Page 48 of You Found Me in the Dark
She didn’t say anything right away. Just crossed her arms and stared at me like she was debating whether to believe a damn word I’d just said.
Finally, Harper exhaled through her nose. This whole situation clearly took a mental toll on her.
“You should’ve told me,” she snapped. “Before it got to this. Before she came home wearing your hoodie, looking like someone had finally made her feel safe again.”
Her voice cracked on that last part.
“I’m not mad you care about her,” she added. “I’m mad that this is the first I’m hearing of it. Mad that I had to guess something was happening. You don’t get to just sneak into her world like that, Reed—not without telling the people who’ve had to glue her back together more times than I can count.”
I took a slow breath, jaw tight. “I wasn’t trying to sneak. I just… didn’t know what this was at first. Didn’t want to say anything until I knew it was real. I didn’t want her to feel obligated to tell anyone before she was ready.”
She scoffed. “It’s real enough for her to get a tattoo designed by you and wear your clothes and blush like a damn teenager every time she hears your name.”
I felt something in my chest—pride, guilt, something in between.
“She means something to me, Harper. I’m not going to hurt her.”
“I know you think that,” she said, quieter now. “But meaning well doesn’t mean shit if you’re not ready for everything that comes with her. She’s still healing, Reed. Some parts of her are still bleeding, even if she won’t admit it.”
I nodded once, not blinking. “Then I’ll be gentle. And if she needs space, I’ll give her that. If she needs time, I’ll wait. But I’m not leaving just because she’s complicated.”
Harper looked at me like she wanted to believe me. Like she almost did.
“I swear to God,” she said, her voice barely a whisper now, “if you break her, I’ll never forgive you. Brother or not.”
I didn’t argue. If I ever hurt Wren, I wouldn’t forgive myself either. I glanced at my phone, the screen still opened to her last message.
“She just texted me,” I said, breaking the short silence between me and Harper. My voice came out quieter than I expected. “Asked if I wanted to go for a drive.”
Harper’s arms were still crossed, but her expression softened just a little.
I hesitated, then added, “I was thinking about taking her out toward Center Road. You know the overlook on Old Mission? That stretch where you can pull off to the side and see the bay,most of the town, and the vineyards… It’s quiet. Peaceful. Feels like the kind of place she might breathe for a second.”
Harper’s brow lifted. “That’s almost an hour away.”
I nodded. “I know.”
She tilted her head, like she was trying to figure out what I was saying.
“She deserves a beautiful night,” I told her simply. “One where she doesn’t have to think. She can just exist with someone who cares about her.”
Harper studied me for a long beat. Then she let out a small sigh and dropped her arms.
“I swear to God, Reed… if you’re serious about this, you better mean all of it. She doesn’t need another half-decent guy making promises he can’t keep.”
I looked her square in the eyes. “I’m not making empty promises, Harp.”
She didn’t smile, not really. But her voice was softer this time. “Then go give her the kind of night she deserves.”
I already planned to.
Harper stood there for a second longer, like she was debating something. Then, to my surprise, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me.
It wasn’t long or overly sentimental, but it was my little sister and that meant something to me.
“You have to find a way to tell Cam,” she muttered into my shoulder. “This won’t be easy. Especially since he is the last one to know.”
I nodded, arms tightening briefly around her before she pulled away.
