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Me? It just confirmed what I already thought. I want more of Harper. I want her in my life.
She walks into the room and thrusts a glass of water at me.
“Thanks.” I take it, watching her sit on the bed beside me.
At least she’s not getting dressed and making a mad dash for the door.
Deciding to give her a break, I shift the conversation. “How did things go with the mom and kid?”
She settles into the bed. “I put them on a plane to PA. She has a cousin out there he doesn’t know about.”
“Good. Get the kid as far away from his father.”
“He’s not Joey’s father.”
“No?”
She shakes her head.
“Well, that’ll make things a little easier in the long run. At least the mom doesn’t have to worry about her abuser finding her and taking her son from her.”
“How can he? He should be arrested for what he did to her and Joey.”
“Yeah, but she didn’t call the cops. For him to be arrested, she needs to do that. A lot of victims don’t get the police involved. They’re afraid or don’t want to go through the court process. Once they get free, they don’t want to see their abuser again.”
“Don’t you feel like what you’re doing corrupts the system? That if you weren’t offering the escort service, maybe they’d reach out to the police for help.”
“My mom is in jail for killing my father because she was trying to protect her children and herself. I don’t know why she never got the cops involved. I never asked. Whatever her reasons, she felt she couldn’t. I’m here for those women—the ones who won’t make that call. We are there to help them. Corrupting the system, our escort service isn’t all to blame. Otherwise, my mother wouldn’t be sitting in jail right now because she didn’t have the right lawyer or money. If someone was there for her—”
She touches my arm. “You and your brothers were children. It’s not your fault. You couldn’t help her.”
“That’s why I do it for them now. Why we all do.”
“I understand that. I’m not saying what we’re doing is wrong. I don’t know. It’s just that when they don’t report it, their abuser gets away with it, and he can do it again. It’s a vicious circle.”
“Yes, but if they’re not strong enough or feel they can’t go through all that, then they have us. It’s better than the alternative. Could you imagine if that mom didn’t reach out to the escort service? Imagine what might have happened to her, to Joey?”
“I don’t even want to think about that.” She glances around the room.
Her eyes land back on me. I see it. She’s going to run.
I place my hand over hers. “Don’t go.”
“It’s getting late.” She looks down at my hand on hers. “I have to be at the center tomorrow to answer hotline calls.”
I lift her hand. Her eyes follow my action. I kiss her knuckles, holding her view within mine. “Stay. I’ll even let you wear my shirt to bed. Although, I’d prefer the feel of your naked body against mine.” I smile.
She stares at me.
“Harper, stay with me.”
Chapter 36
I snuck out the morning after we had sex. I didn’t want to face the music or Cole. The sex was out of this world amazing, but I wasn’t prepared for the whole Tyler discussion. It tossed my emotions off the blissful ride I was on. I wanted to stay, wake up with him, and enjoy coffee together. Maybe make breakfast, watch the news, and do things normal dating people do. But we’re not normal.
I’m not normal.
He’s definitely not normal. I think that’s part of the attraction, and believe me, there is a lot. Everything about the man gets me going. He fills every dark spot with light. I wasn’t lying when I asked if he thought about me when I wasn’t there. If I drive him crazy. Does he feel the same way about me that I do about him?
