“Good.” He brushes his lips against mine again, soft and sweet. “Because we’re going to take care of this. I promise that we’re going to make sure Steven leaves you alone.”
I want to ask how. The rational part of my brain needs details and contingency plans and guarantees. But the certainty in his voice stops me. Grant doesn’t make promises he can’t keep. If he says we’re going to handle this, then we will.
Together.
The moment is broken by my phone buzzing loudly from where I dropped it on the couch earlier. It’s been going off periodically for the last hour, but I’ve been too caught up in my panic to even look at it.
Grant reluctantly releases me, and my stomach clenches when I see the screen.
Twelve missed calls, all from Margo.
“Oh, shit.” I look up at Grant. “I haven’t talked to her since this morning. She’s probably freaking out.”
The phone starts ringing again before I can even think about calling her back, and Margo’s name flashes across the screen for what is apparently the thirteenth time.
I swipe to answer. “Margo, I’m so sorry. I’m here now.”
“Heather!” Her voice is sharp with worry. “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours! Grant seemed worried during the game, and Noah told me he tore out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. Are you okay? Is April okay?”
“We’re both fine,” I say quickly, sinking down onto the couch. “April is upstairs in her room.” I take a breath, wishing I didn’t have to recount the whole, ugly afternoon. But Margo does deserve some kind of explanation, and I’m too damn tired to hide anything at this point. “Steven showed up at her school.The principal kept her in the office the whole time while I rushed over there from work.”
“Holy fuck.” I can hear Margo moving around on her end, probably pacing. “I can’t believe he actually showed up there. What the hell was he thinking?”
“I don’t know. He called me this morning, and I hung up on him, and then—” My voice breaks slightly. “Then he went to her school. Margo, he knows where we are. He knows about Grant. He’s not going to stop.”
There’s a pause, and when Margo speaks again, her voice is gentler. “Where are you right now?”
“I’m at Grant’s house.”
“Good. That’s good. Are you—” She hesitates. “Please tell me you’re not planning to leave on your own.”
I glance up at Grant. He’s standing a few feet away and watching me with those steady blue eyes that make me feel like everything might actually be okay.
“I was going to,” I admit quietly. “I was packing when Grant got home from the game. I was going to take April and just… disappear. Go somewhere Steven couldn’t find us.”
“Heather—”
“But Grant convinced me to stay.” The words come easier now. “He wants to help. He says we’re going to deal with this together.”
The silence on the other end of the line stretches out for a long moment, and then Margo lets out a sound that’s half-laugh, half-sob.
“Thank god for Grant Parker,” she says, and I can hear the emotion thick in her voice. “I knew he was good for you. And I know you think you have to handle everything by yourself, but you don’t. Not anymore.”
Damn, is everyone conspiring to make me cry tonight? I hold the tears in this time, but just barely. “I’ve been looking over myshoulder for so long, terrified of when the other shoe is going to drop. It’s hard to break that habit, when my first and only instinct is to protect my daughter.”
“I know, sweetie. I know.” Her voice is pure sister comfort now. “But you’re not alone in this. You’ve got Grant. You’ve got me. You’ve got Noah. Mom and Dad are going to lose their minds when they find out, and you know the boys are going to want blood.”
I laugh even though it’s the honest truth. Our brothers have always been protective to the point of being ridiculous. The idea of them finding out Steven showed up at April’s school makes me shudder all over again.
“Please don’t tell them yet,” I say quickly. “I need to figure out what we’re doing before everyone gets involved.”
“I’ll let you decide when and how, but we’re definitely going to tell them. You need all the support you can get right now, and that means family. All of us. We’ve got your back, Heather. Every single one of us.”
Between her and Grant, I can almost breathe again. Their assurances—and reassurances—mean the world to me, and they both seem to know exactly what I need to hear right now.
“Margo, I need you to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
