Page 18 of Secret Baby With My Brother's Best Friend

"Why not?"

"Because that's not a good idea," he replied and sunk into the couch.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It made the front page of the entertainment section, Logan. Everyone is talking about it—talking about you. You're in the spotlight," he enunciated, his face lighting up with excitement.

"Yeah. It's trending, and that's precisely why I need you to tune it down—" I began, but Carl interrupted me.

Carl shook his head. "You're not paying attention, Logan. That's precisely why I'm telling you it wouldn't be wise to tune it down, not now. If anything, we should be fanning the flames right now by giving them more to gossip about," he explained with much excitement.

"I'm not sure I understand you," I had to admit. I was a little lost.

Carl smiled. "Let me explain then. This rumor flying around has made you the center of attention for the media, which is exactly what every star hopes to get and what we have been waiting for. An opportunity!" He exclaimed with a dramatic flair. "This rumor has given us a tremendous opportunity here. Everybody is checking you out right now out of mere curiosity and gossip instinct," Carl continued, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. We both shared a laugh, momentarily caught up in the whirlwind of the situation.

"We should take advantage of that and use it to boost your career and get you in league with other stars. You and Harper should go out together more, pretend to be a couple if you have to, and let people talk. The more they do, the more you trend, and once you keep trending, every news about you will blow out. And you'll be the player that everyone wants. Sounds good, doesn't it?" Carl proposed, his voice filled with persuasive conviction.

"It does sound tempting," I admitted, unable to deny the allure of the opportunities that could arise from this unexpected turn of events. "But I just don't think it will work."

"Why not? You're already trending. There's no way it wouldn't work. The media has already taken an interest in the both of you," Carl insisted.

"But it cannot work without Harper," I pointed out, sitting at the edge of the bed. "I honestly can't picture her agreeing to it. I just can't see it," I confessed.

"You should still give it a try."

"I don't think I want to—" I started to protest, but Carl interrupted me, his voice firm.

"Logan," he mumbled.

"You didn't see her when she came here earlier to show me that newspaper. She was frantic, telling me to handle it and clear the rumors. It will be a miracle if she even considers it."

"You've got to find a way to convince her. This will be good for her career, too," Carl argued. He didn't understand her as I did.

"It's not going to be easy. Harper can be very difficult to convince," it was one of the reasons why she had always caught my fancy. Her independent and stubborn nature had always made her more attractive to me.

"I'm sure she is, but I also know that you can be very convincing. Use your charms if you have to. I mean, she's still a woman at heart. Just get her to agree."

Carl didn't seem to understand the complexity of my relationship with Harper. Yes, she wasn't immune to my charms, but she was the only one who had often resisted. "Sure, I will give it a shot," I reluctantly agreed, realizing that I had little choice in the matter.

"Not just a shot, Logan. Make it happen. We need this, and so does she," Carl emphasized, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "I'll be expecting a positive response from you. Good luck," he concluded, and with that, he turned and left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Talk about pressure.

I threw my head back, collapsing onto the soft sheets of the bed. Things had taken a wild turn from what I had expected. Harper had entrusted me with shutting down the rumors, and I had done the exact opposite. She was going to be furious. Ugh! I groaned inward, getting to my feet. How the hell am I supposed to convince her to play along with the rumor?

I reached for the door and pulled it. As the door opened, Harper appeared, standing before me with her fist hanging in the air. She dropped her hand to her side immediately. "Hey. I just saw Carl leave your room right now, and I figured you guys must have spoken about it. So, I decided to come and ask you how it went," she said with sheer optimism.

"Oh! Yeah. We talked about it. I was actually heading to your room to fill you in on what we discussed. You should come in," I figured it was best for us to be indoors, considering what we were about to discuss.

Harper hesitated. "Do I need to?" she furrowed her brows.

"Yes. Come in," I stepped aside, and Harper walked in. I sighed as I shut the door, bracing myself for what was to come.

Chapter Eleven

Harper

I jumped to my feet. I couldn't stand to listen to any more of his shit talk. What the hell is this? Play along with the rumor? My head spun around the room, my frustration boiling over a hundred degrees. "Are you kidding me!" I yelled, my voice reeking heavily of anger and disbelief.

---