Harper remained silent outside on the porch.
A long moment later, Rome opened the door wide and gestured for her to go inside.
“It’s clear, but it’s been run through,” he said, expelling a breath and holstering his gun.
Gazing around the familiar confines in miserable shock, she saw what he meant. It did look like it had been run through. By a herd of wild animals.
Everything was wrecked. Everything. Furniture wasupended. Books and papers littered the hardwood floor. The minimal knickknacks that Bobby had were either broken or discarded haphazardly. The inviting dark wood walls that made the home comfy and charming were bare. All the woodland paintings and mountain photographs were on the floor, with broken glass and bent frames.
Harper took a slow, deep breath and blinked away heavy tears. Somehow she’d known this was coming. After the vicious scene in the lab, she’d known this was a possibility.
But to be slapped in the face with this stung and was harder than she’d imagined. Seeing Bobby’s personal things treated like they were worthless and tossed around like yesterday’s trash was utterly devastating.
A strong hand on her back made her jump forward, knocking her shin hard against the solid leg of the upsidedown coffee table.
“Yow!” Harper exclaimed, bending over to run her hand across the quick-forming knot on her leg. “Don’t do that again. Please.”
“Sorry.” Rome rubbed her back with warm strokes. He could do that all he wanted. She was eternally grateful not to have to face this alone. “Let’s take a look around. We’re looking for anything they might have left behind. Anything that seems like it was gone through.”
“Everything looks like it was gone through,” she murmured, straightening.
Harper nimbly maneuvered through the debris toward the heavy brick fireplace that monopolized half the far wall. In the corner was a thick wooden shelving unit. Most of the shelves were missing, thrown about the room, except the middle one. The one that had held the carefully maintained glass cases of her swimmingmedals. The cases that were now shattered on the floor at her feet.
Bobby had asked to keep some of her medals here so that he could share her triumphs with her, even if they weren’t together.
She carefully picked up one of the fallen golden discs. It felt enormously heavy as she peered at it, the memories flooding her vision while she scanned the words.
U.S. Champion, 400-meter Individual Medley. Her best race. She’d set a record. And won this medal. The first of three golds at the Olympic team trials.
Running her thumb over the raised etchings, she remembered how proud Bobby had been. How proud she’d been. She’d won other competitions, but that was her first big one. Her first national gold. The one that set her on the path to reaching her dream to compete at the Olympics. And put her among the elite in the nation.
Harper gripped the medal tightly, realizing that she may never earn another one of these ever again.
“Is there an office or something?” Rome asked as he moved to her side, running his hand along the smooth wood of the empty shelf. His other hand rested on her shoulder, warm and encouraging. “Maybe he was working on a project of interest.”
“Yes,” Harper answered quietly, gently setting the medal next to his hand on the shelf. She turned away and moved toward the small hallway. “There’re only five rooms. This one, a bathroom, the kitchen, an office, and the bedroom.” She stopped outside the rectangular room that was Bobby’s office, looking over her shoulder to see Rome just behind her. “I usually slept on that couch.” She pointed to the sofa bed tucked in the corner. Its cushions were on the floor on top of some open file folders.
“I’ll go through this stuff.” Rome squeezed by her to enter the office, brushing his hard body against hers and giving her a reassuring pat. “Why don’t you check the bedroom?”
She watched
A long moment later, Rome opened the door wide and gestured for her to go inside.
“It’s clear, but it’s been run through,” he said, expelling a breath and holstering his gun.
Gazing around the familiar confines in miserable shock, she saw what he meant. It did look like it had been run through. By a herd of wild animals.
Everything was wrecked. Everything. Furniture wasupended. Books and papers littered the hardwood floor. The minimal knickknacks that Bobby had were either broken or discarded haphazardly. The inviting dark wood walls that made the home comfy and charming were bare. All the woodland paintings and mountain photographs were on the floor, with broken glass and bent frames.
Harper took a slow, deep breath and blinked away heavy tears. Somehow she’d known this was coming. After the vicious scene in the lab, she’d known this was a possibility.
But to be slapped in the face with this stung and was harder than she’d imagined. Seeing Bobby’s personal things treated like they were worthless and tossed around like yesterday’s trash was utterly devastating.
A strong hand on her back made her jump forward, knocking her shin hard against the solid leg of the upsidedown coffee table.
“Yow!” Harper exclaimed, bending over to run her hand across the quick-forming knot on her leg. “Don’t do that again. Please.”
“Sorry.” Rome rubbed her back with warm strokes. He could do that all he wanted. She was eternally grateful not to have to face this alone. “Let’s take a look around. We’re looking for anything they might have left behind. Anything that seems like it was gone through.”
“Everything looks like it was gone through,” she murmured, straightening.
Harper nimbly maneuvered through the debris toward the heavy brick fireplace that monopolized half the far wall. In the corner was a thick wooden shelving unit. Most of the shelves were missing, thrown about the room, except the middle one. The one that had held the carefully maintained glass cases of her swimmingmedals. The cases that were now shattered on the floor at her feet.
Bobby had asked to keep some of her medals here so that he could share her triumphs with her, even if they weren’t together.
She carefully picked up one of the fallen golden discs. It felt enormously heavy as she peered at it, the memories flooding her vision while she scanned the words.
U.S. Champion, 400-meter Individual Medley. Her best race. She’d set a record. And won this medal. The first of three golds at the Olympic team trials.
Running her thumb over the raised etchings, she remembered how proud Bobby had been. How proud she’d been. She’d won other competitions, but that was her first big one. Her first national gold. The one that set her on the path to reaching her dream to compete at the Olympics. And put her among the elite in the nation.
Harper gripped the medal tightly, realizing that she may never earn another one of these ever again.
“Is there an office or something?” Rome asked as he moved to her side, running his hand along the smooth wood of the empty shelf. His other hand rested on her shoulder, warm and encouraging. “Maybe he was working on a project of interest.”
“Yes,” Harper answered quietly, gently setting the medal next to his hand on the shelf. She turned away and moved toward the small hallway. “There’re only five rooms. This one, a bathroom, the kitchen, an office, and the bedroom.” She stopped outside the rectangular room that was Bobby’s office, looking over her shoulder to see Rome just behind her. “I usually slept on that couch.” She pointed to the sofa bed tucked in the corner. Its cushions were on the floor on top of some open file folders.
“I’ll go through this stuff.” Rome squeezed by her to enter the office, brushing his hard body against hers and giving her a reassuring pat. “Why don’t you check the bedroom?”
She watched
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