.Perfect Fantasy. |H.S.|

Chapter 24. Four Words.

.Harry.

Nope, there was not a single hint of a surprise. Not anymore. I already knew better, to realize that there were no half-doings with her; but there was rage now, anger bubbled under my skin, heating my blood to a boil. I'd been standing at the counter, gripping the edges hard and trying to sort out what to do next.

Mum took a deep breath and held up her hands, trying to calm everyone down. "We're all jumpy. Maybe let's all take a deep breath—"

Snatching the contents off the counter, I clenched them in my hand, my jaw ached as my teeth gritted together to keep the words trapped behind my teeth. I could sense Natalia behind me, I wanted answers and I was going to get them, no matter what. Forcing myself, I turned fully around and grabbed her by her upper arm, pulling her to me.

"You and me, right there, right now." I pointed at the door where Robin's office was. Mum was making her way around the kitchen island, her face angry too, but I knew it was at me, not at the damn letter.

"Harry, calm down, there's no need to manhandle her."

"I am not..."

But yes, I was.

She actually flinched at my words and stood there speechless, as I glared at her whilst battling to control the rage burning in every part of me. I wasn't angry at her, she had nothing to do with the insanity of those letters, but it did started me with a lot of things at once. I was trying to calm down and ignoring my own thumping heart, I focused on that prime survival sense, because we didn't have a lot of time in our hands.

We walked into the office, where the cherry wood furniture and the distinct smell of burnt tobacco were greeting me. Mum was still giving me a warning stare as I closed the door and motioned for Natalia to sit in the nearest chair, while I walked around the desk to sit on the other side. I grabbed my phone from my pocket, scrolling through the contacts, my mind swirling with several ideas at once.

"When did you find it?" I asked her, without looking in her direction, trying to contain myself from yelling or doing something drastic.

Her teeth clenched, and she spoke through stiff lips. "The day we arrived."

"Fuck!"

Three days.
For three fucking days that bloody thing was making its way into my life, three crucial days in which anything could've been done about it, and she said nothing about it.

"But I swear Harry I didn't know what it was, I thought it was from my friend."

"Your friend?"

"Yes, Lily, she fixed me the suitcase."

Right, she did.

As a form of distraction, I took out the single sheet folded in half. There were only four words written on it— looking at the familiar messy scribble, the way she pointed the ends of the lettering, almost in a sync with the way my skin prickled with the unwanted feeling of being completely defenseless.

You will regret it.

My mind couldn't deal with that right now, I scanned the paper a few more times and pushed a hand through my hair as I finished it, letting it drop to the table. Natalia made a motion of touching it, but I was quicker than her. "There's no need for you to read that."

"What does it say? Is it really from her?" She asked me eagerly, but I was too busy trying to scroll down my contacts to find the number I needed. "Who are you calling?"

"Tate."

She nodded in resignation, her eyes shifting from me to the window.

It rang three times before a rough voice answered. "Detective Tate."