All that guilt evaporated when I saw the girl lying on the bed with my brother and was replaced with white hot rage.
“Fuck!” I practically yelled, but the two sleeping forms on the bed didn’t even move. “Drake, what the fuck did you do?”
The next few hours were hard ones to get through, most of which I spent on my own except for the brief visit by Lana. I felt gutted after watching her walk away with that dead expression in her pretty amber eyes. With Emmie on her way—along with Jesse and Layla—there wasn’t much I could do but pace.
I could have woken Harper up and asked her to be with me through the long wait, but I didn’t want to upset her.
It was after nine before Emmie unlocked the front door, and she and Layla walked into the apartment, followed by a brooding Jesse. Perhaps I should have felt sorry for my brother, but I was still too angry to care right then.
Seeing Emmie was like a balm to my heart. I pulled her into a tight bear hug, holding her close for the first time in what felt like a lifetime but was only a couple of months. “Thanks for coming.”
She sighed. “I don’t know how much good I can do.”
“How is Lana?” Layla demanded, her face pale and her eyes blood shot.
“I don’t know, Layla,” I told her honestly. “She was so calm, so unlike herself. Lana doesn’t do calm when slapped in the face.”
“No, she runs all the way across the country,” Jesse bit out, his hands clenched at his sides. “All the good it did, too. Wake his fucking ass up, Shane!”
“I’ve tried. He’s out cold. Drake hasn’t had anything harder than coffee in months. Whatever he got into last night hit him hard. We just have to let him sleep it off.” Then I was sure that I would be picking my brother up off the floor.
I made sure my three guests were comfortable before I returned to my bedroom to wake Harper. She was still sleeping peacefully. I took a moment to look down at her spread across my sheets. One hand was tucked under her cheek, the other across her stomach, that mouth with the perfect Cupid’s bow parted as she lightly snored every other breath.
I climbed in behind her, letting her warmth chase away the coldness that had invaded my body the moment I found my brother asleep in the same bed as Gabriella Moreitti. As soon as I touched her, I felt calmer and ready to face the disaster that Drake had created for himself, and therefore all of us.
She mumbled something in her sleep before blinking her eyes open. “Shane?”
I kissed her shoulder. “Good morning, sleeping beauty.”
Her yawn was adorable and I waited until she cuddled into my chest before I told her what had been happening while she slept. The more I said the tenser she became. Worried for her friend, she started to get up. “I have to get home. She must be devastated.”
“I’ll take you,” I promised, not bothering to avert my eyes as I watched her dress. Her breasts swayed ever so slightly with each movement she made.
“But you have guests.”
“They aren’t here to see me, Harper. In fact, I’m sure it will make them all calmer if I’m not around right now. All I do is pace and that can get irritating after a while.” And Emmie was in no mood to be irritated. I would rather face the flames of Hell than get on her bad side.
When she was finally dressed she pulled her hair into a sloppy bun at the back of her neck and turned to face me. “I wasn’t exactly planning on meeting your family this soon.”
“Are you nervous?”
A small smile tilted her lips. “Were you nervous when I introduced you to Cecil?” I made a sour face and she laughed. “Then you have your answer.”
“There is no need to be nervous of Emmie and Layla. And especially not Jesse. They will love you, baby.” Just as I do…
I kissed her lips and lead her out into the living room.
From the moment I realized I had feelings for Harper, I had told Emmie all about her. She wasn’t surprised when I introduced her to the girl that had captured my heart. Emmie tried to be nice, but she had too much going through her mind to pay much attention to Harper. Layla and Jesse shook her hand, and even welcomed her to the family, but were otherwise stone faced.
As soon as I could, I took Harper home. I didn’t want Harper around the tension and would hate it if she thought that my family didn’t like her.
My girl was right by my side over the next few days. I had to be there for my brother, but Harper was always there for me when I needed her. She was strong, stronger than even I had realized. When everyone else was stressed to the max, she was the calm one. Even Emmie took notice of it and took me aside to let me know that she really liked Harper.
“She’s really sweet, Shane.”
We were standing by the double doors that went to the ICU where Lana had been for the last three days. Behind Emmie was the waiting room where we’d all been camped out since Lana’s emergency surgery to stop the bleeding from her complicated miscarriage. I could see Harper sitting with Layla and Lucy, who’d arrived with Nik and Mia two days ago.
Lucy was still looking upset, worried about her sister. But Harper was talking softly to her and stroking Lucy’s short hair back from her face.
“I know.” I was turned toward Harper, ready to go to her in an instant if she needed me.
She grasped my hand, bringing my focus back to her. “She’s really good for you. Even through all this craziness I can see that.” Emmie sighed and shook her head. “I’ve really put my foot in it with Lana. I’m not even sure why I put all the blame on her. You know I love her. She’s Drake’s other half…”
“Emmie, I think it’s obvious why you are so hard on her.” I leaned back against the wall, trying to get a better glimpse of Harper. Just looking at her calmed my nerves. “Drake has always been the one that needed you most, whether we want to admit it or not. You were acting like a mother bear protecting her cub, and that’s great. But the cub fucked up, sweetheart. And it was no one’s fault but his own.”
“Yeah, I know.”
The lost look in her big green eyes hurt me, and I pulled her close. “It’s going to be okay, Em. Lana will be alright, and you can kiss and make up. She knows how you are. She won’t hold it against you.”
“Don’t let me do this to Harper, Shane.”
I laughed. “Don’t worry. If you say one word that hurts my girl, I’ll be all over your ass about it.” No way was I letting anyone—not even Emmie—hurt Harper in any way.