Hidebound

Chapter EightyOne

Its been a week since Wyonna died and it had passed in a blur. I still hadn't seen Harley and from what I've heard, she hasn't left her house and the only way I knew that was because Banks had texted Hex. Harley hadn't even been answering her phone and if it wasn't for Banks looking after her, I would've called for a welfare check to be done by now.

Hex had remained the same. He had attempted to forget that anything had happened and does his best at living the way he had been before she died.

I'd had the last two days off due to the weekend and it means that for the first time Darby's had been closed because there's was no one to fill in for the shifts. I ignored the way Stevie had bitched about it but he also didn't seem to want to fill in so he eventually gave in.

As for tomorrow, Sarah is running the bar all by herself. Its Wyonna's funeral tomorrow but no one had spoken a word about it. Everyone knows what's happening but no one wants to acknowledge it.

The apartment is sombre tonight and the sky is dark outside. I can hear the rain lightly falling onto the tin roof and it relaxes me as I cut up a carrot for the stew that I'm making for dinner.

Hex sits silently at the island, watching me. I can feel his eyes on me, but not in a sensual way, just in a comforting way.

We sit in silence with the exception of Teddy meowing every now and then when he catches the smell of our dinner cooking on the stove.

A knock at the door has me turning to Hex. Are we expecting someone?

"What the fuck?" He mumbles and gives me an answer to my silent question. I guess we're not expecting anyone.

Hex's face takes on an automatic look of suspicion as he sets off towards the front door. I follow and stand in the doorway, just in case.

He swings the door open and I hold back my surprise when I see Harley's face.

She doesn't see me but I can see her clearly. Her eyes have bags under them, like she hadn't slept in days and she's deathly pale. She's dressed in big clothing and I suspect they're Banks' clothes. Movement from behind her brings my eyes to Banks as he stands by his car; its loud engine still running and I guess they're not staying long.

"Hey, I-I, here" she stutters over her words and hands an envelope to Hex. He takes it and flips it from back to front, displaying his name in cursive. "It's from mum" I can barely hear the words that escape Harley's mouth but as soon as I hear her say it's from Wyonna I head back into the kitchen, giving the siblings their privacy.

I can no longer hear them but moments later the front door closes and clicks locked.

Hex is silent as he walks so I don't hear when he enters the kitchen and I only see him when I feel him enter the room. He's looking down at the envelope, his eyes tracing Wyonna's handwriting.

Eventually he sighs and throws it on the island, running a hand down his face.

"Are you going to read it?" I ask quietly. Does he want me to leave?

He cups his hand over his mouth and spreads his legs as he stands. He takes a while to answer, his eyes finding the letter again as it lays in front of us.

He nods his head at it. "You read it."

It takes me a moment to find the words as I look from Hex to the letter multiple time.

"You want me to read it?" I ask for clarification. There could be serious stuff in there, stuff that was never intended for anyone other than Hex to see and I can't help but feel like its disrespectful and invasive.