Page 132 of Relapse
Sean wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and hissed, “I am not going to let him put you in the hospital again.”
“Before you start pointing the finger,” I snorted, “you should take a look in your own backyard.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he growled back.
“I’M NOT THE ONE YOU NEED TO PROTECT HER FROM, ASSHOLE!” I screamed over Harper’s head.
The fact that she had her back to me and not him proved who she trusted in this situation.
When her brother jerked to the side to lunge at me again, Harper called out, “Mason didn’t hurt me, Daddy did.”
If there was an invisible wall for Sean to hit, he just ran into it. I’d never seen anyone stopped so fast in my life.
His face screwed up in confusion as his gaze rolled back to Harper. “What?”
“Mason didn’t do it,” she repeated. “Daddy did.”
Everything went quiet. I could see Sean mulling over his sister’s confession. I almost felt sorry for the guy. If anyone could understand what a slap in the face this was, it was me. Parents were supposed to be godly icons that children aspired to be. Finding out the truth about someone who was once your hero was a hard pill to swallow. One that apparently Sean couldn’t force down his throat.
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how he did it, but this asshole,” the finger aimed in my direction made me snort, “has twisted your head. Dad would never hurt you.”
I wanted nothing more than to kiss the tears off Harper’s face when she whispered, “But he did.”
“No,” he insisted. “You’re wrong.”
“I’m not wrong. He killed Mom, Sean.”
“Mom left, Harper. She’ll be back.”
“She won’t be back!” Harper yelled. “She’s buried under the black-eyed Susans in our yard. Daddy made me help him put her there.”
What? I didn’t know that. Was that what she was seeing when she was freaking out and apologizing for going in his office? Fuck Ned Callaghan. I was going to bury his ass under those fucking flowers.
“No,” Sean stated with a firm head shake.
Stubborn asshole still couldn’t accept it. I could see the heartbreak on Harper’s face. What the fuck was wrong with him?
“Dad wouldn’t do that.”
“Yes he would.”
We all turned to see Lana standing in the beams of light coming from her car. I had no idea when she arrived or how long she’d been standing there, but there were more tears streaming down her face than Harper’s.
Lana’s eyes were focused entirely on Harper as she took a step closer. “That’s what I was trying to tell you. Last year, when I was at your house, your dad… he raped me, Harper.”
I could see the color drain from Harper’s face. I wanted to grab her and wrap her up safely in my arms. But I was too shocked to move. If this happened last year, why didn’t Lana tell her before? And did Parker know? If he did, I was pretty sure Ned Callaghan wouldn’t still be breathing.
Lana held her hand out and moved towards Harper, but she took off with Lana hot on her heels.
“Wait, please don’t hate me…”
I looked at Sean, who looked back at me as realization set in his brown eyes.
Welcome to the party,asshole.
Sean paced aroundthe driveway muttering under his breath, while I leaned back on his car and waited for Lana to leave. As much as I wanted to go after Harper, she needed time to work things out with her friend. Never thought the day would come when I’d want Lana Crawford in her life. The chick was a major pain in my ass – not as much as Star, but still…
“This can’t be happening.”
