LevyDammit, I hate having to leave knowing that Harper will have to face the music with Dylan all on her own. Like she hasn’t already got enough on her plate. I did call the rehab clinic before I boarded my flight to check if everything was okay with her mother. Calls are allowed to check in and beside Harper being the main contact, my details are also listed. Naturally since I am paying, they have no objection and know that I am a good friend of the family.Apparently, their mother is doing well for now. She is not being obtrusive and is welcoming visits from the medical team who check in on her and also had her first therapy session. It went well according to the woman, Patricia, that spoke to me over the phone. At least that is one less thing for Harper to have to worry about.Honestly though, I should be with Harper to face Dylan. I’ve landed in Montana and have a driver who is heading East to downtown where I’m booked into a lodge hotel for a few nights. Tomorrow I will head ou
HarperHis eyes look red and swollen as he opens the door and stands to the side to allow me entry. Fuck he looks like shit. It takes a lot to make Dylan cry. Usually only over distressed animals and sometimes when we used to watch a sad movie together.“Hi,” I say as I pass him. He looks dishevelled in torn Levi jeans and a black T-shirt. I notice how his muscles are more defined these days, but then he has been putting in a lot of extra time in the gym and on the football ground.“Hi,” he says back and closes the door behind me. I loiter in the entrance. “Go through to the kitchen. I put coffee on, or do you want a cold drink? I’ve got some beers in. Nobody will mind; dad’s not here in any case.”“I’ll stick with coffee; I have Taylor at home and don’t fancy a beer.” I know he has had a beer or two, I can smell it on him.“You go ahead though, I don’t mind,” I tell him. He shrugs his shoulders. Shit, I didn’t think he would be off with me too. I watch as Dylan goes to the fridge and
LevyI’ve been thinking of calling Dylan but am taking the words from the guys seriously and giving him the space he needs. It’s getting late now; it’s after ten thirty and outside it is dark with stars that shine brightly. Peace envelops me yet my mind is going like wildfire. Instead, I roll onto my back on the bed and cross my legs at the ankles and prop my head up by slinging an arm behind it.I’m wondering what Harper is doing and how she got on with Dylan. I want to call her but don’t want to push it either. Fuck, I have never been so indecisive in my entire life. I’m a man who knows what he wants and goes for it. I never hesitate, I am usually pretty sure and confident. But this situation is a whole new ball game to me, one I don’t think I am playing very well at all.A fire burns in my chest, it could be indigestion from the hot wings I ate in the small dining area of the lodge. They were pretty spicy; however, I think it’s a gnawing gut ache from not knowing what is going on b
HarperFuck, I hiss as he talks dirty to me. My pussy is literally dripping. I can feel my own wetness on my thighs where I had them clenched but now, I am doing exactly as he asks. I am on all fours with my ass pointing towards the camera to give him a good view.“Arch your back, lower your abdomen and stick that hot ass in the air for me. I want to take a good luck at your cunt and those pretty pink pussy lips and see just how wet you are for me,” he tells me as I let out a moan. I turn my head so I can see him on the mobile.“You’re a bossy man, Levy. Who’d know.” He chuckles all deep and throaty. I can see the dark desire in his eyes that look like they’re almost black from his pupils being so dilated.“Just a second let me move the mobile, I need to prop it up so I can see you properly from this angle,” I say as I get out of position for a second.“Take your time, beautiful we have all night.” He has taken off his top and I can see his broad chest, those amazing pecs that are scu
LevyI’m still smiling this morning and feeling pretty damn good even with the weight of Dylan on my mind right now. It’s been a helluva long time since I felt this good and it is all down to my ray of sunshine, Harper. Fuck if anyone told me I could feel like this I’d have given them a look that would kill. There was no way I would have believed them and me smiling, at silly time in the morning – that is definitely unheard of.Usually, I wake with an aching heart, a dull sensation that never goes away. The type of feeling that someone has ripped your heart out and shredded it with glass until it bleeds and bleeds. Losing Lilly was the hardest thing I ever went through, leaving me physically in pain without her by my side. Watching Dylan mourn for his mother too wasn’t easy to handle.Yet this morning, for the first time in two years I don’t feel as if my world is black and it’s yet another day to get through one way or another. It seems bright like the rainbow has come out after the
HarperIt’s now been a couple of days and tonight is the night that Levy flies back in and God how I have missed him. I feel like I am on some kind of auto-pilot getting through my college work and doing my shifts at the café.Taylor has been upbeat and since our conversation she hasn’t mentioned the whole Levy and I seeing each other thing. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. In any case, at least she isn’t having a go at me about it. I let out a sigh of relief as I wait for the tables to empty.It’s now ten in the evening and my feet are absolutely killing me. The sooner this shift finishes the better. My friend here at the café, Marla is waiting to cash up. It was a busy evening. Since our boss has started offering basic evening meals, we get a lot of traffic and walk-ins.“Long night, right?” Marla says as she tucks a stray strand of her curly, black hair behind her ear. I’d die for hair with body like hers. Everything about Marla is exotic and beautiful. From he
HarperHis breath stinks of hard liquor it repulses me. I feel like I am going to gag. His voice is low and laced with danger and threat. How on earth did my mother even get involved with men like this? It saddens my heart and entire being to realize exactly how low she got. Fuck, I hope she makes it through rehab.“Don’t talk to me like that you piece of scum,” I hiss at him not backing down. What’s he going to do? Slit my throat? Hardly, he won’t get a dime that way.“I want my money, Princess otherwise I’m going to have to take you.” He sneers; his teeth are yellow I can make them out with the light that is on our porch wall. With all of my being I hope that Taylor is in bed, she doesn’t need to witness this.“I don’t have any money, I’m broke. My mom is broke and besides she isn’t around.”He leans in closer and threads a lock of my hair around his finger, the one and only strand that has somehow managed to break away. He curls it making my stomach heave. Fear is not something I a
Levy“Sir, can you tell us what happened please?” A dark-haired woman who stands to my shoulder asks me. She has a friendly yet no-nonsense face.“I only just arrived when I saw that fucker,” she shoots her eyebrows up at me. “Apologies, I mean that man leaning into Harper. He had her pinned to the damn wall.” She nods her head and takes a few notes on her small pad. Do they still carry those things around?“And what happened then?” It’s kind of obvious to me what happened then surely, she can see that, I get she’s only doing her job right now but my mind is on Harper.Another female office took her inside and is questioning her in the comfort of her own home. No doubt they will insist she gets checked out. Knowing Harper she will refuse. And I can only imagine that by how her sister is already downstairs with all the commotion outside her house. All I want to do is put my arms around my baby and hold her tightly into my chest to comfort and protect her.I rake a hand through my hair
LevyI take in my son’s face and Harper’s. Both look expectant yet Harper looks as pale as a ghost. I worry for her. I worry what she will think when I tell her what happened all those years ago. Fuck, my heart is banging in my chest so badly, I wonder if they can hear it. And her mother is sitting on the edge of the sofa with Taylor next to her.This wasn’t exactly how I was picturing tell my son and Harper. I thought we would have more privacy and I could keep this away from her younger sister and her mother.I lean my elbows on my thighs and lean forward slightly. I stretch out a hand and take Harper’s in mine. She squeezes my hand. That’s a good sign and I let out a long, slow breath.“Dad, whatever it is it won’t change how we feel about you. You’re my father and I love you.” His words strike a chord in my chest; I swear my heart is going to crack. From the first moment I set eyes on my son at birth, he cracked my chest wide open. Not a day has passed where I haven’t wondered at
HarperI put the phone down and wonder how on earth I am going to explain this one to my mother and my sister. So far, they are in the bubble of momma being home like everything is peachy and the roses are blooming in the garden.My heart feels like it is having palpitations. More men around the house? This does not sound good and I am frightened to the core for Levy. Whatever he has gotten himself into, I am not sure I can deal with that. I have to think of my younger sister and my mother. Who right now, my mother that is – does not need any upset or stress in her life.And why all of a sudden am I some kind of target? What the holy shit is all that about? There isn’t anything I can do until Levy comes home and tells us what exactly is going on.I go downstairs and call my momma and Taylor to come sit with me in the lounge. After of course I have double checked that the front door and the back door are locked and the windows too. It gives me a sense of eeriness doing this and Levy ha
Levy“Fuck,” I say out loud as Lex looks me in the eye. “So, you’re telling me that Jake had a kid brother?”Lex nods. We’re sitting in his den. It’s actually the basement of his house and runs about four hundred square meters. He has also sots of monitors and screens hooked up. The man runs a private surveillance company on top of being a marine. How he fits it all in is beyond me but he does. Of course, he has a whole team. No, a whole village of people that support him and his brothers.“And you’re telling me that the kid was around five or six when Jake died?”“That’s correct. Man, are you going to fucking sit down? You’re making me anxious with all that pacing. Besides, I just had this floor laid and you’re gonna wear it out.” His voice is good natured but I can tell that my stressing is stressing him out.I run my fingers through my hair, at this rate I am going to bald. “And stop doing that with your hair. You need to chill out, none of this was your fault, Levy.”The hell it w
HarperFear engulfs my body. Who is that man? Momma is talking telling us how happy she is to be free and I am happy for her. I am happy for all of us but now with this man showing me the slit your throat gesture - has shivers running up and down my spine.Taylor hasn’t noticed, she is too engrossed telling momma all about her classes and what she has planned for her birthday and her new boyfriend. Which does make my ears prick up. I didn’t even know my little sister had a boyfriend. I need to pay more attention. Let’s face it all those hormones will be on the rampage and she needs to have the sex talk very soon.“I can’t wait to see what you girls have done with the house,” momma says as I turn to her and force a smile on my face. As soon as we are home, I need to get hold of Levy and let him know what just happened. Maybe this is connected to why he left and went out of town.Am I in danger? Alarm bells start cursing through me as momma chats about her program. “I need to attend a s
HarperI can’t take my eyes off my momma. It is like seeing a new woman just off the catwalk or from a magazine cover for one of those mags that is like, oh, I don’t know – Homes & Gardens or something. She doesn’t seem to fit in a rehab center.“It’s really me, sweetheart. Come here, let me cuddle you,” Momma says. Damn even her voice sounds different. It’s not hoarse or brittle or angry anymore. It sounds soft and gentle, full of love.Taylor wraps her arms fiercely around my mother as if she is scared to let go, like a baby monkey holding on to its mother for dear life. The scene unfolds in front of my amazed eyes making my heart stutter. Is that a thing? A stuttering heart? It is now. Usually, I would have assumed only in a romance novel or for lovers, but honestly it has stuttered.“Harper?” Momma says tilting her head to the side. Her smile is wide and infectious making me smile back. God, please don’t want to slay me but seeing my momma so elegant, so put together and so downri
HarperHe left me breathless, like shaking legs, stars in my eyes and my heart jumping and flipping all over the place. Sex with Levy is out of this world! I am still recovering as I walk back across the street to my house where my sister will be waiting for us to go for my mother.We still have half an hour before we need to leave. Levy said he would come with us and cancel all his plans. Sweet of him but you know, this is something that I have to do with my sister on our own. I’m an adult, a big girl now and all my life it seems, I have done big girl shit. Today is no different.Of course, it would be good to have my man by my side to support me and place his arm around me. Only who would Taylor have? Exactly. I need to be there for her like I always was when it was just her and I against the world.Besides, I know that Levy has some pretty important shit to sort out himself. We still need to talk about that, not today, however. It can wait. I trust Levy implicitly and when he is re
Harper“Where are you going?” Taylor asks as she spoons cereal into her mouth.“Over to see Levy. Are you good?”She looks adorable with her bed-hair and rosy cheeks. The best is watching her eat with an appetite. For a hot minute or two, I thought she was going to have some serious issues with eating. Thankfully, whatever she was going through has passed and her appetite is restored.“At this time? You know we have to go for momma in,” she glances up at the clock on the kitchen wall. “An hour, Harper.”“I know but I feel like a shit about last night and I, you know,” I shrug my shoulder. “Kinda want to go over and see him.”“You better not be late back.” My oh my, she sounds like one of my old school mistresses back in the day.“No, ma’am. I won’t be late.”“Cut that shit out!” she says making me grin.I go over to her at the island and give her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Sis.” She shrugs me off but I give her another kiss in any case.With a light step and fluttering in my stomach
LevyI have been awake most of the night thinking about this whole damn shitshow of a situation. Harper is absolutely right. I need to tell her. After all, if I want a relationship with her that is long-term based on trust, openness and honesty, then Harper deserves to know everything about me and what happened back then.Hell, I’ve carried the guilt and burden of this on me for eighteen years and I need to tell Dylan. My insides churn and I am not a man who suffers easily with a churning stomach. But all of a sudden, I feel like I have way too much to lose.Throwing the rest of the dregs of the black coffee down the sink, I swill out the mug and leave it on the side for later. I’ve got an early start to go meet up with the guys but first I need to drop in and see Harper before she goes off with Taylor to pick up her mother.Dammit, I missed her warm body in bed with me last night. I love the way she snores lightly; it’s like she blows bubbles in her sleep. When she is with me at nigh
HarperI let the tears fall as soon as he left the house. And I am beating myself up for pushing him so hard. It’s not like I don’t trust Levy, of course I do. But whatever is worrying him - which it is, because I could see the angst written all over his face – he needs to tell me.It upsets me that he is treating me like a child, although I know he regards me as an equal and an adult it just doesn’t feel like it right now. God, all these conflicting emotions are too much to handle.A gentle knock to my door, I lift my head and wipe my tears away. “Can I come in, Sis?” Taylor asks from the other side. I’m sitting cross legged on the bed clutching one of my favorite Teddy bears from when I was a kid. Back when things were normal and I had a non-alcoholic and junkie mother. Oh, and a father.“Yes,” I mumble. The door opens and Taylor comes in.“Are you okay? I couldn’t help but over hear most of it.”“I’m fine, it’s not like we’ve broken up or anything. I just need some space. He’s trea