Page 35 of Wilde Secrets

The stricken expression on her face hit him like a slap.

“You lied to me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she took another step backwards.

“No, Harper I didn’t?—”

But Harper had turned and started running down the street away from Logan.

Logan ignored Cassie and took off after Harper. He had seen the look on her face. Harper was barely holding it together.

Logan’s booted feet hit the ground as he thundered after Harper.

ChapterFourteen

Harper

Tears blurred Harper’s eyes as she ran. Why did she ever trust anyone? All they did was lie.

Her sister was meant to be her best friend, but Isla wouldn’t talk to her. Her dad was meant to be there for her, but all he ever wanted was to make Isla’s career a success. Nobody ever asked what Harper wanted. She was just expected to go along with everything.

And she hadn’t minded. She really hadn’t. But when would it end?

Harper’s tears streamed down her face. She hadn’t realized how unhappy she was. When would her own life start?

Her feet pounded as she ran, her breath coming in choking sobs. Harper passed Wilde Buns, narrowly missing a woman pushing a stroller. She had no idea where she was going, just that she needed to get away.

To get away from Logan and his patient green eyes.

His lying eyes.

A car pulling into a driveway blocked the sidewalk and Harper turned, darting across the road. The screech of tires as a car braked to avoid hitting her didn’t even register.

“Harper!”

Logan’s voice broke through her circling thoughts, but she ignored him to pump her legs faster. Tears blurred her vision as she dashed into a park that faced the marina. Harper dodged and weaved around pedestrians. A stitch pulled at her side and she clamped a hand over it, breathing fast.

“Sorry,” she called breathlessly as she skirted a woman walking three dogs, almost tripping over one of the leads.

The wind whipped Harper’s hair around her face. She pushed it back with a hand, her heart pounding in her chest.

In the end, it never mattered what she wanted, did it? She only wanted to make her family happy. To make them proud.

And she couldn’t even do that.

For one small moment she thought she wasn’t alone in this mess. For one brief snapshot of time, she thought she had someone she could talk to. Someone who saw her as a person and not Isla Holden’s sister. Even that was too much to ask.

She couldn’t trust anyone.

Oh god. And the whole mess was only going to get worse.

People loved to see other people fail. And celebrities were fair game.

This was going to be the worst thing that had ever happened to her. Her father would never talk to her. Her sister would hate her more than she already did. The press would have a field day.

Harper stopped at a stone wall that overlooked the water, hands landing on it and dropping her head to take heaving breaths.

She dropped to her knees, buried her head in her hands and sobbed.

Logan’s footsteps sounded next to her and then she was suddenly pulled into his arms. Big, strong arms. Her face pressed against his chest, and she slid her hands up to grip his soft, cotton button-down shirt.

---