Page 48 of Secret Baby With My Brother's Best Friend

Harper's face flushed with a rosy hue, and I could bet my face was just the same. "Um... I... uh..." I stammered, struggling to find the right words to break the silence, and she wasn't helping either. I tossed the spare towel on the table, and she immediately wrapped it around her. "I'll wait outside," I added and left the room, waiting outside the door.

Ten minutes later, or was it twenty minutes? It's hard to say—time was the last thing on my mind after that steamy sight of Harper. My mind was still occupied, replaying the moment over and over again. The door opened, a gesture for me to enter, and I did. I entered the room and found Harper seated on the bed, dressed—what a shame.

I stood in the room idly for a few minutes, the awkwardness stretching between us. I scratched the back of my head, wanting to break the silence but unsure of what to say, and after what felt like hours, Harper finally turned to me.

"Are you gonna keep standing there all day?" she asked, breaking the ice, and I almost smiled.

"Maybe," I replied, daring to come closer to the bed where she sat.

"So, where did you go this morning? Went to talk to your new friend?"

I smiled. Jealousy looked nice on her. "Nah. I had to meet with the mechanic."

"Is he done with the car?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Did you test it out?"

"I did. He did a good job."

"That's good."

"Yeah. Anyways, I have to visit the store to get some supplies."

Harper stared at me briefly before muttering, "Okay."

"Do you need anything?" I quizzed.

"Not exactly."

"Do you want to come?" I posed the question carefully, and Harper shifted her gaze in my direction, taking a while to respond. "Haley offered to accompany me, but I thought you'd like to come. You don't have to come if you don't want to," I added purposefully.

It took only a minute, even faster than I calculated. "I'll come with you. I think I might need some stuff, too," she responded swiftly, and it took everything in me to keep a straight face and not burst out laughing. Harper rose to her feet. "When do we leave?" she asked.

"Now," I answered and motioned to the door. Harper grabbed her handbag and swung it over her shoulder before heading out, and I followed.

A few blocks, my ass!

We drove more than two miles down the road before finally spotting a small store by the roadside. The sign on the glass door indicated it was open, the only place available in the deserted area. We got out of the car and made our way into the store.

"Good afternoon," the elderly man behind the counter greeted us as we walked in.

"Afternoon," Harper and I chorused, splitting up and wandering around the half-empty store. The shelves were nearly bare, with only a few essential items. Thankfully, I found a few shirts, underwear, socks, shaving cream, and...

My eyes darted to Harper, who was engrossed in the food section, looking both serious and cute. I discreetly grabbed a pack of condoms from the shelf, just in case, and moved over to the counter. I dropped the basket of items, and Harper joined me, emptying her basket into mine. The store owner scanned the items, and just as he was about to pull out the condoms, I turned to Harper, positioning myself to shield her view.

"Did you get everything you need?" I asked, momentarily distracting her.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Why?"

"No worries," I replied, relieved.

I turned back to the store owner, taking the bag from him and handing him my credit card.

* * *

Later in the evening, the storm began, pounding relentlessly against the roof in unending torrents. "Ugh! Can't we get a day without the rain? Ugh!" Harper grumbled, shivering as she slipped under the sheets, pulling the sheets around her.

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