Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Six

I drive home, park my car, and head to the front porch. As I reach it, Ava rushes out, her face lighting up with relief.

“Oh my goodness, Harper, you scared us all!” she exclaims, pulling me into a tight hug.

I’m taken aback by her sudden emotion. “Why?” I ask, pulling away to look at her.

“Check your phone, Harper. We’ve left dozens of missed calls. We were terrified something bad had happened to you.”

“Jeez, relax, Ava. I’m here, and that’s what matters,” I say, heading inside with her following closely.

In the living room, my mum is seated. Her eyes widen with relief when she sees me. “Harper, what happened? I was so scared when you weren’t picking up.”

“Why is everyone so worried?” I ask, pulling my phone from my bag. My eyes widen as I see it’s past one a.m.; I hadn’t realized how late it was.

“I’m so sorry for keeping you all worried,” I say, regret heavy in my voice. “I completely lost track of time.” I open my call log and see thirty-three missed calls, most from Josh.

Feeling