Mercy

Chapter Fortyseven

“Yes,” Anne replied. “It’s only for two months. If something goes wrong during his house arrest, they will take him to jail.”

Despair rested inside my chest. I felt a sour taste in my tongue. Harry is hard to control. He is his own person and goes to extreme extents to prove that. Keeping him with a ankle bracelet and away from all the things he surrounds himself with will be maddening. But I’d do it for him. Anything to avoid having him taken to a cell.

I frowned lightly. “Why just house arrest?”

Anne sent me a sad smile. “The power of money cannot be underestimated. I can pay his bail over and over again.” She shrugged her shoulders, dropping her hands from my own and trying to lighten me up with a smile.

I’m still shaken up by the scare I received. “I just wish he’d quit being so agitating and found something legal to do. He’s always troubling himself.”

She sighed, nodding her head. “You’re a good girl for him, you know. I’ve said the same thing. Maybe if you told him as well, he’d understand better. He does care for you a lot.”

“I love him, Anne. He’s all I want, and I need him to be better for himself.”

There was a second where she hadn’t said anything, only widened her eyes at me in utter astonishment. “You love my son?”

My cheeks burned with a tingle of embarrassment and heat from the reality. I’ve said it to him before, the words still feeling fresh and new with every wave of emotion that had taken me away whenever he returned the words.

“Yes, I really do,” I told her honestly. “He’s got to stop testing the water; seeing how far he needs to go until he gets sent to jail.”

Her smile was giddy and happy, despite the back of our minds still lingering with bad thoughts about this house arrest and what Harry will have to face for two months.

“Serenity, I’m one hundred percent sure he loves you, too. And deep inside he does know he should try and be better, but he’s a troubled kid. Always has been. He needs a little push. And you are that little spark of inspiration.”

“You think so?

“With all my heart.” She squeezed my hand quickly before adding, “Now let’s go to the police station where Harry is. They’re probably holding him down and putting the ankle bracelet on him.”

Already I'm debating whether this will be good for him in a way. He'll eventually stay out of trouble because he can't leave the house. Also, the ankle bracelet detects drug use or alcohol -- as explained by Anne.

What worries me is that Harry won't be able to stand the confinement. I really hope he stays out of trouble. For the most part I don't know what he's up to, which worries me because he does so much idiotic things.

Marijuana. Of course. I’m well aware Harry smokes it, but I didn’t think he’d distribute it to the public. I doubt he does it regularly. I’m asking him, however. I can’t help but feel mad at him, too. For being so stupid sometimes. It’s hypocritical, yes, but I cannot stand hearing that he’s gotten into trouble. I guess it’s become a habit of mine to feel anxious whenever he does risky things. Prison is not a sunny paradise for either of us.