Trapped in her darkness

9- Brunch and co.

James PoV

“Are you OK?” I ask her.

We have just parked the car in Ethan and Sawyer’s driveway, and we are walking up the alley towards the front door. But I have noticed that Harper is nervous as she straightens her dress with incessant and panicky strokes. A dress that Connor bought her yesterday among other clothing items. For a rookie, he knows how to woo a girl!

“No… I want to barf.” She whispers.

I try to grab her hand, but she pushes it away.

I furrow my eyebrows, glaring at her.

“Umm…It’s just that… I am so nervous that my hands are clammy.” She tries to justify her movement.

I grab her hand and run her palms on my shirt to dry them.

Her hand on my chest wakes my buddy down south, but I cannot stop rubbing her hand on my chest, even though it is dry now.

We lock eyes and I notice the pink on her cheeks darkening by the seconds. She felt it… She f*****g felt it! It was not just me.

“What the hell are you doing James?! This is inappropriate!” Connor hisses, trying to pull her away from me.

I want to tell him that she is not complaining, but I do not want to embarrass her.

“Nothing inappropriate is happening here, Connor. Get your head out of the gutter.” I mock him.

I do not let go of her hand, but I rather intertwine our fingers together. Which enrages Connor, and he also holds tight to her other hand, just as the front door opens.

“Finally! You are the last ones here!”

“Great…” murmurs Harper in a low voice that I am the only one to hear her.

I stroke her thumb with mine, and lean in.

“Relax, I am not going to leave your side, my little harp.” I tell her and I smirk when I see her cheeks turn scarlet red.

Ethan raises an eyebrow in disbelief, his eyes on our intertwined hands... Harper sandwiched between Connor and me.

He stares at me as if awaiting an explanation, but there is nothing to explain.

“Hi Ethan, this is Harper, my friend.” I make the introduction.

“Our friend!” pitches in Connor, under Ethan’s amused eyes.

“Hi Harper, it is an honor to meet Connor and James’ friend. I am a friend of theirs too.” He jokes, as he put his hand out.

Harper tries to free her hand, but I do not let go.

“James? Connor?” she asks.

“No need to shake his hand.” I grumble.

“Are they here?! Oh, James! I missed you!” Sawyer laughs as she throws herself at me.

“Missed you too!” I tap her back with my free hand.

“Sawyer, stop hugging him.” whines Ethan, and we all laugh at his possessiveness.

Sawyer takes a step back and her eyes land on Harper.

“Hello, you must be Harper? I am Sawyer, Ethan’s fiancée.” Said Sawyer as she pulls Harper into a hug.

“Nice to meet you, Sawyer.” Harper says.

When they break their hug, Harper’s eyes do not leave Sawyer.

“Is there something on my face?” Sawyer asks, confused.

“Oh… I am sorry… It’s just that you look so familiar… “

“Maybe you saw our engagement photos? We were in so many magazines... They all praised my romantic and singing skills.” Ethan jokes.

“I… I don’t know. I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Not at all. I am intrigued now and I want to know who my doppelganger is!” laughs Sawyer.

“I… I just can’t put my finger on it…”

“You have all day to look at my beautiful fiancée. This could help you remember.” Ethan smiles as he pulls Sawyer into his arms.

“You just met her, and she has the right to stare at Sawyer all day long? You have known me since I was a baby and you warned me straight on not to make any eye contact with her.” Connor complains playfully.

“Harper does not have a penis.” Ethan casually answers.

“Ethan! The kids! Harper!” Sawyer scolds him as she pinches his upper arm.

“How about you let go of her hands so that we have a girl's talk?” Sawyer asks Connor and me.

“No.” we both reply at the same time.

“The Palmer brothers are worse than the Harrisons!” Sawyer rolls her eyes.

“Come, follow me.” she adds, as she walks us to the garden.

“Uncle J.” yell Camden and Stella as they run towards me.

I halfheartedly let go of Harper’s hand to catch the cutest daredevils running toward me.

“Hey, kiddos!”

“Uncle J. I am teaching Camden and Carl some soccer tricks.” Stella proudly tells me.

“Did you start by teaching them how to throw themselves on the ground and pretend to be injured by the opponent?” I joke.

“Hey! This is what dad said!” smiles Camden.

Dad? Is he calling Ethan “dad” now? I look up at Ethan, and he is fighting tears.

“Come, Camden, Carl is waiting for us.” Stella pulls Camden by his sleeves and they both run to Carl giggling.

I straighten up and look at Ethan.

“He asked us last night whether he can call us mom and dad.” Ethan says with a tremulous voice.

Sawyer wraps her arms around Ethan’s waist, tears running down her cheeks.

“We agreed no crying anymore…” He says as he puts his forehead on hers.

“Have you finalized the adoption?” Connor asks.

Sawyer shakes her head, sadness taking over her facial expressions.

“We started it, but it is a long and complex process.”

“But Dakota and Carl are teens. Their testimony should count in the adoption process, no?”

“It should… But I don’t want to jinx it.”

“Everything will be OK. The kids are lucky to have you. The way you transformed the lives of Dakota and Carl is enough to convince anyone that you are the best parents for the three of them!” I tell them.

I look at Harper and notice a lonesome tear running down her face. My hand flies instinctively to catch the tear and stroke her cheek.

She looks down, visibly embarrassed.

“Please, don’t…” she whispers.

“Were you crying? Is everything OK, Harper?” Sawyer asks her as she lets go of Ethan.

“No, I was not crying.” Harper replies, her voice wobbly.

Harper blushes, realizing that her cracked voice betrayed her.

“It’s… It’s just amazing that you are fostering siblings, especially teens.”

Sawyer does not get a chance to reply as Andrew sauntered our way, his eyes wide open.

“Here she is…The woman of the hour!” he shouts as he pulls Harper into a hug.

“Wow, you are gorgeous! James, why didn’t you tell me she was so beautiful!?” he adds as he pulls her out of his embrace, his arms still on her shoulders though.

“Umm… thank you… I guess.” Harper says, her cheeks on fire.

“Wait a minute. Why are you both holding her hands? Are you sharing her!” he grins.

Harper’s already big eyes grow into wide circles as she tries to free herself from our hold.

“Are you out of your mind? I do not want to see him naked!” Connor shouts disgustedly.

“I would never share her with anyone.” I reply, my eyes on her, burning her skin with my penetrating gaze.

Harper looks at me, so many questions in her eyes.

“One point for the big brother! Excellent answer.” Andrew jokes, clapping his hands.

“James! We agreed…” Connor whines like a six-year-old fighting for a toy.

I know I am not being fair, but Connor’s infatuation with Harper is just that. I don’t think they have a connection, whether carnal or spiritual or whatever.

But in the end, my brother has a crush on her, and I have to step down…

I am brought back to reality when Sawyer slaps the back of Andrew’s head.

“Ouch! That hurts!” he complains.

“Excuse him, Harper. He cannot spend two minutes without his sleazy innuendos. If it can make it any less awkward for you, he said something even more appalling to me the first time we met.”

“Ethan! We agreed to forget and move on. She is breaching our agreement!” Andrew squeals, still rubbing his neck.

“James!!!!”

We all hear a scream and when we turn around, I see my sister jumping on me and putting her hands around my neck.

“Kaya! Missed you, kiddo!”

“Liar! You did not call nor message me the whole week!” Kaya pouts playfully as she lets go of me.

“Yes, sorry sis. Busy day at work.”

“Hello, James.” Dakota shily waves at me.

“Here’s my partner in crime!” I give her a bone-crushing hug.

“Didn’t we agree to not let those two get together?” Andrew complains.

“Stop being grumpy, Andrew.” Sawyer chides him.

“I am not being grumpy. Every time they get together, they go into prank mode!”

“So what? They make us laugh!”

“At my expense! Since I am at the other end of their pranks!”

We all laugh at him, and we continue the introductions as I present Harper to Kaya, Carl, my parents, Ethan's parents, as well as to Trevor and Chloe.

Everyone welcomes her with warm hugs and handshakes, and I can see her overwhelmed by the kindness and friendliness around her.

“Are you ok, my little harp?” I ask her as I lean closer to make sure no one else can hear us.

“Stop calling me that.” She asks me, her cheeks turning red once again.

“Not a chance.” I whisper back, her hand still engulfed in mine.

“Kaya, is that make-up?” Connor asks her, surprised.

“Yes! Dakota taught me how to put eyeliner today. Do you like it?”

Connor just nods his head, mumbling under his breath, and I understand him. Although Kaya is fifteen years old, for us, she will always be our baby sister.

“Please take a seat everyone. Time to eat.” Sawyer instructs us.

As I usher Harper to a seat, Ethan grabs my hand, the free one.

“James, concerning Dakota and Kaya… If… If you have a problem with it, you just let me know.”

“A problem with what?” I frown and look at him, confused.

“They are getting close. Not just in school. And… Well… you know Dakota’s troubled past…”

Does he really think I do not want my sister and his daughter to be friends?

“You are talking about my future goddaughter! Watch your mouth.” I jokily berate him as I pull Harper down on a chair next to me.

Of course, Connor is on my tail and sits on her left side.

“James, we will have to talk, after brunch.” He spits out, not even looking at me.

I roll my eyes at him and his constant nagging. Today, I just want to enjoy my time with my friends and family and my little harp.

And this is exactly how brunch goes by, filled with lighthearted discussions. Until everyone starts discussing their plans for the upcoming week and Vicky, Ethan’s mother, talks about the wedding planning.

“Harper, all of us girls are going for a dress fitting on Tuesday at noon. How about you come with us? We can make it a girls’ day out.”

“Umm…I am sorry, I can’t join you.” she replies, her voice low.

“Oh. No problem, I understand. It can be boring if you are not in the wedding party.”

“What? No, No, Mrs. Harrison…”

“I told you to call me Vicky.” Vicky playfully scolds her.

“I am sorry, Vicky. I cannot come, but it is because…” she stutters, not sure how to explain her situation.

I do not want her to feel uncomfortable and decide to give her an excuse.

“I planned to take her to the Museum.” I lie.

Harper’s head jerks to her right, staring at me.

“James…No… Please, do not lie for me.”

“Is something wrong?” mum asks, worried now.

“Yes, Mary… I think… kinda.” Harper answers my mum.

“It’s… It’s just that I have some bad people on my tail and if I go out to public places, they might be able to catch me.”

“What?!” Mum gasps, concern marring her features.

Well… the cat is out of the bag now!