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Surprisingly, Oliver is the one who speaks up. “We will do anything that we can to help Harlow. There is no staying out of it, we’re already involved. Harlow’s life is intertwined with our own, and we won’t stand by and watch her be attacked or hurt.”
George shakes his head, looking thoroughly displeased with Oliver’s statement. “Are you boys staying for dinner?” George asks after the silence has stretched between us. I don’t miss how he only invited the guys to dinner; does he expect me to leave?
“I think it’s time for us to go,” Oliver announces and shoves out of his chair. His body is vibrating with an unknown emotion. The brothers follow Oliver’s lead, and I stand as well, slowly, my knees knocking together gently. I’m so exhausted.
“Thanks for the chat,” Sullivan says, heading for the doors. We all follow without anyone saying a real goodbye. George stays in his office, and we don’t see anyone else on the way out. The guys don’t look for their mother to tell her goodbye either. It’s kind of sad and fucked up and wrong, and somehow, I get it.
When we get to the car, I feel guilty. Am I the reason the guys have a bad relationship with their parents? When Oliver starts the car and pulls away, I can’t wait any longer. I need to know if this is all because of me. “Do you guys fight with your parents because of me?”
“We fight with our parents because they are pricks,” Banks growls, “They shouldn’t treat you the way they do, they shouldn’t treat anyone like that.”
“But if it wasn’t for me, you would be okay?”
“Harlow, don’t you dare think it is your fault that we barely talk to our parents. I can assure you, it’s not,” Oliver promises.
“He is right, it’s not on you. It’s their own fault,” Sullivan chimes in.
I’m not completely convinced, but it’s enough for me to let it go for now. Relaxing into the leather seat, I realize how tired I am again. This meeting was emotionally draining. I unbuckle my seatbelt and lie down across the back seat, resting my head in Banks’ lap. He immediately starts running his fingers through my hair, giving me a little scalp massage.
“That feels nice,” I murmur before I can’t keep my eyes open any longer, and I quickly fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
5
The days with the brothers blend together, and while I’m happy and content staying with them in a rental house far away from the world, I know this won’t last forever. We can’t hide from everyone for the rest of our lives.
As I sit in the kitchen staring into my coffee, my mind wanders to the questions that still plague me. It’s been a while since I talked to my father. He hasn’t tried to contact me or seek me out, at least not that I’m aware of. Maybe the guys are not telling me that he is, which I wouldn’t put past them. They want to protect me, and my father is the last person they want me speaking to.
“What are you doing, beautiful?” Sullivan’s husky voice tickles my ear, and goosebumps blanket my skin at the tone.
“Thinking…” I reply, “Do you think my father knew that Shelby was the one that tried to kill me?” I can’t imagine him knowing and not doing anything, then again, this is the same man that tried to marry me off to someone as if I was a business contract, and not a human with feelings, and choices of her own.
“I don’t know.” He plucks an apple out of the fruit basket in front of me, his toned body presses against mine, and a spark of electricity zings through me into my core. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.”
Swallowing thickly, I try and push the fluttering of butterflies in my belly away. I can’t be thinking about crawling all over him when there are bigger things that I need to be thinking about.
“Eventually, I want to go back to classes, but as long as Shelby is out there, I’m not safe to do so.”
“You think we would let anything happen to you?” Oliver enters the room, his laptop in his hand.
“No, but I would feel better if she was locked up. I don’t know why she did the things she did, but I’m terrified of something happening again, and I can’t expect one of you to always be with me.” I don’t try and hide my anxiety from the brothers. There is nothing to hide. They know how worried I am.
“What do you want to do?” Sullivan asks, biting into his apple.
“I don’t know, but I need to find her.”
“You aren’t doing shit,” Banks growls, walking into the kitchen, the look on his face says, fight me, I dare you.
