Nightmares

Chapter fifty-three: Carter

I met Harper the next morning and she looked exhausted. I put an arm around her to support her as she tried not to stumble.

"You're not sleeping well, are you?" I said in a soft voice, sympathetically.

She shook her head. "I get what you mean now." She said. "The dark isn't always beautiful."

I smiled and she snuggled into me.

"Do you want to have a nap?" I asked. "We can go home. You can sleep on the sofa. I'll be there if you wake up."

"No. No. I'm," she yawned. "I'm not tired."

"Are you sure you want to go for a walk today?" I asked as we walked along hand in hand.

"Mm-hm." She nodded, blinking to keep her eyes open.

I pulled her closer.

"Come on, let's get you home. You need a nap on the sofa."

Guiding her, I led her back to my empty flat and laid her on my bed, sitting next to her, I whispered stories to her until she fell into a deep sleep.

I stroked her hair from her face. She was so beautiful. So innocent. So lovely.

And someone out there had tried to extinguish such a beautiful life.

Someone tried to take her away from me and I'd be damned if I was going to let it happen again.

When she woke up, there were tears in her eyes and I brushed them away gently with my thumb.

"It's going to be okay. It was just a shock." I told her. "I think we should take you to the hospital."

"What about Jake?" She whispered.

"We'll have to tell the truth." I told her, as she looked at me with pleading eyes. "You know it's the right thing to do."

"What if we say that it was an unknown person?" She tried.

I shook my head.

"A stranger who had no connection to us or the person threatening us wouldn't kill the person, they would call the police. We have to tell them."

"What will happen to him?"

"Prison, love. That's what happens to people who break the law."

I pulled her into a hug as she gave a reluctant sigh.

"In another life, it would have been me. And I know that if I had gone to prison for saving your life, I wouldn't regret a thing." I told her. "This will protect you, sweetheart. I know it's hard. But it's for the best. That way the police can catch the rest of them before they reconnect and cause any more destruction."

"I know." She said, quietly. "Let's go, now. Before I have a chance to change my mind."

Hand in hand, we set off to ruin a friend's life.

It was for the best, wasn't it?

And after all Jake did for them. Justice will never truly be served.