“Because they don’t know. They aren’t your birth parents, and they are human.”
5
Brian
Fuck!
This isn’t going well. Harleigh is about a second away from punching one of us, and at this point I wouldn’t blame her.
This is way more complicated than I anticipated when I reached out to him for help. I wish I could have prepared her more for this, but I didn’t know. He told me nothing because he knew I would do my best to tell her on my own.
He knows I care for her.
I pull her back into my lap when I feel her shaking beside me. She’s trying to fight the tears, but I can see it on her face. A part of her knows this is true, but she doesn’t want to believe it.
When I say this, I mean that her parents weren’t actually her parents. The supernatural thing? That’s going to take some time for her to come around to.
I wasn’t happy about Dad spreading his wings as a way to shock her into believing, but he was right. She was leaving, and the look she gave me before she stood up made my chest tighten.
I never want her to doubt me.
I shoot Dad a look, because let’s be real, there are better ways to drop a bomb like that on someone. Especially given everything else we’ve thrown at her today. I’m worried that this is all too much for her to grasp, and she’s going to lose it.
It’s not that I don’t believe in her strength, because I do, but even the calmest angel I know would probably blow a gasket from everything she’s learning.
“What do you mean they aren’t my parents?” She looks at Dad like she could rip his head off at any moment. “Of course, they are. They raised me. If I was adopted, they would have told me!” she screams at him.
“Harleigh.” Dad keeps his tone smooth and calm like always, and I can feel myself getting pissed off.
This shouldn’t be a time to be emotionless. Especially when the girl I care about is coming apart at the seams, but he continues.
“Mortal parents can’t have supernatural children. Not when both of them are mortal. There are a few exceptions when it comes to witches and warlocks, but that isn’t the case with you.” He takes a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose before continuing. It’s the first sign of emotion he’s shown since we got here.
“No,” she whispers.
“I’m sorry I had to tell you before your parents got a chance to, but your safety is in peril as long as you remain in the dark.” He gives her a pointed look that she gives right back.
Fuck, it’s hard not to admire her when she refuses to back down from anything thrown at her. My dad is a scary dude, but she couldn’t give less fucks than she does right now.
“Beautiful?” I say gently.
She slowly turns her attention back to me, and I can see a heat in her eyes I hope to never see again. She’s furious, I just hope it’s not directed at me.
“Did you know about this? That he was going to dump this on me?!” She looks so hurt and angry, like I betrayed her.
I can’t have her believing that, so I shut that shit down quick. “No, Harleigh, I didn’t.” I cup her face in my hands to keep her eyes level with mine as I say my next words. “I knew you were supernatural because you can’t be in this school unless you’re a half blood like me. I didn’t know what you were, and I sure as fuck didn’t know you were adopted. I figured your parents probably hid this world from you for your safety and peace of mind.”
I lean my forehead against hers and breathe her in, wishing like hell I could absorb her pain and bear it myself.
I kiss her nose before continuing. “I want to take all this pain from you. All this confusion and uncertainty. I just wish I could make it all go away, but I can’t. What I can do, is be here every step of the way guiding you, loving you, and protecting you.”
Her breath hitches, and I wonder what I said to cause that reaction. “You love me?”
Damn, did I say that? I mean it’s the truth. I do love her; I love everything about her. Her smile, her laugh, her eyes, her tough take no prisoners attitude.
Hell, I even love her ability to make friends with some random fucking cat that shows up because she says it’s ‘begging to be loved and cuddled’.
I am head over heels in love with this girl I have only known a couple of months, and I am okay with that…probably should have found a better time and way to tell her though.
“Yeah, beautiful, I do. I’m sorry I blurted it out like that. I know this isn’t really the time or place, and you don’t need anything else to worry about—” I stop because she is all out crying now.
Those tears she was trying so hard to hold back are now falling, and for a brief moment I truly hate myself for making her cry.
She must see something in my face because she leans in to kiss me, grabbing my face in her hands.
“I love you too, Bry. This is a shit time to tell me, but I’m going to need you more than ever right now. If this is real, and not some sort of twisted, fucked up joke, I am grateful I have you by my side to help me,” she says through broken words and tears, but she has a smile on her face.
I can’t help it. I lean in and take her mouth with mine, cradling the back of her head to hold her close.
She needs to know how deeply I feel for her, and words aren’t enough. Just as I move my tongue along her bottom lip, dad coughs and makes me pull back.
Harleigh stares at me for a moment, those beautiful bright green eyes shining with unshed tears, and then turns her attention back to Dad as he begins to talk.
“I can assure you, dear, that this is no joke. We are both here to help you in any way we can, but I have a few questions I need you to answer, okay?”
She nods and leans into my chest.
She’s afraid of what’s coming next. I can feel the slight shake in her body, and I wrap my arms around her tighter.
