Page 49 of Reckless

“That what you are, Harlow? A hardass?”

“No. But they don’t deserve my soft parts and stop looking like that! I wasn’t making a sex comment.”

He laughed and pulled her into a hug.

“It’s impossible for me not to think about sex when you’re concerned. But I’ll control myself just this once. You’re not a hardass. You have a beautiful, giving heart and you want to be loved and respected.”

Poppy called Harlow’s name from the end of the hall so they caught up with her. “I just sent someone to go get your brother and sister-in-law. You can talk to them right through here.” She pointed to a room off to the left. “I had the chairs taken out. I can put them back, but I thought it might encourage brevity.”

Miles nodded, approving

“That’s good. Thank you.” Harlow took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and had just put on a megawatt smile when the doors opened up and Hector and Mindy came in.

When Harlow normally would have swept it all under the rug to keep the peace and keep anyone but herself from feeling uncomfortable, she thought about how it had felt that night before when no one but Miles had said much to defend her.

Mindy saw her and her eyes widened as she and Hector came into the room and Poppy left, closing the door, and leaving them. “You look amazing. Our seats are great. Thank you.”

“Thanks.”

Miles stood at her side but said little. Hector looked at him though, frowning before he turned back to Harlow. “Could we have some privacy?”

Miles looked not at Hector, but at Harlow and no, she wasn’t going to send him from the room.

“Say what you need to say. Miles was there last night, he’s familiar with our family dynamic,” Harlow said because it pissed her off that her brother would pull that. “Being rude isn’t going to end up the way you think it will, Hector,” she added.

“He’s sorry,” Mindy said. “He’s embarrassed because everything happened, and he was caught off guard.”

“First, he should speak for himself. Second, heshouldbe embarrassed. Third, no he was not caught off guard.” Harlow held up a hand when her brother opened his mouth to argue. “No. I’m not playing. You knew she might show up. Enough that you called her to tell her not to. And she did anyway. There was nocaught off guard. Even I knew she might show up.”

Time slipped away as Harlow stood there, waiting for…for what? Her brother to own anything? When had he or Luis ever? Their mother had always shielded them from whatever their behavior kicked up.

“You were in my house and then things got out of hand, and she wouldn’t stop.” Hector shook his head. “If everyone had just taken a deep breath and calmed down, we could have had dinner, but you left early and made it worse.”

Mindy’s sound of distress was echoed by Harlow’s heart.

“Remember this moment and your failure to rise above it when your daughter is old enough to figure out her grandmother hates her but loves your sons. Save your money for therapy, I guess.” Though Harlow wanted to cry, she stepped back and then took two more steps until she was at the door. Just outside the usher waited for them. “Can you escort them back to their seats, please?” she asked.

Poppy took one look at the situation and her brother’s expression, and she bustled over. “Well then. Above Me is on in three minutes. Let’s get you to the stage.” She held her hand out to Harlow, who grabbed it like a lifeline. She left her brother and Mindy without looking back.

Miles waited a few seconds before he turned back to them.

“Just what the fuck did you think you were doing?” he asked.

Hector winced a little, but Mindy shrugged and looked at her husband like she didn’t know the answer either.

“Oh, no words now?” Miles moved closer once he heard Above Me’s set start and he knew they wouldn’t be interrupted. “You had so many just a few minutes ago even though they were all the wrong ones.”

“Hey!”

“Hey what? Go on, let’s hear it?” Miles was so angry at that moment he wished Hector would come at him.

“She invited us tonight!”

“Before you abandoned her to the abuse your mother heaped on her while you sat there and did nothing. And you came anyway like you deserved to.” He made a sound with so much derision dripping from it he was sort of proud. “You invited her to your home. You know—because you’ve watched—your mother has a shitty track record with Harlow. But Harlow trusted you. Oh sure, she knew it was a possibility Gloria would show up and she braced for it. But she trusted that you’d at the very least make your home a safe place for her. Though I don’t know why she would because none of you have given her a safe space her whole life.”

Miles held up a hand and shook his head when Hector opened his mouth to argue.

“You had your chance to talk and didn’t rise to the occasion. Gloria showed up and from the first moment set out to insult and upset Harlow. Luis was her lapdog, tossing her whatever ammunition she’d need to hurt his own sister. And you…did nothing. You sat there and couldn’t put together two sentences to stand up for your sister who had done nothing but accept an invitation to dinner with her brother and sister-in-law.”

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