I stand there, feeling so many different things at one time that I almost feel nothing at all.
Asher clears his throat. “Well, I'm going to head in and check the kids and Atlas.” He kisses me on the cheek and whispers in my ear. “Be nice.” Then he walks into the house without another word to Harley or myself.
I don’t look up when I speak. “I want the truth now, or this is done here and now.” I can’t look at him yet, I know I'm too vulnerable andI'll fold. I hear him step closer. “No, Harley. Don’t touch me right now.” I raise my eyes to meet his.
“I logged into your camera the night we installed it so that I could keep an eye out for Dean too,” he tells me.
“Why wouldn’t you just ask me if that was okay, Harley?” I ask him, my voice trembling with a mix of frustration and desperation.
“It was the second day I was back in your life after seventeen years apart, Ember!” Harley shouts, using his hands. “I stood by and let him hurt you once, and I was not about to let it happen again.” He pleads with me to try and understand.
“You were sixteen years old Harley, and you were a bitter ex-boyfriend,” I point out. “You weren’t an adult that could have made a difference for me.”
Harley looks at me like he wants to be sick. “I knew what he was doing,” he tells me, his eyes meeting the ground, ashamed. “I knew he was cheating, I knew he was a piece of shit and wasn't good enough for you, and I didn’t do anything.”
Finally, seeing where he’s coming from at least partially, I reach for him. “Even if you would have told me then, I wouldn’t have believed you, Harley,” I tell him. I widen my legs in a hard stance, arms still crossed in front of me to protect me. “I didn’t believe anyone who tried to tell me, until I was too tired of it and saw the proof with my own eyes,” I reiterate to him. Not that I forgive him for invading my privacy, but I can see why he thought he was in the right.
He wraps me in a hug, and plants a kiss on top of my head. I allow him to hold me for just a second.
Just as we’re heading into the house, the front door is pulled open, and Charlee and Rawley step out of the threshold.
I smile at the two of them, not sure what to say. Charlee smiles at me, looking exhausted now that she’s laid eyes on her baby. Rawleywalks over to us, and I feel myself stiffen, unsure of what was said in the house.
I’m not ready for this.
“Thanks for the pizza, Ember!” he says to me before looking at Harley and sticking his hand out. “Thanks for paying me to help today, I’m gonna get the Minecraft game this week!” Harley laughs and shakes his hand.
My heart flutters and my eyes meet Charlee’s again. The look in her eye isn’t sadness, and it isn’t joy either. I guess we both have a lot of feelings to navigate.
“Yeah, man, no problem. We got a good bit done today,” Harley assures him.
“I hope everything goes okay for you,” Charlee says to me, “Be safe, and I’ll call you soon.” She and Rawley head to the car and I hear Rawley ask if I'm okay, and my heart stutters once again. I shouldn’t care that he seems to care. He’s just a curious kid.
We walk inside and find Atlas raiding the fridge. She pushes the door closed when we get closer, turning to look at us.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Ember?” Atlas asks with clear anger in her voice. I knew this was coming.
“Because nothing has really happened,” I tell her. “Until recently.” Which is mostly true. I knew he’d followed me, but he hadn’t done more than just send texts.
“You should have told me.” She looks at me pointedly. She's not mad, she’s scared. I walk over to her and pull her close. “I promise I'll tell you everything, but right now I am emotionally wiped,” I say, my body still not completely relaxed after today’s events.
“We got a good chunk of stuff done today.” Harley speaks up, trying to lighten the mood. “If there is anything else that’s a priority,just let me know,” he says as he pulls her into a hug as if she’s his own sister.
“I’ll let you know,” she says as she hugs him back before letting go. “Just take care of my sister.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
EMBER
We getin the car and head back to my house. We sit in silence as we make our way across town. Just as Harley starts to speak, my phone rings, cutting him off.
Glancing down at my phone, prepared to let it keep ringing, I see that Ensley is calling again. I forgot I ignored her call earlier when shit was hitting the fan.
I hitanswerand bring the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Rude. You sent me to voicemail earlier.” Ensley’s voice comes through the speaker in my ear.
“Yeah, sorry. Had some shit going on,” I tell her quietly, watching out the window as we get closer to the house. “What’s going on?”
