Page 112 of Merrily Ever After
At one point earlier, I had thought that the party could become an annual pre-Christmas event. But no one was going to want to repeat this experience; it was going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Poor Harley. He must have felt desperate, to do something like this. I knew I was partly to blame for this disaster, and I could have kicked myself for not sharing my concerns about Harley’s state of mind with Cole. If I hadn’t kept quiet, perhaps this nightmare might have been avoided.
I wrapped my arms around myself, regretting not bringing a coat, and looked up to the stars, breathing in and out, grounding myself, forcing myself to keep calm, not to panic.
The frosty grass crunched under my feet, my breath crystallised in front of my face and I felt the chilled air against my hot cheeks. Tonight was not the night to be outside for long without warm clothing. I hoped Harley was all right; Lydia had said he hadn’t taken a coat, he must be freezing.
Where are you, Harley? Where did you run to?
I wished there was something more useful I could be doing. I knew it was sensible for me to stay in case Harley turned up. But it felt as if Cole and Lydia were on one team, and I was on the other. I supposed that was what step-parenting was. It wasn’t a popularity contest, Cole and Lydia had every right to deal with this together. Nevertheless, it stung. I’d always be a third wheel where the children were concerned.
I squeezed my eyes shut; annoyed with myself for letting in such negative thoughts. I could hardly blame Cole for his actions, I hadn’t exactly covered myself with glory. I’d let everyone down, mostly Harley. That day when he’d opened up to me, I’d listened, but I hadn’t tried to help. I thought back to last weekend, when he’d sung his heart out at the Springwood House Christmas Fair. That perfect, pure voice. He’d sung with such warmth and charm. I was sure he’d found his niche, his way back into the social side of school. Which just went to prove that I knew nothing; happy kids didn’t run away, did they?
And Cole. My face burned as I remembered the look of disappointment on his face. Now he thought I was the sort of woman to keep secrets from her partner. How could I repair the damage I’d done? I wanted to make a success of my relationship with his children. I loved them, but lovingthem wasn’t enough, I needed to find a balance between being their friend and being the responsible adult. And I needed Cole’s help for that.
Poor Freya, I imagined her brown eyes wide with worry, alone in the house with only Ady for company, she’d be finding this terrifying. Lydia must really like this new guy to have left Freya in his care, either that or she’d felt she had no choice.
And, then there was Emily. I groaned at the memory of Emily’s devastated face when I’d muttered ‘Thanks, Emily’ under my breath. I should have reassured her, told her that if anyone was at fault, it was me. But in all the drama, by the time I tried to find her, she’d gone home.
My phone, which hadn’t left my hand since Cole left, buzzed into life and my heart leapt into my throat. A text from Emily:
Merry, I am mortified for causing trouble for you. I am so so sorry. If there’s anything I can do to put this right, I will. I’m sending you my love and am keeping Harley in my thoughts. Please let me know if you hear anything, no matter how late it is. For what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing, keeping Harley’s secret. I am on your side. I will always be on your side. Your sister Emily xx
My sister. I swallowed a sob; it was such a generous message after the way I had treated her. And that vote of support meant the world to me.
Thank you. It is me who should be apologising; none of this is your fault. I’ll keep you posted, I promise. Thank you for being on my side, it was a bit lonely over here. Lots of love xxx
I pressed send and then checked my messages from Cole just in case I’d missed an update, but the screen remained reproachfully blank.
Then I scrolled to Harley’s name and chewed the inside of my cheek. I knew he wouldn’t reply if I sent him a text, but at least he’d know I cared.
Hey, dude. I know you want to be on your own right now, but everyone’s worried about you. Just send me an emoji – any will do – so I know you’re OK. Merry xx
I pressed send and then I refolded my arms to retain as much body heat as possible and took a step off the cold grass onto the path.
A noise reached me from the bottom of the garden: a muffled buzz like the sound of a phone receiving a message. No! Could it be...? I looked up and a flicker of light caught my eye. A small, hunched shape on the bench came into focus.
‘Harley?’ I gasped, stumbling towards him. ‘Oh my God, Harley! There you are.’
And then I was beside him, the damp wood of the bench scraping my legs. I threw my arms around his thin body and held him tight, rocking him from side to side as he sobbed and sobbed into my neck.
‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’ I whispered. ‘I’m so glad you’re safe.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he wept. ‘I’m sorry to ruin your party.’
‘Don’t worry about that,’ I said, half sobbing, half laughing. ‘You have no idea how pleased I am to see you.’ I fumbled at my phone, my hands shaking so much I could hardly input my code to unlock the screen. ‘I need to tell your dad.’
‘No.’ He gripped my arms, his eyes wide. ‘Not just yet.’
‘Harley, I have to,’ I said, kind but firm. ‘Your mum is out of her mind and if they don’t find you soon, they’re going to call the police.’
He pressed his palms into his eyes and groaned. ‘I’m going to be in such trouble.’
I didn’t reply, I just kept one arm tight around him while I called Cole, who answered on the first ring.
‘Still no sign of him,’ Cole said grimly. ‘We’ve driven all around school and up to the park.’
‘He’s here,’ I blurted out. ‘I’ve got him, he’s safe.’
