LOGINHarper He chuckles low, but it doesn’t reach his eyes as he slides into the driver seat and starts driving. His free hand lands on my thigh, heavy and warm, thumb rubbing circles that should feel comforting but just make my skin crawl and heat up at the same time. “Tell me about your classes then. Which ones? Who sat next to you? Anybody touch you, help you with books, anything?”“Jesus, Elias, it was psych and then some lit elective. Boring as usual. Nobody touched me except Lauren with her damn first-aid kit, and she only did it because she’s one of those people who can’t mind their own business. Happy now? Or do you want a full seating chart?”The baby picks that moment to kick hard again, followed by another tightening across my belly that makes me shift and suck in a breath. Elias notices instantly, hand moving from my thigh to my bump, rubbing slowly. “That one felt strong. You okay? Contractions?”“Not real ones, just those fake Braxton whatever things. They come and go. Stop
HarperI’m hobbling like a damn idiot across the parking lot behind the school, ankle screaming every time my foot hits the ground, and the baby is throwing a full-on rave in there, kicking so hard it feels like he or she is trying to punch their way out early just to escape this mess with me. “Great timing, kid,” I mutter under my breath, one hand on my belly like that’s gonna calm anything down while I’m sweating through my hoodie and trying not to puke from the pain and the panic mixing together. My phone’s blowing up in my pocket, Elias, obviously, texts coming in one after another: *Class going okay?* *You need anything?* *Call me if the baby kicks weird.* I ignore every single one because if I answer now he’ll hear the hitch in my voice and know something’s off, and I’m already running late for the pickup window he thinks he’s controlling. I pull out the cash he stuffed in my bag this morning thousands, like always, because apparently keeping his knocked-up wife swimming in mon
Harper I hit the ground on the other side wrong, ankle twisting sharp under me with this pop that makes me yelp “fuck fuck fuck” loud enough that a couple birds scatter, and I’m hobbling there cursing Elias for every single thing he’s ever done to my body when this girl comes running up from the parking lot edge, all wide-eyed and helpful like she’s been waiting for drama. “Harper? Oh my god, are you okay? That looked bad, here let me…” It’s Lauren, the kind one from my old psych class who always shared notes and smiled too much, and I don’t trust her for shit because what if Elias planted her, what if this is another spy like Sophia, but my ankle is throbbing and I’m already late on my window so I snap, “Back off, Lauren, I don’t need a babysitter, I’m fine, go study or whatever normal people do.” She doesn’t listen, just kneels right there ignoring my glare and pulls a little first-aid kit from her bag like some girl-scout psycho, wrapping my ankle quick and tight while she babble
Harper I wake up with Elias’s arm heavy across my belly like he’s claiming the baby and me all over again, and my head is already spinning from last night’s shower bombshell because seriously who drops “I’ve been stalking you since you were fourteen and oh yeah I crippled your exes too” right after making you squirt in a murder cleanup and expects you to just snuggle back to sleep like it’s pillow talk. I lie there pretending my breathing is even while my mind races a million miles an hour thinking about that file in the sock drawer and how I barely skimmed it last night before he pulled me into bed, and I know I have to get back in there without him noticing or I’m screwed, Sophia died for nothing, and this baby is kicking like it knows I’m plotting an escape route. Elias stirs beside me, his voice all sleepy and soft like he didn’t just admit to murder over my nipples last night, and he murmurs, “Morning, my good wife. How’s our little one? You sleep okay after everything?” I forc
Harper “I had to Harper, he was going to hurt you bad and I wasn’t going to let that happen, I know everything about you, even the stuff with your dad, how he used to maltreat you and your siblings even though he had all that money, I almost stepped in there too but” and I cut him off fast because my stomach drops and I’m thinking what if he had something to do with dad too what if he caused all that mess just to swoop in and play hero and I shove the thought down deep because if that’s true, I’ll kill myself right here in this shower I swear and I can’t even process it all my head is spinning too fast and I snap “don’t you dare bring my dad into this, I don’t want to hear it I can’t assimilate any of this, you’re telling me you’ve been ruining lives for me since I was a kid and expecting me to what thank you and spread my legs” he sighs “you will thank me one day when our baby is here and you’re safe and happy I promise”.I’m a mess now crying and moaning and laughing that crazy lau
Harper I’m panting between moans and tears and I manage to choke out “how are you not even wincing, that knife was in your chest twice and you’re in here playing with me like nothing happened” he shrugs one shoulder still fingering me steady and says “pain is temporary Harper, but losing you isn't, I’ve felt worse than this, the day you almost got away from me remember and besides, I need to feel you close right now after you tried to stab me, it’s my way of reminding you who you belong to” then he curls his fingers just right hitting that spot that makes stars pop behind my eyes and I moan loud enough that it bounces off the walls, I’m so mad at myself for it I’m yelling “fuck you Elias fuck you for making me feel this when I want to kill you” he just keeps going thumb on my clit now and his mouth is on my neck sucking a mark and he murmurs “that’s it, let me hear you and our baby is probably loving this too all that endorphin rush, it's good for development” I laugh this brok
~Harper~Twenty-four hours feels like a week.No food. No water except what I can cup from the bathroom faucet. Throat raw from screaming at first, then just hoarse whispers begging through the door. He never answers. Not once.I’m curled on the floor by the bed, head pounding, lips cracked, when t
~Harper~I’m curled up on the couch pretending to scroll through art blogs on the tablet Elias gave me, but really I’m listening to every word because Aurora’s voice is blasting through the speaker on his phone, high and demanding like she owns the place, and he didn’t even bother taking the call i
~Elias~I can’t stop watching the feeds and it’s driving me fucking insane because every time I tell myself I’ll give her space I end up pulling up the cameras anyway, flipping through bedroom, bathroom, darkroom, kitchen, living room, like some pathetic addict who knows the high is gonna wreck him
~Elias~I know she’s breaking away from me again because I feel it every time she looks at me now, that mix of hate and fear that’s sharper than before, like the file and Aurora’s call cracked something I can’t glue back together, and it’s eating at me because I need her to need me, to want me, eve







