Page 73 of Always My Love

ChapterTwenty-One

Harper was grateful that Hailey was there when Doctor Stevens walked into the room. She’d never been examined by a doctor before. Neither of them had.

Doctors were something only the rich could afford. And growing up, they had been very far from rich.

Actually, doctors were to be feared as much as the police and social services.

Hailey held her hand while Dr. Stevens, a man she knew and liked, examined her.

Still, she felt uneasy the entire time as he flashed a light in her eyes and checked her head, her ears, her throat. When he pulled out a needle and told her he was going to draw some blood for tests, she almost passed out.

She’d never had blood drawn before. When she’d been a child, her mother had taken her and Hailey to those free clinics to get their vaccines. Never had they drawn blood though.

“I…” She shook her head.

“Easy,” Dr. Stevens said with a smile. “I promise, you won’t feel a thing. Just keep your eyes on your sister.”

Harper nodded and then glued her eyes on Hailey’s face.

Her sister’s hair had lightened some in the past year. She’d cut it and the style really fit her. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she realized how much girlier Hailey was than she was.

She jerked when she felt the needle slide into her skin.

“You good?” Dr. Stevens asked.

Harper nodded and ran her eyes over Hailey’s. Her sister knew how to do her makeup better than Harper did too. She also dressed more stylishly than she did.

She supposed she’d been so preoccupied with making sure Hailey was okay that she’d put her own life on hold. Nothing had mattered to her except Hailey.

While her sister had grown and thrived, Harper had lived in fear, hiding from everything.

She loved Hailey. Actually, up until she met Nick, Hailey was the only person in the world that she loved.

“There, all done,” Dr. Steven said. “Now, I think you’re in good hands with Nick. But just to play it safe, you’re on bed rest tomorrow. If you continue to feel uneasy”—he patted his stomach—“let me know. You can take some antacids if you need. Tylenol for headaches. If you feel dizzy or things just don’t feel right, call me.” He stood up to go, then he turned to Hailey. “Now that I’ve examined your sister, why don’t you call my office and set up an appointment too.” He walked out.

“He’s nice.” Hailey sighed. “I suppose we need to stop fearing doctors.”

Harper smiled and took her sister’s hand in hers. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Hailey said.

“I love Nick,” Harper said with a smile. “I think… I think I want to move in here. To live with him. But I…” She shook her head as tears filled her eyes. “I don’t want to leave you.”

Hailey reached over and hugged her. “You won’t be leaving me. I’ll always be here.”

“I won’t move in here officially until after Fred is locked up,” Harper said against her sister’s hair.

Hailey nodded. “I’m staying put until that man is behind bars. Reece says I can stay in his guest room for however long that takes. He’s invited me to go with him to Vegas and California next month to see his fight.”

Harper leaned back and smiled. “You should go. We liked Vegas, remember?”

Hailey nodded. “Are you okay?” She brushed a strand of Harper’s hair away from her face.

Harper nodded and then was shocked when she burst out crying as she relayed everything that had happened to her.

For the next hour, the sisters lay in the bed and talked about their past, something they’d never really done before.

What had happened to them, what both their mother and Fred had done, had been the elephant in the room. Taboo to talk about, even though both of them suffered inside.