Chapter 25
I kissed the top of her head, inhaling her familiar scent, as her shaking body clung to mine. “I love you so much Sweetheart.” I said. “I can't believe I found you.” Framing her face with my hands, I looked directly into her eyes. “How did you send me that text?” I asked. “I tried to use my cell from the garage, but there must be some kind of signal jammer.”
“I-I didn't text you.” She said, her eyes going wide with concern.
The door knob jiggled then, and Harper took a sharp breath. “Hide under the bed.” She whispered, scrambling from my lap.
“Harper! Why is the door locked?” Vanessa called out from the other side, as she knocked. “Are you okay? Harper?”
I slipped under the bed, and a few moments later, I heard Harper unlock the door, and let Vanessa in. “What's wrong?” She asked, eyeing Vanessa warily, and letting out a yawn.
“You know the rules Harper. No locked doors.”
“I feel safer when I'm locked in, you know that.”
Sighing, Vanessa took Harper by the hand and led her over to the bed. The two sat, side by side, and to anyone who didn't know them, it would have seemed perfectly normal. Just two sisters, having a talk before bed. But that wasn't the case. “He can't hurt you anymore.” Vanessa said. “You have no idea how much I blame myself. I swear to you, if I would have known, or even had the slightest inkling, I never would have let him into my life.”
My fists clenched at my sides, as I lay nearly breathless beneath the bed. Who was she talking about? Who had hurt Harper? I wanted to spring out from my hiding space, and throttle her. Woman or not, I was prepared to punch her like a man. The way that Harper spoke to her though, it was almost as if she cared. Maybe she did? Maybe Vanessa was able to get through to her on some level, and convince her that she'd changed. Maybe Harper wouldn't even want to leave with me.
I laid there, listening to the two of them talk like no time had passed. Harper even laughed when Vanessa mentioned her favorite flowers. A pit began to form in my stomach, and I wondered if I truly had lost her. Vanessa was her sister after all, and if she wanted a relationship with her, I wasn't in the position to tell her she couldn't have one. The truth is, if Harper asked me to leave Vanessa alone, and forget that I ever seen her here, I would. I wanted Harper back, more than I wanted, or needed any kind of revenge against Vanessa.
“Why were you crying?” Vanessa asked, drawing my attention back to them, and away from my thoughts.
“Oh, I uh, I don't know. Must have been a bad dream. I don't really remember much about it.” Harper stammered, thinking fast on her feet.
“You can come out now Cole.” Vanessa said, void of all emotion.
I felt the hair stand up on my skin, and it was as if I could feel the fear permeating from Harper.
“I sent the text. I wanted you to find me. I never imagined you'd stow away in my trunk to get here though.” She laughed.
I slid out then, standing slowly. Tears instantly filled Harper's eyes, and I gave her a wink, letting her know that everything was going to be okay. “You got what you wanted. I'm here. What now?” I asked.
“I knew you were playing along Harper. I could see it in your eyes. You love me, because you feel obligated to. But him? The way you look at him.. that's love. I always thought that I knew what was best for you. Everything I ever did, was for you. I bought you a house, I set you up with a job. I got you the best doctors that money could possibly buy. But there was one thing that I couldn't give you. Something, that I thought was lost on you a long time ago. A sense of self. I noticed a change in you the minute you woke up here. You fought back, you had a backbone. I never thought you would find yourself. I always thought you'd be a shell of who you could have been. And, maybe that was my fault. Maybe I was to blame. I coddled you. I kept you too close. I didn't let you spread your wings, because I was afraid that you would fly away. I blamed everyone for what happened to us when we were children. Wes, our foster father's, even myself. I thought if I punished everyone, that I would somehow feel free myself. Only, the more people I hurt, the worse I felt. And Robert! He was the worst of them all. I gave him everything. My heart, my home, my love, and the whole time he used me. It was his idea to keep you in the facility for so long. He was older, wiser, and I honestly thought he cared. To think that I slept with that man, that I loved that man, after what he did to you. It makes me physically sick. I never wanted you to see the side of me that is capable of hurting someone, but I couldn't let him live. Not with a betrayal of that magnitude.”
“Why? Why did you text Cole? Why is he here?” Harper asked, her bottom lip trembling.
“Robert's family is onto me. It's only a matter of time before one of them comes after me. I can't risk you being collateral damage.”
“So what? You thought you'd kidnap me? Try to brainwash me for two whole months, with an exact replica of my own fucking house!” Harper yelled, before standing, and directing all of her anger towards her sister. “You tried to make me think I was losing my God damned mind Vanessa! You took me away from the only man who ever gave a damn about me, and for what huh? All so you could assuage your guilt, and we could play family?!”
“I don't expect you to understand.”
“You're damn right I don't understand! You drugged me! You let some doctor, stick a needle in my arm, and drug me! Who does that? And you think I'm the crazy one?”
“I never once thought you were crazy. A little lost maybe, but never crazy.”
It was as if their roles were suddenly reversed. Vanessa, was staring down at the floor, while Harper stood over her, radiating anger. I just stood watching, and waiting, not sure of what was going to happen next. I wanted to give Harper her space. To let her handle things on her own, but at the same time, I didn't want to kick a gift horse in the mouth. If Vanessa was really going to let us leave, we needed to leave.
“Sweetheart?” I asked cautiously. “I think we should go.”
Vanessa stood then, turning to face me. Her eyes pierced mine, and they were filled with pure, unfiltered anger. I watched as she swiftly pulled her gun from the waist band of her jeans, and aimed it at my chest. “You ruined everything.” She seethed. “I meant what I said, Harper will be leaving, and heading back to California where she's safe. But you? You aren't leaving here unless it's in a body bag.”
Everything that happened next was like a blur. I heard Harper scream “no!” As she came running towards me. I couldn't let her get hit, so I grabbed her, spinning us both in a circle, my back to Vanessa. Harper pulled the gun from my waistband, as Vanessa fired a shot into my back. I fell to the ground, and then I heard what sounded like six, maybe seven, bullets fire off in rapid succession. “I hate you!” Harper screamed, dropping my gun at her feet, and falling down to her knees beside me. “No.” She whispered, over, and over again, her hands trembling, as she tried to apply pressure to my wound. “I'm so sorry Cole.” She sobbed.
“Hey.” I breathed out. “It's okay. You're free now. It's okay Sweetheart.”
“No.” She said, shaking her head rapidly. “You don't get to leave me. You promised, remember? You said you were never going to leave me alone again. God damn it Cole you promised!”
“I'm.. I'm still here.” I said, struggling to keep my eyes open. “I'll always be here.”
I closed my eyes then, just for a second. I felt so tired, and my eyelids were so heavy. I just needed to rest, just for a bit. I could hear Harper's sweet voice, telling me to hold on. I tried, I really did, but it was getting harder, and harder to hear her. Her voice started to sound softer, and more distant, and maybe it was wishful thinking, but it seemed to disappear all together, being drowned out by the sound of sirens. I smiled, knowing that whatever happened next Harper was safe. Even if I didn't make it, Jake, or Mendez, had somehow found me, and help was here.