CHIKLIT/ROMANCE
"BULL! You still love that useless prick!"
"Harley!" I cry, "It's not him that I want! I lo-"
He punches the wall, forcing my favorite memory to shatter across the floor, "I'm going to kill him!"
Haunted by her memories, Liana...
This chapter is a little bit longer. I hope you don't mind, but Harley had a lot of explaining to do! Good luck Harley!)
Mary Lou smiled and answered excitedly, "Happy New Year Mama!"
I had been unconscious for eight days. I removed the mask from my mouth and asked, "Harley...what happened to me?"
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"Let's not worry about that right now, okay?"
My throat burned, but I forced myself to speak through the pain, "I-I-,"
"Mama, you saved me from the bad men!" Mary Lou said proudly as she grabbed my pitcher of ice water." I bet you're thirsty. I will fix you a drink!"
I remember having flashes of flying orange juice and smelly stains upon my t-shirt...and James. I didn't mean to, but I grabbed my throat and yelled in a cracked voice, "No!"
Mary Lou jumped fearfully and dropped one of the cups to the floor. I didn't mean to scare her. I felt terrible. To make matters worse, her fear quickly turned to disappointment. Her head hung low to the ground and her tiny puckered lips begun to tremble.
I looked down at my hands. They were trembling as well because I was torn between all the memories of James deceitful love and feeling terrible for hurting my newly adopted daughter that I loved more than life itself.
I grabbed my throat once more and looked at Harley with pleading eyes as I attempted to speak. Harley quickly intervened, "Mary Lou, I am very thirsty. I would like a cup of water too. Do you mind fixing us both some while I take Liana to the restroom?"
Mary Lou picked the cup off the floor and sat it back upright to attempt to fix water again. I didn't have the heart to tell her the cup should be thrown away from the nasty germs on the hospital floor.
Mary Lou began to protest, "Harley, the nurse said she would have to help -"
Before Mary Lou could complete her sentence, Harley interrupted her, "It is okay, Mary Lou. I already spoke with the nurse. She said I would be fine as long as I don't unplug any wires."
Mary Lou glared into his eyes and tried to see through him. She scrutinized every detail of the size of his pupils right down to his rhythmic breathing. Mary Lou was not easily fooled. She had been raised by the Rolland's after all.
I was utterly surprised. Harley somehow passed the "Mary Lou" inspection. I honestly began to believe him too, but the moment quickly passed as Mary Lou turned her head towards the metal table. Harley looked away for a single moment, shifted his eyes to the left, and ran his thumb across his lips. My breath hitched. I thought he heard me because he quickly shifted he head towards me without looking to see if I caught him.
