Page 35 of Always My Love

Harper wished clear down to her bones that it was true. She’d give anything for the man who had tortured them to leave them alone for the rest of their lives. But this was Fred, and Fred was a monster.

If there was one thing that she had learned from all the horror movies she’d seen, monsters usually came back for the prey when they least expect it.

Now was that time. She and Hailey were officially settled in Pride. They were happy.

She was dating a man, something she’d never allowed herself to do. Ever.

Hailey and she were happy with their jobs. Happy with their home. They had plans. A future. Possibilities.

None of these things had ever even registered in their lives before now. Why wouldn’t Fred come and take everything away from them. It’s what he did. Though there was no way Fred could know about their uncle’s place, right? He had never taken a real interest in their mother’s family.

Nine years ago, he’d swooped into their little hell and turned everything upside down. He’d taken things from bad to worse.

Instead of being ignored by an addictive mother and occasionally slapped around when they mouthed off, they’d graduated to cowering in fear every moment of their lives.

The girls had to endure things that most children didn’t even know existed. Things that would break most adults.

The only thing that had gotten them through it was each other. And now, the only thing that would get them through what was coming—and Harper knew without a doubt that it was coming—was each other.

No matter how wonderful Nick had been in the past few days, he was a cop. Facts were still facts.

Harper was a murderer. Someday, when Fred found them, the truth would come out, and Nick would have to do what he’d sworn he’d do when he became a police officer. Uphold the law.

She supposed it was for the best. It was only a matter of time before she confided in him. After all, she’d had several moments of weakness and had told him far too much already.

It would be better to break things off with him before they could get too serious and leave her brokenhearted.

Who was she fooling? She was already brokenhearted.

By the end of her shift, she’d talked herself into breaking things off with Nick permanently. She’d tried to convince herself that she didn’t love him. But in truth, she had loved him the moment she’d seen him out of his uniform and snuggling with a puppy.

But she didn’t trust herself around him. Didn’t trust that she wouldn’t tell him everything. Every horrible detail. Every moment of her and Hailey’s terrible childhood.

Then, she’d tell him about that night. That last night she and Hailey had spent in the hut they had called home all of their young lives.

The thought of him turning away from her hurt her more than the thought of her walking away from him. She didn’t think she could bear it if he looked at her differently than he did now.

If he knew what she was, it would break her.

Since she knew Hailey was working the late shift at Baked and wouldn’t be home for another hour, she stopped by Nick’s place on her way home from work.

In her mind, she planned a quick exit.

She was going to knock on his door and say her peace on his doorstep. Tell him things were off between them. Simple.

She’d never broken up with anyone before. It couldn’t be too hard. Right?

Just tell him thanks for the few nights of fun but it was over.

Simple.

Only the moment Nick opened his door in work-out shorts and a T-shirt, covered in sweat, she forgot what she had planned to say and blurted out, “I can’t see you anymore.”

She held her breath, trying to hide all of her emotions.

Nick’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Okay, why don’t you come in and tell me what this is about?” He held the door open for her.

She told herself not to cross the threshold. That if she did, there would be no going back.