Page 391 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

I sit back in my seat, frowning hard. Did she go and drink? She looked hungover as fuck this morning, and despite a heavy cloud of perfume, I thought I detected a hint of day-old booze.

I guess I can’t blame her. I thought she was more worldly than that, but maybe the sight of me jerking off scarred her innocent little mind. It’s obvious she’s not seeing anyone, and she wasn’t exactly hanging around with anyone at school. In fact, I couldn’t find her anywhere.

Maybe I have it wrong.

Maybe she’s not the monster I’m making her out to be. When we were in the pool house yesterday, if that had been the first time I’d met her, I might have said she was a nice person. Maybe even someone?—

Christ, here I go again. What the fuck is wrong with me?

I have to stop thinking of Harper as just some girl.

She’s not.

She’s bad news. Reckless, impulsive, and off-limits.

So why does she fascinate me so much? Why can’t I get her out of my head?

And what’ll happen if, next time we’re home alone, there’s nothing to stop us going all the way?

Chapter 14

Harper

After a glass of soothing merlot, I go to see Rosie. That’s another thing I love about alcohol. It has this way of drawing back the curtains on your mind. Even when you’re trying to hide stuff from yourself, after a few drinks, those things bubble up to the surface.

I messed up royally today. I can blame Rosie, or Jude…but the only person whoreallyfucked up was me. I need to make sure she’s okay, and I want to make things right with her. Maybe, if there’s still a touch of courage in my bones, then I’ll go and apologize to Jude too.

I find her in the home cinema, watching Moana on the flat screen. I stop at the entrance, and when I realize I’m swaying I lean against the door jamb. I still can’t believe I live in a house with its own movie theater. It’s fucking surreal.

When I sit beside her, Rosie doesn’t even bother looking at me. She’s bundled up in a blanket, and her hair is a mess. Was she sleeping?

I take the remote and turn down the volume, wincing when Rosie’s mouth turns into a sulk. But I guess she’s used to peopledoing what they want around her because she doesn’t throw a tantrum or anything.

“Hey, Rosie. Can we talk?”

She gives me the same reluctant half-shrug I see her giving my mother.

“I want to say sorry. I should have gone down to the pool with you straight away. I…” I blow out a sigh, sitting back and letting the comfy chair suck me in. God, no wonder she was napping. These couches are so damn cozy. “I was a fucking idiot.” I clap a hand over my mouth and Rosie giggles at me. I point a finger at her. “Don’t ever say that word.”

She giggles again. “Idiot?”

I shake my head. God, was I ever that innocent that I didn’t even know what a swear word was? But then I see a gleam in her warm, brown eyes, and I poke her shoulder. “You little scallywag.”

This makes her laugh until she starts hiccupping. “Want a soda?” She nods eagerly, and I feel her eyes on me as I go over to the vending machine at the back of the room. Snacks, drinks, and a fridge with beer in it. I’m not huge into movies and stuff. I read a lot when I was a kid, but when you’re constantly moving it’s difficult to get all your books back to the library on time. I think I’ve been blacklisted by now—the last time I went to a local library, they told me I had ten books to return, and late fees I could never afford.

At the time.

But one thing the Dearth Manor doesn’t have a short supply of is money. For the first time in my life, I have a weekly allowance. And it still blows my mind that the balance on that bank card ismineand mine alone.

I turn up the volume and snuggle in beside Rosie, eventually going to fetch one of the blankets from the big woven basket in the corner of the room. The movie is cute, but eventually thebooze drags me under. I don’t know how long I’m asleep, but when I wake up I’m alone, the television is off, and my mouth tastes like something crawled inside and died.

At first I don’t know what woke me, but then I hear the sound of the garage door closing. It’s built right next to the cinema on the west wing of the house.

My mom is home.

Which means Jude is probably already on his way to tell her what happened with Rosie this afternoon. My blood goes cold. I push up into a sit and try to stand, getting it right on the second go.

Shit, I’m stilldrunk.I drag my hands through my hair and hurriedly adjust my hoodie. Slapping my face a few times, I manage to get all the way down the hall. But just as the front door starts opening, a wave of nausea washes through me. Bitter saliva floods my mouth. I clap a hand over my face and rush up the stairs, hoping I’ll make it to the bathroom in time.

---