Her squeal is so loud it feels like someone took a corkscrew to my eardrum. I flinch violently, grabbing the side of my head as she launches herself across the room at Addy. They collide ina full-body hug that looks like two atoms smashing together at dangerous speed.
“Holy shit! You’re here! How are you here?!” Harper shrieks, shaking Addy into a giddy bounce.
“I said no screaming,” I groan, struggling to peel my eyes open. When I do, it’s to see Harper’s face over Addy’s shoulder, her smile wide enough to stretch from ear to ear. Releasing one hand from where it was clutching Addy’s back, she draws it to her chin and lowers it to sign,thank you. I repeat the action back, replying with a silent,you’re welcome.
Despite the ache still drilling behind my eyes, I leave the girls to reconnect and go in search for his royal pain-in-the-ass. The rattle of laughter follows behind me, the sound of Harper introducing Addy to Fiona. I drag a hand over my face, feeling the ghost of Harper’s smile lingering in my chest, tugging at something warm I’m absolutely not equipped to deal with before noon. Seeing her light up like that makes everything worth it, even the wrath I’m about to face from Rhys.
He might not see it right now, but this feels right. Harper’s home is wherever her heart is, but there are some aspects of her we can’t tap into. Sometimes, she’s going to need Addy, and Rhys will need to get on board with that.
Chapter Twenty Two
Sinking deeper into the sofa cushions, Addy’s sneakers are abandoned on the antique rug. Despite the sofa being long enough to seat six, I’ve opted to sit right beside her, my legs folded beneath me. The lounge is stupidly luxurious. Floor-to-ceiling windows spill pale afternoon light across the marble fireplace, the faint background noise filtering from the mounted TV.
“I still can’t believe you’re here,” I say around a mouthful of cookie-dough ice cream that she insisted we have before noon. Something about a slumber party in progress. Addy’s brows lift towards her fuchsia hair, her own spoon freezing halfway to her lips as she narrows her eyes at me.
“Why? Because you failed to call and tell me you were alive.” She points her spoon at me like an accusation, and I bat it away with mine, giving her my most unimpressed expression.
“I was recovering from an ordeal. I don’t even want to touch my phone,” I argue, folding myself further into the cushions until they practically swallow me. Addy snorts and shifts sideways, her dungaree buckle catching the light as she twists.
“Mmmm, I bet you’ve beenrecoveringexcessively on every counter in every room of this house.” Her eyes sparkle with wicked delight, and of course, she catches the way heat floods my cheeks. I shove another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth as a distraction.
“Noteveryroom,” I mutter into the tub, avoiding her smirk. “Most of them are locked.” Addy’s grin becomes feral, the glint in her eye infectious. God, I’ve missed her.
“Such a slut. I love it.” She kicks my ankle affectionately. Turning back to the teen drama she’s switched on, the smile slips from her face. “And you’re not wrong for ignoring your phone. The academy is going crazy with rumors.” My stomach dips, and I wince at this. The taste of my ice cream turns sour in my mouth but luckily, it’s the last scoop, so I brave it like a soldier and set the empty tub aside.
“Do I want to know?” I ask. Addy’s face softens, her head flopping back against the cushions.
“Probably not, but it’s far too entertaining to keep to myself.” Leaning forward, I also remove the tub from her hands and place it on a low coffee table. Straightening to roll my shoulders, I inhale deeply.
“Come on then. Let’s hear it,” I say, braced from impact. Addy’s small laugh does nothing to ease my nerves.
“Well, there’s the theory that you didn’t actually leave school. That you’re holed up in a classroom somewhere with a stack of books and a coffee machine.” She lazily uses her hands to sign out books and coffee. The breath I was holding saws out of me.
“Glad I’m so predictable,” I bob my brows. Although the theory isn’t half as bad as I expected, so I’ll take it as a win.
“But then some guy…Elliot? Elijah? Something with an E. He said that being with Rhys gave you a taste of the rich life, so you’ve run off with a sugar daddy twice your age. There’s a poster circulating of your face surrounded by wedding bells andwads of cash.” Addy’s eyes sparkle, and I know instantly she’s done nothing to squash that rumor.
“Brilliant. So I’m a shallow bimbo who is sucking a wrinkly old dick.”
“You’d better not be talking about me,” Rhys’ voice sounds from the hallway, just catching my receivers. My brows knit together as I look over the back of the sofa, finding an empty doorway. A moment later, he passes by, pacing one way and then back again just after. Addy and I share a wide-eyed glance.
“Are you…coming in?” I ask probably louder than necessary. On his next rotation, Rhys stills, but he keeps his eyes glued to the marble floor.
“Clayton said I’m not allowed to invade your space.” Then he continues walking. I bite back a laugh, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip. Catching my attention, Addy uses her hands to sign.
‘Since when did CumStain start taking orders?’I push her hands aside, rolling my eyes. The last thing we need is for Addy to antagonize Rhys after he’s seemingly calmed down. She gives a smug little grin, but my mind shifts. It’s true I’ve been avoiding my phone, content to stay in this little bubble built for me, but Addy’s arrival brings with it a dose of reality.
Chewing the inside of my cheek, I lift my hands to sign and then think better of it. Rhys is part of my life, and he clearly wants to be present for the conversations that need to be had. Signing them feels too much like keeping secrets, so I speak out loud and steadily.
“Do you know what’s happening with Kenneth?” In my peripheral vision, I see Rhys’ figure stall just before the cracking of knuckles trickles into the room. Addy’s expression isn’t any better, a grave look passing over her face.
“I only know what the press has released. He’s been moved to a psychiatric ward for the time being.” I nod along, a knot in my chest that I didn’t realise was there starting to unravel. Good,that’s good. Kenneth needs professional help. Hopefully a silver lining of this whole ordeal will be him getting it. “So I suppose that’s where he’ll be until a date for the trial has been set.”
“Wait,” my head snaps up. “Trial? What trial? I told the police none of this was his fault, that he was blackmailed. That I want him cared for.”
“Fucking cared for,” Rhys mutters, his back leaning against the doorframe now. His aura oozes through the air like thick, black smoke settling over my head. I sigh, not wanting to argue with him. This morning’s trip down his memory lane has put him in a foul mood. “He kidnapped you.”
“At the command of someone else,” I add, looking across the room with a pleading look. “He needs help, not jail.” Rhys grunts, twisting his head away from me. I glance over his folded arms, the ink seeming darker somehow against the rigidity of his posture. I wish we could reverse the clock to yesterday, to when he was snuggling into my side, clinging to me like I’m all that matters to him. Sighing, I return my focus to Addy.
