Take me Somewhere

Chapter 7

"Oh honey. Come here." Harper immediately fell into Julie's arms and burst into tears the moment she walked through the door. She had finally called Julie and Sarah after an hour of just standing there staring in fear.

"I'm going to kill that bastard." Sarah spat out as she came through the door next and caught sight of Harper's face. Harper had no idea what she looked like but she knew it had to be bad just from how much it hurt still.

Julie looked at Sarah over Harper's head as she held onto her tighter, "I would have to agree with you." She pulled back and Harper tried to calm her breathing as the hysterical crying hiccups over took her. Julie asked Sarah to grab a cold rag and pushed Harper's hair from her face, "Shh, it'll be okay. Tell us what happened."

"He-"Harper tried to answer but another fit of sobs over took her.

Sarah and Julie ushered her to her couch and sat down on each side of her. Harper winced as Julie used the cool rag to wipe around the sore side of her face but did feel herself start to calm as Sarah rubbed her back and Julie began wiping the rest of her face and neck with the rag.

"He…Liam…I can't breathe." Both girls shushed her and helped her focus on calming her breathing more. After a few more minutes Harper was able to control herself enough to speak, "He found out I talked to Liam. He thought I cheated on him. That I was a whore." She started crying again as the images of earlier flashed through her mind and she buried her face in Julie's neck.

Sarah put her hand on Harper's back, "You could never be a w***e Harper. Take it from someone who is one in the making."

Harper couldn't hold back the laugh at Sarah's attempt at humor, "Not…a….whore." She got out between gasps.

"Sometimes; but thank you sweetie." Sarah laughed gently, "So you did answer Liam when he called the other morning?"

Harper continued to let Julie hold her but was able to answer Sarah as she gained control over herself again, "Yes…mistake…"

"I figured you weren't telling us something but we let it slide. Did you meet up with him? Is that how Daren found out…he saw you two?"

"I met him for breakfast and then he asked me to dinner." Harper took a deep breath, happy she could finally take in air, and continued, "I went to dinner to tell him I had a boyfriend. We had this immediate connection. He made me feel comfortable…safe enough to actually talk to him. I knew I couldn't see him again or I would do something I would regret."

Julie was gently rocking her and smoothing her hair down but gently pushed her back and looked into her face, "That serious huh?"

Harper sniffed and laid her head back on Julie's shoulder, "Yes…it was so weird…in a good way." She fought through tears as she remembered Liam that night and how she had really screwed everything up, "Liam was angry and hurt when I told him but he understood. He said we couldn't see each other again though."

Sarah heard the sadness in Harper's voice, "It sounds like Liam felt that connection too..." At Harper's mumbled agreement Sarah went on, "How did Daren find out you met with him?"

"We ran into Liam on the street today; he could tell something was off. After that he went to the restaurant and the hostess remembered who I was with…"

"That bitch." Sarah growled.

"It is not her fault. Like she knew why he was asking." Julie shot back at Sarah.

"Bullshit; No woman on this earth wouldn't know why some man is asking who another woman was with."

Julie paused for a moment, "Well…that's true, but you don't have to call her a bitch."

"She's a b***h. And after I kill Daren I'm going to find out who she is."

Harper sat up and faced Sarah, "Please don't Sarah. I'm okay. I brought all of this on myself."

Sarah's jaw dropped and Sarah and Julie both yelled at her in unison, "Are you kidding me?!"

Before Harper could continue Sarah cut her off, "Not one single bit of this is your fault. Do you understand me? You had dinner with the opposite s*x, nothing happened, you ended an already innocent relationship."

"I know, but – "

"There is no but! Daren is a lunatic who needs to be behind bars. Look at your face." Sarah's voice softened and she cupped Harper's jaw, "Why haven't you called the police?"

"I…" Harper stopped talking and tried to think of why she hadn't. She had picked up the phone multiple times but had never been able to hit the send button, "I…I guess I just don't want him to go to jail."

Julie chimed in this time, "Why not? He's dangerous Harper…he hurt you."

"I know that…it's just…I made him so angry. He didn't mean to."

Julie got to it before Sarah could jump in, "Had he done something like this before Harper?"

Harper's stomach dropped and shame filled her, "He's been angry with me before but it's never gotten to this."

"What else has happened?" Julie grabbed Harper's hands and met her gaze.

Harper swallowed the shame choking her. She always reasoned it away in her mind but with her two best friends sitting there waiting for an answer it was painfully clear about what was going on, "He would grab my shoulders or my arms sometimes but he never hit me…"

"Harper…" Sarah whispered softly, "Why haven't you said anything to us? We would have helped you."

"I know it's just…I love him and he loves me and he never meant to do it. He's just is so afraid of losing me he gets caught up in his head and –"

Julie shook her head, "Stop it right there. Do you hear yourself? You are making excuses for him."

Harper ducked her head, "I do. I know it's not right. Any of this…but I don't want him to go to jail."

Sarah moved to the floor in front of Harper and glanced between her and Julie, "What do you want? Say it and we will make it happen. You can't see him again though Harper; I won't let that happen."

Harper glanced between her two friends and tears rolled down her face, "I love you guys."

Julie squeezed her hand, "We love you too. Now what do you need?"

Harper thought about it a moment, "To not see him again…even if I want to…please don't let me."

"Deal; what else?" Julie nodded in agreement at Sarah's statement.

"For you to stay with me tonight…and to get the locks changed…and maybe an ice pack for my face." Harper gently touched her cheek and winced.

"Good thing I already brought my overnight bag." Sarah stood up to go to her car, "Julie will you stop by the locksmith on the way back home to grab your things? They started a towing business and stay open late; tell them we'll pay extra to have it done by tonight."

Julie kissed Harper on the temple and all but ran out the door to start taking care of things. After Sarah followed her out Harper sat there in her living room in silence. She didn't feel like she was inside her body. Everything happening was like watching a movie. She could feel the throbbing on her face and was so relieved to have Sarah and Julie that she sadly knew this was all real.

()()()()()

Harper had finally passed out from exhaustion that night while Sarah slept next to her in bed and Julie made a pallet on the floor. The lock smith had changed all the locks and had sent in a request for a home security system to be put in at Sarah and Julie's request; Harper couldn't argue with them.

Once morning finally came both Sarah and Julie had told her they would take off from work and stay with her that day but she refused. She had to work today too and as long as she could keep her head down and go unnoticed she knew she would be glad to have the distraction.

Her mind was constantly flashing back to Daren and the moment he hit her. Then it would bounce over to Liam and think about calling him. Harper knew that was selfish and immediately shoved that thought away every time it surfaced. There was no way she was letting Liam see her with how her face was and though she was set on not seeing Daren again she still felt guilty for wanting to contact Liam so soon.

Her cheek was already bruised and she had a black eye. Her sunglasses only covered a portion of it and she had come up with the excuse of running into a wall. Everyone already knew how clumsy she was and the coworkers she hadn't been able to slip by had easily believed her.

The day was almost over when Harper's phone rang. Her stomach dropped when Daren's name flashed across the screen. Harper's hand hovered over the answer button, knowing she shouldn't talk to him, but she hit it before voicemail picked up.

"Harper? Are you there?" She swallowed and felt the fear run down her spine at just hearing his voice.

"What do you want Daren?" She inwardly cursed at how much her voice was shaking.

"I need to talk to you. I'm sorry about last night. I had too much to drink and I didn't mean to get so angry." The desperation in his voice made him sound almost hysterical.

"Daren you hurt me…I can't – "

He cut her off, "I know I did. I regret every single thing I said and did. Please don't push me away. I need you Harper."

Harper felt herself softening; giving in to the familiarity of the situation. "Daren…"

"Please, can I just see you for a minute? Let me explain." The hope in his voice was enough to destroy her weakness.

"Five minutes. I'll meet you outside the shop in twenty." Harper quickly hung up and put her head in her hands. She knew she shouldn't be doing this but she needed some type of closure. Daren couldn't be as horrible as he seemed after all the time they had been together. She was done with the relationship but her heart needed something to hang on to that wasn't so awful. She didn't want her last memory of this part of her life to be nothing but the terror she had felt last night.

()()()()()

Harper watched Daren from the sidewalk as he got out of his car and made his way to her. She flinched when he went to hug her and he dropped his hands and put them at his sides, "Thanks for seeing me."

Harper readjusted her sunglasses, "Just say what you need to say."

She thought she saw anger pass over his face but it was too quick for her to truly tell, "I'm sorry I hit you last night. I didn't mean to. I hope you can forgive me."

Harper removed her sunglasses and let him look at what he had done. He flinched when she met his gaze, "I believe that you didn't mean to hurt me Daren but this isn't okay."

He went to grab her hand but stopped himself, "I know it isn't. I won't ever do it again. I just can't…you can't leave me…please."

Harper resisted the urge to give in like she always did, "We can't stay together Daren. This…" She motioned to her face, "ended us."

"Harper, please don't do this. I love you." Daren went to make a step towards her and she backed up.

"I love you too Daren…but that isn't enough. I need you to leave me alone…to let me figure out how to forgive you…we can't be together again no matter how easy it would be."

"You can't be serious? You were the one who was seeing another guy and I need to be forgiven?" The anger in his voice made its way to his face and Harper was glad she was standing on a busy street. Before she could answer him she heard a familiar voice call out to her and she quickly put her sunglasses back on while Daren's face turned to stone and he stepped away from her.

Liam came up and stopped next to them and Harper looked at the ground trying to hide what her sunglasses couldn't, "It's crazy how I keep running into you. I've had some meetings with a client a street over." She saw him nod towards Daren in greeting and dropped her head a little further.

"Hi…I was just going back inside and Daren was just leaving." She quickly spoke, fighting the urge to just turn around and run.

"Oh…" Liam said slightly confused. She felt him staring at her but she looked to the right turning the side of her face away from him.

"We'll talk later Harper." Daren said as he began to step away.

"No." The fearful reply was out of her mouth and made both Daren and Liam jump, "I mean. No we won't be talking again Daren. Thanks for stopping by but I'm sorry…don't call me again." Harper was painfully aware of Liam standing there taking in this conversation but she knew it had to be said. The thought of Daren showing up at her house later tonight was not something she could handle.

She knew Daren wanted to say something but she refused to look at him incase Liam might see the marks on her face. He finally got the hint after another moment of silence and she heard his car door slam and him drive off.

"Are you okay?" Liam asked softly and put his hand on her shoulder.

Harper flinched away from his touch involuntarily and he quickly brought his hand back to his side, "I have to go. I'm sorry." Harper quickly turned and ran back inside while Liam stood there in confusion as the doors swung closed.