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I only hesitate for a couple more seconds before I abandon my phone on the sofa and slowly approach his door. He’s lying on his bed with his back to me, but his shoulders stiffen as I gently tap on the door. I don’t care if he gave me a head movement, I won’t come in if he doesn’t say I can.
“Just get in bed Monterey, I need some sleep and your screaming and whimpering is keeping me awake,” he says in a monotone voice but I think he’s as scared as me. And he doesn’t even know what is going on, I really am despicable.
My opinion of myself only lessens further as I climb in beside him and turn my back to him, I stare out of the open door and tremble and I cry silently. His arms come around me as he pulls me close, and his hand strokes down my hair.
“Don’t read into this, just go to sleep,” he says thickly and I do fall
asleep and I feel safe.
I WAKE up before H and I quickly get dressed, he wants me to fuck off out of his life. It’s probably better I do it while he’s asleep. I’ve got my bag and my keys in my hand, and my phone is safely tucked inside my pocket. I haven’t checked it to see if Elijah responded, if I don’t check it can’t be a no. Man, I’m pathetic.
I go over to my car and find another note, this one pinned under my windscreen wiper.
I said no boyfriends pretty girl, guess I’ll have to get rid of him as well. If only you hadn’t cuddled up in front of the tv, I may have let him live. But friends don’t cuddle the way you two were. Say bye Henleigh.
We didn’t cuddle until after the curtains were drawn, so how could he know? Oh god, I feel sick. This is too much, I can’t leave Harrison in the dark any longer. I thought I was protecting him and myself, but all I’ve done is put him in harm's way.
I run up the steps and pound my fist against the door, I don’t care if I wake up anyone else as long as he wakes up.
“Great, it’s you,” he says with a sneer, but it’s not going to affect me.
I hear an oomph as I push my way past him and storm into his bedroom, grabbing clothes out of his chest of drawers and start throwing them into the bag he has on the floor beside it.
“What the fuck are you doing?” He asks, dumbfounded by my actions, and I almost want to laugh. Almost.
“I am so sorry Harrison, I didn’t know,” I say desperately, as my throat clogs up on the tears and I thrust the note into his hands.
He looks at me like I’ve thoroughly lost the plot before he starts reading, and his eyes almost pop out of their sockets.
“Is this some kind of joke? Some sort of payback for what I said last night,” I don’t think he really believes this is a joke, but I know he wants it to be.
“You know it isn’t, but I wish it was. I didn’t want to bring you into this or anyone for that matter,” I squeeze my eyes closed, against the onslaught of pain. “I’ve shut everyone out because of one guy and I should have done the same with you. I hoped our enemy status would keep you safe, but then you held me on the sofa…” I trail off as I shiver over the fact that he could see us. Will I ever know how?
“What else has he done and just as important, who is he?” His tone leaves no room for me to refuse to answer and I won’t, not now.
Elliott sealed my fate and it seems I’ve sealed his. But unlike my brother, I’m not going to leave Harrison to face this alone.
“He beat me at Padstow, made it sound as though it was your idea. Broke my wrist, shot at me with a gun and more recently…” I can do this, he deserves to know it all, to see the threat I’ve placed upon him. “He cut my brakes and stuck around to watch it. Rang me to taunt me about it, letting me know that his offer to tell me why Elliott died, has been rescinded. All because I was too weak to stay away from Elijah. I can’t be weak again,” my tone turns to steel, as my resolve thickens my voice. Resolve and conviction to not endanger anyone else!
“What offer did he make and what did he want in return?” Okay, his reaction is puzzling, why does he even care about that?
“He said he would tell me why it happened, if I answered any question he asked. The thing is, I would have agreed to it. I’d agree to anything to solve the mystery that has haunted me for eleven years. I’m so sorry Harrison,” my face crumbles as I’m overcome with an overwhelming sense of guilt.
“Okay, it’s hard to be mad at you for bringing this to my door when you’re crying like that,” he sounds so irritated by my pain that it makes the tears fall harder and faster.
“It’s not all your fault, I didn't give you much of a choice when it came to re-entering your life. Does that help, can you stop crying now?” He is now uncomfortable and awkward but I can’t stop.
“Woman, stop!” He shouts and he is doing everything wrong because I’m getting worse and nothing seems to be stopping me.
He storms out of the room and I hear the sound of running water, before I’m in his arms and he drops me onto the floor of the shower and ice cold water pours over me and I shriek.
“What the fuck Harrison,” I scream at him, not caring that its only damaging my healing throat more and jumping up to my feet.
“Well, it got you to stop crying didn’t it!” He exclaims and we stand here staring at one another and I lose it, completely.
Laughter builds within me, before it bursts forth and it's so loud that it shocks me, but I can’t stop it. He is now joining in and tears are still streaming down my cheeks, we collapse on the floor and we stay like this until the laughter subsides.
WE END up on the sofa, I can’t believe how long we laughed for. I still have a stitch and by the way he’s rubbing his side, I’m guessing it’s the same for him.
