I went to reach for him, but he jerked away.

“Don’t touch me. You’re nothing but a cheating bitch.”

Okay, I’d give him one shot because he was hurting, but I wouldn’t tolerate him being an ass like this.

“I didn’t cheat, Kyler. Now please, let’s just go back to my house and I’ll help you sober up, and then we can go to your parents’ place.”

“Fuck you, Harper,” he spat. “You’ve been lying to me from the start, haven’t you? I bet you’ve been sneaking around with Michael, fucking him anytime I wasn’t looking.” He got up from the table and stumbled when he tried to take a step toward me. “Did you like him being inside of you? Did you scream his name like you screamed mine?”

Ky had never been so ugly toward me. The fact that I was just standing there, letting him talk to me like that was insane. So why was I? He clearly didn’t believe me. Or was he so drunk that he was willing to say anything to hurt me? And yet he continued his rant.

He leaned in close, putting his face in mine. The entire bar had stopped what they were doing to watch us. “I bet the dickhead loved it when you scratched your nails down his back. He did, didn’t he?” He looked like he was done, but then he threw in one more comment for good measure.

“Get the fuck out of here, Harper. I don’t ever want to see you again. Take yourself, and your daddy issues, and get out of here. You’re nothing to me.”

I allowed one solitary tear to fall down my face. I stared into his eyes, and nodded my head. Pressing my lips together, I brought my open palm across his face. I slapped him so hard that the sting almost made my hand go numb. I watched him reach up to rub his cheek, before spinning on my heels and walking out of the bar.

I waited until I was outside before I bent at the waist and emptied the contents of my stomach all over the asphalt. He’d been so cruel to me that my mind wouldn’t even allow me to process his words. They just kept replaying in my mind.

“You’re nothing to me …”

I wretched again … and again … and again. Finally, when I felt like I had nothing else in my stomach, I stood up and staggered to my car. Once inside, I sat staring at the door to the bar. Deep down I didn’t know why I couldn’t leave-some sort of misplaced fantasy that Kyler would realize his mistake and come chasing after me, or the fact that if I left, it would mean we were really over.

Eventually I started my car and pulled out of the parking lot. Making my way home, I made a decision. My heart was shattered and I needed some time to think about things. When I got home, I went inside and packed a suitcase with enough clothes to last a week. I could wash everything and re-wear it where I was going. I got on my phone and sent out an email to everyone at work letting them know that I would be gone for two weeks and any work would need to be delegated out. I wouldn’t have cell reception so I wouldn’t be able to answer any emails or calls.

I considered calling Em and telling her what had happened, but I didn’t want to repeat the words that Ky had said to me. She would just have to wait until I got back. After making the necessary arrangements, I loaded up my car, and took off.

Jesus, my head was pounding. Peeling one eye open, the light from the gray sky nearly blinded me. Groaning, I tried to roll over but I couldn’t. What the fuck … why did I have such a bad kink in my neck? I pried my other eye open to take in my surroundings and noted I was staring straight at my dashboard. Scrubbing my hand down my face, I realized I’d slept in my car, but what I didn’t know was why?

I slowly pushed myself up until I was in a seated position and could look outside. I was parked outside one of the local dives but although I vaguely remembered getting there, everything after that was a blur. Shit in a hand basket, I was never drinking that much again. In fact, why had I drank that much? And what time was it?

I slipped my hand in my pocket and pulled out my phone. It was just after ten in the morning, and I had several missed calls and multiple text messages from Finn, Em, and my mom.

Oh shit.

That was when the day before hit me. My dad was dead … that’s why I’d been at the bar. I rested my head on the steering wheel and replayed yesterday’s events in my mind. My Dad was gone, and I was lost. I’d wanted to go to Harper. I drove to her house … Michael. I leaned forward, swallowing the bile that rose in my throat at the memory.

I remembered Michael being there … and walking in on them. God, my life was a fucking mess. My stomach roiled when I remembered them kissing. The image was hazy, but I could still see it. I shook my head. I needed to start the car and warm it up because it felt like an icebox. Then I needed to head home and take care of my mother. I knew I’d left her at the absolute worst time, but I was literally losing it, and I’d needed to get out of that house. I just couldn’t be where my Dad was just at and wouldn’t be any longer.

While the car was warming up, I listened to the first few voicemails. They were from my mom—she was calling to find out where I was. She was worried because she hadn’t heard from me, and she needed help making some decisions for the funeral. The next message was from Finn telling me that he was in town, and would be coming over after he got settled in at a hotel. I wondered why he was staying in a hotel when he could have just come to stay at the house with us. It wasn’t like he hadn’t lived there throughout high school. I bet it was probably weird for him to be there, knowing what was going on. Shit, if I could’ve stayed in a hotel, I would have too.

I listened to the rest of the messages, each one making me a little bit more anxious. I felt terrible for worrying my mom when she had so much going on. She’d just lost the love of her life, and then her son skipped out on her. Needing to get moving, I put the car in drive and started making my way home. I called my mom to tell her I was on my way home, and that I was sorry for leaving. Then I called Finn to ask if he needed a ride from the hotel to the house. He sounded pissed off at me, which I could only assume was because I hadn’t been answering my phone, but he wanted me to swing by and get him anyway.

At Finn’s hotel, I put the car in park and sat outside, checking my texts before he arrived. My eyebrows furrowed when I saw a message from Em, asking where Harper was. How in the hell would I know? She was her best friend, not mine. But the one that really didn’t sit right was one from Harper.

Harper: I’m sorry about your dad

I hadn’t told her about my dad, so how did she know? I figured someone in town must have told her, or maybe Em had. But then that didn’t explain why Em wanted to know where Harper was. I closed my phone, not wanting to think about her right now.

My passenger-side door opened, and a very grumpy looking Finn got in and buckled his seatbelt.

“Hey, you know you could have stayed at the house. You didn’t have to come get a room.”

“I know, but I figured you’d want some time with your mom. Besides …” He paused and took a deep breath. “Not to sound like an ass or anything, but all the death and funeral stuff brings back too many memories. But I’ll be there when you need me.”

I’d been so wrapped up with shit that I didn’t even think about Finn losing his parents.

“You’re right, man. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, I’m here for you. I’m really sorry about your dad, Ky. I know how close you two were.”

We started making our way to the house.

“Thanks. I just don’t know how I’m going to come to terms with the fact that he’s not here anymore, you know? I mean, how am I going to feel when I want to pick up the phone and call him to ask for advice? Or what about when I finally decide to get married or have kids, and he’s not here anymore and he won’t know about any of it. It just … hurts.”