In Harmony(60)

“I have to go back,” I said, finally. “They’ll start looking for me. The longer I stay out the worse it’ll be.” I glanced down at my bloodied knees. “It’s already going to be bad.”

“How bad?”

I reached up to gently touch the swelling under his eye. “Not like this. I’ll be okay, I promise.”

Reluctantly, he broke our protective circle and helped me to his truck. We drove back to my street and I told him to slow down a few houses from my own. Justin’s limo was parked in front.

“Shit,” I said. “Justin is there. Maybe my friends too.”

“I hate letting you walk in there alone.”

“You have to,” I said.

“Do they know?” Isaac asked in a low voice. He reached over and gently took my arm again and turned it over to reveal the X. “Do they know what this means?”

“No,” I said. “No one does.”

I realized that wasn’t entirely true. Xavier would know what it meant. He owned every single one of them. He’d marked me, maybe forever.

“I have to go,” I said. “Thank you for the ride and the dance and for…just being there.”

I slipped out of the car before anything else could happen and limped with my shoes in my hand to my house. In the driveway, I turned. Isaac hadn’t moved his truck yet. I gave him a small wave and stepped inside.

Justin was in the living room with my parents. They all turned to look when I came in and the men bolted to their feet. My mother’s hand flew to her mouth with a gasp, her other clutching a glass of wine.

“What happened to you?”

“Where did you go?”

“We’ve been worried sick.”

“I’m here. I’m fine,” I said. I looked at Justin. “I’m sorry I left. I had a…panic attack and I ran outside to get some air—”

“You had a panic attack?” Mom asked from the couch. “Since when do you get panic attacks?”

Since last summer…

“I don’t know, it just…happened. I ran outside and fell. The gym door was locked from the outside and I was a mess and embarrassed, so I decided to walk home. I didn’t have my phone or I would’ve called you.” A thought jolted me. “Where is my phone?”

“Justin had it,” Dad said, “along with your purse.”

He held up my phone and the blood drained out of my face. I suddenly felt as naked as I had when I sent Xavier those photos. My personal property and thoughts and content out of my control again. Dad had scrolled through my phone tonight, I knew he had. I wasn’t allowed to keep the passcode a secret from my parents—part of the conditions since I’d turned ‘uncontrollable’ last summer.

I mentally raced through every message Angie and I had ever sent. I couldn’t remember if we’d texted about Isaac.

“Give it back.” I reached for it but Dad held it high.

“First, you tell us where you’ve been. With Isaac Pearce?”

“He’s bad news,” Justin said.

I turned my glare on him. “Shut up.”

He held up his hands. “I’ve lived here longer than you have, Willow. I’m just trying to watch out for you. I was worried sick.”

“I wasn’t with Isaac,” I said. “I told you, I walked home. It’s two miles and I was barefoot. You do the math.”

“Why would you walk?” Mom asked. “Looking like that? You’re a disgrace.”

“Regina,” Dad said.

“It’s true. She looks like a streetwalker.” The way my mother’s mouth slurred around that word, I guessed she was working on her second bottle of wine. “What will the neighbors think?”

“Give me my phone,” I said to Dad. “I need to tell Angie I’m okay.”

“I drove them home,” Justin said. “They were worried too.”

“I’m sure they were,” Dad said and handed me my phone.

I walked away from them and sank into an easy chair, quickly scrolling through my texts. I knew every single one of them had been read by my father. Maybe Justin too.

“She’s been different since last summer,” I heard Dad say. “Hard to manage.”

My hands shook as I kept scrolling for any texts with Isaac’s name. I found the S.O.S. to Angie I’d sent about hanging out with Isaac on Saturday and quickly deleted the entire convo.

He didn’t see it, or I’d be dead right now.

“Nothing to apologize for,” Justin was saying to Dad. Their voices lowered. I heard Isaac once or twice from Justin’s mouth and I wanted to scream.

Here is the noble Laertes and Polonius, discussing what to do with their poor, frail Ophelia. Deciding what’s best for her as she’s been incapable since last summer.

My mother was the audience, drinking her wine.

I shot a text to Angie.

I’m okay. I’m home. I’ll call you later. Promise.

The reply was instant. Oh thank God. Where did you go? I wanted to text you but I knew Justin had your phone. A pause. Is this you? Tell me something only Willow would know.

I smiled through tears. Angie McKenzie is the best friend anyone could ever hope for.

That’s common knowledge. Try again.