Page 1 of Secret Baby With My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter One

Harper

I stood outside the airport gate, eyes scanning the crowd while waiting for what felt like forever. The bustle of the airport surrounded me, with the sound of luggage wheels rolling across the concrete and the chatter of people hurrying to catch their flights. I nervously tapped my foot on the pavement and fidgeted with my phone, checking to see if I had missed any calls. There was no missed call or text message. I returned my phone to my pocket.

Ten minutes later, a sleek black Porsche pulled up, and Carl Adams emerged, dressed in a sharp suit. He was one of the most sought-after sports managers in the country, and I couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by him. Carl managed some of the best players in the country. A week ago, he hired me to cover one of his top client's tours to Chicago and nearby suburbs. Carl Adams was a man of fame, and I was very excited about this opportunity to work with him. It was precisely the boost my career as a sports publicist needed, and I was down for it.

"Miss Harper, my apologies for the delay," he greeted me warmly. "The traffic was worse than I expected," he flashed me an innocent smile.

"It's no problem," I said swiftly, returning his smile. "All that matters is you're here now, and we can get going before we miss our flight."

"Indeed we can," He laughs. "By the way, it's nice to meet you in person finally. I've heard many great things about your professionalism, and I look forward to you working with us," he said, holding his hand out to mine.

"You too," I mumbled, and we shook hands briefly. He released my hand, and my eyes sought to find the famous player I was about to go on a tour with. "So, where's our famous baseball player?" I asked, finally curious about who I would be spending the next month with for this assignment.

"You finally ask…” he comments casually with a wide grin, and I smile too. When I was offered the deal, I accepted it without checking out the player's identity. The offer sounded too good. I couldn't stand to question anything, especially with the past year I have had. It had been such a struggle financially, and I had been taking on as many small clients as I could- just to make ends meet. When I got the call from Carl Adams, it was like a lifeline.

Carl turned to the car. "There he is."

As Carl gestured towards the car, the door opened, and a tall, athletic figure stepped out from the vehicle's backseat. He was dressed in a casual-looking white polo shirt, gray sweatpants, and white sneakers, but his rugged good looks and build, which was all I could notice from a distance, made him stand out. My heart skipped a beat as he strode towards us. His movements were graceful and confident.

As our eyes met, my entire body froze, and my heart sank into my stomach. OH!.. MY GOSH! It just couldn't be? There was a brief hitch in his strides too, but one could hardly notice it except, of course, if they were staring at him like I was doing. He stopped before me, his piercing blue eyes searching my face and making me uneasy as we shared a long stare.

"This is my client, Logan," Carl introduced him proudly. "He's destined to be the best baseball player of our time-the next Ted Williams."

Logan fixated on me as if memorizing every inch of my face, and I didn't dare to move. My chest hurt so much, and I felt like I could burst into tears.

"Logan, this is—"

"Harper," he muttered. "I know who she is," he added, and I felt my lungs dry up. "It's been a while."

A while? I thought, resisting the urge to smirk. It was too understated. It had been years, Logan, I wanted to say, but nothing came out. My lips were too heavy to part, and my chest felt too heavy inside. Each time I tried to speak, I felt my lungs closing up like someone was sewing them up from within. I couldn't talk.

There was nothing to say—or rather too much to say, but I didn't have the will or the right to say anything to him. It's been six years since I last saw him—the most extended six years of my life. And somehow, just seeing him, everything I had buried over that period seemed to resurface again. All that pain and hurt that I thought was gone, had returned.

I swallowed hard, mustering enough strength to brush off how I was feeling. I couldn't afford him knowing how much he was affecting me. I didn't want him to see me as that naive young girl he knew all those years ago. I have changed—things have changed, and Logan was my past.

"Logan, it's good to see you again," I finally managed to say after what felt like an eternity, forcing a brief smile. But, It was undeniable that a part of me was happy to see him again.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Carl asked, surprised.

Logan nodded.

"Wow! That's crazy!" Carl exclaimed, still smiling. His curious gaze went from me to Logan several times, and I could tell he was trying to read the mood between us. The awkwardness was pretty hard to ignore. "How?—how do you two know each other?"

It was Logan who answered. If I was to answer, I'm not sure I would know what to say to Carl. "It's a long story. We have known each other since we were very young. Harper's elder brother was my childhood best friend," he stole a glance at me. "Harper and I were like family."

"We were?" I blurted out with a smirk before realizing that I had spoken out. Oh! Shit! I bit down hard on my lips, regrettably. Logan seemed to have heard me.

He glared, his gaze fierce, and I felt like glass before him—it was like he could see through me. And I felt vulnerable to him, which I hated.

"Weren't we?—Like family?" he asked, but I didn't answer. I doubted he would like my answer.

I ignored his question, facing Carl. "We should go in if we don't want to miss our flight," I reminded swiftly. Anything to end the awkwardness right now, and luckily for me, it worked.

"Yeah, you're right. We should all go in," Carl said, and I took the lead, pulling my red suitcase behind me.

"So…Aren't you gonna tell me what happened between you two?" I overheard Carl say to Logan a few minutes later. They were just behind me, and Carl thought he was whispering, but I heard him quite clearly. The question settled at the bottom of my stomach, curiosity rising to the surface.

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