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“You would’ve talked me out of it!” Daniel shouted, as if that would convince her somehow “What else was I supposed to do?”

“You were supposed to talk to me!” Harper yelled back “And if it would’ve been so easy forto do, Daniel! Because if it was the right thing, I would’ve let you do it, even if it hurt”

With a stricken expression on his face, he said, “I’m sorry”

“No Stop I can’t hear that anyrabbed her iPod and book bag froet out of here”

“No, Harper, wait” He moved toward her, like he meant to touch her, and she pulled back away from him

“I can’t I can’t talk to you right now I can’t even look at you”

“I don’t want to leave things like this”

She started toward the door, pushing by him “I don’t care what you want”

“Harper I love you,” he said, and she stopped to look back at him

“I don’t believe you,” she said with tears in her eyes, then she turned away and left

TWENTY-EIGHT

Impact

Harper arrived at her house just before ed not to cry the whole way home It was completely dark, so she crept up the stairs to her old roo not to disturb anyone She’d just reached the top of the stairs when Geed from the bathroom with a torapped around her hair

“Harper What are you doing here?” Gemma asked

“Uh her hair and took a deep breath

“What happened? Are you okay?”

Harper was still only wearing Daniel’s flannel shirt and her new lingerie Fortunately, she’d buttoned up the shirt, and it was too big for her, so it covered up a lot She’d been in such a hurry to leave the island that she hadn’t bothered to put anything else on

“I think I may have just broken up with Daniel,” Harper said finally, and she started to cry

“Oh, Harper Come on” Gemma put her arm around her and ushered her into Harper’s bedroom She made sure to close the door behind them so they wouldn’t awaken Brian, and Harper sat down on the bed

“Did you know that he was sleeping with Penn?” Harper asked her

Gehed before sitting down on the bed next to her

“No,” Geoing on, but Daniel insisted he had it under control Then tonight, he kinda confirmed my worst suspicions, and I told hi on”