Page 37 of Secret Baby With My Brother's Best Friend

I heard the loud thud echo around us as the car crashed, and my eyes immediately darted over to Harper to make sure she was alright. Her face had grown pale in the last few minutes. Thankfully, we were both fine, which is all that mattered. I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to her. I wasn't sure I would have been able to handle it or even live with myself if she had gotten hurt or worse—I couldn't.

The car's interior was dimly illuminated by the feeble glow of the dashboard lights, casting eerie shadows that seemed to flicker and dance with the wild tempest. The rain continued to pour heavily above us, creating a relentless drumming sound on the roof that swallowed our conversation. The mist was thick, engulfing the surroundings and obstructing my view through the windshield.

I turned the key in the ignition to check if the engine was still running, just like I feared. It didn't start. "Damn it!" I muttered under my breath, frustrated with the unrelenting rain, making it difficult to see and assess the extent of the damage caused by the crash. I considered stepping out in the rain, but I doubted I'd be able to fix the problem.

"What's wrong?" Harper asked, worry etched in her tone. There was fear in her eyes, and I longed to hold her and comfort her, but I couldn't for apparent reasons.

"The car won't start. The crash must have damaged it," I told her.

Harper's eyes widened with fear. "What? This can't be happening," her voice trembled, and I could only wonder what she was thinking—the panic. "You never should have sped up earlier."

What? I jerked my head in her direction. I did not expect that, and it struck a nerve. "Are you fucking blaming me right now!" I snapped, losing my shit.

Maybe I should have known better. It was the fear talking.

"Yes! If you maintained the slow speed, we probably wouldn't have crashed, and we wouldn't be in this situation right now!"

I scoffed. She was really pushing it. Is she serious right now? "Wow! It must be so nice to pin the blame on someone else and forget that you're the reason we are here. If you hadn't insisted on returning home, we wouldn't be here! I wouldn't be here!"

"Oh! I see. You'd rather blame me for this?"

"Why shouldn't I? If you can blame me, then I can blame you as well.” I flared.

"I never asked you to give me a ride! You offered.. That's on you!" She yelled through gritted teeth, poking a finger aggressively in the air.

It felt so unfair. How could she blame me when all I wanted to do today was spend time with her before she left? My intentions were good, and yet all I got was whiplash.

"You're right! It's on me! For fuck sake, I should have never done any of this in the first place. Offering to give you a ride," I smirked sneeringly. "WHAT. WAS. I. THINKING—" I shook my head in regret. "—I never should have bothered."

"Why did you? I never asked you to bother anyway. Not like you've actually ever worried about anyone but yourself, so why? I never asked for your help! I didn't need it!" She said so dismissively.

I stared, "That's just ungrateful of you—"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm ungrateful?" she laughed, tilting her head and smirking at me. "What were you expecting, thank you? Fuck you!"

"I'm not doing this right now," I lowered my voice, getting a grip on the storm inside me. Harper knew how to make me mad, and she did it too well. "There's too much to worry about. I'm not going to argue with you, Harp. You're free to blame me for the storm, the accident, and every other thing you wish to pin on me. Whatever makes you feel better," I said.

Her face softened a little, the anger draining from her face.

"Why am I even surprised? This is so you."

"I—" she began, but that was all I allowed. I couldn't stand to hear anything else.

"Get some rest, Harp. You can take the backseat. We might be here a while," I cut in. We were stranded on this long stretch of rural road, and the only thing we had seen over the past hour driving was farms and fields.

She didn't say anything. Harper moved to the car's backseat, laying on her stomach. I watched her through the rearview mirror. Harper lay on the seat— awake, restless, and alert. She clutched her phone tightly, meticulously adjusting its position in search of a reliable cellular network.

The dim glow from the device illuminated her face, casting gentle shadows that danced across her tired features. She needed rest.

The heavy rain continued to pour in all its glory—unrelenting. Harper still lay awake in the backseat, clutching her phone and angling it side to side for the network but to no avail. She didn't seem to give up, though. She kept at it.

"You should get some sleep," I told her when she yawned for the hundredth time.

It was late, and nothing seemed to have changed with the weather. I wondered how much longer we would have to wait here. Not that it was such a bad thing. I was immensely enjoying being alone with Harper, and even if all we did tonight were fight, it would still be beautiful to me because it was with her—and there's no one I'd rather endure a storm with than her.

Today hadn't gone the way either of us could have imagined, but I would be lying if I said this was such a bad thing.

Harper's eyes darted to me. "I will…just not yet. I need to make a call. It's very important."

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