Page 109 of Emergency Exit
“Well, Teddy and Germany are under instructions from Rowan to camp out and make sure no Russian agents show up. Considering that I also punched a few people today is probably reasonable. Then, the new lawyer came over because it seemedprudent once I cc’d her on the email to Detective Caine. And Detective Caine just arrived. She and the lawyer may be saying words at each other. And then Romeo came back with your purse. He says Piper is awesome, and he’s completely on board with your plan.”
“Oh, good!” Harper picked up her hot chocolate and took a soothing sip. She was now warm all over and feeling better about life.
“Do I know what the plan is?”
“I’m going to hook up Mel and Piper.”
“Ah. Um... OK, well, if Romeo thinks it’s a good idea, then I’m sure you’re right, but sometimes Mel can be shy. I don’t want to make them uncomfortable.”
“Well, the New Year’s party seemed like a good time to let them nerd out in a corner together.”
“Good idea.”
“But Ash, that sounds like there are a lot of people here.”
“But they’re all people you don’t have to worry about,” said Ash. “You’re going to stay in here and finish your cocoa, and by the time you’re all warm and toasty, your clothes will be here, and everyone will have resolved their issues. All you’ll have to do is tell Detective Caine about Emma and Stephanie kidnapping you.”
“Are they really going to let us get away with that?” asked Harper. She thought the police probably wouldn’t like doing it that way.
“Yes,” said Ash. “Because I’m rich, and the lawyer is some woman named Belinda who appears to think that eating cops for breakfast is the most fun a person can have. No, we’ll really only be in trouble if I don’t text Rowan and Forest an update soon.”
“Hm.”
Harper wasn’t convinced.
“You think that doesn’t sound like I’m following the rules and aren’t convinced it will work?” asked Ash, and Harper smiled.
“Yes!”
“There are separate rules for rich people,” said Ash. “People only pretend there aren’t because they like to think the world is fair. But it isn’t. I try not to take advantage of that if it makes you feel better.”
“You’re so good at knowing these things. I don’t know how you can tell. But I do like it when you explain human-ing to me,” said Harper. “Is that weird?”
Ash itched his eyebrow.
“No, but um… everything’s fine. I love you, and I like you just the way you are. But maybe… Um… Sometimes I think that maybe, well, it’s just a thought—from one neurodivergent brain to another—maybe you should talk to your doctor about getting a diagnosis for being on the autism spectrum?”
Harper stared up at Ash and tried to parse what he was saying for secret messages, and then she realized there was no hidden meaning. Ash was giving her the courtesy of speaking directly about what he was thinking. The problem was that he’d said a lot in a few short sentences. Even the blunt and honest truth left a lot to think about.
He loved her for one thing.
“Do you think so?” asked Harper, taking a cautious sip of her hot chocolate.
“Um… Well… Maybe a little?”
And he thought she was on the spectrum. Was she? Was that why she sometimes felt like an alien? Didn’t everyone feel like an alien at some point? Perhaps this was one of those cultural communication things that Piper had talked about. Harper replayed that conversation.
“Huh. I think Piper tried to tell me that, too. Maybe I’ll take one of those online quizzes. Would it matter? I can’t change it,so what would be the point of getting it diagnosed?”
“That is what I said about ADHD. It turns out there were a fuck ton of things I didn’t know about how ADHD worked, and once I learned to recognize my patterns and how to work with my own brain, I got a lot fucking happier.”
“Well, I will think about that when I’m no longer freaking out about being kidnapped,” said Harper.
“OK. Well, you relax and come out whenever you’re ready. I’ll put your clothes on the bed.”
“OK, but I think I’ll be here for a little while because I’m coasting on your money.”
“Coast away, Smoak,” said Ash, grinning and standing up.
