The Heart of a Girl (2) (12 page)

             
“I’m not leaving until I know my sister and niece will be okay,” Mason replied.

             
“So that’s why you’re really here,” Adam said, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re not here because you think your dad needs help running the bed and breakfast. You’re here because you think I’m incapable of taking care of my own family.”

             
“I’m her because my sister needs me, whether she’ll admit it or not, and you aren’t doing everything you can to help her.”

             
“You’re such a hypocrite,” Adam spat out. “You want to get on my case for going out with my friends a few times a week, when you’re in a completely different state than your own wife?”

             
“Cynthia and I talked about this, not that it’s any of your business, and she agreed that Lainey needed me more than she did right now. I’m not here avoiding responsibility the way you do, Adam. I’m here because I love my family and want to make sure they’re okay and are going to continue being okay.”

             
“Bullshit.” Adam stepped towards Mason and I had a sinking feeling this wasn’t going to end well. I hurried into the nursery and placed Harper in her crib, whispering a quick apology to her before running back out into the living room.

             
“Is that true, Mason?” I asked, and he turned slightly to look at me. He had a sheepish look on his face.

             
“Yeah, Lainey. I’m not here because Dad needs me. I’m here because you do.”

             
“Mason…”

             
“That’s it,” Adam fumed. He grabbed his keys off the coffee table and thrust them into his pocket. “You two want to have a little family reunion, go ahead. I’m leaving.”

             
“Where are you going?” I asked softly, but he ignored me. “What about Harper?”

             
“Oh, I think she’ll be just fine with her surrogate father right here, willing to step in and do my job. I’ll be back later.” Without waiting for a response he stepped out of the house and slammed the door behind him.

             
I closed my eyes. I felt Mason step towards me and wrap his arms around me. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, and I knew he was. I also knew it wasn’t his fault.

             
“Don’t be,” I whispered back, resting my head on his shoulder. “He’ll come around.”

             
Harper’s cries broke me out of the moment and I turned to head down the hallway, wiping my own tears away before Mason could see for himself that I was beginning to lose faith in Adam the way he
already had.

Part II

Winter & Secrets

Chapter 17

             
Adam started to change again after Halloween. When he got home that night, he apologized profusely for the way he acted and I forgave him. He stopped going out altogether. He stayed home instead, spending time with me even if all we did was watch TV and fall asleep together. He became more dedicated to Harper, getting up with her in the middle of the night if he woke up before me.

             
We set a wedding date. June 27
th
. Harper’s birthday fell on a Monday and so it was a week after the weekend we’d hold her party. There wasn’t that much to be done. We’d already decided we wanted a simple wedding, like Mason and Cynthia’s, but with even less guests. Hannah would serve as my maid of honor and Brad would likely be the best man. I’d tried to talk Adam into asking Mason for the honor but regardless of how much he’d changed his grudge against my brother remained.

             
My birthday came and went, celebrated by a dinner out with Adam, Julia, Ned, Hannah and of course Harper. I wanted to invite Mason but knew better. I was seventeen now, but nothing felt different. If anything the realization that I still had one and a half years of high school left only made me feel younger instead of older.

             
November flew by and before I knew it, it was the day before Thanksgiving and I was home alone for the first night in a while. Hannah had flown down to South Carolina to spend the holiday and long weekend with her father and Adam was out with Ned, picking up the last few groceries they needed. Sylvia and Julia were hard at work in the kitchen, making last minute deserts. I’d intended to join them but Harper was fussy and I didn’t think taking her out of her usual comfort zone was a good idea.

             
I walked around the house tidying up while simultaneously bouncing Harper on my hip. She had gotten so big. Five months old already, it was hard to believe. She liked to smile and laugh at anyone around her and was getting a lot better at sleeping through the night. She didn’t cry out as much as she used to either, which I took as a sign of her sensing that things between Adam and I had gotten better.

             
“What should we do tonight, hmm?” I asked her once the living room was noticeably tidier than it was before. “Do you want Mommy to lay out a blanket so you can play with your new toys?” She giggled, so I took that as a yes.

             
I laid down the blanket Hannah had given me for Christmas last year, laid a few of Harper’s favorite toys on top of it then placed her down, helping her to remain sitting up. She reached for a small stuffed octopus Mason bought her and squealed as she held him to her face. I sat down beside her and beamed. I was so proud I could hardly put it into words.

             
The doorbell rang, surprising me. I glanced at the closed door and frowned slightly, wondering who would be stopping by this time of night. Remembering that Cynthia’s flight was due in about an hour ago I decided it was probably them, wanting to stop by and see Harper before heading back to Bella Vista. It wasn’t usual for Mason to ring the doorbell, but then again he had no way of knowing Adam wasn’t home and was well aware of how close the two of them probably weren’t ever going to be.

             
Of course, I should have known better. Whenever the doorbell sounded, it was typically the last person in the world you expected to see standing on the other side. At least that had been the general rule so far living here.

             
This time it was Nolan Reeve standing before me tanned, his blonde hair lighter than ever and cut so that it barely reached his ear lobes, flashing me his infamous crooked smile. I nearly fell backwards.

             
“Nolan,” I said, blinking at him as if trying to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. “What are you doing here?”

             
“It’s nice to see you too, Lainey,” he said, moving past me and into the house. Of course he wasn’t going to stand there and wait to be invited inside. He was Nolan Reeves, after all.

             
“Wow,” he said, stopping in his tracks. “Is that the same baby from July?”

             
I couldn’t help but laugh, despite the fact that I was annoyed with him. “Yes, that’s the same baby as before. Harper, do you remember Nolan?” She looked at him and smiled, then turned back to her octopus, uninterested.

             
“Yeah, she gave me that same reaction back then,” he remarked.

             
“What are you doing here?” I asked. He turned to me and smiled brighter, tilting his head to the side.

             
“You’re really not excited to see me, are you?” He almost sounded disappointed.

             
“Well, I’m surprised. You went to California and were never heard of again.”

             
“Yeah, that’s true. But you should know by now that I like to keep people on their toes.”

             
He seemed happy, which surprised me. He’d been a little depressed after Hannah left for her vacation, having refused to see him or even talk to him before she went. Then he’d resorted back to his old ways, hooking up with whatever girl seemed interesting at any given time. Whatever small amount of friendship we’d formed during his relationship with Hannah had dissipated and then so had his and Adam’s.

             
I found myself smiling at him and reached out for a hug. Looking a little surprised, he stepped into my embrace and lifted me up. I laughed and twisted away from him, forcing him to put me down on my feet.

             
He smiled down at me and reached over to smooth some hair from my eyes. “You look great, Lainey.”

             
“Thanks. So do you.”

             
“Eh, I’ve been working out,” he admitted with a wink, then kneeled down next to the blanket. “She’s really cute. She looks like you.”

             
I sat down next to Harper and shook my head. “She doesn’t look anything like me. She has all Adam’s genes.”

             
“Nah, I see some of you in her. A lot, actually. Especially when she smiles.”

             
“She has maybe one tooth,” I pointed out.

             
He grinned mischievously. “Can I hold her?”

             
“You can try,” I replied, lifting Harper and standing up, motioning for Nolan to do the same. “Don’t get offended if she freaks out, she gets like that sometimes. The only person she’s ever guaranteed to be calm for is me, Mason, and Julia.”

             
“Not Adam?”

             
“No, she still gives him a little bit of trouble,” I admitted, handing Harper over to him and waiting for her reaction. She stared at him and for a brief second I worried she was about to start wailing. But then a smile appeared across her face and she nuzzled against his neck, patting his chest.

             
Nolan looked at me, more surprised than I was. “I guess that means she likes me.”

             
“Definitely,” I said with a smile.

             
The door opened and Adam walked in, his mouth open like he was about to say something. He stopped sort, realizing Nolan was standing in the living room.

             
“What are you doing here?” He asked, leaving the door wide open.

             
“Whatever happened to hello?” Nolan asked, laughing. “Jeez, with the way you two are acting, you’d think I left ten years and vowed never to return.”

             
“You kind of did,” Adam pointed out. “I think your last words were, ‘I’m going to California and never coming back to this shit hole.’”

             
“They weren’t my last words,” Nolan corrected. “You weren’t around for my last words, if I remember correctly. However, I do recall saying something along those lines, and it turns out I was wrong. California isn’t all that great, either.”

             
“So you’re back?” Adam asked, closing the door stepping forward to put his arm around my shoulders. It felt more possessive than sweet and I looked at him questioningly. He avoided my gaze.

             
“Yeah, I’m back. Back and homeless.” Harper lifted her head and looked at him and I could have sworn I saw sympathy in her eyes.

             
“Homeless?” I repeated, stepping out of Adam’s embrace and taking my daughter back. She protested at first but eventually relented, entangling her tiny hand into my hair. I made a mental note to get that hair cut I’d wanted sooner.

             
Nolan sighed and nodded his head. “Yeah, I dropped out of school and apparently that’s a big no-no. I went home, told my parents, and they told me to get out until I came to my senses.” He threw his arms in the air. “Thus, why I’m here.”

             
“You dropped out of school?” I asked, shocked. “Why?”

             
He shrugged again. “It wasn’t a good fit. I had no idea why I was there, other than being told college is what you do after high school. I got horrible grades, skipped half my classes most of the time, and ran out of girls that caught my interest.” He winked at me again, letting me know he’d thrown that last bit of information in there for my benefit.

             
“Don’t get me wrong, it was fun at first. Lots of parties and cool people, but then the actual school part started and it wasn’t right for me. I figured I’d be better off here, getting a job in my dad’s company doing whatever until he was ready for me to take over. Apparently that’s not going to happen.”

             
“So why did you come here?” Adam asked, and I nudged him. He glanced at me but didn’t seem to realize how harsh he sounded.

             
“Look, I know we haven’t actually spoken in the last few months, but I figured being best friends for half our lives had to count for something, right? I’m just wondering if you can spare me your couch, at least until I figure something else out.”

             
“No way, Nolan. This place is too small. Sorry, but that’s not going to happen.”

             
“Adam,” I protested, but he ignored me.

             
“Alright,” Nolan said, nodding his head. “I guess I’ll go try to check into a hotel or something.” He gave me and Harper one last smile and started back towards the door.

             
“Wait!” I called, putting Harper in Adam’s arms and following him. “Don’t go. You can stay here, at least for tonight. Then we’ll figure something else out, okay?” He smiled at me and glanced over at Adam, who looked unhappy but said nothing.

             
“If that’s alright with Adam,” Nolan said when it was clear Adam wasn’t going to offer anything.

             
“It’s whatever,” Adam said, and without another word he took Harper off in the direction of the nursery. Nolan and I exchanged glances.

             
“Sorry about this,” he apologized.

             
“Don’t worry about it,” I said with a smile. “It’s Thanksgiving tomorrow. We’re not going to put one of our friends out on the street the night before a holiday.”

             
“Thanks,” he said, putting his arm around me and pulling me close to him. “Glad to see at least one of you feels that way.”

             
“Adam will come around,” I said, and wondered how many more times I’d have to say that before I’d begin believing it again.