Chapter 96 HARPER
I wasn’t sure what I expected when Tyler’s door closed behind us, but it wasn’t the silence. Just the quiet of the room, the muted street noises outside, and the faint smell of disinfectant and laundry. He sat on the edge of the bed, knuckles wrapped in cold ice packs, the swelling in his lip worse than I thought. His one good arm was sprawled across the blanket, still sore from the fight, but he refused to go to the hospital even when I’d tried to insist.
“Let me,” I said softly, moving closer.
He shook his head before I could touch him.
“No. I’m fine,” he muttered, though his jaw tightened as he tried to speak around the soreness in his mouth. “I can take care of it myself.”
I knelt beside him anyway, ignoring the groan he let out when I gently tilted his hand to clean the blood off his knuckles with a damp cloth.
“You’re not fine. This is bad, Tyler. You need proper care.”
He forced a laugh, but it sounded more like a rasp, making me wince. “You’re fussing over me again… can’t we just deal with it later?"
“Later?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. “Tyler, your hand is swollen, your lip is split, and your ribs are probably bruised. Later isn’t good enough.”
He exhaled, finally letting me clean the dried blood, wincing at the sting. “I should’ve come sooner,” he said quietly, almost to himself. “I should’ve gotten to you before… before he hit you. I should’ve saved you earlier.”
I froze. His words hit harder than any punch. I reached out, touching his cheek lightly. “Tyler… it’s not your fault. You saved me when it mattered. You’re here, and that’s what counts.”
“I couldn’t,” he whispered, voice tight. “I waited too long, and—”
“You couldn’t have known,” I interrupted gently, brushing his hair back from his damp forehead. “None of this is your fault. Now let’s get you patched up, okay?”
He sighed, flopping back against the pillows, letting me work. “You don’t have to, you know,” he said, rubbing his face lightly against the pillow. “You’ve done enough already.”
I shot him a look. “You think I’d let you lie here all beat up while I do nothing? No way. You’re mine to fix.”
He smiled faintly, a grimace of pain mixed with humor. “Yours to fix, huh? That sounds… dangerous.”
“You’re dangerous,” I shot back, ignoring the sharp pain in my own chest that his words brought. “Don’t make me laugh when I’m worried sick.”
He shifted slightly so I could clean the split on his lip, leaning into my hands as I dabbed at the blood. “You shouldn’t be doing this. You should be resting,” he murmured.
“I’ll rest later,” I said firmly. “Right now, you’re the priority. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.”
He groaned but didn’t argue further, letting me bandage the knuckles and dab at the bruises on his face. I worked slowly, making sure the wraps weren’t too tight, that nothing hurt more than it already did.
When I finished, I stepped back and studied him. “You’ve been through hell, Tyler. Sit down, relax, let someone take care of you for once.”
He shook his head again. “No. You need rest more than I do. I’ll be fine.”
“No,” I snapped, a little harsher than I meant, then softened my tone. “You can’t just shrug this off. Your hand, your ribs, your lip… this is serious.”
He leaned back, finally letting out a shaky laugh. “Okay, okay. You’re relentless. Fine. I’ll… rest.”
I gave him a small smile, finally letting him lean back fully. “Good. You can thank me for this later.”
He glanced at me, eyes still fiery but wet with exhaustion. “Thanks,” he said quietly.
“I’ll bring up your dinner in a bit,” I said, standing and brushing off my hands.
“Nope,” he said immediately, sitting up again. “You’ve done enough. You’re the one who needs rest. Go eat, go shower, go do something. I’ll manage.”
We stared at each other for a moment, a silent battle of wills. I finally gave in with a small sigh. “Fine. But if you move too much before you eat, I’m dragging you down myself.”
“Deal,” he said, reclining again, a half-smile on his bloodied face.
The kitchen smelled faintly of roast and spices, comforting in a way I hadn’t expected. Tyler’s mom, Rose Mercer, was already there, tidying up the counters. She glanced at me, a knowing softness in her eyes.
“You’re taking good care of him,” she said quietly. “I know it might not be my place, but… I might've overheard a little. If you need help, legal support, anything… don’t hesitate. You’re part of this family too, Harper.”
I blinked. “I am?”
She smiled. “Yes, of course. Don’t underestimate how much you’re part of this. You look out for him the way he looks out for you. That counts.”
At that moment, Jacob, Tyler’s eleven-year-old brother, wandered in, a ball in his hands. He grinned at me. “Yeah, you're practically our future sister-in-law.”
I flushed bright red, staring at him in disbelief, expecting Mrs. Mercer to correct him. But she only smiled, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“I hope so,” she said lightly, making me blush even harder.
The warmth of the kitchen, the casual banter, the acceptance—it was like a weight lifted from my shoulders. I realized I could breathe again. I could exist here, in this space, and not just survive.
After grabbing a quick snack and laughing lightly at Jacob’s teasing, I made my way back up to Tyler’s room. The door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open quietly.
He was asleep, sprawled on the bed, breathing slow and even. The thin bandages on his hand and face marked the damage from the fight, but they didn’t make him look smaller—he still carried that quiet, imposing presence even in rest. I stepped closer, perching on the edge of the bed, my fingers hovering over him for a second before brushing a loose strand of hair from his forehead.
“Tyler…” I whispered softly, barely loud enough to disturb the silence. “Thank you. For everything. I may not be able to express how much you mean to me, but it’s way more than words. I’m glad I met you. I’m grateful you came into my life.”
I stayed like that, watching his chest rise and fall, hoping my words wouldn’t wake him. There were so many things I wanted to say, things I’d never said out loud.
My chest tightened as I added, “I just hope you know how much you mean to me. I may not be able to say it to your face just yet, but I hope you can see it through my actions. I don’t know how not to feel this way either, especially now I’m with Mark, but I’ve tried so many times, and I can’t help it.”
I pressed my lips lightly to his forehead, careful not to wake him. “I love you too, Tyler. I always have and always will, no matter what.”
For a moment, everything was quiet. Then his hand shot out, grabbing my arm. I gasped and started to pull away, thinking I’d woken him, only for him to pull me closer, his eyes fluttering open. A small, lazy smile curved his lips, that twinkle in his eyes telling me he’d heard every word after all.
Before I could even form an excuse,
he drew me closer, and his lips found mine.