Page 79 of Shatter

"Well go get her back."

A sad smile tugs at my lips.

"It's not that simple."

"Well, is she coming back?"

I shake my head slowly. "I don't know."

"Mommy, why did Uncle Harrison's friend leave?"

Serenity takes the seat next to me on the couch, resting a delicate hand on my shoulder. "Because she had to. I'm sure she didn't want to, though."

"Do you know if she's coming back?" Cammy asks her mother.

"I don't, but I'm going to ask her," Ser says, pulling her cell phone out of her purse and typing away.

Bored with us, Cammy slides off of my lap and finds a coloring book in the stack of toys in the corner.

Cass sits on my coffee table and rests a hand on my knee.

"This isn't 'goodbye', Harrison. I promise. If she left I know it was because she thought it was the right move."

I shake my head sadly again.

"We were talking about marriage, and dating, and babies last night... I just..." My voice cracks so I stop. I know I don't have any experience with relationships, and we never really got to talk about us, but I feel like she left with my heart. The moment she walked out of my door, the world darkened. I don't know how I'm supposed to function without her here. Without knowing she's safe. I'm terrified her mother will dig her claws back in her, emotionally or mentally, or even legally.

What if this is over before it even really has a chance to begin?

An invisible band wraps around my lungs, making it hard to breathe.

"She's coming back," Cass says in reply. And I want to believe her, I really do, but when I dig deep, all I feel is fear. Not for myself, but for her. I wanted to get Whitmoore on board. I wanted to give us more time to come up with a game plan so that we had all things covered when it came to separating Athena and Abby.

I just shake my head again, unable to argue. Argue what? That she isn't coming back? I don't know that. That she is coming back? I don't know that either. That's what's killing me right now.

"That girl is so in love with you, it's sickening," Cass says, trying again.

This catches my attention.

"You knew?"

"Remember our girl's night a month ago?"

I nod. "She'd come home so happy. I remember how grateful I was that you guys took her in and gave her an instant friend group."

"She asked us that night how to get you to fall in love with her, because she was already there."

Stunned, I fall back against the back of the couch.

Hope is a dangerous thing, ballooning in my chest right now

She's felt like this for a month. So, it hasn't been a sudden thing. I've been slowly falling for her while she's loved me for a month.

"Call her," Daniel says, pulling my phone off of the kitchen island.

"It's the only way you'll know for sure."

I call, but it rings out before going to voicemail. I may be a decade older than her but I'm not leaving a voice mail. I text her instead.