The Real Deal (12)
A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANNAKAH AND HAPPY KWAANZA TO EVERYONE!
Mark couldn't stop smiling as he drove home that night. His little run in with Macy made him realize that he didn't just want to be Harley's pretend husband anymore. He was in love with her and as soon as he got home he was going to tell her that he wanted to make their "arrangement" permanent and he wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
"Harley, Darlin', you home?" Mark called as he walked into the house.
He went on alert the instant he walked through the door. It was too quiet the house and the house hadn't been quiet since Havilland had showed up. Mark called for Harley again as he made his way into the empty kitchen but still nothing. No blaring TV talk show coming from Havilland's bedroom. No giggling from Harley having a phone conversation with Laurel there was only silence.
Mark walked into the bedroom hoping to find Harley taking a nap on the bed or soaking in the tub listening to her headphones, but she wasn't there. As Mark turned to leave the room the piece of paper on the nightstand caught his eye and before he even read one word his heart sank into the pit of his stomach.
"A true friend? A true friend! Damn it Harley we are more than friends and you know it!" Mark shouted as he balled up the note throwing it into the waste basket. Spotting the rings on the table he picked them up and pocketed them before heading back out of the house.
Mark knew that he was breaking about ten major laws with the way he was driving but he didn't care. He had to get to Harley. He had to make her see that she belonged with him…to him.
Harley had thought about calling Laurel to let her know what had happened, but she was too embarrassed to admit that she had once again been played for a fool so instead she drove past her condo and right out of Houston. She had driven three and a half hours before she knew it and ended up in Canyon Lake. She and Laurel had stayed at the American Eagle Nest Bed and Breakfast once and Harley had really loved the peacefulness of it all. She could stay a few days while she tried to figure out what to do next.
"Mommy has no clue what she's doing little one but I promise I will figure it out one way or another," Harley said as she grabbed her bag from the back and headed into the B&B.
"Harley it's Mark open the door Darlin' I need to talk to ya," Mark said as he rang the bell.
He waited a few minutes before he rang again this time adding a knock for good measure.
"Harley! Open the Door!" Mark said a few minutes later as he began growing impatient.
"Harley, don't make me knock down this damn door!" Mark said banging on Harley's door.
Still not getting a response Mark walked over to Laurel's condo and banged on her door. He had lifted his fist to bang again when the door flew open.
"Mark, what are you doing here?" Laurel asked confused.
"Where is she?" Mark asked looking past Laurel into the condo.
"Who, Harley? Why would Harley be here? What the hell did you do to her?" Laurel asked as panic began to hit her.
"I didn't do anything! She was gone when I got home tonight. She left me a note saying that since her mom was gone that she was coming back to her condo, but she's not there," Mark said and Laurel could tell that Mark was sincerely concerned.
"Well she's not here. I didn't even know that her mom was gone," Laurel said finally stepping aside to let Mark in, "have you tried calling her?" Laurel asked closing the door behind Mark.
"No after I read the note I came right over here to bring her back home."
"Home, you mean your place?" Laurel asked with a raised brow.
"I mean our home as in Harley and mine," Mark said pacing Laurel's living room floor.
"So she gave you no reason for leaving?" Laurel asked as she studied Mark closely. She smiled when she realized that he was acting like a man in love, but since he seemed worried about Harley she decided not to tease him besides she was starting to worry about her best friend as well.
"She just said that she thought it was best if she left so that we could get back to our normal lives," Mark said running his hands through his already disheveled hair.
"Maybe she will come back maybe she just took Havilland to the airport or something," Laurel said trying to calm Mark down.
"I don't think so Laurel, the note made it pretty clear that she had her mind made up and then when I found these I knew that she had really left," Mark said pulling the rings out of his pocket.
Laurel gasped in disbelief she knew how much Harley cherished those rings. She had vowed to Laurel that she would never take them off not even after the charade with Mark was over for good.
"Stay here I'm going to call her," Laurel said walking out of the foyer and into the living room to grab her cell.
"When you get her on the phone tell her to get her ass back here no matter where she is," Mark said following behind her.
"Yeah like that's going to work on her," Laurel said laughing as she dialed Harley's number.
Harley looked down as Laurel's number flashed on her screen. She thought about ignoring it but knew that Laurel would just keep calling so she reluctantly answered.
"Hey Laurel, what's up?" Harley said trying to sound normal.
"Where are you Harley?"
"What do you mean I'm at Mark's," Harley said coolly.
"Try again Harlz," Laurel said.
"Laurel what are you going on about?" Harley asked innocently.
"I know you aren't at Mark's because the man is here walking a hole in my floor. He told me about the note you wrote and how you claimed to be coming back to your condo but you're not there either, so I will ask you one more time, Harley Cooper, where the hell are you?" Laurel said just as Mark grabbed the phone from her.
"Harley, Darlin' where are you, huh? You got Laurel and me real worried about cha," Mark told her.
"I jus…I just needed to get away for a few days tell Laurel I'll call her soon," Harley said quickly before disconnecting the call.
"Damn!" Mark cursed angrily.
"What did she say?" Laurel asked Mark.
"She said she needed to get away for a few days and that she would call you soon then she hung up on me," Mark said as he picked up Laurel's phone and dialed Harley's number again. It went straight to voicemail and Mark cursed even louder.
"Mark what the hell is going on?" Laurel asked more worried than she had ever been. She knew Harley well enough to know that she would only run if she had a reason too.
"I honestly don't know, we were fine this morning before I went to the shop and then like I said she was gone when I got home," Mark said just as there was a knock at the door.
"Hey Shawn," Laurel said letting him in.
"Hey beautiful, hey Mark what are you doing here?" Shawn asked confused.
"Harley's gone and I don't know when or if she is coming back," Mark answered and Laurel could see the sadness that blanketed his expression.
Harley shut off her cell after the call from Laurel and Mark she just couldn't handle talking to either of them at the moment. She was to fragile and heartbroken to deal with the anger from the two people she cared about more than anything in the world.
"All I need is a little time guys I swear then maybe just maybe I can come back there," Harley said out loud as she looked down at the picture of Laurel, Shawn, Mark and herself that had been taken a few weeks before in much more happier times.
