Page 52 of Stopping Short

“Mason! Are you serious right now?” Dad growls.

“What? You weren’t going to tell her.” Mason folds his thick arms across his chest and doesn’t back down. “She deserves to know what she’s up against. It’s the best way for her to protect herself. If Kelsey and Cali had known they were being watched…” He trails off and shakes his head. Mom and Kelsey’s story will always affect all of us. You can see the weight of the memory in Mason’s eyes every time he talks about it. He’ll forever be haunted by what happened.

And he’s right. I need to know what I'm dealing with. I need to know exactly how far Evan’s willing to go so I can prepare.

Mason’s phone rings. He keeps his eyes locked on Dad as he lifts the device to his ear and answers.

“Bennett… Are you kidding me?... Hold on.” He places the phone on speaker and holds it between us. “You’re on speaker, Peck. Repeat what you just told me.”

“Alright, buckle up for this wild ride…” He trails off, building the anticipation. “Dennis Stone and Evan Fodder know each other. The Fodder family wants to get in on some massive business that Stone is starting up. It isn’t common knowledge, but the Fodders are drowning in debt. Stone is their only shot at recovering and restoring their former wealth.”

“What’s that got to do with Harper?” Dad asks.

“I'm so glad you asked! Stone wants Harper away from Maddox and Cali. He told the Fodders he’ll happily let them in on this business venture, but Evan has to marry Harper and move her far away from her family.”

“Are you kidding me?” Dad roars.

“That’s why he proposed out of the blue. It’s why he’s been cheating on you behind your back. It’s why he’s not all in with your relationship and gives you as much freedom as you’d like. He doesn’t want to date you, Harper. He’s doing it because he has no choice.”

“Wow, Peck, way to make me feel good about myself,” I grumble under my breath.

“He was also promised a high paying job in Stone’s company. One that would set him up for life.” I can hear the wince in Peck’s voice.

“Awesome, so I'm just some sort of leverage for Evan to get what he wants?”

“Basically.”

“How desperate is he, Peck?” Mason asks, keeping his attention on the big picture.

“Well, the Fodder’s home will be foreclosed on in the next three months if nothing transpires between Harper and Evan. I have documentation proving that Stone was willing to cover living expenses for the Fodders as long as Harper and Evan were engaged. He wouldn’t do more than that until after the wedding was over and Harper was living on the other side of the country.”

“So… Very,” Mason rolls his eyes.

“Yes, Evan’s extremely desperate and there’s no telling what he might do.”

“Then we need to get out of here before he realizes you’re leaving.” Mason turns his attention to me, his expression is tense and he’s making me even more anxious. “Thanks, Peck. We’ll be leaving here shortly. Hopefully we’ll be home before midnight.”

“Ok. I’m headed to Jackson’s house. I’m going to install some cameras around his property and I want to check a few things with the security at the development,” Peck murmurs, sounding distracted. He’s probably thinking through all of the things he needs to do today.

“Sounds good. Keep in touch as anything develops.”

Mason ends the call and we all stand in silence. Now that I know exactly what I'm dealing with, I'm more terrified than ever before.

“Let’s check the house one more time to make sure we didn’t miss anything,” Dad says softly.

Dad places his hand behind the head rest of the passenger’s seat and glances over his shoulder as he backs out of my driveway. We’re in Mason’s car and Mason’s driving mine. I thought that was a stupid idea, until Mason pointed out that if Evan realized I was leaving, he’d follow my car. I quickly changed my mind and agreed to go in his car.

Mason knew Dad would refuse to go in a separate car from me, so that left Mason driving my car.

I glance at the clock as we pull off of my street and onto the main road. Within a few minutes, we’re pulling onto the highway, leaving this college behind.

It’s five-fifty. I told Evan I’d meet him in ten minutes.

We thought about leaving earlier, but Dad pointed out that waiting until Evan’s waiting for me at the coffee shop would be better. If he’s already tied up, there’s less of a chance that we’ll have run in with him as we make our escape.

“The chances of him catching up with us right now are very slim, Harp. Take a deep breath and try to relax. I'm keeping an eye on my rearview mirror and the only person I see following us is Mason.” Dad takes my hand in his and squeezes it gently.

“I just want this to be over,” I whisper as the first tear slips down my cheek. I’ve tried so hard to be strong during this, but I’m struggling.