Chapter 15 TYLER
I was going to leave my so-called therapist. After all she'd said on our last drive that she'd catch the bus next time, maybe she actually took me seriously and did—all I knew was that I didn't have the patience to wait an extra five minutes when it was already closing hours. But the thought of how she'd waited for me last time, made me freeze at the steering wheel.
“You've got five fucking minutes, Harper,” I muttered under my breath, relaxing back into my seat.
Catching a glimpse of the girl she'd been with the other day, I frowned when I realized Harper wasn't with her. I felt an uneasy sensation as I watched other students walk in clusters with friends and schoolmates, their voices lowered to hushed whispers. Something was off, I could feel it.
I got out of my car heading for her friend, when all of a sudden she broke into a run, sprinting back into the school building. Goosebumps pricked my skin as I jogged after her, suspecting she was going in search of her friend.
I stopped in my tracks, Harper’s friend doing the same as Harper stood frozen in front of her, looking aghast. None of them noticed me yet, and for some reason I didn't want them to so I ducked just outside the door, out of sight but close enough to hear them.
“What happened?” Her friend asked. “Someone told me you'd gotten into a fight and I ran as soon as I heard.”
“I'm fine,” came Harper’s warm, velvety voice. But beneath it I could hear the tremor that betrayed her words. “It was just a misunderstanding.”
Her friend eyed her skeptically, then as if she'd been burned, choked, a hand flying to her mouth. “They cut your hair?”
It hit me then why she looked different. Peeping through the narrow glass pane of the door, I caught a glimpse of Harper’s long dark hair, now cropped to the shoulders, the ends uneven and jagged.
Forcing her voice to sound more cheerful than she looked, she tried to lighten the mood with a laugh, but it only came out strained and helpless.
“No. I cut it in the bathroom. It's why I took so long to come out.”
Her friend looked unconvinced. “Why?”
“Megan,” Harper sighed, taking her hand. “Would I lie to you? If I was hurt don't you think you'd be the first person I'd run to?”
“Fine,” Megan acquiesced. “But still, I want to know who you got into a fight with and why?”
“Does it really matter?”
“Yes, Harper, it does. You never get into fights and you barely talk to anyone to make enemies.”
“True. Which is why it was a misunderstanding.” Megan opened her mouth to argue but Harper beat her to it. “Give it a rest, Megs. I'm sure Tyler must be waiting for me. Don't want to have to work with an even grumpier Tyler today.”
Before either of them could reach me, I sneaked back into my car, my mind racing with thoughts about the conversation I'd just overheard. Something had definitely happened, and if Harper couldn't even tell her best friend, there was no chance she'd confide in me.
Still, when she got into the car, all smiles and pretending nothing was wrong, I played along. I kept my face neutral, eyes straight ahead like I couldn't be bothered about her presence.
“You kept me waiting,” I bit out, keeping my tone even.
“Sorry,” she whispered, hands fiddling in her lap. “Was busy with Megan.”
“Is she responsible for the new haircut?”
She tittered, hesitating for a response, before finally nodding. The way she looked uncomfortable, like my presence kept her on edge made me equally uncomfortable.
“Look, Harper, if you want to skip today's session then it’s—”
“No.” She turned to me, her eyes burning with something like fury. “My mom gave me this job, and I don't get to quit because things aren't working out for me.”
I tilted my head, my brows knitting in confusion. “Did something happen?”
“No.”
“You sure?”
Her head whipped back to face her window. “Yeah. Just do me a favor and try not to make today's session unbearable.”
The sting in her words lit a fuse within me. What the hell was wrong with me? Why was I invading her privacy, wanting to know what had happened when I didn’t even care? I kept my eyes fixed on the road, saying nothing, just driving silently until we reached my home.
“I'm sorry,” she blurted out as my car door flew open. I paused. “Sorry for sounding a bit rude, that's unlike me.”
“I should’ve minded my business,” I said, keeping my back to her. “Things between us are only professional.”
“Yeah.” She got out and I did the same.
I came around the car, strolling toward my front door, but she stopped me again, calling out my name.
“I, um… I know with the injury and all, you just want to recover and get back to hockey. But sometimes the best way to help your body heal is to relieve it of stress. You don’t have to go through this alone.”
I blinked, dumbstruck. “Is this about the stupid painting?”
She rolled her eyes and reached into her bag. “Your friends wanted me to give you this.”
A ticket. The one Peter had talked about earlier. My teeth ground together, my nostrils flaring as I struggled to control my anger.
“Get that thing away from me,” I growled, my voice tight.
"I don’t get it,” she said. “If he offended you, why not just tell him? The guy’s going out of his mind trying to get back into your good books.”
“For fuck’s sake, Harper!” I yelled. She flinched, eyes wide with dread. I counted numbers in my head, steadying myself. “It’ll be better if you stay out of my business… just like I’m doing with yours.”
She opened her mouth, probably to argue—but then froze, staring past me.
I turned slowly. And my heart stopped.