Page 75 of Fractured

I snorted. “Only if I want to give her a heart attack. It’s my luck Saint has probably waited on her at the pharmacy. Ambrose is the only one who has probably never met her. Wow. I can’t believe she’s going to at least know of three of you. And she’s your therapist. There’s something messed up about that.”

“Why, because she’s your therapist too?”

“Maybe?”

Ambrose pulled into the drive, and we watched him climb out of his car as he whistled an unfamiliar tune. Spinning his keys around his finger, he walked up the sidewalk, but stopped short when he realized we were both staring at him.

“What’s wrong? Am I not welcome anymore?” He pocketed his keys and hesitantly edged closer.

“Nothing. Lilith is just having a moment because she realized Harper is my therapist.” Atticus pulled my hand into his lap.

“Oh. Well, what’s new about that?” He resumed his walk up the sidewalk and sat sideways on the steps so he could see us.

“Apparently, Lilith hadn’t realized that Harper knew two of us, and maybe Saint by random acquaintance, and now she feels guilty.”

“Er,” I mumbled.

“Sorry,” Atticus cleared his throat. “Now she feels guiltier.”

The old man that lived at the end of the block walked by with his poodle, waving at us as he passed my yard. We all waved back and waited for him to pass to continue our conversation.

“It’s not so much that Harper knows them, it’s that I’ve managed to keep you all a secret from her, and once she finds out, she’s going to realize I plucked men right from our acquaintance group.” It sounded bad. Right?

There I went questioning myself and what was socially acceptable again.

“It’s not a big deal, Lilith. Let’s just have her over for dinner. I can cook. My mom sent me a new Greek recipe I can try out.” Ambrose rested his head on the post as he looked at me with gray eyes.

“You make it sound so simple,” I said with a sigh.

“Because itissimple,” he returned.

He was right—it was simple.

“You’re seeing Harper tonight, right?” Atticus asked.

“Yes.” Much to my dismay. Not about seeing Harper, but about our plans for the night. “We’re scoping out the bar.”

“Kenzo said Brett hasn’t been going around since he confronted him.” Atticus stood up and stretched his arms up to the roof. “I need a water, I’ll be right back.”

“He hasn’t, but Harper wants to watch the place just in case. She said it was the first starting point. She asked him to invite Kenzo over for dinner with his girlfriend, so she thinks he’s going to stop by.”

“You’re the girlfriend, but does that mean the other boyfriends are invited?”

There was a bad feeling about all this, but I couldn’t tell her not to check into it. “No, not right now. Maybe next time,” I joked half-heartedly. “But I will ask her over for dinner while we’re together.”

Ambrose stood too. “Good. You’ll see. There’s nothing to stress over. Harper’s been there for you when no one else has, and you haven’t even done anything wrong. She’ll be happy that you’re happy.”

“I know,” I grumbled.

* * *

“Lilith? What are you doing here?”Autumn touched my shoulder.

I glanced up, but the sun was too bright.

Holding up my hand to shield my eyes, I had to concentrate on where I was. The blue sky behind her was an obvious clue that we were outside, but how did I get here? Where was I?

Bare trees, headstones, and a familiar silence.

---