Unwanted Blood (Harper) novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Harper’s POV

My phone buzzed on the table between us. I glanced at the screen and answered before the second ring.

“Did I wake you?” Ethan’s voice came through, edged with worry.

“No,” I said, trying to keep my voice from sounding as brittle as I felt. “I’m having breakfast with Ryder.”

The line exploded. “What? Ryder? Your older brother? Harper, where are you? Don’t move, I’m coming right now-”

Ryder’s hand moved slightly on the table as he leaned in. His voice stayed calm when he spoke, loud enough for the phone to catch. “Don’t worry, Ethan. I’m not here to hurt her. She’s my sister.”

Silence stretched on Ethan’s end.

“Harper,” he began, his voice dropping. “You don’t have to force yourself to sit there. You don’t owe him a single minute.”

“I know,” I said softly. “I’m just…done running.”

I looked out at the rain-slicked Vancouver streets. I was tired. Tired of looking over my shoulder, tired of changing my route to work, tired of the shadows that followed me.

It hit me then that no matter where I went, they would keep finding me. So I had decided to face whatever came next, even if it left me shaking inside.

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I whispered. “I’ll see you later.”

I hung up before he could argue, and set the phone down.

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The conversation at McDonald’s stretched longer than I expected. At first, I thought I’d leave in ten minutes. Then twenty. Most of the time, he spoke while I listened.

Finally, he looked up then, and for the first time, I saw the cracks.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud…” He chuckled dryly, clearing his throat and kept going. “I will never forgive myself, Harper. For hurting

you

when you were that small… when you had no idea what was going on and was… just looking for someone to love you.”

I stared at him with no idea of what to say. The words were stuck somewhere behind the knot in my throat.

Ryder’s POV

The conversation finally ended.

Harper pushed her chair back and stood without a word. She walked straight to the revolving door and stepped through it, the glass panels turning slowly behind her.

I followed a few steps behind.

Harper hadn’t even reached the sidewalk before a taxi screeched to a halt at the curb. Ethan was out of the passenger’s seat before the engine had fully cut. He went straight to Harper, pulling her into his arms without hesitation, one hand resting on the back of her head.

“Are you okay?” Ethan muttered into her hair, his hands scanning her

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Chapter 12

shoulders, checking for bruises. “What did he say to you?”

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Harper just shook her head against his chest. She looked small there, protected, and it felt like a slap in the face. I was her brother. I was the one who should have been her protector.

Something sharp twisted in my chest. Seeing Ethan hold her like that made my vision blur with a hot spike of jealousy. Even.I, her own brother, had never been allowed that kind of closeness.

So, why him?

I scoffed before I could stop myself. “Ethan, you’re being a bit dramatic.

He shot me a loathing look over her shoulder. He clearly didn’t trust me. I couldn’t blame him. He’d been the one picking up the pieces I’d spent a lifetime scattering. At least she wasn’t alone. Even if the person holding her wasn’t me.

“We’re still going to the zoo today, right?” Ethan asked, his voice

softening as he pulled back to look at her making the tension ease slightly. “The kids are expecting us at ten.”

Harper was about to nod when another voice cut in from behind us.

“Isn’t that a bit childish?”

The voice cut through the air.

I turned to see Grayson standing a few feet away, leaning against a lamp post with his arms crossed. He looked tired, his eyes bloodshot, but the sneer was back on his face.

The air froze.

Harper turned sharply toward him, brows pulling tight. The softness she’d

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shown Ethan vanished, replaced by anger. “That’s none of your business, Grayson.”

“I’m just trying to talk to you-” Grayson started, pushing off the post.

“I don’t care what you think,” she interrupted coldly. “Just like you never cared about me before.”

The words landed like a blade.

Harper’s gaze shifted to me, then back to Grayson. A flash of genuine hurt crossed her features before being swallowed by wariness. “Was this your idea, Ryder? Did you have him wait outside just in case the apology didn’t work?” she asked me. “If it was… congratulations. You got me to show up.”

She turned to walk away, her shoulders tight.

“Get out of the way, Grayson!” I snapped, the anger flaring in my chest. I stepped toward him, my hand hovering near his collar. “I told you last night—you should’ve gone back to home. You’re making it worse.”

“She’s my sister too!” Grayson shot back, his face reddening. “We don’t need your permission for anything!”

I ignored him and went after her. “Harper-” I adjusted my buttons, forcing my voice steady, “Harper, wait. This wasn’t arranged. I just happened to run into you this morning. I didn’t even know he would be here. I swear.”

I was terrified. I could feel the thin thread of connection we’d started to build in that cafe snapping. I was afraid she would disappear into the Vancouver fog and this time, even Logan’s trackers wouldn’t find her.

But Grayson stepped forward anyway, voice cracking. “Harper. I’m really

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Chapter 12

sorry—”

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He reached out a hand, and Harper flinched, recoiling as if he would hurt her, her breath hitching. That single movement hurt more than anything he could have said.

Grayson froze, his hand trembling in mid-air. “I won’t… I won’t hurt you, Harper.”

Harper lowered her eyes. A bitter, jagged laugh slipped out of her throat. “You’ve said that before, Grayson.”

“Harper, please-”

“You said that when I had no food because you’d thrown mine away,” she said, her voice trembling with a sudden, icy power. “You said that when you watched other people at school shove me into lockers and did nothing. You said that when I actually thought you might finally accept me, only for you to turn around and humiliate me the next day.”

Silence fell between us.

Grayson had nothing left to say, but he still tried. “We’re family,” he whispered, a pathetic attempt at leverage. “I deserve a chance to make it right-”

That was it.

Harper snapped

She shook her head hard, voice trembling. “You don’t deserve anything.”

“I give it — or you don’t get it.” She stepped toward him now, her eyes locking onto his with a terrifying clarity. “You don’t get to decide whether I forgive you. You don’t get to decide what’s right for me.”

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sorry-

He reached out a hand, and Harper flinched, recoiling as if he would hurt her, her breath hitching. That single movement hurt more than anything he could have said.

Grayson froze, his hand trembling in mid-air. “I won’t… I won’t hurt you, Harper.”

Harper lowered her eyes. A bitter, jagged laugh slipped out of her throat. “You’ve said that before, Grayson.”

“Harper, please-”

“You said that when I had no food because you’d thrown mine away,” she said, her voice trembling with a sudden, icy power. “You said that when you watched other people at school shove me into lockers and did nothing. You said that when I actually thought you might finally accept me, only for you to turn around and humiliate me the next day.”

Silence fell between us.

Grayson had nothing left to say, but he still tried. “We’re family,” he whispered, a pathetic attempt at leverage. “I deserve a chance to make it right-”

That was it.

Harper snapped.

She shook her head hard, voice trembling. “You don’t deserve anything.”

–

“I give it

or you don’t get it.” She stepped toward him now, her eyes locking onto his with a terrifying clarity. “You don’t get to decide whether I forgive you. You don’t get to decide what’s right for me.”

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