend.”
She turned to find him standing near the island in the kitchen, watching her with a shuttered expression. Jasper, thankfully, was nowhere in sight.
“How long have you been there?” she asked, sniffing as she swiped tears from her cheeks. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been crying, that’s how emotionally sound and capable of making good decisions she was right now.
“Long enough to hear more than I should,” he said, his forehead furrowing. “And I’m sorry about that, too.”
Inside, Harley cringed, but she tried to smile anyway. “Yeah. Well, it is what it is, right?”
She crossed her arms and stared down at the floor, willing herself to pull it together. She was so focused on squashing the waves of emotion rising up to drown her alive that she didn’t realize Clay had crossed the room until his fingers wrapped gently around her upper arms.
She glanced up, seeing the same longing and regret in his eyes that rushed inside of her, making it hard to breathe.
“It’s like that for me, too,” he said softly. “It was always you, ever since that summer. I know the situation is too fucked up now for that to make a difference, but…you’re not alone.”
Her eyes filled again. “Then why do I feel like my last friend just walked out the door?”
Clay’s lips parted, but before he could speak, Jasper called out from the other side of the room. “Come on, Clay, I’m ready. You come too, Mom. I’m going to do a puppet show. I just needed a few minutes to practice.”
Harley leaned around Clay to grin at Jasper, blinking her tears away. “I can’t wait. We’ll be right in.” She kept her grin plastered in place until Jasper disappeared around the corner again. Then it fell away, leaving her and Clay alone with the hopeless, heartbreaking things they’d said still lingering in the air between them.
“I won’t hurt him,” Clay said. “You don’t have to worry about that. Not now, not ever. He’s such a sweet kid.”
“He is pretty great, isn’t he?” Her chest loosened as she thought of Jasper.
She still had her son. As long as that was true, she could get through anything. She had to get through it. Get through it and thrive on the other side. She wasn’t going to let Jasper down now, not when they were so close to having their freedom and a shot at a normal life.
“He is,” Clay agreed before adding in an almost shy voice, “Do all parents fall in love at first sight?”
She smiled up at him, a real one this time though it still felt sad on her lips. “I don’t know, but I did. The moment I saw his face.”
Kind of like the moment I saw yours. But she knew better than to say that aloud.
Clay was right. Things were too fucked up now for any amount of emotion—past or
“You’ll never be free,” he said, reaching for the door. “I think you’ve made that pretty fucking clear.”
Harley lifted her hand, but let it fall back to her side without saying a word. She couldn’t reach out to him, not when she had nothing to offer him. At least nothing that he wanted.
Instead, she watched Dom walk out the door with nothing but the clothes on his back. He hadn’t even taken the time to pack his bags. That’s how desperate he was to get away from her. She had pushed another perfectly good person out of her life and now she was alone, without a single friend in the world, or anyone by her side except a man who had nearly killed her less than three weeks ago and a little boy who needed all the friends he could get.
She was about to go after Dom, to beg him to stay for just a few more days for Jasper’s sake, when Clay’s voice sounded behind her.
“I’m sorry about your friend.”
She turned to find him standing near the island in the kitchen, watching her with a shuttered expression. Jasper, thankfully, was nowhere in sight.
“How long have you been there?” she asked, sniffing as she swiped tears from her cheeks. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been crying, that’s how emotionally sound and capable of making good decisions she was right now.
“Long enough to hear more than I should,” he said, his forehead furrowing. “And I’m sorry about that, too.”
Inside, Harley cringed, but she tried to smile anyway. “Yeah. Well, it is what it is, right?”
She crossed her arms and stared down at the floor, willing herself to pull it together. She was so focused on squashing the waves of emotion rising up to drown her alive that she didn’t realize Clay had crossed the room until his fingers wrapped gently around her upper arms.
She glanced up, seeing the same longing and regret in his eyes that rushed inside of her, making it hard to breathe.
“It’s like that for me, too,” he said softly. “It was always you, ever since that summer. I know the situation is too fucked up now for that to make a difference, but…you’re not alone.”
Her eyes filled again. “Then why do I feel like my last friend just walked out the door?”
Clay’s lips parted, but before he could speak, Jasper called out from the other side of the room. “Come on, Clay, I’m ready. You come too, Mom. I’m going to do a puppet show. I just needed a few minutes to practice.”
Harley leaned around Clay to grin at Jasper, blinking her tears away. “I can’t wait. We’ll be right in.” She kept her grin plastered in place until Jasper disappeared around the corner again. Then it fell away, leaving her and Clay alone with the hopeless, heartbreaking things they’d said still lingering in the air between them.
“I won’t hurt him,” Clay said. “You don’t have to worry about that. Not now, not ever. He’s such a sweet kid.”
“He is pretty great, isn’t he?” Her chest loosened as she thought of Jasper.
She still had her son. As long as that was true, she could get through anything. She had to get through it. Get through it and thrive on the other side. She wasn’t going to let Jasper down now, not when they were so close to having their freedom and a shot at a normal life.
“He is,” Clay agreed before adding in an almost shy voice, “Do all parents fall in love at first sight?”
She smiled up at him, a real one this time though it still felt sad on her lips. “I don’t know, but I did. The moment I saw his face.”
Kind of like the moment I saw yours. But she knew better than to say that aloud.
Clay was right. Things were too fucked up now for any amount of emotion—past or
Similar Books
