Page 7 of Secret Baby With My Brother's Best Friend

"Do you need help?" I asked. She hadn't managed to get the treadmill running yet.

"Help? With a treadmill? You're kidding, right?" She arched her brow. "I may not have used a treadmill before, but surely I know how to work the little machine," she said, pressing the green button to start, and the treadmill began to move. She walked on it slowly. "Look at that. Do I still need your help?" she quizzed, tuning the pace without grabbing the handle.

She looked hot walking on the machine, and I could hardly take my eyes off her. "That's dangerous. You should at least hold the handle for—"

"I don't need any help from you. I can handle myself, so mind your business and do your thing," Harper cut me off sharply.

I sighed, knowing she was being reckless to prove she didn't need my help. "You do need my help. You're not using the machine properly, and you could fall—" I reached out to help her, but she pulled away, losing her pace. Before I could finish my sentence, Harper lost her balance on the treadmill and slipped off. I tried to catch her, but she crashed into me, and we both fell.

Harper landed on me, my lips inches away from hers. Her warm breath heated my face while her body pressed against mine in an uncomfortable position. I tensed up at the sensation of our adjoined bodies, feeling the pressure in my boxers building up. This isn't good.

Harper quickly rolled off me, breaking the intimate contact between our bodies and accidentally brushing her lips against mine. My breath seized for a second at the touch of her lips on mine. I sat up, having a mix of emotions. I darted my eyes in her direction to see if she was okay.

Harper looked—I didn't have the words to qualify it. The awkwardness was thick.

"Are you—alright?" I asked, my voice still slightly shaky from the unexpected physical contact. And I wasn't exactly sure what I was supposed to say to her.

Harper nodded, her face turning slightly red. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that. I should have listened to you and held the handle."

She apologized. Wow! I didn't know she was capable of that. "It's alright, no harm done," I said, getting up and offering a hand to help her stand. "Just be more careful next time."

She ignored my hand and pulled herself up. I dropped my hand, a little hurt at her rejection. Why wouldn't she let me help? It was so unlike her. She had changed. We stood there for a while, and I could feel the tension and awkwardness between us elevate even more.

"Thanks," she said like it was the most challenging thing to do, looking away from me.

I wasn't sure what for, seeing as we had both fallen, but I accepted her gratitude anyway. "You're welcome," I replied, trying to steady my voice.

We stood there in silence for a moment. I was contemplating what to say to her to ease the awkward air that had settled between us. Eventually, Harper spoke up. "I should get going," she said and dashed towards the entrance, looking embarrassed.

I sighed. I found my way to the weight section to continue my exercise and resist the urge to chase after her. Pursuing Harper was a dominant thought, and it took everything not to go after her. She wouldn't want me, and the last thing I needed was to make things more complicated than we had left them.

Carl walked into the gym after she left. I was lifting weights at the corner of the room, and I waved at him so he could spot me. He headed over. "Hey, did something happen to Harper in here?" he asked, sitting on the bench beside me.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, lying on the bench and getting ready to lift the barbell above me.

"When I saw her in the hall just now, It looked to me like she was limping."

"Limping?" I repeated, dodging the bar as I sat up and grabbed my shirt. It was probably all I heard. I got to my feet, abandoning the weight and hurrying after Harper.

I knocked on the door, and Harper opened up after a minute. She was in a bathing robe, getting ready for a bath, I suppose. "What are you doing here?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Carl saw you limping in the hallway, so I came to check on you. Did you get hurt?" I quizzed.

"I'm fine. It's just a sprain."

"I want to see it."

"Logan—" Before she could speak, I let myself in. "What are you doing?" She shouted, but I ignored her, sitting on the couch close to the door.

"Take a seat," I gestured, but Harper didn't answer.

"You should leave," she said, standing by the entrance.

"Not until I check how bad it is," I insisted. There was nothing that was going to make me leave until then.

She looked uncomfortable. "I already told you—"

"Sit," I was stern, refusing to listen to anything else. "I will leave when I check it out." Harper conceded, taking a seat beside me, and I lowered my gaze to her leg until I spotted the slightly swollen left ankle. I reached for it and lifted her leg, placing it on my thigh. I noticed a sudden movement from her as I touched her, and we shared a long stare. I broke eye contact, ignoring the appealing sight of her in a robe and how it affected my entire body. Fuck! She was hot, but I had to focus. I wasn't here for that.

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