Harper shielded her eyes against the glare of the unforgiving sun. Located an hour outside of Van Nuys, the park was vast and unfamiliar and perhaps that's what caused the nerves to speed up the beating of her heart. Or maybe it was the fact that she was out in the open when she should be home for her two week suspension. Either way, the unease was there and the only thing she could do was try to tamp it down.

The busy streets cut through the panicked thoughts, forcing her to walk. To get out of the main area where she stood like a target waiting to get caught.

The ten minute walk did little to ease her panic but there was no turning back now. She pushed forward and hoped that she was heading towards the right area. One wrong turn and she'd be retracing her steps, wasting precious minutes that she didn't have.

The parking lot was mainly empty, save for a few cars. But what she was looking for, or specifically who she was looking for was nowhere in sight. Devastated, she glanced down at her phone in hopes of figuring out if this was the right place. If somehow she'd misread the message or taken the wrong turn. As she reread the message for the fifth time, it did little to answer her questions or ease her worry.

"Where are you?" She asked, scanning this side of the park but all she saw was greenery mixed in with a few picnic benches. And an old Dodge minivan that had seen better days parked at the end of the lot.

Letting out a sigh, she started for the main path hoping that she didn't wander in the wrong direction. She didn't get far before a voice called out to her.

A familiar voice.

She turned, her face breaking out into a wide smile as she spotted Robby.

Turning, a big smile spread across her face when she spotted him and she half walked, half ran towards Robby. Her relief transformed into a bear hug, squeezing him as if trying to anchor herself into the present moment. Maybe her reaction was a bit over the top but he returned the hug with just as much, if not more, energy as her.

"Hey," Robby said with a laugh as he pulled back.

"I missed you," Harper admitted as relief flooded her now that she saw firsthand that he was okay. It had only been a handful of days since they said goodbye but it felt like eternity to her. "You're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," he answered. "Being on the run isn't as fun as it sounds but I'm hanging in there. And I've got a ride now so that makes it ten times better." He nodded towards the Dodge and it was then that Harper saw the unmissable LaRusso dealership plates.

"You stole a car?" She asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I borrowed it. I'm gonna give it back eventually but it was either this or walking."

"It's kinda an eyesore but-"

"It doesn't have a trackable GPS. So it's perfect."

Harper nodded approvingly. "But you did take the tracker off, right? I know it's an old car but I'm sure they tag their cars in case it goes missing."

Robby fixed her with a look. "What do you think? I used to work there, remember?"

"I'm just making sure. So what happened to staying with your friends in Panorama City?"

"It didn't work out. They were dealing with their own shit but it's fine. They gave me a cooler so it all worked out." He led the way toward the minivan and opened the trunk. The floor was spread out with sleeping bags and blankets, looking far more cozier than it really was. "So, what do you think?"

"It's better than a four star hotel," Harper answered with a grin that faltered just a moment later. The sight of his makeshift home tugged at her heartstrings, reminding her of how unfairly life had treated him. He didn't deserve this, and this wasn't what his home should consist of. It was the bare minimum at most. She stopped herself from saying so and from asking him to reconsider being on the run because she knew what awaited him if he returned, if he was caught. Instead, she put her smile back into place and said, "I got us some food if you're hungry."

Robby nodded and led them towards the closest picnic table. "You know you don't have to keep buying me stuff, right? You've already done more than enough," he said as she set her bag down on the weather worn table.

"I know," Harper said, emptying her bag of the food she'd brought. "But this isn't just for you. I'm hungry, too."

Shaking his head, he smiled and took inventory of the food that was laid out. They sat across from each other and began to eat. Harper nibbled on her sandwich, trying not to take notice of how hungry he was. It was like he hadn't eaten in days and it broke her heart all over again. Harper took a slow sip from her water bottle, choosing to fill up on the liquid in order to quench her own hunger. Because she would go home where there was a never ending supply of food.

"So, what's your plan?" Harper asked after a while, trying to sound as casual as possible without letting the worry seep through. "You have a plan, right?"

"Yeah. I mean, not really but that's okay. I have a car and enough gas money where I can go anywhere," Robby said in between bites. "Maybe I'll leave the state or go to a different town. I don't know yet but I have options."

Harper nodded along to his words, her anxiety only deepening. It didn't matter where he went because he'd always be on the run. There was always that chance that he'd get caught and locked up. As she sat there letting her worry consume her, a thought popped into her head.

"You know," Harper began, her voice soft, "I wish I could just run away with you. Leave everything behind and start over somewhere else. No one would know us and maybe everything would be simpler."

Robby looked at her with a smile. "It would be nice to have company. Where would we go?"

"I don't know. Anywhere, really. As long as it's away from here."

He chuckled, nodding at the thought. "True. We could go on this epic road trip. No responsibilities or worries. Maybe we'd find a nice quiet beach somewhere or hide out in a cabin in the mountains."

But Harper didn't laugh. She held his gaze, her expression serious. "So let's do it," she said, letting her words hang between them.

His smile faltered when he realized she wasn't joking. "Wait, are you serious?"

"Yeah. I just… it'd be fun, you know? Just the two of us. Like you said, no responsibilities or anything."

"Harper, I'm on the run. There's nothing fun about that. I'm constantly worried I'll get caught. It's scary and exhausting. It's not an adventure."

"I know it's not but…." She shrugged, unsure where she was going with that. "We'll deal with it."

Why would you - what's going on, Harper?"

Harper shrugged. "Nothing. I just thought it'd be fun to tag along for a bit.

"I don't get it. You're getting adopted soon. Why would you risk screwing that up? What's really going on?"

Harper put her sandwich down and sighed. "I don't know if I'm getting adopted. It's complicated, okay?"

"So uncomplicate it. What happened?"

"The adoption's on hold for now. Maybe forever. My - Ryan's trying to get his parental rights reinstated. And he has the money and the lawyers to win so the chances of him getting custody of me are pretty freaking high."

"Shit." Robby frowned and shook his head as he tried to process this. "That's so messed up. Can he really do that?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. California's one of the few states that allows that."

"But you don't know that he'll win. You don't," Robby said, seriously. "You can't just run away from everything. What about your foster parents? They want to adopt you, Harper. You finally have people who care about you. And that includes Sam and Demetri."

"Yeah, well," she said with another sigh, suddenly overwhelmed with how messed up everything's become. "They're not exactly talking to me so I don't think they'd care if I disappeared."

"What do you mean they're not talking to you?" He asked but she acted like she didn't hear him, instead focusing all her attention on the plastic water bottle. "Harper. What's going on?"

She opened the edge of the plastic wrapper from the bottle. Harper contemplated telling him but fear of his reaction kept her from talking. "If I tell you, you'll hate me, too. And since you're kinda the only friend I have right now, I'd rather keep it that way."

"I'm not gonna hate you. Come on, just tell me what happened."

Harper blew out a nervous breath. "Remember how I fought back at the school?"

Robby nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, you were awesome. I didn't know you knew how to fight like that.

"Yeah, well, that's kinda the problem. Neither did Sam or Demetri so-"

"They got mad that you knew karate this whole time? There's no way they'd be mad about that."

"But that's the thing. I didn't always know it. I learned it this summer," she said, watching him carefully for a reaction but he just looked confused. "From Hawk. And I've been keeping it a secret because I knew how everyone would react but it's not like I planned this. I was gonna tell you and the others but I was just scared that everyone would hate me and they do. Kinda like you hate me right now."

Robby's expression hardened, a mix of disbelief and anger crossing his face. "Are you serious? Out of everyone it could've been, you chose to hangout with him? You know he's the reason Demetri's scared to go to school, the reason we can't go anywhere without looking over our shoulders."

Harper shrunk in her seat at his understandable anger. "I know. Trust me, Robby, I know. But it's really not that simple. It's so freaking complicated that even I'm confused. I tried to hate him, I swear I did but I don't even know when we became friends. It just happened."

Robby scoffed. "Friends? Hawk doesn't do friends, Harper. He does fear and intimidation. He's a bully and part of the reason why everything's such a mess right now."

"You think I don't know that? Look, I get that Hawk's done horrible things, Robby. And I'm not trying to excuse them or defend him but he was different when it was just us. I mean, he was still intimidating at times but I saw a different side to him." Harper sighed as she tore at the plastic wrap on her water bottle. "It was only supposed to be one lesson but then it turned into more and before I knew it, we were hanging out. We were friends. It's not like I chose to fall for him, you know."

"Are you still talking to him?"

"Kind of. Yeah," she admitted. "I broke things off with him the night you and Sam were on your date but he still kept checking in on me. Like, when the cops showed up to Moon's party and I got separated from you guys, he's the one who drove me home that night. Because he knew that if I got caught at the party, it would violate my probation. And then the night that I left your place, he was waiting for me at my house to see if I was okay."

Robby fell quiet for a moment as he tried to process everything while Harper held her breath, hoping for him to understand. To not hate her. The stillness in the air was palpable. Heavy with tension. The seconds that went by stretched into what felt like minutes as time seemed to slow down.

"Can you please just say something?" Harper asked, unable to take the silence any longer.

Robby looked towards her with a thoughtful look on his face while looking unsure. "I just don't get it, Harper. I don't get how you trusted someone like that after all the shit he's done to us."

"It's not that I trusted him blindly. I just saw that he was trying to make an effort to be different around me. To not be this monster that everyone sees him as."

Robby frowned, still skeptical about everything he was hearing. "How do you know that he wasn't just playing you? This is Hawk we're talking about. You know that he could've just been trying to get you to trust him so he could screw with us more."

"Because he didn't have to be nice to me. Hawk could've bullied me like he did everyone else but he didn't. I called him out on his crap like all the time and he backed off when I told him to. He was willing to change even if he messed up sometimes. In his own way, I think he genuinely cared." Harper watched Robby but found it difficult to get a read on his emotions. On his thoughts. She didn't expect him to understand or even be okay with this but she didn't want to lose him as a friend.

Robby met her gaze, the tension in his face easing slightly. "I guess I kinda figured that something was up between you two," he admitted, sighing. "I just didn't want to believe it."

Harper blinked, not expecting that. "You did?"

"Like there were these signs. Little things mostly. Like how he'd step in when his friends started messing with you. He'd defend you, even when he was being a jerk to everyone else. It was weird, but I guess it makes sense now."

"I didn't realize it was that obvious."

"It wasn't in your face but it was there," he said.

"I'm really, really sorry for lying. I didn't mean to let it get so complicated."

"I know. And I'm not mad at you," Robby said, shooting her a comforting grin. "It's just a lot to take in, you know? Maybe he's different around you but he did turn on Demetri and I'd hate to see you get hurt."

"I'll be careful, I promise."

There was only so much time she had left until she needed to leave and make it home before her foster parents. She didn't want to talk about her lie or any of their problems. She just wanted to hangout with her friend and act like the world wasn't currently on fire.

And that's exactly what they did for the next hour. The time passed all too quickly and it was time to say goodbye. For now.

Harper wrapped up the rest of her sandwich and shoved it into the bag with the other snacks she'd bought that day. She watched as Robby organized the cooler, both of them savoring the last moments before having to part ways. Closing the trunk, he sighed and leaned against the car.

"You don't have to look so sad. I'll be okay, I swear," Robby told her with a laugh.

Harper returned the laugh while trying to keep the worry from showing on her face. Sighing, she pulled him in for a hug and hoped that this wasn't the last time they'd see each other. "You'll be careful, right?"

"Yeah. I got everything I need," he said, nodding towards the van that doubled as his home. "I'll be okay."

With a heavy heart, Harper started down the path leading out of the park. As she reached the edge, Robby called after her, his voice carrying a note of encouragement.

"They're not gonna hate you forever, you know."

"I hope not."

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

The inside of the building was as official looking as it was intimidating. The air was filled with a faint scent of polished wood and old books. The fluorescent lights overhead cast a harsh, unwelcoming glow on the tiled floor. The walls were covered with framed certificates and other official documents which further emphasized the building's authoritative atmosphere. Stern-looking people hurried through the hallway, their shoes echoing rhythmically as they moved with purpose. Hushed conversations were sparse and hurried as each person seemed to be engrossed in their daily tasks. As if the weight of important decisions hung in the balance.

And perhaps they were.

It was why Harper was here with her foster parents – to decide her fate. Because like everything else in her life, someone else would decide the major parts of her life.

Harper's palms were slick with sweat and she wiped them on her jeans. The weight of her situation felt heavier than ever. Her heart pounded furiously and erratically, each beat echoing in her ears as she took deep breaths in the hopes of calming her racing heart.

"It'll be okay," Olivia said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. Her voice was calming but to Harper, it sounded as if it was coming from another world. Another dimension.

Harper nodded at the comforting words but she wasn't quick to believe it for the fear of being disappointed. Because her thoughts refused to quiet down. They were a whirlwind of anxious energy, clouding any semblance of hope that she clung on to.

They spent a good ten minutes wandering the hallways in search of the right room before finding out they needed to be on the third floor. The elevator doors opened to reveal another soulless hallway that was lined with doors on each side. It would've taken them another few minutes of searching for the right room number had Ryan Cain not been standing outside of the room.

His confident smile mixed with an easy going nature gave Harper pause. She felt a pang of distrust as she glanced over at him. Olivia squeezed her hand, pulling her out of her nervous thoughts that likely would've spiraled into pure panic. She stood outside the room with her foster parents on either side of her, protecting her.

She stared down at the floor and occasionally looked his way, desperate to know what was going through his mind. Desperate to understand why he was suddenly so interested in being her dad when she'd barely survived the last twelve years rotting away in terrible foster homes. Why was he interested in being her dad now? It had been over twelve years, and he had shown no interest. What made him think that now, just when she'd found a family who wanted her, was a good time to play the doting father? But she kept those questions to herself because she didn't trust herself to speak.

The minutes until they were invited into the small polished room. A dark wooden desk occupied the majority of the room. Bookshelves covered the wall behind the desk, filled to the brim with classic looking books that no doubt were put there to make the judge seem sophisticated and well-read. The man in question was on the older side, his hair a shade between white and dark gray and a no nonsense expression on his worn face. His piercing gaze and demeanor conveyed decades of dealing with cases just like this. A file was spread out on the desk that, as littered with papers as it was, still managed to look tidy. The large window looked out at the street below where people were unaware of the shitty situation Harper was in. Where a stranger would read some words on a paper and decide her fate because she was just a poor foster kid, unable to make decisions on her own.

"I can have some more chairs brought in," the judge said, eyeing the two leather chairs that flanked the desk. "But this shouldn't take too long so let's get started."

The air felt stifling, thick with unspoken judgments. It was too hot, too dry and Harper was vaguely aware of her nails digging into her palms as she fought her composure.

"So," the judge, whose name plate read 'Johnson' said. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he shuffled through the papers. Adjusting his glasses, he looked up at four of them. "This case won't be resolved today, I'm afraid. It goes beyond the normal custody battle but what I've gathered from this file is that Harper Cain is currently being fostered by Olivia and Lucas Hudson, who want to adopt her. Ryan Cain, Harper's biological father, relinquished his parental rights about thirteen years ago and is now petitioning the court to reinstate those rights. Is that correct?"

Everyone nodded while Ryan said, "Yes, but-"

"I'm not looking to hear your side of the story, Mr. Cain. I've read everyone's personal statements so there's no need to dive into the details right now," Judge Johnson said, adjusting his glasses to look around the room. His tone was dismissive, as though he'd already formed an opinion and nothing would alter it.

"I never wrote a statement." Harper assumed she said that quietly and to herself but all eyes were on her before she knew it.

"I'm sorry?" Judge Johnson asked.

Keep your mouth shut, she told herself but the words spilled out before she could stop them. "Sorry. It's just that everyone had a chance to write a personal statement, right? I didn't get to do that, and I don't think it's fair since this is kind of deciding my life here. Shouldn't I have a say in where I live and with who?"

The judge regarded her coolly, his patience paper thin at the interruption. At the audacity that she would speak up and question the system. He sat forward in his chair and rested his arms on the table, taking a moment to barge his thoughts before he spoke. "Young lady, this case has been brought to my attention so that the court could make a decision based on what's in your best interest. Not only are you a minor but you're in the foster system. If all it took was for you to make your own decisions regarding your wellbeing we wouldn't be here right now. So, no, your opinion isn't something that we'll take under consideration. Especially not with your record."

Harper fumed silently, her face flushed with anger and humiliation. She was used to being brushed aside like a pesky fly but it stung even more now. The judge's words were a confirmation of her worst fears: that her feelings and opinions didn't matter. She had no rights in the broken system that rarely considered how foster kids would feel. That much was certain from the many terrible homes she'd been placed in over the years. More than anything, she wanted to argue but Lucas shook his head as he silently told her to keep quiet.

"Now, if we may continue?" Papers ruffled on the desk as the judge gathered his thoughts which had been so rudely interrupted by Harper. "Like I said previously, this won't be decided today. I'm afraid that we have a long road ahead of us but I do have a temporary solution. Since both parties are fighting for custody, I'll grant partial custody to both of you."

"How is that going to work? As foster parents, we're Harper's legal guardians," Lucas said as bewildered shouts and objections that filled the air.

"Everyone, settle down!" Judge Johnson said, his quiet voice full of authority. "Until Mr. Cain's petition is fully reviewed and a decision is made, this is my solution. On the fifteenth of each month, Harper is to spend two weeks with Ryan. This will give him the chance to see if he wants to go through with reinstating his parental rights or not."

"That's bullshit," Harper said, silencing the room. "I'm sorry but it is. He-"

"That is my final decision, Miss. Cain. You are a minor and a ward of the state so whatever thoughts you have on this situation don't hold a place in this room. I'm aware that it seems rather harsh but we only have your best interests at heart."

Harper felt her anger surge but she bit her tongue. The judge's words were like a slap to the face as he dismissed her feelings and reduced her to nothing more than a pawn in this bureaucratic game.

"We'll figure something out," Olivia told her, though she looked just as fed up with this decision as she felt.

"Fine. But I'm only doing this because I have to," Harper said with a cold glance Ryan's way.

"So, how do we figure out the terms and conditions?" Ryan asked.

"We'll do it right now. That way there's no confusion and both parties will adhere to the rules."

Twenty minutes of decision making later, and the next part of Harper's life was set into motion. The cold reality of her situation hid her hard: the end of each month was to be spent with the person who walked away from her. The person who chose himself over his four-year-old daughter so that he could better his life. Who had forgotten all about her until she showed up at his doorstep just over a month ago. It was so cruelly messed up that Harper wanted to laugh at the insanity of it all.

This didn't mean that Ryan won or that he had his parental rights reinstated. But it was just a step closer to the reality that Harper hoped to avoid.

There was nothing that could be said or done. And like everything else in her life, Harper simply had to go along with it with a smile on her face.

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

thank you so much for reading the first chapter of book 2! harper's back and her story continues with even more twists and turns than ever. I hope you enjoyed it and are excited to see where her story takes her.

feel free to leave your thoughts and feedback! see you in the next chapter :)