My parents stood too, their shuffling steps mirroring mine as they rushed to follow me out. My chest twisted and I paused, stopping dead in my tracks with my hand raising to scratch the back of my neck. “Uh. You guys can hang out here if you want. I got TV and snacks. All the good stuff. You can, uh, bring your suitcases in too if you’re not already set up somewhere else. I have the space.”
“Oh…” my mother said, surprise written in every inch of her features. She looked at Dad and they both spoke to each other in some silent way before turning to me. “Y-yes, okay.”
I moved to fish the extra key out of one of the junk drawers and placed it in Mom’s palm, promising I wouldn’t be long.
As I retreated, my feet suddenly moved more urgently to carry me across town, my heart eager for answers my mind couldn’t conjure up. My mom’s warm hand snaked its way around my arm and she stopped me before I could leave, her eyes searching my eyes. “That girl, do you know her?”
And why did it feel like my heart was already breaking as I answered, “I thought I did.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
AUGUSTUS
The Fernandez building was one of the sleekest high rises in downtown Seaside. The black exterior and blacked-out windows resembled the dark features of at least one Fernandez in particular, the sleek inside exuding elegance and class.
Unfortunately, when I arrived at my destination, it wasn't just one Fernandez I was met with. No, just my luck, I was greeted with the attendance of over half of the famed clan and even the bonus addition of the Fergusons.
She was there, though. The only one that mattered, and she was expecting me. There was virtually no way I would have made it all the way up to her brother’s office onthe top floor if she hadn't orchestrated it that way, which meant she knew I would be coming for her. For some kind of explanation.
That answered something I guess, like if she’d had anything to do with this. Still, it didn’t explain hardly anything else.
“Did you know?” My voice came out grave as I kept my distance by the door of the large office suite. Her brother’s door seemed closed, but I still kept my voice down, wanting some semblance of privacy.
“No,” she said. “I knew there was a deal with SHarper, but I had no clue it was yours.”
Mine.
My gut turned with the truth of her words. Because it was mine.Stillmine, no matter how hard I’d tried to rid myself of it. The reality of it coiled up in my throat and choked me with anxiety.
“So, you found out it was my family's company and you what—saved it for me?”
“I only postponed the deal,” she corrected, fingers scrunching each other nervously.
“But why?” I asked. “I told you how I felt about my family. How I felt about the company. What it did to us. So what made you think it would be a good idea to do that?”
“I—I didn’t think you knew what was going on, and I wanted there to be a chance to?—”
“A chance to what?” I snapped before she finished. I couldn’t believe this. I couldn’t believe the person I had stupidly trusted with all of my baggage had turned around and let it all spill on the floor. Rooting around in it to find whatever was convenient and leaving the rest for the vultures to eat up. She wanted to talk about chances, but it felt like all my chances were constantly being taken away. My chance to know my sister, gone. My chance to do something about it, nonexistent. Just like always they were being decided for me by others without my permission or consideration and it was seriouslygetting fucking old. “Use me again to prove something to your family?”
“No,” she said firmly. She moved forward, her feet carrying her closer as she spoke. “I wouldn't do that Harper. I know you’re mad, and you should be. I seriously overstepped today, and I’m sorry about that. But I swear I was only trying to help.”
“But you didn’t,” I said to my feet. I couldn’t even look at her as this sick feeling of confusion and hurt curled behind my neck and heated me up to my scalp. Wejustpromised to be together normally, but she was still justusing me to get closer to her dreams?“You didn't help anyone but yourself.”
Her breath hitched, my words hitting like a blow, but she powered through. “Helping myself was never my intention, Harper. But the way you talk about your family—it just seemed like this wouldn’t be something you’d want to give up.”
My eyes snapped up studying her and trying to see if there were lies in her words. I couldn't tell.
“So you weren't in it for yourself?” I asked.
“No!” she said, appalled. Ihated that she was looking at me that way, but damn I couldn'tstop my wounded heart from turning over every possibility because if shewasn't in this forherself than who?Her voice cracked as she looked at me, confusion clouding her eyes.“Harper, I’m sorry I acted rashly, but I promise it wasn’t selfish. I was thinking about you. About Mar and how?—”
“Don’t do that,” I clipped. “Don’t talk like you know her because you don’t. Don’t talk like youdid me or my family any favors, because you didn’t. You just inserted yourself where you don't belong and blew everything wide open.You just saw an opportunity and you took it, like always.”
“Like always?” she asked, her voice soft and watery, a tone I hated.Jesus, what was I saying?It was like I had no control over what was coming out of me and I wanted it to stop, but something had opened up in my chest. An old hurt that I never wanted her tobe tangled up in, but here she stood. Her rapid blinking did nothing to stop the tear that ran down her cheek. “You offered, Harper.”
I laughed, humor dead in my throat. “Yeah, I did. I offered because I would have offered you anything to get you to look at me the way you looked at everyone else. To smile at me like you fucking smiled ateveryone else. But I didn't offer this. This you took. And I never thought youwould be the one to blindside me,not after how far we've come. Not you, Ally.”
Alta's lip trembled, her eyes touching the ground not even able to look at me. “Harper, I don't know what you’re doing right now or why you’re saying these things. I know you’re surprised and upset and I know I could have done things differently, sure, but I didn’t. I reacted how I could in the moment. But the fact is, I do care about you. I’vealwayscared about you. I wouldn’t have—couldn’thave done what I did if I didn’t care, Harp. Okay?”
