Page 109 of Havoc's Fox

Chapter 24

Analise went into the house through the back door of her home and straight into the bathroom. She reached out with one hand and turned on the warm water, then sat down on the edge of the tub. “One of the things I like best when I’m upset is a nice warm bubble bath. Do you like bubble baths?”

Harley nodded.

“Let’s get those dirty clothes off you and you can soak in a bubble bath as long as you want. It’ll help you get warm and it’ll get you all clean, too.”

“Is my daddy coming?”

“He sure is.”

Harley watched Analise squirt some bubbles into the bath water she’d started, then let her take her dirty clothes off. After Analise got her situated in the bath, Analise sat down on the toilet lid and smiled at her.

“You okay?” she asked.

Harley shrugged.

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“Why was that lady so mean to me?” Harley asked, her voice just barely above a whisper.

“She just isn’t a very happy person, baby. She’s always been mean her entire life and it seems like it must just get worse as she gets older.”

“But I didn’t do anything to her.”

“I know. She was mean to a lot of people, all of her life. She was just not a very nice person. Some people are mean no matter what you do.”

The front door opened and closed and within seconds Emmalyn was standing in the doorway, out of breath. “I’m here! You need anything?”

Analise looked up at her sister and smiled pointedly. “Nope. We’re good, right?”

Harley looked sadly up at Emmalyn.

“You good, Harley?” Emmalyn asked.

Harley nodded.

“I’m kinda jealous. I want a bubble bath,” Emmalyn said. Emmalyn looked at Analise. “You didn’t make me a bubble bath.”

“You’re a grown up. You can make your own,” Analise said.

“Fine! I’m going to make me a bubble bath.”

“Can you lock the door first?” Harley asked.

It was at that moment that both Analise and Emmalyn realized Harley was afraid Marie-Claire would come after her.

“You know what? I’ll lock all the doors and all the windows and then I’ll sit in the living room and wait for you to come in the living room with me. I’ll make sure it’s safe. Okay?”

“Thank you,” Harley said.

“Harley, you know she’s not coming after you, right? She can’t. We can have her arrested if she even tries.”

“She said she was my mother, and that she’ll come get me whenever she wants,” Harley whispered.

“I’ll never let her near you. I promise.”

“Was she my mother?”

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