The soft creak of the bedroom door broke the silence just before dawn. A sliver of hallway light spilled into the shared room, casting a glow on the floorboards. Harper poked her head through the gap, her eyes sweeping across the space with quiet caution. Her gaze landed on Aura, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed, wide awake.
Aura's shoulders sagged with visible relief the moment she saw her sister. "Hey." she whispered, her voice heavy with concern. "I've been texting you all night. I was worried."
Harper stepped inside, gently closing the door behind her. "No need" she replied, eyes avoiding Aura's. "I didn't check my phone."
"Do you know what time it is?"
"No. I didn't sleep."
"Well, yeah" Aura muttered, folding her arms. "You didn't take your meds. You're probably wired. You look exhausted, Harp."
"I'm fine." Harper's voice was clipped, but her appearance told a different story — dark circles ringed her eyes, and her skin looked pale beneath the soft lamplight. Whatever peace she'd found with Josie had dissolved into the cold reality of morning.
Without another word, she crossed the room and pulled her gym bag out from under her bed. Aura watched, tense, as Harper began to rummage through her closet, grabbing shirts, jeans, and a few skirts, shoving them into the bag with practiced urgency.
Aura's heart sank. "What are you doing?" she asked, rising from her bed. "Please, Harper. Don't run away again."
"I'm not" Harper replied flatly. "I'm going to Aunt Julia's. Just for a while."
Aura swallowed hard. "You promise? Because last time you left, you... you know."
"I promise."
There was a beat of silence before Jackson stirred in his bed. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. When he realized Harper was back, he squinted at her groggily. "Didn't think you'd come back" he muttered. "Last night was a joke. Worst Thanksgiving ever."
Harper didn't respond. She stuffed a pair of socks into the side pocket of her bag as Aura frowned at their brother's words.
Jackson shrugged. "Well, thank our big sister for that."
The memory made Aura wince. Thanksgiving had unraveled into chaos — Scott storming out, Harriet breaking down at the table, and Harper disappearing without a word. Now, she was leaving again.
"There's no point running away." Jackson added, his tone softer now. "Harriet's heading back to college tomorrow. You won't even see her again until winter break."
"I'm not running." Harper repeated firmly. "I told Aura — I can't stay here. Not with them. Not with her. The whole thing is bullshit."
Aura watched her zip the bag closed and head into the en suite bathroom to grab a few toiletries. When she returned, Aura stood in her path, holding Harper's pill bottle in her outstretched hand.
"You forgot these."
Harper paused, staring at her sister. Slowly, she reached out and took the bottle, slipping it into her coat pocket. For a moment, the tension cracked. Her shoulders dropped just slightly.
"I love you" Aura said quietly, her voice almost breaking.
Harper froze. Then, without a word, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her younger sister. Aura clung to her, squeezing her eyes shut. She wished she could hold her forever, protect her from the mess their family always seemed to spiral into.
Harper gently kissed the top of her sister's head. "I love you too. Both of you. I don't know when I'll come back. But I'll see you at school, okay? If Mom and Dad ask where I am... just say you don't know. I'll talk to them when I'm ready."
With one last squeeze of Aura's hand, Harper turned and made her way downstairs, her bag slung over her shoulder. Her footsteps were quiet, but steady — until she reached the front door and froze.
Harriet stood in the doorway, damp hair tucked behind her ears, her face drawn with exhaustion. Her nose was still crusted with dried blood, her cheeks faintly scratched from the fight. They stared at each other in silence, tension hanging thick in the air.
"I owe you an apology" Harriet said softly.
Harper didn't look at her. "Save it. I don't want to hear it."
"I know you hate me" Harriet continued, stepping closer. "And I get it. I should've believed you. I should've known better, after what happened before. I was scared, Harper. When I saw that photo... I panicked. And I said the worst possible thing. I outed you. I hurt you."
Harper's jaw clenched, her hand tightening on the door handle.
"I'm so fucking sorry" Harriet whispered. "You didn't deserve any of it."
The apology hung there, raw and trembling. Harper blinked slowly, her expression unreadable. Then, finally, she spoke.
She murmured. "I'm not ready to hear it."
Harriet's shoulders sagged, her breath catching as Harper opened the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked quietly.
"Nowhere that concerns you." Harper replied with a thin, bitter smile.
She stepped outside, closing the door behind her. The morning air hit her like a wave, cool and sharp, as she walked down the front steps without looking back.
Inside, Harriet stood frozen. She reached up and touched the delicate silver locket around her neck — a photo of her and Scott hidden inside — and, without hesitating, yanked it off. The chain snapped, the charm falling into her palm.
She stared at it for a long moment before crossing the room and dropping it into the kitchen trash. When she looked up again, Millie stood by the counter, glass of water in hand.
"She'll come back." Millie said gently. "She just needs space."
Harriet nodded absently, her fingers twitching at her sides. "Did you know?" she asked suddenly. "About her? That she likes girls? I mean, she talks to you and sees you as her big sister."
Millie's brow arched. "What makes you think that?"
"You were at the table, Millie. You saw the photo. You heard me say it."
Millie shrugged, sipping her water. "It's not my story to tell — and it sure as hell wasn't yours either."
With that, she brushed past Harriet and disappeared up the stairs, leaving the eldest Baldwin standing in the quiet aftermath of her own undoing. Harriet stood alone in the kitchen, her pulse pounding in her ears. The house, once again, felt cavernous. Empty in all the worst ways.
Upstairs, silence blanketed the room in Harper's absence. Aura lay back on her bed, eyes closed, her expression tight with unease. Across the room, Jackson sat upright, watching his sister with quiet concern.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently. "You didn't come back to the table last night."
Aura didn't open her eyes. "Yeah," she murmured. "I just got tired."
Jackson hesitated, his voice lowering. "Aura... I heard you. In the bathroom. With the water running."
Her eyes snapped open, the words landing like a slap. She slowly sat up, trying to mask the flicker of panic in her expression, but Jackson's brow was already furrowed with worry.
"I also saw the tray in the kitchen." he continued carefully. "The one piled with leftovers. Was that all you? And then the bathroom..."
Aura shook her head too quickly. "No. That wasn't me. Mariah must've eaten it. I just went to the bathroom and then to bed."
Jackson studied her, quiet. "Aura... Mariah would never leave an empty tray out. You know she's more careful than that."
"I said it wasn't me!" Aura insisted, her voice rising defensively. "Can you just drop it Jackson?"
Her tone was sharp, but beneath it, Jackson heard the tremble she was trying to hide. He didn't push further, not yet — but his eyes lingered on her face, filled with worry. Aura turned away, hugging her knees to her chest, the weight of her brother's silent concern pressing into the space between them.