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There was a time when I could’ve said the same for her, but the years of covering up my father’s backhands have taken their toll.
It’s only when I see her lower lip tremble that I really begin to think that something’sreallyoff.
I look around the room.
“Where’s the ring light?” I ask. By now, she should have gotten the ring light, the camera, and everything set to record and film my next splash on social media.
“Mom?” My heart begins to beat faster. “What’s going on here?”
Biting her lip, she doesn’t respond. Her eyes are shimmering with…tears?
What the hell? I can’t remember ever seeing my mother cry.
“Mom,” I say in a whisper, silently begging her to tell me something, anything, to let me know she’s half-human and I’m more to her than a pawn sliding across a chessboard.
A sharp knock sounds at the door.
“Time to go.” It’s my brother Saul.
Go…where?
She straightens her shoulders and presses her lips into a thin line.
“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice hardening. When she doesn’t answer, I turn and yank open the bedroom door.
Saul stands in the hallway, a mini, slimmer version of my dad, his brows knit together. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he mutters. “Took you long enough.”
“If I’d known you were waiting, I’d have taken longer.”
Unruffled, he looks past me to Mom. “You didn’t tell her shit, did you?”
My stomach drops. What games are they playing with me now? “Tell mewhat?”
That’s when I notice Saul’s dressed in asuit.The only times I’ve ever seen him wear a suit was to funerals. This can’t be good.
He shakes his head and takes a step toward me so he can grip me by the arm. “You’ll see. And I’m telling you now, Harper, don’t you eventhinkabout running.”
My pulse spikes. I’m dizzy. I know exactly what my family’s capable of.
If he’s telling me not to run – then he’s planning something that’s going to make me want to. Are they making me fly to Italy again? Oh, God.No.I can’t leave, not again. Ihaveto stay here. I’m needed here.
They like to give me shit for running but none of them know the real reason.
Saul curses under his breath as he marches me downstairs, his hand still tight on my arm. “Will you let go of me? I’m not going anywhere.”
He holds me tight. “She should’ve told you. Why did you think she made you get changed into something nice?”
My heart beats so fast I’m dizzy.
“Because we were doing a photo shoot. So I could post online, obviously.” I throw his own words back at him. “It’s my job, remember? How I earn my keep? It’s what I’m supposed to do.”
“Did,” he says with a sigh. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, and I wasn’t gonna tell you before it was time, but now you need to know.”
Ice courses through my veins. I swallow, trying to quell my rising nerves but it doesn’t seem to satisfy the unease.
He’s walking me down the length of the hallway to the stairs, our steps noiseless on the thick carpet. This house is enormous.What most people don’t know is that three quarters of the rooms are vacant.
“So are you going to tell me or what?” I ask, my voice betraying me. The relentless quaking won’t stop.
