CASTAWAY ⚓ R.C, J.M

T W O

Frankie bowed his head in shame. Good. Harley was glad he understood how severely messed up what her family did was. 

"Fuck. I know. I know, I'm sorry. We didn't know where you were at first. No one knew where Renfield had taken you and he was missing for a bit. Mom got taken to hospital because of what he did and she wasn't in a good way. Dad sent people out to look for you and once he knew where you were he had people stay to watch over you."

"People?" Harley thought back over her year in the Outer Banks. She hadn't noticed anyone or anything weird other than Billie. Nobody came to mind as she skimmed through as many memories she could. "What people?"

"At first it was a few bodyguards." Frankie paused to gauge Harley's reaction. She was clueless. She hadn't seen any bodyguards around. So Frankie explained, "You shouldn't have noticed them, they weren't supposed to come into contact with you. You got a new nurse taking care of you alongside your doctor — that was Dad's doing. A new teacher joined your school not too long after you joined so that we'd have eyes on you there, too."

Harley hadn't really thought twice about having a new nurse, because she'd still had the same doctor. It also wasn't unusual for teachers to come and go in a school. Harley didn't know if she appreciated her dad finding ways to have people there to watch over her, or if it made her even more annoyed that he did everything but come and get her. In fact, they didn't even have to come and get her, she could have gone to them if they'd sent someone. How could it have possibly helped having her away from everyone?

"I wanted to come here and see you. Even stay here until things with your memory got sorted out, but dad said it would be best if I stayed. He said he had it under control. But, that doesn't matter. I should have pushed to see you. I let a year go by. My girlfriend was here and I wasn't. And, I'll always be regretful about that." 

At first, Harley didn't say anything, not even when he asked her to. She was having a hard time looking at her brother. She understood that he had wanted to come her, and she knew it would have been difficult to leave their mother and put college on hold just to come to Kildare for her. However, she still felt some resentment. He could have pushed for their dad to get in contact with her or he could have sent a message through Billie. He could have done something... surely. 

"I want to go home now."

Frankie sat up. "You are home." His eyes trailed over the clean counters and empty space. "Well, temporary home. Stay. Mom and dad will be back soon, and then we can head back to Manhattan in no time." 

Manhattan. JJ was going to have a field day with that information, Harley thought. 

"If you're not going to take me to my actual home, then I'll walk." Harley started to get up despite Frankie's desperate pleas for her to stay longer, when the sound of the front door hushed them.

Frankie looked at the door that led to the hallway then back down at his little sister. Harley's stomach did flips when she recognised the look in Frankie's eyes. Their parents were home. All Harley could do was steel herself, because there was no way out. She could hear footsteps drawing closer to the kitchen as she stood riddled with sudden, intense anxiety. 

Harley didn't want to meet her parents today and now she had no choice. She'd rather go home to the Chateau and listen to JJ spout 'I told you so's' about her being from New York. 

The kitchen door pushed open revealing the most sophisticated and terrifyingly intimidating couple Harley had seen. They oozed beauty, charm and money. It was like the air around them had been filtered through gold and purified with diamonds.