Solitude Grace

Chapter Five

Harper slept restlessly that night, couldn't seem to find peace in anything. He had not been given the luxury of dreams so he had resorted to thought and those thoughts centred on one thing and one thing alone. As much as it pained him to think about them, they seemed to just trail into his head.

Hair like pure gold flowing over flawless shoulders which connected to a body so delicate it reminded Harper of a flower petal, so easily breakable. Almond shaped blue eyes that melted to a light violet shade that seemed so uncommon but remarkable in contrast to his own brown eyes. 

For any other man, Lisa would be perfect. Harper saw her as a menace, an invasion of his privacy, she lingered even when he made it evident she was unwanted in his head.

Finally, with a loud groan, he got up from the bed and walked into the kitchen, pouring a glass of water and savouring the sweetness of the cold as it flowed down his clogged throat. 

How he let her come in contact with him? He should have been more careful, he should have seen her spell before he was caught within it, and now it seemed as if he were trapped, like there was nothing he could do to escape.

And that's what he wanted, so much, he wanted to be free of her mind game she seemed to be playing with him, free of her face which clouded his vision every time he closed his eyes, the innocence of her eyes as they were caught in his mind. So vivid he could have sworn she was right before him.

"What are you doing to me?" He questioned the girl in his head.

Silence met him and again he felt like the fool as he questioned something that could not possibly answer.

Gladis had heard Harper get up from his bed, she had also gotten out of bed and followed him. She hadn't made herself visible, instead she just listened to him breathing. He was a very confused boy, fighting feelings that were too strong to understand. 

She wished so much he would just tell her what had brought him to this town, but she couldn't ask out right, he would switch subject like he had when she questioned about his family and his hometown. She was curious about the boy.

"What are you doing to me?" Gladis heard him utter from around the corner.

He sounded like he was frustrated but in so much pain. Who could he be talking about? For a moment her own flashed in her head but she knew it could not possibly her he was referring to, she had been nothing but good to this boy. 

"Gladis?" She looked up and was met by the startled brown eyes she had become so accustomed to. "You should be sleeping." His tone was stern, looking her with nothing but concern though.

"Who were you talking about?" Gladis couldn't stop the words from escaping her lips, but she didn't regret them.

"Lisa." Harper admitted, looking at the woman pleading with her to help him.

"You like her?" Gladis was almost pleased, Lisa was a good girl.

"No, I just cannot seem to get her out of my head. The girl is a menace." Harper sneered, his words shocking Gladis but she could see he was fighting his feelings, this was his way of fighting them.

"You should stop pushing people away if you're going to be living here." Gladis instructed as Harper led her back to her bedroom.

Harper sat down on the woman's bed as she tucked herself in. He knew he could speak with Gladis, she treated him as an equal instead of making decisions for him as Lisa had today, stating he would not like to attend a certain event.

"She is forceful and forward, she also has blue eyes that turn to a shade of purple in a certain light that I can't seem to ignore, they always seem to find a way into my head." He confessed, feeling a weight lifted from his shoulders as if the woman before him held the answers to the world.