Chapter Seven - Back Already?

The muffled sounds of bickering and raised voices echoed through the long, cold hallways of the Baldwin residence. The storm that had erupted after Harper's disastrous appearance at Harriet's birthday party had not yet subsided.

Upstairs, Harper lay motionless beneath her tangled sheets, her head buried deep into the pillow as if trying to suffocate the shame, the regret, the echo of it all. She wished the world would simply open up and swallow her whole.

What was she thinking?

She never should've gone to that party.

Her bedroom door creaked open, followed by the soft padding of footsteps. Aura entered, holding a glass of water between her hands like a fragile offering. She approached slowly, crouching beside Harper's bed until they were eye level. Her expression was gentle, but her eyes betrayed her worry. The frown on her lips made her look years older than she was.

"Hey." she whispered, placing the glass on the nightstand. "How are you feeling?"

Harper didn't lift her head. "Awful." she muttered. "Do I even want to know what they're talking about downstairs?"

Aura hesitated, then sat at the foot of the bed, her voice still soft. "They're talking about sending you back to Warren. I think grandma is coming over.. It's a mess. They think you're not ready to be home. That it was a mistake to bring you back."

Harper scoffed bitterly, rolling onto her back and dragging her pillow over her face again. "Of course they are. I'll die in there, you know that, right? They'll do anything to throw me back in that place."

Aura gently reached out, her hand resting on Harper's lower back, her thumb moving in slow circles like a silent apology. "They might not go through with it. You know how they are. Just... go downstairs and apologise. Maybe that'll help."

Harper sat up abruptly, eyes wide in disbelief. "Apologise? For what, exactly? It wasn't even my fault!"

Aura met her sister's furious gaze calmly. "Harp... they found you alone. Sophie and Millie had to physically carry and drag you back home. You were barely conscious. You puked on yourself. What if they hadn't found you? What then? You could've died!"

Harper's defiance faltered, her mouth pulling into a grim line. Aura's voice cracked as she continued. "I should've stayed home. I told mom and dad I would stay and look after you."

"Don't be stupid, Aura." Harper mumbled, hugging her knees. "You're not my babysitter."

Aura studied her sister's face—sunken eyes ringed with exhaustion, pale skin, the messy, half-toppled bun that barely held back her once-glossy curls. She looked like a ghost of herself.

The door creaked open again. Jackson strolled in, tossing his shoes aside and giving his sister an incredulous look.

"You seriously that much of an idiot?" he scoffed, flopping onto his own bed. "If you're gonna sneak off to some party, maybe don't go with people who'll leave you half-dead in the street."

"Shut up, Jackson." Harper snapped. "I don't need a lecture from you of all people."

Aura gave Harper a look, half-apologetic, half-concerned. "He's right, though. Vivienne left you. She can't be doing that. You need to be safe."

Harper's voice dropped. "Vivienne doesn't know about... me. About the hospital. I haven't told her all of it yet. I don't want her thinking I'm crazy. I will tell her. Eventually." She reached for her phone. Still no messages. Her heart sank.

"Well.." Jackson muttered, "if I were you, I'd start packing my bags. They're already halfway to shipping you back. Harriet's fuming."

Harper's jaw clenched as she shoved socks onto her feet. "That rat doesn't even get a say. Wait until I get down there."

She stormed out, pink socks slapping against the hardwood floor, and descended the stairs like a storm gathering force. The dining room fell into silence the moment she appeared. Camila sat at the table with her head in her hands. Thomas stood rigid nearby, arms crossed. Harriet and Cody sat across from them, all four pairs of eyes turning sharply toward her.

"Oh, look who's graced us with her presence!" Harriet sneered. "Speak of the fucking devil."

Harper scoffed, her fists clenched at her sides. "Shut up, you rat. Nobody cares what you think."

Harriet stood, eyes blazing. "Nobody cares? You ruined my birthday, Harper. You always make it about you! This is exactly why you can't be trusted to be left alone!"

"I made one mistake." Harper snapped, her voice shaking. "And now you're all ready to throw me back into that hellhole? I'm sorry, okay? It won't happen again."

Camila and Thomas exchanged a heavy look. Thomas stepped forward, his voice steady but cold. "Harper... we've been thinking. Maybe it's best if you go back to Warren. Just for a couple of months. To get the proper support you need. You're clearly not ready to be back home yet."

The words struck Harper like a slap to the face.

"I don't even feel like I'm part of this family." she said quietly, then louder—broken and trembling. "I spent my entire childhood locked away in and out of that place because none of you wanted to deal with me! You think I'm crazy. Dangerous. An embarrassment to the family."

Camila gasped, eyes wide with disbelief. "That's not true—"

"Isn't it?" Harper snapped. "You tell people I'm staying with Aunt Julia when they ask. You can't even admit where I really am. You're ashamed. Because I didn't turn out like her." She pointed directly at Harriet.

Harriet rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Pack your bags. You're out of here."

Just as Thomas slammed the trunk shut with a heavy thud, the unmistakable click of heels echoed from the driveway.

Cece Rhodes, wrapped in a tailored ivory coat and a silk scarf knotted perfectly at her throat, strode toward them like a queen surveying her crumbling court. Her silver-blonde hair was perfectly pinned, her lipstick unbothered by the early morning chill.

Camila's spine straightened instinctively. "Mother. Hi. It's being dealt with, okay? You don't need to get involved.."

"I heard about last night.." Cece said coolly, glancing toward Harper with a sharp tilt of her chin. "Quite the performance, I'm told. But I can't say I'm surprised. Our Harper LOVES a show after all, don't you Harper?"

Harper's face twisted with disgust. 

Cece didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, she turned to Camila and Thomas, her tone low and controlled. "Sending her back to Warren is a wise decision, Cami. You're finally starting to act like proper parents."

Camila flinched, but said nothing. Her gaze fell to the gravel.

Thomas narrowed his eyes. "This wasn't your decision, Cece. It's ours."

"No." she replied. "But it should have been." Her eyes never left Harper, like she was studying a wild animal. 

"You've given this child too much freedom for too long. Sympathy breeds rebellion, Camila. You should know that better than anyone. Look at your sister for gods sake."