For every minute that she had spent without Cade, Harley went through a myriad of emotions. On top of that, she had analyzed the situation. At first, she had blamed herself for Cade's departure, and then she had blamed her father. But in the end, she knew who was at fault. Fiona. Her father had often promised her that he would never let Fiona take her away. "Over my dead body," he had said many times.
All she had to do now was let Cade know what her father was willing to do in order to keep his daughter in his custody. Even if Harley knew that Cade had left on her own, she wasn't about to give up on the only friend she had ever had.
She dialled Cade's number, but an electronic voice told her that the phone number was no longer available. Harley tried again and again and kept getting the same message. The floodgates re-opened and her body racked as she sobbed, continuing to press redial on her phone. There must be some mistake, she thought. Cade had no other number. This was the only way she could get a hold of her. What had happened? Where had she gone?
Belatedly, she felt a presence in the room with her. She hadn't heard the door open as she wailed. The mattress dipped beside her, and she heard her father call her name.
"Harley, what are you doing here, baby?" He stroked her hair, much like how Cade used to do, and it made Harley cry harder.
She turned to her father. Jax lifted her and sat her on his lap, holding her close to him. "I … can't … reach … her … " she said between sobs.
Jax sighed heavily against his daughter's hair. "Reach who?"
"Cade."
Harley waited for her father to say something, but he stayed silent. Maybe he didn't know the answer. Maybe he didn't realize that Cade really had left them for good, and she had severed any ways for them to communicate. Jax continued to smooth her hair, rocking her on his lap like she was a little baby. Weeks before, she would have pushed him away, but not tonight. She needed her father more than anything. And somehow, she felt that he needed her too. It was then that she realized she wasn't the only one who lost Cade, her father had too.
***
Jax woke up sniffing the pillow under his head. It smelled sweet. It smelled like Cade. He felt Harley stir beside him. She had fallen asleep on his lap, while she cried out for Cade. He had fallen asleep too not long after, distraught at the thought of both their losses.
When he'd gone to check on her the previous night in her bedroom, he had found an empty bed. Panic had begun to wring his stomach when he realized that Harley had disappeared. The entire day, since Cade had departed, Harley had stayed in her bedroom. He'd been thankful she hadn't pushed away all her meals, although he'd asked her to have some more, since Dr. Wellington had informed him that Harley would need to regain her strength after the recent episode.
Jax had met Penny, Cade's replacement. She was a sweet enough woman, slightly older than Cade, and had appeared very capable and professional. There was no mention of Cade during their meeting, as Zee briefly recounted what Penny's previous experiences were. None had involved caring for a little girl.
"Do you have kids, Penny?" Jax had asked her.
"No, I do not."
"Ever want any?" Jax spotted the wedding ring on the woman's finger. Zee told him that she'd just gotten married. The question was unrelated to her job. He knew that Cade hadn't had any experiences with kids either, yet she still managed to be great with Harley.
"Not at the moment," Penny answered truthfully.
Jax had wondered if Cade ever wanted any kids of her own. He'd wondered if Cade would have wanted to get married. He never had the chance to ask her any of these questions, although he wasn't sure if Cade would have been forthcoming with her replies.
Turning on his back, he propped an arm over his forehead. Jax wasn't too sure how well Harley would take to Penny, but Penny had to be there for her, for them. If Fiona returned, he wanted to make sure Harley would be protected. He didn't doubt that Penny would be able to handle Fiona.
He felt his phone vibrating in his jeans pocket. He pulled it out and found Bruno's name on the screen. Jax should have been at practice that morning.
"Yeah." He let the bitterness out, even though he knew his agent did not deserve it. It had been Jax's idea to continue with the concert and the rehearsals.
"Hey, Jax, just checking to see if you're coming in today." Bruno sounded nervous. The man represented many more artists but Jax was his biggest client. Not only that, they had become friends too. Bruno was aware of all the events that had occurred. He had seen how Harley had shut down after Cade left.