“He didn’t rape me,” she tells me, as if sensing my fears. “But he did touch me.”
“How do you mean?”
“He forced my legs apart and then pushed his fingers inside me while saying that my pussy belongs to him, but then he moved, and I was able to kick him. I got him right in the balls, and he dropped to the ground, which is when I was able to run, and I just took off and grabbed my keys, completely naked. I’ve been sitting down the street, waiting for him to leave ever since.”
I pull her in tight against me, my arms wrapping around her petite body and holding her against my chest, terrified to let her go. “Fuck, doll. I’m sorry,” I tell her. “None of this should have ever happened. If I had just caught him already . . . fuck. I’ve let you down. I should have done better. I should have worked harder to find him.”
“No,” she says, pulling out of my hold and sitting up a little straighter. “No. This is my fault. I haven’t been completely honest with you, and I’ve been so scared to tell you, because I know exactly what you’re going to say.”
I’m immediately on edge, a deep suspicion rumbling through my chest. She’s been jumpy ever since the attack in the parking garage, and I’ve known that she was keeping something from me since she first woke up in the hospital, but I wasn’t prepared to push her on it.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Harper?”
“This guy,” she tells me, her tears falling even faster. “The attack in the parking garage wasn’t random. He targeted me and was wearing the same mask that my stalker would wear in my hallucinations.”
“Doll . . .”
“No,” she demands, climbing off my lap and staring at me in horror. “Don’t do this. This is why I haven’t told you. This is exactly what he said would happen.”
I get to my feet, gripping her waist as I see the panic in her eyes. “What the hell are you talking about? What would happen?”
“That you wouldn’t believe me,” she yells at me, shoving me away. “He stole my notes from Dr. Carzy, took the drawing I made of the mask and brought it to life, and the very first thing he said to me was that nobody would believe me, and now you’re standing here, looking at me as though I’m going crazy.”
I shake my head, reaching for her again as my heart breaks for her, hating that she’s going through all of this, and there’s not a damn thing I can do to help her. “I’m sorry, doll. I don’t think you’re going crazy,” I tell her. “I know this is as real as it gets inside your head. Your hallucinations make you believe what doesn’t exist, but we can take you back to see Dr. Carzy, and she can make an adjustment to your meds.”
She shoves my chest again. “It’s not my meds,” she screams at me before striding straight into the kitchen and grabbing the little pill canister. She throws it right at me. “I’ve been taking them, every fucking day, and they’re working. They’re doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. I’m better. I don’t see that stalker anymore, but I am telling you that this is different. This asshole has taken the notes from the hospital and is using them to bring this stalker to life.”
“Do you hear yourself, doll?”
She shakes her head, gripping her temples. “I fucking knew it. I knew you wouldn’t believe me,” she says. “I tell you that I was sexually assaulted in our bedroom, and just because he was wearing a mask, you suddenly think I’m going crazy. Let me guess, you think I stabbed myself now? You think I’m making this all up?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth. I never said that I think you’re crazy. I think you’re sick and need help, and I want to give you that help, but we need to be on the same page.”
She looks at me as though I’m the enemy, and it fucking guts me. “How could you?” she whimpers, every one of her tears destroying me.
Determination flashes in her eyes, and she takes off toward our room. I follow behind her immediately. “Where are you going?” I ask, hoping like fuck she’s not about to pack a bag and leave.
“Last week,” she throws over her shoulder, stepping into our bedroom before heading straight for the walk-in closet. “After my meeting with the therapist, I got home to find a black rose on our doorstep. I shoved it in my underwear drawer because I knew it would bring up too many questions.”
I don’t respond, just simply watch as she starts rifling through the drawer, pulling out everything until there’s nothing left.“What? No. Where is it?” she says in a panic. “It was here just last night. He must have taken it.”
“Babe . . .”
“No,” she snaps again. “Don’t use that condescending, pitying tone with me. I’m not making this up, I swear.”
I step into her and pull her into my arms. “It’s okay, doll. Everything’s going to be okay,” I tell her. “It’s only natural for these things to come up, especially right after your therapy session.”
She shoves me away, the anger in her eyes taking me by surprise. “Fuck you,” she snaps, grabbing a bag before shoving a fistful of clothes into it. “I love you, Knight, but I hate you so much right now. I can’t be here.”
“Don’t be hasty, doll. We can figure this out. You don’t need to go,” I tell her, my heart racing with fear that I’m losing her. “We’ll schedule a meeting with Dr. Carzy. I can come with you. We’ll get through this together.”
“Holy fucking shit,” she says. “I swear, every time you open your mouth, you make it worse.”
“Babe.”
“Don’t. I don’t want to hear your babe this and your doll that,” she tells me, grabbing every pair of clean scrubs she has and shoving them into the bag. “After everything we’ve already been through, I’d hoped that you’d be the one person I could rely on. The one person who wouldn’t question me. I was assaulted today, and the first thing you do is assume I’ve lost my mind. Fuck you, Knight.”
Harper flings the bag over her shoulder and marches down the hallway, grabbing her handbag and her keys off the hallway table. “Where are you going?”
