by Stacy M Wray
Then, her eyes swiftly gazing up, she asks, “Why are you here? Why isn’t Reed telling the police what he saw?”
It seems so simple, right? But it’s not. It’s complicated as hell – all because of a seven-year-old little boy who crawled into Reed’s heart. “For Jacob. He’s keeping quiet for Jacob.”
She nods in understanding, although I can see the shock on her face. Yes, Miranda, there are still good people in this world.
We both know I can take her story to the cops. She just doesn’t know how much I want it to come from her and not from me. I don’t want Reed to know that I went behind his back.
But I only did it because I love him so damn much.
I stand, readying myself to leave, and quickly jot my cell phone number on a receipt laying on the table beside her. “I’ll give you a day or two to think about this, Miranda. I’m hoping you’ll come to the right decision. Don’t make me turn into a monster. I will do anything to protect the people I love, too.”
I let myself out, leaving her on the floor.
Chapter Forty
Reed
April 2018
Emptying my fifth beer, I add the bottle to the little collection I’ve got going on in front of me. The walls are closing in, and I feel like it’s just a matter of time before I’m crunched, surrounded by all four sides with no way to escape.
I’ve felt that way before.
And it fucking sucks.
Who was I trying to kid? I’m just a punk guy who came from a shitty home life, got into trouble early on, and ended up in juvie and in jail by the time I turned eighteen.
Then, an old man feels sorry for me, throws some money my way, and what? I’m a new man?
This is fucking bullshit.
My life was mapped out for me years ago. I thought I had it beat, but it caught up to me.
And now, I’m fucking everything up with Harper.
I glance at the clock on the stove. She was supposed to be home an hour ago.
Hearing the door open, I watch her walk in and drop her backpack to the floor. She looks up and sees me at the kitchen table, my brown-bottled collection in front of me. She walks slowly toward me and sits down at the table.
“Hey,” she says.
I salute her with my empty bottle and smack it on the table a little too hard. I catch the subtle roll of her eyes as I sink back into my chair, my legs extending out and kicking her leg in the process. She pulls it back, annoyed.
See? And it’s only been about two minutes.
Life is fucking good, these days.
“You’ve got to tell them the truth, Reed. I can’t stand watching you do this to yourself.”
She sounds like a fucking broken record. “Do what, exactly?”
Standing up, she throws her arms out, sweeping the air. “Quit caring, for starters.”
She hangs her head and when she looks at me again, I see the tears trickle down over the slopes of her cheeks. And it fucking kills me. She deserves better than this. But I’m selfish because I can’t stand being away from her. I’ve been acting like such an asshole because I’m scared, and I’ve been taking it out on her – the one person who has been my constant, my rock, my fire. She’s the one who keeps me going. She’s the one who saw something in me when no one else did. My fiery Aries. Full of so much love, loyalty, and sass.
I stand and close the distance between us. “Come here, baby.” She shakes her head and steps back, meeting the counter with her back.
“You’re drunk.”
I stand in front of her and cage her in with my arms. “It takes more than five beers to get me drunk, sweetheart.” I lift her chin with my finger, so I can see her eyes. “I miss you.” We haven’t had sex for about a week now, and it’s so unlike us. This whole nightmare has turned our lives upside down, and I haven’t helped one little bit.
“I’ve been right here beside you the whole time.”
“Yes, you have. It’s my fault I miss you. Miss us.” I press my forehead to hers and stare at her luscious lips. How did we get here? What’s it going to take to make it out?
“Reed,” she whispers. “You can’t take the fall for someone else. What about me? What am I supposed to do?”
“Shh. It won’t come to that – I promise.” I pull her into my chest and feel her arms wrap around me. “I’m so fucking sorry I put you through this, Harper. I’m going to make it right. I promise.”
She sobs into my chest. I pick her up and carry her to the bedroom, place her in the bed, and crawl in beside her.
“I need you, Reed. Please,” she begs. I feel like such an asshole.
I greedily peel her clothes off her while she does the same to me. I can’t get close enough. Her silky skin beneath my touch soothes away the nightmare that has plagued us for the last couple of weeks. Her low moans have me covering every inch of her skin with my hands, my lips, my tongue. Her skin pebbles with goosebumps.
This woman replenishes me in a way no one else can, and I’ve been an idiot to push her away.
I get lost in us as I slide inside her, barely moving, as we both cling to one another. If I could, I would climb inside her skin, making us one.
“My air,” she pants, “you’ve always been my air.”
“And fire needs air to burn,” I tell her. “Gonna burn forever – you and me.”
We fall asleep wrapped around each other, neither of us willing to put the least amount of space between us.
*****
Harper’s phone is ringing. And ringing. I peek an eye at the clock. Two-ten. Phones ringing in the middle of the night are never good.
“Harper.” I push into her side. “Harper. Wake up.” Reaching up, I twist the knob on the lamp, illuminating the room.
“Hmm?”
“Your phone. Grab your phone.”
She sits up, startled, and reaches for her phone. Her brows furrow as she answers. “Hello?”
I can’t tell what’s going on, but her face says it isn’t good.
“We’ll be right there.”
She lowers her phone and looks at me. “We need to get to the hospital. Quick. I’ll explain everything on the way over.”
“What? Who’s in the hospital?” I climb out of bed and begin dressing. Harper does, too.
She stops and stares at me for a minute, causing me to freeze.
“Miranda Bently.”
“What?”
She pulls her sweatshirt over her head and slips on her tennis shoes. “Come on – we’ve got to go.”
Why in the hell is someone calling Harper about Miranda Bently? She doesn’t even know her.
Grabbing my keys, we take the elevator down to the parking garage. As soon as we’re in my car, I tell her, “You’ve got some explaining to do, Harper.”
“Yep.”
“I suggest you get started.” I turn over the engine and back out of the space, heading toward the exit.
“I love you, Reed. Isn’t that good enough for now?”
I look over at her, and she’s smiling. I don’t think I’ve seen her smile since I’d returned from the police station the second time. I decide that I like it there and say, “Yeah, for now.”
She grabs my hand and wraps her fingers between mine, not letting go until we reach the hospital.
We park, then find out which room Miranda’s in. The lady at the desk lets us know that visiting hours are long over, but they’ve made special circumstances for us.
When we’re outside of her room, Harper tells me. “Just remember how much I love you, okay?”
She doesn’t wait for an answer as she ushers us through the door.
I look at the woman in the bed, hardly recognizing her. She looks gray and very thin, her hair appearing dull and stringy. She opens her eyes for a moment and they land on Harper. “Thank you for coming.” Harper nods and sits beside the bed. I stand behind her. Miranda’s eyes shift up. “Are you Reed?”
She takes me by surprise. “Yeah, I am.”
; “Thank you,” she says. “Thank you for loving my boy.” A few tears escape her eyes.
I just go with it, but I’m loaded with questions. “You’re welcome.”
Focusing on Harper once again, she says, “Karma’s a bitch, you know? After I told you I couldn’t come clean…well…he’s going to lose me, after all.”
“What happened, Miranda?” Harper asks.
Her lips quiver as she attempts to speak. It takes her a minute.
“I’ve always had migraines but could never afford to go to the doctor so I self-medicated with Tylenol. Lots and lots of Tylenol. I’ve done it for years, having no idea that it was eating away at my liver. And now, it’s too late. I thought it was just the flu, that I just couldn’t shake it…”
Harper grabs her hand while Miranda tries to finish.
“My liver is failing and there’s not much they can do, at this point.”
Harper sits closer and asks, “Where’s Jacob?”
Miranda attempts to sit up but it’s clear she has little strength left. “He’s at the neighbor’s.”
“Why are we here?”
They both look at me, surprised by my question.
“Because I need to tell the truth before I go. I need to make things right. I can’t let you take the blame for something I did, especially since I’m going to die.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. A plethora of emotions swirl inside me. Relief. Shock. Heartache. I’ve been going through hell – put Harper through hell – to protect Jacob from having Miranda taken from him. It’s happening anyway, and permanently. I certainly never envisioned this scenario. My heart breaks for Jacob.
“Harper, will you hand me my phone?” Harper reaches for the phone on the table beside the bed and gives it to Miranda. She dials a number and we hear her say, “Yes, my name is Miranda Bently, and I need to confess to the murder of Jim Rutker.” Tears stream down her gaunt cheeks. “No, I can’t come in. Please send someone to Howard General – I’m in room 234.”
Harper turns around, her eyes locking on mine. I know right away that she has somehow set this in motion. The severity of what’s happening hits me like an arrow to the chest. Miranda Bently could have passed away without us knowing, taking her secret with her. And I would be in prison for murder.
Harper has somehow saved me from a life behind bars.
Tears sting behind my eyes, and I will them to stay put.
“Thank you,” I mouth to her.
She simply smiles with tears in her eyes.
And then, it hits me – Jacob. I’ve been so relieved at my own situation that I’m just now letting it all sink in. The very reason I wouldn’t out Miranda is happening anyway. The thought nearly brings me to my knees, and I step outside to collect myself. It’s all too much.
After several minutes, I hear the door to Miranda’s room open and I look up. Harper steps through and takes a seat beside me, draping an arm across my back.
She rubs her hand back and forth and asks, “You alright?”
I nod, leaning in to press those lips to mine. “I owe you everything.”
Shaking her head, she responds, “You owe me nothing. You’d have done the same for me.”
I think about what she just said, knowing she’s right. “I love you so fucking much. You know that?”
She smiles. “I do.”
A commotion coming from the elevator banks causes us to look up. Detective Shutt and his partner step off and head our way.
They pause in front of us before entering the room. “Looks like it’s your lucky day, Faulkner. Don’t go anywhere.”
I nod, and they enter the room.
Reaching for Harper’s hand, I hang on tight, not knowing what else to do.
This all feels so fucking surreal.
Chapter Forty-One
Reed
April 2018
“I need to talk to you, Reed. Alone. Can you come to the hospital?”
I’m not sure how Miranda got my cell phone number, but nothing surprises me these days.
“Sure. I can be there in thirty minutes.”
These last couple of days have been a blur. My name was cleared, although Detective Shutt gave me tons of shit about obstruction of justice and how he could have my ass hauled in for just that. But he didn’t.
His case is closed – it’s mostly good.
The cold, antiseptic stench of Howard General hits me in the face as soon as the sliding doors open. The soles of my shoes squeak on the freshly waxed floor as I make my way to the elevator banks. It must be lunch time; carts filled with covered plates are being pushed down the long hallway, the smell of bland food permeating the stale air.
I pause outside Miranda’s room, wondering what all of this is about. Truth be told, being around her makes me uncomfortable. She’s not my favorite person, and I hate to think that about someone who is days away from leaving this earth. Luring men with her body just to extort money from them, and then committing murder? Yeah, not someone I want to be hanging out with.
I knock, and she invites me in. If possible, she looks worse than a couple of days ago. I hesitate.
“Come on in, Reed. I’m not contagious.”
I nod and walk to her bedside, sitting in the same chair Harper sat in just a couple of nights ago.
“Why’d you call me in here, Miranda?”
Her eyes shut momentarily, and, for a minute there, I think she’s fallen asleep.
But then, they open, and she smiles a weak smile. “Why did you pay Jacob’s tuition?”
How’d Miranda know that?
I release a breath and answer, “He reminded me of myself. A kid who could use a hand. He’s smart and he’s a leader. Just needs someone to see his potential.”
Tears fill her eyes as she nods. “Yes. You’re right.” She falters. “I want you to look after Jacob.”
I don’t hesitate when I say, “Not a problem. I look after him, anyway.” He’s not been at school for the past few days, and I’m not sure if he’s still at his neighbor’s.
She shakes her head and closes her eyes again. It’s as if it takes all the strength she can muster just to get them open. “No, Reed. I want you to be his guardian when I’m gone. He adores you. You seem to adore him. Please. I’m begging you to be his role model for the rest of his life.”
I feel like I’ve been hit in the gut. Her words shock the hell out of me. She doesn’t even know me. And to be responsible for a small child? I don’t even know what to say to her. I’m stunned.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, I do. But think of the alternative. I know you have. Harper told me why you wouldn’t turn me in, so I know how much you care about him. Please, Reed. I don’t have much time. I need to know he’s going to be loved and taken care of. I’ve got lots of money saved for him – it’s yours.”
What?
“Um, I need to think about this – talk to Harper. It’s a lot to take in.”
She nods in understanding. “I know. But, Reed? I don’t have much time. If you agree, we’re going to have to get the paperwork drawn up immediately.”
I stand, needing to get out of this room. I can’t explain how uncomfortable I am.
When I get to the door, she calls out. “Reed? I mean it. I’ll sign my savings over to you.”
Shaking my head, I tell her, “I don’t need your money, Miranda. If I do this, Jacob will never want for anything.” And I walk through the door, sucking in a breath. Fuck me.
I dial Harper’s number as soon as I’m in my car. “Baby, where are you?”
“I was just on my way home. Why? What’s up? What’s wrong?”
She must have picked up on the panic in my voice. “Nothing. I just need to talk to you. Can you meet me at that park on Jay Street?”
I know she thinks my request is weird, but she doesn’t mention it. “Sure. I can be there in fifteen minutes. I’ll meet you at the entrance.”
I beat her there and wait until I see her pull in before getting out
of my car. Her expression is laced with question as she walks toward me.
Cupping her jaw in my hands, I press a kiss to her mouth. I’m uncertain of how she’ll respond to this insane idea but having her near fills me with comfort and peace.
“Is everything alright?” I nod. I’m not surprised she picked up on my vibe. I try to relax as I lead her to a nearby bench.
We sit in silence for a moment. I watch a couple of kids play Frisbee, their dog chasing it each time it’s released from their hands. Spring is in the air and the grass appears greener each day. It’s just a matter of time before the Tulip trees explode with blossoms.
“What’s going on, Reed?”
Directing my attention back to her, I say, “Miranda wants me to be Jacob’s guardian.”
She smiles. I’m talking a genuine, wide, beautiful smile.
“I think that’s wonderful. Don’t you?”
Fear sweeps through me. The thought of being responsible for not fucking up another person’s life scares the shit out of me. “You think it’s that easy?”
“Reed, I believe everything that happens in our life happens for a reason. I believe we were meant to meet. I believe that people are put in our paths for a specific, beautiful purpose.”
Her eyes are so full of life and spark, and I wonder what I did to deserve her. How did she ever see any good in me? I was such a prick when we met.
But she never gave up. She chipped away at my icy exterior and didn’t stop until she was burrowed inside my heart. And I thank God she did. She made me want to be a better person. Mr. H made me want to be a better person. And now, Jacob makes me want to be that person who will make sure he has a chance in this life. This is the shit Mr. H was talking about, and I know what I need to do.
“I can’t do this without you.” Her eyes become shiny, and I sweep her into my lap. “Marry me, Harper. Stay with me forever. Be my family.”
She takes my face in both of her hands as she says, “I never gave up on you, Reed, even when I should have. I always knew deep, down inside that you were my Libra – the one I had been waiting for. The one my mom always told me to keep my heart open for. I have watched you rise against everything indecent in your life and come out stronger. I would love nothing more than to be your family. And to accept Jacob as part of our family. I say yes. Yes, to you. Yes, to Jacob.”
