Chapter Three
Harper
As soon as my shift ended, I tugged on my coat and mustered up the courage to go outside.
The area was still swamped with police and curious onlookers as I walked past. Several police cruisers were parked down the street, blocking it off to oncoming and outgoing traffic. I could see that a large chunk of the adjacent parking lot had been blocked off with yellow police tape. Don’t look over there, I thought, trying to keep focused on what was straight ahead of me.
Don’t look for his car, I told myself as my eyes wandered toward the street, wanting to search for Mason’s BMW.
Suddenly I found myself looking into the lot, my body refusing to listen to my more logical mind. The center of the lot was blocked off and was surrounded by uniformed cops and people who looked like detectives. They were all gathered around something, and I could feel my feet slowing, wanting to creep closer to find out if Mason’s blood was what they were looking at.
I tasted bile in my throat as my eyes wandered to the road. Mason’s dark BMW sat parked at a meter, right in front of Lucky’s. I stumbled to the trashcan just in time, throwing up into it, gripping the greasy rim with my trembling fingers. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, my nose and throat burning.
I felt for my phone, whipping it out and finding Natalie’s phone number.
Her voicemail picked up, again. I had tried calling several times from inside the bar. She hadn’t answered then, either.
“Natalie, this is Harper. Again. I was wondering if you knew where Mason—uh, Asher, is. Please, please, give me a call back.”
I hung up the phone, scrolling to my texts, finding the one about Jake. The number had to have been Stacey’s. My fingers hovered over the keys, debating whether I should text her back, but I didn’t want to aggravate the situation more, so decided against it.
The paper Mason had given me was still in my pocket. I took it out, re-reading it.
I’m sorry. I love you.
Tears filled my eyes at the sight of it. He had come to the bar hoping to regain my trust, but I had pushed him away. Had I done the right thing? What about now, now that Mason could very well be out of my life forever? Was I happy now, any happier than I had been?
And what if now it was too late for anything to happen, anyway?
I glanced over at the cops keeping watch over the blocked off area. A news van had parked a little ways down the road. Obviously a slow news night. I cringed at the thought of hearing the details on the television.
I needed to know for myself. I needed to reach Mason or Natalie.
This isn’t over. That’s what Jake had said the day Mason had scared him away from my apartment. Is this what he had meant? Had he been trying to kill Mason, giving Stacey his alibi of wanting to see me? I glanced around, suddenly feeling watched. If Jake had really done this... I shivered as the breeze picked up a little.
I checked my phone again. Nothing. My fingers hovered over Mason’s name, but I decided against calling him.
I needed to see him, to make sure he was okay.
* * * *
When I arrived at the mansion, it was late. The building was lit up as usual, looking ready for a mixer, but only a few cars were in the driveway. I felt disgusting, still wearing my greasy, smelly clothes from the bar. My hands shook as I brought my fist up to the door, pounding on it, hoping someone would hear.
No one answered. I turned around, sagging against the door, defeated. Where was everyone? Hunter, Natalie? And most of all, where was Mason? I checked my phone again, nothing. The backs of my eyes had begun to hurt from the strain, and I closed them, wishing I could get away from this nightmare completely just by knowing that Mason was safe and well.
The door opened as I stumbled backward, losing my balance and then catching myself.
“Natalie.”
Natalie’s eyes looked puffy and tired. She stared down at me coldly. “Harper. Can I help you?”
“Haven’t you gotten any of my calls?” I blurted out.
“I haven’t been around my phone much.” She said wearily.
“Mason—Asher,” I stumbled over my words, not knowing what to call him. “Where is he? Please, tell me he’s okay?”
“I—” Natalie hesitated. I froze, waiting for her answer.
“Please, Natalie,” I begged, feeling the desperation creep into my voice.
“Asher is okay. He will be, at least.”
My vision spun as relief flooded through me. “What happened?”
“He got hit in the head. Really hard.”
“But... By who?”
She glared at me, the lights of the mansion reflecting off her intense stare. “I don’t know. He went to visit you. You tell me.”
I stiffened a little. “Are you trying to say this is my fault?”
“You take it how you want to take it.”
I slumped, thinking as I looked down at the ground. Maybe I was to blame for this entire thing. If Jake really had done this to Mason, it had been my fault in the first place for ever letting the two interact. And, if Mason hadn’t been trying to win me back at the bar, he wouldn’t have been there at all.
“Does... Does he know who did this to him?”
“He can’t remember. He’s got a concussion. We’ll talk to you later, Harper.” Natalie began to close the door. I pressed my palm up against it, holding it open.
“Can’t I at least see him?”
“Just leave him alone. He needs to rest and stay away from the drama for a while.”
I backed away, watching as she shut the huge door behind her. I felt relieved he was alive, but lost at the same time.
* * * *
“Welcome home! How was life at the bar?” Avery asked, giggling. She was curled up on the couch, watching some crappy TV show and drinking a glass of wine.
I dropped my things in the doorway, clenching my phone in my hand, just in case. My tears, even after all this time, had still not gone away. They came back in full force, burning their way down my cheeks. I heard Avery approach, her slippers slapping against the floor. People laughed on the TV. Even just the mere thought of happiness stabbed at my heart.
“What’s wrong?” Avery stood in front of me, her eyes wide and head tilted, trying to read me.
I looked at her and burst into sobs, leaning up against the wall. “It’s Mason.”