62.0

62.0
HARPER

Lyra and Bailey are waiting just at the door as my last class for the day is over. I'm seriously surprised to see them when I walk out. I'm tired for real. The classes have been going on and on without a break. My only relief is that tomorrow, I don't have a class at all.

But today is still on. What I need is food and sleep. I desperately wish that I can fly home and just crash on the bed. Only... My two supposed friends are standing just in front of me with smiley faces.

"Hey," I say, waving a little.

Lyra steps forward. "Hey, how are you?"

I shrug. "I'm okay. Just tired. What are you girls doing here?"

They exchange glances, then Bailey giggles. "Remember? We said we want to see the baby. Like... babysit her and stuff."

Wow. They really meant everything they said this morning. I don't know what to say honestly. I do want friends and it's refreshing to see that they aren't looking at me weirdly and stuff. It even warm my heart to hear then say they want to meet Nyla.

"Alright. Let's go." I say and they squeal like excited little kids. Can they be for real?

"What's her name?" Bailey asks as we walk.

"Nyla." I reply.

"And she's how old again?" Lyra asks this time.

"Four month old," I smile to myself.

"Wow. She's so little." 

I raise my head and... Remind me where I'm walking to again? I do come to school with Xavier. He's waiting with the car for me. But then there's another person waiting. And it's Sadie.

I stop walking, staring at them as she holds his arm, tugging on it. She seems desperate, like she's asking for something. My eyes narrow when Xavier doesn't even push her away or anything of the sort. 

"So... Xavier?" Lyra asks first.

I turn to glance at her by my side. "What do you mean by that?" 

"We're not blind. We see the way you look at him."

The way I look at him? Is that even a thing? "I don't know what you girls think you saw, but... I don't look at Xavier any way."

"You're jealous. Because that bitch Sadie is with him." Lyra points out.

"Not jealous." I say.

"Jealous." They both nudge me.

When I said I wanted friends, I didn't think about this part were they'll tease you until you fess up or something. I don't like Xavier. Let's be for real, if Clara goes ahead with the adoption then we'll be siblings. And I'm not fucking my sibling.

I blink and run a hand down my face. "I'm not jealous," I repeat, but it comes out weaker this time.

Lyra and Bailey share that look again. The we-know-you’re-lying look.

“Sure,” Bailey hums.

“Very convincing,” Lyra adds.

I ignore them and start walking again, forcing my legs to move even though my chest feels tight. Sadie’s still clinging to Xavier’s arm like she’s auditioning for the role of helpless damsel. That's dramatic. And he’s just standing there.

Why is he just standing there?

As we get closer, I can hear her voice.

“Xavier, please. Just hear me out.”

“Sadie, I said I don’t have time.”

She tugs his arm again. “You always say that.”

That’s when he notices me. His eyes flick up first. Then they soften. Just a little. And then he decides to gently remove Sadie’s hand from his arm.

“I have to go,” he says.

Sadie follows his gaze and sees me. She narrows her eyes and mutters... “Oh,”

I hate that my stomach flips at her voice. Forget the fact that I was literally in her face the other day. I don't have the time for that now. I just want to go home and have some rest. I hope she'll understand that and not even say a word to me. 

“Hey,” Xavier says when we reach them.

Our eyes lock. We don't just stare. It's like we're looking into each other's eyeballs and stuff. It's weird. We've been doing that a lot now. Just hold the look and not say a word.

I tear my gaze away from him and glance down. “Hey,” I reply, pretending I didn’t just witness whatever that was.

Lyra clears her throat and I roll my eyes. Can they not start. No commentary, please.

Sadie’s eyes scan the three of us. “Wow. New friends?”

I want to ignore her when Lyra replies.

“Problem?” she asks sweetly.

Sadie ignores her and looks at me instead. “Didn’t think you were the type to… replace people so fast.”

Replace? My eyebrows lift. She doesn't know anything about me. "I didn’t replace anyone."

Sadie just shakes her head and waves her hand. “Whatever. Xavier, call me later.”

He doesn’t answer. She waits a second longer, then storms off, her stiletto heels clicking angrily against the pavement. There’s silence for half a second. It's awkward. I hate when things get a lot awkward. 

Thankfully, Lyra and Bailey change all that.

“Oooooooh,” Lyra whispers. “She hates you.”

“I didn’t even do anything,” I mutter.

“You exist,” Bailey says. “That’s enough.”

Funny girls. I roll my eyes and they land on Xavier. He's watching me. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I say quickly.

He studies me for a moment like he doesn’t believe it. Like he can see straight through me. It makes me uncomfortable. Exposed.

“We’re going to see the baby!” Bailey suddenly blurts out, stepping forward and offering him her hand. “I’m Bailey.”

“Lyra,” Lyra adds, also extending hers.

Xavier shakes their hands politely. “Xavier.”

“We know,” they say in unison.

I sigh. “Can we just go? I’m tired.”

He opens the car for me first.Always that. I slide into the passenger seat while Lyra and Bailey climb into the back, already whispering excitedly. I don't understand why they're so excited to see my daughter. 

As Xavier starts the engine, he glances at me. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing guests.”

“It was last minute,” I reply. “They want to meet Nyla.”

There’s a pause. Then his lips curve slightly. “Everyone wants to meet Nyla. It's just... these girls can be very mean when they want to be."

I stare at him. "They are my friends." I say. "And can you lay off my business and take me home to seee my baby girl?" 

In the backseat, Lyra and Bailey are oblivious to what's brimming. Lyra leans forward. “So how long have you two been doing this?”

“Doing what?” I snap.

“This,” Bailey gestures between us. “The eye thing.”

“There is no eye thing!” I groan. Fuck. They noticed that? Xavier chuckles under his breath which only makes me groan some more. I cross my arms and stare out the window.

My head is full. I have assignments to think about. I have my baby to think about. But somehow, it keeps going back to the scene. Where Sadie can't get her hands of Xavier.

This is ridiculous. I’m not jealous. I don’t have feelings for him. And even if I did... Clara’s adoption plan flashes in my mind. If that happens… we’ll technically be siblings. And that would make everything wrong.

The car pulls into the driveway. Before I can overthink anything else, Lyra squeals. “We’re about to meet Nyla!”

The back door flies open before Xavier even turns off the engine.

I blink at him. “See? They're excited. They're good people. Can you please trust me to pick my friends?"

He nods. "Fine."

Thank God.We walk inside and Damien is in the living room, Nyla in his arms. She’s wearing a tiny pink onesie, her little fists waving in the air.

“There’s my baby,” I breathe.

The second Nyla sees me, her face lights up. And just like that, everything else fades. Sadie. Jealousy. Xavier. Adoption. All of it.

Lyra gasps. “Oh my God, she’s perfect.”

Bailey’s eyes soften. “She’s so tiny…”

Damien hands her to me and Nyla snuggles into my chest, that familiar baby scent wrapping around me.

"Hey my love, mama's home." I hold her to myself for a long while and then I kiss her forehead and stare at her. All over her. She's fine. Not a scratch. I can breathe well now.

Lyra leans closer. “Can I hold her?”

I nod. “Sit down first,” I instruct. She does immediately. I carefully place Nyla in her arms. And when Nyla doesn’t cry... when she just blinks up at Lyra calmly... Bailey looks at me like I’ve handed them the greatest treasure in the world.

“She trusts you,” Bailey whispers.

“No,” I murmur, watching my daughter. “She’s just brave.”

Across the room, I feel Xavier’s eyes on me again. I'm not looking. The girls have noticed, I'm not letting Damien notice.

I go upstairs to take a shower and change my clothes, and when I'm back, Lyra is still staring down at Nyla like she’s holding royalty.Bailey sits right beside her, one hand hovering under Nyla’s head.

“She has your nose,” Bailey says softly.

That’s when we hear heels against the stairs. Familiar steps. Clara is home?

She appears at the bottom of the staircase wearing one of her usual perfectly tailored outfits, her expression calm but curious.

“Well,” she says, taking in the scene. “We have guests.”

Lyra and Bailey scramble to their feet so fast that I instinctively reach for Nyla, but Lyra holds her carefully.

“Good evening, ma’am,” Bailey blurts out.

Clara’s lips twitch. “Relax. I don’t bite.”

Damien coughs under his breath from the couch.

Clara steps closer, her gaze softening when it lands on Nyla. “And who are these lovely young ladies?”

“I’m Lyra,” Lyra says, still holding Nyla.

“And I’m Bailey,” Bailey adds quickly. “We’re Harper’s friends.”

There’s a subtle pause. I hold my breath. Clara looks at me. Not surprised. Not disapproving.
“Friends,” she repeats, nodding once. “That’s good.”

Then she turns back to them. “Are you staying for dinner?”

Lyra and Bailey look at each other.

“Oh... no, we don’t want to impose,” Lyra says.

“Yes, we do,” Bailey corrects at the exact same time.

Clara smiles properly now. “It’s no trouble. We were about to eat anyway.”

“That would be amazing,” Bailey says before Lyra can overthink it.

Lyra elbows her. “We’d love to. If it’s really okay.”

“It is,” Clara replies. “Harper rarely brings people home. I’d like to know the kind of girls she’s choosing to surround herself with.”

That makes my stomach twist slightly.

Lyra straightens. “We’re good people. Mostly.”

Bailey nods. “Very good. Excellent, even.”

“Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”

She turns to leave, then pauses.

“And Lyra?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“You’re holding her correctly. Support the neck just like that.”

Lyra beams and she looks at me. “Thank you!”

Clara disappears into the dining room. The second she’s gone... I step closer and gently take Nyla back into my arms. She settles instantly against me, tiny fingers gripping my shirt.

“You guys don’t have to stay if you’re uncomfortable,” I say quietly.

Lyra looks offended. “Are you kidding? Free dinner and baby time?”

Bailey nods. “And possibly gossip?”

I raise a brow. “About?”

“About you,” they say together.

I groan and glance down at my little girl. Her face scrunches up. Yeah, yeah. I know that look. Her bottom lip trembles. And then... she starts with her tiny, high-pitched cry.

“Oh my God, is she okay? Was it something I said?!”

“You didn’t break her,” I say, bouncing Nyla gently. “She’s just hungry.”

The crying only gets louder. 

“She’s been fussy the last hour,” Damien adds casually. “Probably waiting for you.”

“She knows her mom,” Lyra whispers, watching me with wide eyes.

Nyla’s tiny fists press against my chest, rooting instinctively. Okay. Yep. Definitely hungry.

“I’ll… be right back,” I say, already turning toward the hallway.

Bailey blinks. “Oh. Like... now?”

“Yes, now,” I reply over my shoulder.

Lyra’s eyes widen as realization dawns. “Ohhh.”

I don’t wait for more commentary. I head to my room, closing the door softly behind me. The second it’s quiet, Nyla’s cries soften into desperate little whimpers.

“I know, baby,” I murmur, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I know.”

I settle back against the pillows, adjusting her carefully. I’ve done this enough times now that the movements feel natural. Still… there’s always that small ache at first.

She latches. The sting makes me suck in a breath. God. Every time.

But then it eases into that heavy, pulling rhythm. Relief floods through me almost instantly... the pressure I didn’t even realize was building fades.

Nyla’s little noises quiet down.

Just soft suckling.

Her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks.

I brush my fingers gently through her tiny curls.

“You don’t care about drama, do you?” I whisper. “You don’t care about Sadie. Or Xavier. Or adoption plans. You just care about milk.”

Her hand curls around my finger like she understands.

A knock sounds softly on the door.

“Harper?” Xavier’s voice.

Of course.

“It’s open,” I say quietly.

He steps in slowly, like he doesn’t want to intrude. His eyes immediately land on Nyla, then up to me. He doesn’t look awkward. He doesn’t look uncomfortable.

“She okay?” he asks gently.

“She’s fine. Just hungry.”

He nods, stepping a little closer but keeping a respectful distance.

"I'm sorry about earlier." he says after a moment.

"It's fine." I mutter.

"No. I was wrong to have judged them and written them off when I hadn't even gotten to know them."

"I said it's fine." I say again.

"So... we're okay?" He raises a brow.

I smile, despite myself. "Yeah. We are." 

He smiles back and turns to go. But when he reaches the door, he pauses, then turns. 

“Sadie grabbing my arm didn’t bother you?”

I look up at him then. “It shouldn’t.”

“But it did.”