Chapter 146 HARPER

Chapter 146 HARPER
“I just had sex for the first time.”

That was the first thought that flashed through my mind when I opened my eyes the next morning.

Tyler was still asleep beside me, his blonde curls falling lazily across his forehead, his lips slightly parted and relaxed while those lashes of his framed his face in a mesmerizing way. I bit my lip as I trailed a finger down his exposed forearm.

I’d waited so long for this, and now that it had happened, it felt even better than I’d imagined.

I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek just as his eyes fluttered open.

“Morning, mama,” he said, his voice low and rough with sleep.

“Hey, handsome.”

I couldn’t stop smiling. The fact that I’d just shared something so intimate with him, and he was still here, still holding me like I mattered, made something warm settle deep in my chest.

Before I could say anything else, his arm slid around my waist and suddenly I was on top of him, my lips meeting his again.

It felt unreal. Like something I’d dreamed about too many times to count.

“Who would’ve thought we’d end up here,” I said, laughing softly, “considering how we started? From your timid temporary physiotherapist and you being a rude, rich, spoiled brat of a client… to an actual couple.”

Tyler’s brow lifted. “Rude, rich spoiled brat? I guess I deserve that.”

We both laughed, the sound blending together easily before he kissed me again.

“So I’m guessing I got it right then?” he asked, smirking. “Wanna rate me? Scale of one to ten.”

“Hm.” I pretended to think about it, even though I already knew the answer. Ten was an understatement, but I shrugged casually. “I’d say… alright.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, then flipped us over so I landed on my back with him above me.

“Alright?” he repeated. “Then I guess I’ll just have to turn that into perfect.”

“Okay, hotshot,” I said, pushing lightly at his chest. “People are probably already looking for us. The picnic’s definitely over by now.”

I slipped out from under him and reached for my clothes.

“Ah, come on,” he groaned. “It’s Sunday. I was hoping we’d get the whole weekend to ourselves.”

“Yeah?” I pulled his phone from his trousers. “I wonder what excuse you’re going to give your mom for missing ten of her calls.”

He was off the bed instantly, grabbing the phone from my hand.

I laughed as he stepped away, already dialing.

I turned toward the bathroom, grabbing what I needed for a quick shower. His voice dropped as he spoke, too low for me to catch anything clearly. At first, I thought he was getting scolded.

Then he turned toward me.

And I saw his face had gone pale through the mirror.

“Tyler?” I stepped closer. “Is something wrong?”

His throat moved as he swallowed. “Your… um… house.”

My stomach dropped. “What about my house?”

“Someone broke in last night,” he said slowly. “Claire got attacked. She’s in the hospital.”

“Oh my God,” I gasped, my voice coming out rushed. “What about my dad? Is he okay? Were they thieves? What did they take?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

That was enough to tell me there was more.

I stepped closer, my chest tightening. “Tyler… what aren’t you saying?”

He hesitated.

Then finally, quietly, “Harper… only your room was touched.”


The drive to the hospital felt too fast and too slow at the same time.

I kept replaying his words in my head, over and over, like if I heard them enough they’d start to make sense.

Only your room.

Not the living room. Not my dad’s office. Not anything valuable.

Just mine.

By the time we got there, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Tyler noticed. He reached over and laced his fingers through mine, squeezing gently.

“I’m here,” he said.

I nodded, even though the words barely settled.

We stepped inside, the smell of antiseptic hitting me immediately. The place felt too bright, too quiet in the wrong way, like everything here was holding its breath.

I spotted my dad first.

He was pacing near the hallway, running a hand through his hair before stopping when he saw me.

“Harper.”

He crossed the distance between us in seconds and pulled me into a tight hug.

“Where the hell were you?” he demanded, pulling back to look at me. “I’ve been calling you. I went to the police station because I thought—” He stopped himself, exhaling hard. “I thought something had happened to you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I was with Tyler. My phone must’ve been on silent. What exactly happened, dad?”

His expression shifted, still tensed, but just not as panicked as before.

“I was at work,” he said, dragging a hand down his face. “Claire got home before me. She heard something in the house and went to check it out.” His jaw tightened. “Whoever it was hit her hard. By the time I got there, she was already on the floor.”

My stomach twisted.

“I thought they took you,” he continued, his voice rougher now. His face turned stern. “You should have called that you would be spending the night outside.”

Tyler stepped forward then. “It’s not her fault, sir. She was with me all day after the picnic.”

My dad looked at him, really looked at him, then nodded once.

“Thank you,” he said.

That surprised me.

I turned back to him. “How’s Claire?”

“She’s stable,” he replied. “She has a concussion, but she’s out of danger. The doctors said she needs rest.”

Relief hit me, but it didn’t last long.

“Can I see her?”

“Not right now,” he said. “They’re still monitoring her. You can wait outside.”

I nodded slowly.

Tyler placed a hand on my back as we moved toward the seating area just outside the room.

I sat down, staring at nothing in particular, my thoughts spiraling again.

If I had been home…

The idea hit harder this time.

I would’ve been alone.

I didn’t even realize I’d started rubbing my shoulder again until Tyler’s hand gently covered mine, stopping me.

“I know that look,” he said quietly. “Don’t go there.”

I shook my head, even though I already had.

“What if I was there?” I whispered. “What if—”

“I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you,” he cut in, pulling me into him.

I leaned into his chest, closing my eyes.

“They’ll find out who did this,” he continued. “My mom said my dad’s already at the station, trying to see if Racquel is connected to it.”

I pulled back immediately.

“If?” I repeated. “What do you mean if? Of course she’s connected to it. Who else would do something like that?” My voice rose before I could stop it. “They should’ve locked her up a long time ago, Tyler. Especially after the day she put a bullet through my shoulder.”

He didn’t answer.

And that silence said enough.

I stared at him, something uneasy settling in my chest. “Tyler… what aren’t you telling me?”

Before he could respond, voices echoed down the hallway. Loud and familiar.

I turned just as a group came into view, clearly confused about where they were going.

Peter. Jax. Kane. Mark.

And—

“Megan?”

My voice came out before I could stop it.

Her head snapped in my direction.

“Harper!”

She ran toward me, and I didn’t even think before moving to meet her halfway.

The second she wrapped her arms around me, everything I’d been holding in cracked.

I buried my face in her shoulder and burst into tears.