35
Harlow
LoveHarley: So… uh, we probably need to talk.
Harlow glanced from the screen of his phone to Evie, who was curled up across the couch reading a dog-eared copy ofCatcher in the Rye,paying him no attention. It seemed that, at least for a little while, Harlow would have the time he needed to have an uncomfortable conversation.
GlitterDoctor: Oh?
GlitterDoctor: What about?
LoveHarley: Um, well, the whole Simon thing…
Harlow swallowed the excess of saliva building in his mouth.
LoveHarley: You probably either think that I’m using him, or that we’re moving really fast
LoveHarley: I just wanted to make sure you know that I’m not trying to hurt him. There’s… it’s kind of complicated. We’ve known each other for a long time. He’s been doing work for me for a few years, so… I mean, it is still going fast, but it’s not like we’re total strangers to each other.
LoveHarley: And I don’t want you to think that the reason why Evie and I are here is because of him. He had nothing to do with this. Evie was the one who set everything into motion, not me. I, um, I wouldn’t have broken his nose if we’d planned this for ourselves, you know?
GlitterDoctor: Or would you? Hmm.
LoveHarley: I wouldn’t!
GlitterDoctor: I kid.
GlitterDoctor: I know that you didn’t convince your child-star daughter to cause a media meltdown all so you could get your dick wet. I know teenagers—Simon and I are raising one. You’re fine.
LoveHarley: Then we’re good?
GlitterDoctor: No haha
GlitterDoctor: I’m putting Simon on birth control, first things first, because there was cumeverywhereand not a single condom has disappeared from the communal box in the bathroom. I counted. There’s a SubQ rx on the market I’ve been eyeballing. I’ll be bringing it home tonight after work and administering it myself
LoveHarley: Simon told me he wasn’t close to his heat
GlitterDoctor: Yeah, but if you’re going to be here for any substantial length of time, one day he will be, and I doubt you’re going to think about wrapping it when the time arrives if he’s letting you do him raw right now.
“Dad?” Evie asked, startling Harlow. He set his phone screen down on his lap and looked her way, heart hammering.
“Yeah, kiddo?”
Evie sighed dramatically and dropped the book on her face. “I’m bored.”
“Did you reach your reading goals today?”
“Yeah.” She lifted the book only enough so that she could peep out from beneath it, like it was a visor. “And I even started reading toward next week’s goal. I did all my math assignments, too.”
“Do you want to go back to training?”
Evie set the book back down, hiding her face behind its pages. “No.”
“What about your biology lessons?”
“I’m all caught up on those, too.” Evie sighed noisily. “How do normal kids do this? Like… everyone talks about how great downtime is, and how they wished they were at home in their pajamas watching TV and eating chips or playing video games or just like… walking around in the street or whatever, I guess, but it’s like… why? What is any of that going to do for you in the long run? It’s like you’re sitting around waiting todie.”
Harlow chuckled. His pulse, thankfully, had returned to normal. “You’re like me.”
