Hollow Hearts (The Harkwright Trilogy)

When The a Good Ones Snap

I don’t know what time Daria left, but I am glad she was here when I fell asleep. Although now that I’m getting up, I wish I could just get back into bed and sleep the day away. I don’t want to see anyone after what happened last night, I still don’t understand why Shane hates me so much and I can’t imagine the beating last night would have lessened it. If anything, he probably hates me even more.

I walk over to my door and pause with my hand on the handle when voices sound out from the other room, I can’t believe I’m going to do this but I need to hear what they’re saying. I guess that’s why I’m running around looking for a glass to press against the door.

“You can’t be serious, Emmet will lose it,” I hear Bradley say, but clearly I’ve already missed some of the conversation.

“It doesn’t matter, if I don’t then Shane will. He came right out and said it when I paid him a visit last night. Besides, we both know Emmet won’t do it himself. He’s having too much fun fucking around with her head, plus we know his obsession will only grow the longer it remains unchecked,” I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard come out of Aeron without it leading back to sex.

“He isn’t going to like this Aeron, you are playing a dangerous game.”

“I’m not the one playing games and it isn’t as though it will mean anything, besides he paid me a little visit himself last night. He’s making the rules where Luna is concerned…” a loud knock sounds on my door and I want to kill whoever it is for interrupting, I need to know what these new rules are. In fact, how many rules are in place where I’m concerned and why am I being singled

out so fucking much? Fuck!

I pull on a pair of booty shorts and my cowl neck top before slowly pushing my door open and I only come across Bradley and Daria. I guess Aeron must have bowed out when she turned up.

“Hey hon, how are you feeling today?” She asks as she comes closer and pulls me into her arms.

“I’m fine D, the sooner yesterday is forgotten about, the better.”

“That may take a while, but let’s just get the assembly over and then we can pretend it never happened, if that’s what you really want.”

“It is, thanks D. So, what’s this assembly about?” I ask and they share a look between themselves.

“Come on Bradley, it’s about time she knew, it isn’t fair that she’s the only one in the dark by this point,” her hands end up perched on her hips and I’m glad she’s on my side.

“Fine, fine,” Bradley says, holding his hands up in front of him. “When Candice tried to stab you, it raised a lot of issues. Not only with what happened to her but with the role that Four played. She tried to play it off as self-defense but no one would believe that so she did the unthinkable and went straight to Sir. Truth be told, he was not impressed but he allowed her to stay, under house arrest while he decided what would be done with her. Honestly, she should have been kicked out without a moment’s hesitation, but she’s still here. The assembly is for him to announce her fate and believe me when I say, she isn’t worried in the slightest.”

“So she teams up with a group of girls to kill me and yet she gets to stay, how is that fair? I struck a girl, while trying to save one of you guys and they were more than willing to kick me out without a moment’s hesitation,” I can’t keep my voice down as I throw my hands up and start pacing circles on the floor.

“It isn’t fair, but Four is a part of the elites in our society and Senior has been trying to buy her father out of some property for a while. If she can give him the in with her father, then he’ll take it. He makes the rules Luna, we just follow them.”

Yeah, Sir Harkwright may as well be the ruler of the world with the power he holds in his unworthy hands. Some people should never have that much control over people and he’s certainly one of them.

“Why doesn’t he just make her father give it to him?” D asks, not even hiding her disgust.

“I don’t know, I can’t tell you anything about the way that man thinks. I don’t even think Emmet understands or knows why he does what he does or why he doesn’t use his usual tactics on her father. All I know is she has something he wants and he will sell out every one of us to get it, other than Emmet of course.”

I don’t even know what to say to that, so I think I’ll keep my mouth shut and just try to act as normal as I can. Linking my arm with Daria’s we head down to the mess hall with Bradley hot on our tail.

It’s hard to miss the way everything goes quiet as we walk in or the fact that Four is back at the top girls table. I haven’t missed seeing her there and her assurance of her safety does not sit well with me. She should be long gone by now and the weird thing, even with Candice gone no one has taken her spot. Thirteen remains unclaimed and no one seems eager to try and take it for themselves.

“D, do you know what happened to Candice?” I ask quietly and she gives a quick jerk of her head.

“She’s alive Lu, you didn’t kill anyone,” those seven words wash away a weight I didn’t even realize I was shouldering. Knowing that I’m not a murderer though, that is a relief that cannot be washed away, not even by Four or Shane.

We grab our breakfast and sit down at our usual table and Bradley breaks whatever protocol this place has by sitting with us. The whispering starts up all around and only increases in intensity when the door pushes open and Shane walks in, his one eye zeroing in on me in an instant.

His face takes on a whole new meaning of black and blue. His left eye is completely swollen shut and his jaw is a mottled purple color with bruising traveling up and down his face and even disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt. I can’t get over just how much damage they did to him. I know Emmet has some weird obsession with me but Tucker can’t seem to decide whether he hates me or wants me. Although I guess he only got involved because of Emmet, didn’t he say that himself last night?

He stops at our table and I can see Bradley clenching his fists beneath the table, I can’t help but wonder if anyone actually likes Shane or if they only put up with him because he’s a Harkwright.

“Fuck off Shane, before you get another beating,” he says, causing Shane to laugh, but it soon turns into a coughing fit as his arm moves around to hug his ribs.

“Don’t make me laugh you pussy whipped bitch, now take said pussy and fuck off. Me and Luna need to have a little chat,” he cocks his head to the side but no one moves.

“Fine, be that way,” he flips the chair around until he’s sitting on it backwards with his forearms resting on the top of it.