What The Heart Remembers - The Heart #2 (Complete)

Chapter 6 - Part 1

Adonis

I was simmering with my dark thoughts wondering if was doing the right thing by backing her into a corner, leaving her with only one choice.

A knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts and I strode to the front door.

"Hey," Alex greeted. I had been expecting him to come on his own but he'd brought his parents.

"Hi," I greeted him and his parents as I stepped back and ushered them into my house. They followed me into the living room.

"Where is she?" Mrs Harper asked, looking worried.

"She's in the guest bedroom."

Her mom nodded her head. They knew about my plans to get their daughter on the right track. I had no way to know how they would feel about it but when Alex had told them about my plans they had backed me. They knew how much I loved her and that I would do anything to keep her from destroying herself. Besides for months she'd been struggling to cope and no one had realised how bad it had gotten.

I was willing to do whatever it took and despite my busy working schedule I was prepared to put her recovery first. Unfortunately I couldn't cancel the tour that had been planned before all this had happened. I had a responsibility to my band and they people who depended on us, including our fans so I was going to take Lacey with me.

"I don't know what's gotten into her," Mrs Harper said wringing her hands.

"It's okay," I assured her. "I'll get her the help she needs."

In my mind there had to be a way to make it right. It wasn't a lost cause.

"You've done so much for her and for us," her mother continued hoarsely and I stepped forward to hug her.

"It's no problem."

Mr Harper gave me a brief nod that echoed his wife's words.

"Here's her stuff," Alex said placing a duffel bag I recognised as Lacey's beside the sofa.

"Thanks," I said before I released his mom.

At that moment Lacey appeared in the doorway still only dressed in my shirt that reached her knees. She looked nervous as her eyes took in the scene in front of her.

"Baby," her mom said before walking to her. Lacey looked like she was going to cry as her mom hugged her. Her father stood beside them with a stern expression.

"I'm sorry mom," she murmured. The emotional edge in her voice pulled at my heart. I shoved my hands in the front pocket of my jeans as Alex stood beside me.

"You're doing the right thing," he murmured to me.

"I hope so," I replied. There was no way you know that effectively blackmailing her into getting help wouldn't destroy what little chance there could be for us to be together.

Someone had to do something. We couldn't just watch from the sidelines and do nothing while hoping she'd pull herself together. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to wake up and not remember how I'd gotten there. It had to be a lot of deal with. Guilt that I hadn't realised that she needed help sooner plagued me. But I was here now.

When Lacey pulled away from her she brushed tears from her face. "I promise I'll do whatever I need to get myself together."

"I'm sorry we never realised sooner." I could see it was difficult for her mother to admit they hadn't realised what she had been dealing with.

"I'll come home and I promise to do whatever I have to," Lacey told her mom. Mrs Harper stilled watching her daughter with a regretful expression.

"I'm sorry baby but we all agreed with Adonis' plan for your recovery," her mother told her. Lacey looked betrayed when her eyes flickered to mine. She really detested me at that moment.

"He can get you the help we can't," her mother added.

Lacey pressed her lips together while her eyes scanned us.

"Nothing like being ganged up on," she muttered before she turned and disappeared out of the room.

"Well that didn't go well," Mr. Harper muttered.

"She'll get over it. When she realises we're doing it for her own good," Alex said.

"I think it'll be best to keep our distance until she comes around," Mr. Harper added.

"If we're doing the right thing why do I feel so crappy," Mrs. Harper murmured with her eye still on the empty doorway her daughter had fled through.

It wasn't going to be easy but we had to put our own feelings aside and do the right thing even if she hated us for it.

"Let me know if she needs anything else," Alex said before they left.

Alone, I took her duffel bag to her room. Unsurprisingly her door was closed. I knocked but there was no answer.

"Open the door Harp," I demanded but there was no response.

I opened the door slowly and peered inside. She lay on the bed facing the wall with her back to me.

"Don't I get any privacy," she said.

"When you stop acting like a spoiled child."

Her back stiffened. I didn't want to fight with her. I didn't want every moment to be a battle of wills. The time would come when she realised we were doing all of this not to punish her but to make her better.

"Here's your stuff," I said ignoring her previous dig. "If you need anything else let me know and I'll get Alex to bring it over."

She ignored me.

"There'll be food in the kitchen when you're ready to eat," I told her.

I stood watching her for a few seconds before I decided to give her time alone to work through her anger.

Needing to keep myself busy I went into my study and called Trisha.

"Hi," she answered.

"I need you to do me a favour," I asked.

"Sure."

Luckily Lacey had a valid passport. I just needed Trisha to sort out the travel arrangements. I explained what I needed. Once I was done there was a moment of silence.

"Is this for your friend who was ill?" She asked.

"Yes," I answered. Lacey wasn't just a friend. What she was to me was complicated and I didn't want to have to explain it to Trisha.

I had already cleared my intention to bring Lacey on tour with my band mates. Link and Sage were happy to have her around. I had only confided in Link about the truth. The alcohol and her spiral out of control.

After I finished my call with Trisha I went into the kitchen to get a bottle of water. Inside the living room I sunk into the sofa and put my feet up on the coffee table. I wanted to check on Lacey but I decided to give her space.

I flipped through the channels until I found an action movie that didn't look that bad. While trying to keep my mind on the story unraveling on screen I couldn't stop thinking about Lacey. Had she had a shower yet? I checked my watch it was well past lunch time and she hadn't eaten anything yet. I was thinking whether to go and hunt her down and insist that she come out of her room to as least get something to eat when I heard a noise by the doorway.

She wasn't wearing my shirt anymore. Her hair was wet which indicated she'd showered and she was wearing sweats and a shirt.

"Can I join you?" she asked softly. Instead of answering her I shifted slightly and patted the seat beside me.

She walked in and sat down beside me. I watched her as she sat closer than I expected.

"I'm still angry with you," she reminded me as she moved closer and I held my breath.

She snuggled so close she laid her head on my shoulder. Taken by surprise it took me a moment before I brought my arm around her. It felt strange and right all at once.

"Being close to you helps," she murmured explaining her strange actions and it made my heart warm at the thought that just being close to me had such an effect on her.

We never said another word. With her tucked into my side we continued to watch the movie and for that moment despite everything going on I felt happy.