Chapter 119 TYLER
I glanced at the time on my phone.
Shit. Five more minutes.
I sighed and shoved my phone back into my pocket. The team always liked showing up late to things like this. Making an entrance. Acting like they owned the place.
Normally, I’d be right there with them, laughing, walking in like nothing mattered.
But today was different.
I’d stayed back, waiting outside the girls’ locker room for Harper. I wasn’t about to take the risk of something happening to her again while I wasn’t there. Not after what happened last time.
My jaw tightened. I wasn’t taking any chances.
Which meant now I was stuck waiting for the team to show up because I’d ditched them earlier.
I checked the time again, then dragged a hand through my hair. If they didn’t get here soon, I’d have to go find them myself.
I was just about to do exactly that when I heard them.
I turned toward the sound and saw them rounding the corner, the team walking in like they had all the time in the world.
Finally.
I pushed off the wall and walked straight toward them, grabbing Peter by the arm and pulling him out of the group before he could even react.
“You’ve got to help me,” I said, lowering my voice as I dragged him a few steps away.
Peter’s brows furrowed instantly. “It better be good, because my heart is literally in my throat right now and I’m trying to play it cool.”
I slung an arm over his shoulder, steering him further down the hallway. “So you know how I can barely think when I’m around Harper, and I end up saying or doing things without thinking?”
He gave me a look. “That’s not new information.”
“Yeah, well, today is one of those days.”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me you asked her out.”
I let go of him, shoving my hands into my pockets. “Worse.”
Peter stared at me. “There’s worse?”
“I invited her over.”
He slapped his forehead. “You know what, if you’d said you asked her out, I would’ve actually been proud of you. Growth. Progress. But this?” He pointed at me like I’d personally offended him. “Inviting her over? When you’re grounded? When your parents literally said Stay. Away. From her?”
“I know, alright?” I cut in before he could keep going. “She looked uncomfortable this morning. I just wanted to make her feel better. So I told her we could have another rooftop movie night.”
Peter blinked slowly. “At your place.”
“I was thinking your place,” I corrected quickly. “You just cover for me. Easy.”
He let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, no. Slow down, golden boy. Not everyone lives in a fancy condo with rooftop views and a projector.”
I frowned. “Your rooftop is literally built for that.”
“Yeah? Then ask my dad why it’s off limits half the time.”
I ran a hand down my face. “Shit. So what’re we going to do?”
Peter studied me for a second, then shook his head. “You could try telling her the truth.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, great idea. Let me just tell her my parents banned me from seeing her. That’ll go well.”
“She deserves to know,” he said. “She’s going to find out anyway, especially if she keeps trying to come over for therapy sessions.”
“I’ll tell her,” I muttered. “Just… not now.”
“Why not now?”
“Because she just got out of the hospital,” I snapped. “She’s already dealing with enough. If I tell her now, she’ll take it the wrong way or start pulling away to make things easier for me. I know her.”
Peter didn’t argue.
I exhaled slowly. “I need this rooftop thing to happen first.”
He stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that.”
He sighed, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Alright. Then we don’t tell her. But if you’re still planning to do this at your place, there’s only one way it works.”
I looked at him. “What?”
“We get your parents out of the house.”
I blinked.
Then a slow grin spread across my face. “Now you’re talking.”
Classes dragged.
Not because of the lectures, or the notes, or the constant noise of people around me. But because every few minutes, my attention drifted.
Back to Harper.
Back to the way she looked at me earlier.
Back to the fact that I was lying to her.
By the time the final bell rang, I was already halfway out of my seat.
I grabbed my bag and turned, only to find her standing there.
“I’m coming with you,” Harper said softly.
I blinked. “What?”
“To your house,” she added, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “We still have sessions to continue.”
My stomach dropped.
“Are you sure?” I asked carefully. “You just got discharged yesterday.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted. “And I’d rather be with you than go home.”
Something in her tone made me pause.
“Why?” I asked.
She hesitated for a split second, then looked away.
“Dad’s… busy. With his new girlfriend.”
I stared at her. “Wait, what?”
“It’s nothing,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
I didn’t push. But the way she said it stuck with me. Snd just like that, saying no wasn’t an option anymore.
“Alright,” I said finally. “Let’s go.”
I glanced over at Peter. “We’re leaving.”
He caught my eye, gave me a quick thumbs up, then turned back to the team. “I’m out too,” he said casually before jogging off in another direction.
Good.
Plan in motion.
The drive started off quiet.
Too quiet.
I kept checking my phone, waiting for a message from Peter. Something. Anything.
Nothing.
“Are you expecting a call?” Harper asked after a while.
“No,” I said quickly. “Just checking something.”
Lie.
We stopped at a red light. My fingers tapped restlessly against the steering wheel.
Still nothing.
“Do you want ice cream?” I blurted suddenly.
She blinked at me. “What?”
“Ice cream,” I repeated. “There’s a place nearby. Thought it’d be nice.”
She studied me for a second, then nodded slowly. “Okay.”
We pulled over, got ice cream, and for a few minutes things felt normal.
She smiled.
I almost forgot everything.
Then my phone buzzed.
I grabbed it immediately.
Not Peter.
Damn it.
By the time we got back into the car, the tension was back. Worse this time.
“You’re distracted,” Harper said quietly.
“I’m not,” I replied too quickly.
She didn’t argue. That made it worse.
We drove in silence for a while, going around in circles, before she spoke again.
“Maybe I should just go home.”
My grip tightened on the wheel. “What?”
“You seem busy,” she said, her voice soft but distant. “I don’t want to be a distraction.”
Guilt hit hard.
“Hey,” I said, softer this time. “It’s not what you think.”
She didn’t respond.
I exhaled slowly.
“Can I just… drop you off for now?” I said. “We’ll do the session tomorrow. Properly.”
She looked down, clearly disappointed, but nodded anyway. “Okay.”
The rest of the drive felt heavier than anything I’d carried all day.
When we reached her place, she unbuckled her seatbelt slowly.
“See you tomorrow,” she said.
“Yeah,” I replied.
She stepped out, closing the door gently behind her.
I watched her walk inside.
Then I leaned back against the seat and let out a long breath.
I’d screwed that up.
Badly.
I grabbed my phone and called Peter immediately.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then someone finally picked up.
“Tyler David Mercer.”
My blood ran cold.
“Get your ass home. Right now.”