SHELBY MADNESS | ISIAH JESUS [EDITING]

CHAPTER 3

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Harlow woke in her bed. Through her window the sun was visibly high in the sky. She flinched, clenching her teeth, as she adjusting her body in the bed. Pain washed over her. It took her a moment to remember what happened the night before. Harlow's head pounding in her ears loudly. The last thing she remembered was being at the Betting Den with Jasper and Isiah, she didn't remember leaving. She reached for the glass of water on her bedside table, sipping the cold liquid slowly. Then the memories came flooding through her. The men outside the Den. What they had tried to do to her. Who had rescued her...

Harlow gasped deeply. A knock on her bedroom door disrupting the silence.

Without a response, John appeared. He stuck his head in the crack of the door, before entering completely. Harlow bit down on her cheek at his expression. It was somewhere be between comfort and terror. Harlow reached over her glass of water, that was now empty of its previous filled liquid, for her tin of cigarettes.

John walked across the room, sitting at the edge of his sister's bed. Harlow averted eye contact, inhaling the nicotine. She winced at the pain shooting through her delicate body. Harlow lifted her top up, showing a nasty, discolored bruise on her abdomen. 

"Harley." John let out. His tone filled with regret. 

Harlow let her clothing fall around the mark, closing her eyes. "Tommy hasn't come to visit me, has he?" She directed the conversation in a different direction. She opened her eyes to glance at her brother. Harlow didn't remember a time when Tommy wasn't there for her when trouble struck.

She tried to read his expression. When did he get so good at hiding things from her? Tears filled her eyes at the realization. John didn't say anything, he didn't need to. Tommy hadn't come. Maybe he felt embarrassed that this happened to someone in their family. Harlow took drag after drag of her cigarette, groaning lowly each time. John slowly shook his head. 

"He hasn't been heard from all night."

Harlow sighed. "Okay." 

Harlow stubbed out the remainder of her cigarette and pulled the duvet over her head. Deciding sleep was better than the thought of Tommy not showing any interest in the attack.

When she woke again the sun had gone down and darkness overcame her bedroom. A dim light in the corner of her room shined over John curled up on the chair in the corner of her room, asleep.

Harlow finally got some of her strength back and with the empty glass sitting on her nightstand, her throat dry from sleep. 

Throwing her duvet off her body, she carefully lifted herself off the bed. Harlow bit down hard on her bottom lip, quieting any sound of pain. She didn't want to wake her brother. He must have stayed when she fell asleep.When she began the journey down the staircase, Harlow could see Arthur curled up on the sofa, snoring quite loudly. She took the rest of the stairs one by one and headed for the kitchen, peering in quietly.