CHAPTER 9
I paced around the room for a while, my eyes fixated on the bag I had placed on the bed. I had removed my jacket and lifted my shirt to inspect my scars and new wounds in the mirror. There was no way she wouldn’t notice them. I was at a loss about what to do.
Eventually, she grew tired of waiting for me and began knocking on the door. When I opened it, Harper walked into the bedroom, looking confused.
“Why aren’t you changed?” she asked.
“I can’t wear a bikini, Harper,” I admitted.
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“Why not? And don’t say it’s because you think you’re fat. You are definitely not fat” she
replied.
“It’s not because of that,” I said.
“Then what’s going on?” she pressed.
“I can’t tell you. I don’t want anyone to know,” I admitted, unable to meet her gaze.
“Alright, I’m now officially worried. What’s going on?” she asked again.
I finally looked up to meet Harper’s eyes. In that moment, I realized I could trust her. She
wasn’t the type to gossip or spread rumors.
“You have to promise not to tell your brother or anyone in your pack,” I said.
“I promise. Now what is it?” she asked. So, I turned around and slowly began lifting the back
of my shirt.
I heard her gasp, and then I felt her hand on my arm. I turned around, and she looked like she
was about to start crying.
“That’s just my back,” I said. “I have more on my stomach, my arms, and my legs.”
“Who did that?” she asked.
“Vincent. That’s why I agreed to this marriage. I needed to get out of there. Landon might be
treating me badly, but believe me, I’ve had it a lot worse,” I replied.
“Some of them are fresh. What did that?” she asked again,
“A belt. Wrapped with barbed wire,” I explained. She put her hand over her mouth, clearly trying
to hold back tears, but I saw her take a couple of deep breaths.
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< CHAPTER 9
“Alright. I’ll be back in a minute,” she said, leaving the room.
When she returned, she was holding some clothes in her hands.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Put the bikini on. This shirt is long–sleeved, but it’s sheer, so you can still get some sun, and no one will be able to see the scars. These swim shorts should fit you as well. They won’t cover the bottom of your legs, but we can say those scars are from childhood accidents.
That’s normal,” she said.
I nodded at her, feeling incredibly grateful as she left the room again.
I changed into a black bikini, the sheer, long–sleeved black top, and the board shorts she gave
- me.
When I came out of the bathroom, she smiled at me and nodded in approval.
“Looks perfect. And it covers everything,” she said.
“Why are you helping me like this?” I asked.
“Because I’m not an asshole like my brother. And I want us to be friends. Now more than ever,” she replied.
I nodded in acceptance of her answer. We made our way to the deck of the boat and laid down
on a couple of towels that were there.
After sunbathing for a while, Harper shouted to the captain to stop. I got up and glanced over the side of the boat, realizing that I couldn’t even see the shore anymore–or the packhouse. We were completely away from the pack, and it felt amazing. I was incredibly relieved to be out here, feeling the air in my hair and finally experiencing a sense of freedom. For the first time in almost my entire life, I truly felt free.
Harper lowered the stairs on the side of the boat, and we climbed down and jumped into the water, swimming in the deep ocean. I dove below the surface to explore the sea life beneath, and it was absolutely incredible. I couldn’t go too far, but there was still plenty for me to see down there before I had to come back up for air.
I noticed Harper near the boat, watching me with a strange smile on her face.
“What?” I asked.
“When was the last time you went swimming in the ocean?” she replied.
“It’s been years,” I said.
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<CHAPTER 9
+8 Points>
“Well, come on then. Let’s not waste any time,” she said, swimming towards me. We swam a
little further away from the boat, exploring and looking for things we hadn’t seen yet.
I couldn’t believe how the ocean could bring out so many emotions and feelings in me. I felt
completely content and free, and I was actually having fun.
When we returned to the boat, lunch was served on the deck, so we sat at the table to eat.
“Where is the crew on this boat? I’ve only seen the captain. I haven’t seen any cooks or servers
or anyone else,” I asked.
“Yeah, that’s their job–to stay hidden,” she replied.
“Oh. Well, that doesn’t seem right,” I said.
“It’s alright. They’re probably in the kitchen eating their own lunch now. I’m not a slave driver,”
Harper said, and I chuckled at her.
“It’s so peaceful out here. No yelling, no howling. Nothing at all,” I remarked.
“No drunken husband coming home with another woman,” Harper added.
I turned to look at her, and she looked extremely pissed off right now.
“Harper, don’t start a fight with your brother over this. Our marriage is only on paper; he made
that very clear on our wedding night,” I said.
“But I bet that if you were to hook up with someone else, he’d go ballistic,” she replied.
“I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it, I admitted.
“He’s being a d**k. I know he’s a womanizer–everyone knows that. But that should have
changed as soon as he put that ring on your finger,” she insisted.
“Harper, please don’t cause trouble at home. I don’t want to be sent back,” I pleaded.
“Believe me, that’s not happening either. I just can’t believe he’s acting like this. He never used
to be this way. I wonder what changed?” she said.
“I think the war had an impact on everyone,” I said.
“He’s 26. The war ended years ago,” she replied.
“Eight years ago. I was 10, and it was just after my mother died,” I explained.
“Your mom’s gone?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I replied.
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< CHAPTER 9
“And Vincent is your stepfather? So, where’s your real father?” she inquired.
“I don’t know. I never met him,” I said.
“Damn, that sucks,” she responded.
“I learned to live with it a long time ago,” I assured her.
We swam a bit more after lunch, and then we sunbathed all the way back to the dock. When
we arrived, the sun was setting, and we saw Landon standing at the top of the stairs that led up to the packhouse, his arms crossed over his chest.
As soon as I stepped onto the dock, I could feel my heart starting to race. Harper walked up
beside me and draped her arm around my shoulders. I was still wearing the black clothes she
had given me, and as darkness fell, I was grateful he wouldn’t be able to see any scars on my
skin.
“Don’t stress. I’ll take care of this,” Harper said, determination shining in her eyes.
So we walked up the stairs and Landon was about to start yelling at us when Harper pulled
her arm back and punched him across the face.
That’s when we realized that Hayden, lan, and Kai were all standing behind him. However,
Harper didn’t care. She grabbed Landon by the shirt and dragged him into the packhouse
while I stood there, frozen.
