“Gwen,” she forced out.
He gently brushed her tears aside, but they were coming faster than he could remove them. He pulled away from her onto his side, bringing her with him. She cried on his shoulder for what felt like hours, but was only minutes.
Eventually, spent, Jamie joined him beneath the covers and between the sheets. She knew she needed to go home, but she didn’t want to leave. Couldn’t leave. They held each other in silence, almost as if neither could bear to break it.
Finally, Jamie sighed and pulled back a bit. “They’ll be waiting for me and wondering about Gwen. I don’t know if I can tell them.”
“Maybe it can wait till tomorrow?”
“I hope so.”
But when Cooper pulled up in front of Jamie’s house, the lights in nearly every room were still on.
“I’ll come in with you,” he said.
“No. I think it’s better if I’m alone. . . .” She started to reach for the passenger door handle.
“Hey.”
She looked back and he touched her arm, tugging her closer. She came back willingly for a long, lingering kiss.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
She smiled faintly. She wanted to tell him how much it mattered that he was in her life, how much she suddenly needed him, but all she said was, “Tomorrow,” as she let herself out of the SUV.
* * *
Harley heard the key in the lock of the front door. Mom. She flew out of her bedroom and toward the stairs. Duchess started whining, so Harley stopped and released her from the confines of Emma’s room. She stifled a scream when Emma appeared like a spirit rising out of the gloom. Only the sight of her Scottie dog pajamas kept Harley from shrieking and running blindly away as if she were possessed.
Her mother was turning off lights as she walked through the living room and into the kitchen. Duchess barked once and ran down the stairs. Harley and Emma followed.
“Hey,” Mom said, looking at the three of them. “Everybody’s awake.”
Mom looked . . . different. Like she’d been asleep, sort of. Put together, but not, too.
Emma said, “You had sex with Cooper Haynes.”
Mom jumped as if she’d been goosed. “Good God.”
“Harley was scared,” Emma added.
Mom turned to Harley. “Scared?” she asked.
Now Harley felt a little like an idiot. “I thought I heard something outside. Maybe not. Duchess was acting weird. Growling. I don’t know. I didn’t want to turn off any lights. It was . . . I don’t know, maybe I’m just crazy.”
“No. It’s scary times,” Mom said. “Is that why you’re still in your clothes?”
Harley was in sweats, and yes, she’d felt like she needed to be ready at a moment’s notice. “What took you so long?”
“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” she said, frowning. Then she pressed her hand to her lips in a gesture that made Harley’s heart stutter.
“What?” Harley cried. “Something happened.”
Tears filled Mom’s eyes and she couldn’t speak for a moment. Emma went to her and put her hand on her shoulder, which really started the waterworks. Harley could scarcely breathe.
“It’s Gwen. She’s gone. She left a note, so . . . I don’t know . . .”
“What do you mean? Suicide?” Harley gasped. “No! Why?”
“It makes no sense.” Mom was shaking her head and Emma was awkwardly patting her on the shoulder.
Harley ran forward and threw herself into Mom’s arms. “Do you think we started this?” she quavered. “By coming here?”
“Oh, no.” Mom was firm. “It was already here. Whatever’s going on, the seeds were already planted.”
“In the garden,” Emma said. “The seeds were planted, but our mother rooted them out.”
“That’s not . . . I was speaking metaphorically,” Mom explained. “Our mother loved weeding, but Gwen’s death . . . is something else. I’m sorry to tell you about it tonight. I wanted to wait till tomorrow. Right now, I think it’s time for bed. I’m just so tired.”
“Me, too,” said Emma as she let Duchess out one more time. Harley would have liked to talk more, but they all traipsed upstairs.
Harley kept her sweats on. She lay in bed, thinking hard, testing her feelings. It had really seemed like someone was watching them and in her fear, Harley had texted Marissa, telling her she was scared to be home alone. Marissa had texted right back, thank God, totally commiserating with her. They hadn’t communicated as much as Harley needed since the creep had come after her. Marissa thought maybe she was agoraphobic now. She didn’t want to go anywhere and she refused to be by herself. She’d actually been sleeping in her mom’s room because her mom’s boyfriend wasn’t around.
Texting with her had calmed Harley down and made her feel relieved. Marissa wasn’t mad at her. Greer had texted her, too: Tylers in big trouble. You didnt say anything, did ya?
Harley had gone cold all over. She’d just been freaked at every level. She’d texted back: Oh no! Then added a series of emojis depicting worry and concern and left it at that.
Maybe she’d blown it by telling Mom. She hoped not. She really, really hoped not.
Hearing an engine outside, she tiptoed to her window and peered out. She had an angled view of the road and could see a dark car stopped at the end of the driveway and across the street. Was it her imagination, or was the driver wearing a ski mask?
She ran back to her bed and dived in, bringing the covers over her head. She must be imagining things. Had to be. She shivered from head to toe.
It took her a long, long, long time to fall asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cooper called Jamie on Sunday morning, and the sound of her voice sent a flood of good feelings through him, even though their main topics of conversation were Gwen’s death and the recent home intrusions and attacks. They made a plan to meet later in the day. Meanwhile, Cooper intended
