Page 108 of Seeing Harper

Summer took note of the trembling lips. The tears already beginning to course down Harper’s face and her eyes turned steely.

Harper shook her head furiously, then sidestepped Summer and rushed out of the restaurant.

“Harper!” Clay exclaimed one more time before she made it out of the door.

“What did you do?!” Summer demanded angrily.

“Nothing! We were just having lunch and I introduced Harper to Erica. She got all weird and starting making excuses of why she had to go,” Clay said.

“What did she say?!” Summer demanded.

“Nothing really,” Clay said.

Summer glared at the woman sitting with Clay, then at Clay. “You’re a jerk!” Summer said angrily before she turned and ran after Harper.

“Hang on, Summer! I didn’t do anything!”

“Exactly!” Summer shot back as she yanked the door open and quickly left the restaurant. Summer hurried straight to her car as quickly as she could. But there was no sign of Harper.

“Harper?!” Summer called out.

There was no answer.

“Harper! Where are you?!”

Still, there was no answer.

Summer put the food in her car, then took out her phone and called Libby.

“You forget what we wanted already?” Libby said jokingly into the phone.

“Harper’s gone!” Summer said.

“What? What do you mean gone?”

“Clay was here having lunch with some woman. Harper freaked and ran out of the restaurant. I was only a minute or two behind her because I stayed behind to deal with him, but now she’s gone. She’s not in my car, I don’t see her anywhere.”

“Hold on,” Libby said, taking her ear away from the phone and pulling up the tracking app they were all on. She signed into it, and tapped on Harper’s icon. She tapped at it and zoomed in a few times, then put her ear back to the phone. “It says she’s right there, Summer.”

Summer looked around the parking lot again. “Harper!” Summer screamed. “I’m not leaving without you!”

“Is her phone in your car?” Libby asked.

Summer leaned over and dug around the passenger side seat with one hand while holding the to-go order with her other hand. “Yes!” she shouted. “I have her phone. Noooo! I have her phone. How is she going to call us?”

“Summer! What is going on?” Clay asked, coming out of the building with Richie right behind him.

Summer spun to face him. “Are you Harper’s mate?” she demanded vehemently.

Clay took a step back like he’d been slapped. “Well, yes. But I haven’t told her that.”

“No. No you wouldn’t. Instead you’re sitting in there making all nice-nice with some woman like she’s the one you’re supposed to be with. Ever consider how that might make Harper feel? No, I’m sure you didn’t, because you probably haven’t even noticed that the two of you are already mated! You made her bleed didn’t you? And she scratched your arms. Blood exchange, my friend! You're mated. And she’s been suffering without you but wouldn’t call to even straighten it out because she didn’t want to screw up your precious finals. I don’t have that problem. Screw you. Screw your girlfriend. I hope you both suck.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Clay said.

“Doesn’t really matter now. Harper is gone. Go back and play a while. I hope she gives you something penicillin won’t kill.”

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Clay demanded.