~Chapter 27~

Coming home had never really been my favourite activity in the world and, unfortunately, this visit was no different.

Mother had decided, without informing me beforehand, that she wanted to pick me up from the airport instead of the chauffeur who normally did. It was safe to say I wasn't ecstatic when I saw her waiting for me when I arrived, an impatient look on her face.

She spent half the journey home ranting at me for being late, as if she believed it was me who controlled the speed the plane flew at. However, I was far too tired to argue with her so just nodded my head, acting apologetic and going along with whatever she said — it was just easier that way. She had chided me slightly on my looks but nowhere near as intensely as I was expecting. She was acting softer than usual and I was definitely surprised.

However, she had still briefly mentioned my weight and dieting and at this point, I was almost considering it, partially to shut her up about it but also because I was starting to feel that it might be necessary. My weight must've been really bad for mother to constantly belittle me for it. Maybe I was fat.

No. I threw out the thought. I wasn't fat.

I tried to remind myself of this but the more I said it the less I believed it.

~*~*~

The house felt different the moment I stepped inside. Yes, it was filled with noise and was bustling with life thanks to all my siblings wanting to spread the festive cheer but there was still something terribly wrong with the whole place. Other than my younger brother, Wyatt, who had temporarily moved out to enjoy a gap year before starting university, I was the only one who didn't still live here so the loud surroundings and occasional screams were no surprise. Yet, the atmosphere felt stiff and cold, like a part of the family was missing; Zack.

Zack was the only one who made my life stuck here bearable and without him, everything felt so wrong, so unbelievably wrong. Spending time here, no matter how fleeting, was going to be a near-impossible task without him by my side.

My heart went heavy at the thought, feeling like a dead weight in my chest, and I let out a long sigh before quickly escaping upstairs before mother could catch up and nag at me further. I definitely did not need that right now.

Despite the overwhelming sadness that crept up my spine by stepping inside this house — mostly due to thoughts of Zack but also from all the bad memories associated with the place — there was still one silver lining: I was able to see the rest of my family.

The first people I saw were Anna, our nanny, and the twins, Aria and Hunter. Surprisingly, they got on really well and did almost everything together like right now with them both helping Anna with the laundry, both of them carrying large baskets up the stairs.

They grinned in unison when they saw me, their hazel eyes alight with cheerfulness. I smiled brightly back and told them to save a spot for me later so I could watch a movie with them.

The twins tended to keep to themselves more than my other siblings. They weren't exactly quiet but when compared to everyone else you'd almost think they came from a different family. If it weren't for all the similarities in our facial features, like the slightly smaller ears and signature grins that all of us Kings had I might even have believed it.

After I had put my stuff away, I couldn't contain the grin on my face when I beheld the small figure standing in front of me.

I had practically jumped on Carter when I'd seen him, almost squeezing the life out of the adorable redhead and he had only complained mildly at near choking embrace, clutching me just as tightly in his small arms.

I knew the death had been hard for all of my family but particularly the triplets; they were only nine after all and shouldn't have been subjected to such horrors so young. It was almost as if I could feel my brother's anguish as we hugged each other and I hoped doing this would help ebb his pain, be it only slightly. Carter had never been the affectionate type — even with me, his obvious favourite — so it hurt to see him so vulnerable but I'd be damned if I didn't do everything in my power to lighten his load as best as I could.

We'd spent the next two hours playing video games and the cheeky bugger had somehow managed to get a few wins on me but, instead of letting my competitiveness burst of like it was dying to, I held my tongue and did my best attempt of a civil congratulations when he eventually won.

However, Carter could see right through me and knew just how much it pained me that he won but he didn't feel bad. The idiot had the audacity to gloat at his victory and it took everything within me not to tackle him to the ground and demand a rematch.

I loved my brother, more than anything, but damn I desperately wanted to fight him right then, even if he was only nine. That smug smile was just so bloody infuriating. However, I settled for the next best thing and forced him into a bear hug, tickling his sides until he swatted me away desperately with his flailing arms, begging to be released. "What was that, Carter?" I taunted mockingly.

"I'm sorry. I—I surrender," he gasped between my avalanche of tickles.

I smiled in victory, finally letting him go. "Now that's what I like to hear," I grinned evilly and he only scoffed, handing me a controller so we could go again.

~*~*~

It was Christmas Eve today and I'd decided to take the triplets out to visit Santa. I was on babysitting duty seeing as Wyatt was out with his girlfriend, Aurora; Nathan had gone to get the final paperwork signed to have full custody of Olivia; dad had a last-minute urgent business meeting; mother was off galavanting doing God knew what; Daniel was at a sleepover; the twins had gone to some Christmas concert thing and Anna, the nanny my parents had hired, was on leave for the holidays.

In short, I was the only one available but I didn't mind. Honestly, anything to get me out of the house and away from memories of Zack was a welcomed distraction.

The queue to see Santa was painfully long but it didn't seem like the triplets minded as they hopped in place excitedly, talking to each other in voices so fast I could hardly understand what they were saying.

Just over an hour later, they'd all seen Santa with happy grins on their faces which made the wait more than worth it. They'd been clever though and used my good mood to their advantage by persuading me to take them to the dessert parlour on the other side of the shopping centre.

I just couldn't say no to the little devils, not when it was Christmas Eve and they were having so much fun. I wasn't going to be the one to dampen their spirits. I knew that meant I was going to have to deal with their massive sugar crashes later but that was future Harper's problem, not mine.

On our way across the shopping centre, I'd been stopped a few times for photos and I wished everyone who I spoke with a happy holiday but the triplets were tugging me along, literally, meaning the encounters didn't go as smoothly as they normally did. I tripped over my feet more than once thanks to the dangerous speed they were pulling me at and almost slammed face first onto the ground.

I knew my cheeks were scarlet. Luckily, I don't think anyone took any pictures of that embarrassing moment, at least I hoped not. I'd find out later on if I was tagged in anything so I'd just have to keep my fingers crossed.

Commotion aside, we were now all sitting at a booth in the corner of the place. Carter seated next to me with a stack of waffles doused in syrup and chocolate; Noah opposite him with an ice cream sundae much too large for someone of his size to finish alone but it didn't look like he was struggling in the slightest; and Brooklyn next to him and opposite me with pancakes covered in strawberries and sugar.

Their eyes were practically glowing as they ate their sugary concoctions and it was finally dawning on me that I was soon going to be future Harper and would have to deal with the inevitable sugar crashes. I winced at the thought but forgot about it as I put spoonfuls my own dessert, chocolate chip cookie dough, to my lips.

I was halfway through my dessert and coaching Carter on a maths question he had been struggling with when I heard an all too familiar voice ordering at the counter.

It couldn't be...

Slowly, I turned my head to the side and sure enough there stood none other than Axel Knight, a little boy gripping his arm tightly as he spoke to the woman behind the counter.

Carter shoved me in the side lightly, trying to draw my attention back to him. I gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Carter. I've gotta pee give me a sec."

Sliding out of the booth, I did my best to make as little noise as possible as I got closer to Axel. The ballet lessons mother forced me to partake in throughout all of my teenage years were finally paying off because I managed to tiptoe my way across the loud room without even the slightest squeak.

As fast as I could manage, I jumped onto Axel's shoulders, not caring about the people around me who were baulking at my antics. "Axel!"

For the first time in six months, I made him jump. "Fuck!" he cursed in complete shock, spinning on his heel to face me.

I grinned ear to ear as I took him in, basking in the surprise plastered across his face. "Harper?"

I twirled in an overdramatic fashion before replying. "The one and only."

Axel was quiet for a long moment and it wasn't often that I'd ever seen this boy rendered speechless so I couldn't help the smug smile taking ahold of my feature.

"Oh wipe that look off your face," he finally said.

Obviously, I didn't. "Why on earth would I ever do that?"

Axel rolled his eyes tenderly, going back up to the counter to grab his food. He handed a massive plate of waffles to the little boy who had previously been clutching his arm and kept a serving of chocolate chip cookie dough for himself. Good choice.

"And who might you be?" I asked the boy who couldn't have been much older than the triplets.

"I'm Joey," he said meekly, his cheeks a bright pink as he tried to hide his face in Axel's side.

Axel laughed, ruffling Joey's hair with his free arm. "Since when are you so quiet?" he teased and Joey just shrugged, not moving from his spot close to Axel's side. "This is my little brother, Joey. The lad turned ten yesterday so we've come out to celebrate with lots of sugar, isn't that right scamp?"

Brother? Had Axel ever mentioned having a younger brother? No. The more I thought about it the more I realised how little I knew about him. Yes, I knew all the small things like how he loved mint-choc-chip ice cream or how he would always belt out songs terribly off-key without caring when he was drunk. I even knew random tidbits of information that no one else did like that he got his first tattoo for his seventeenth birthday with a fake ID but I didn't know the bigger things and that hurt me slightly; honestly, a lot more than I cared to admit. Did he not trust me enough?

I didn't let my thoughts show, instead keeping the smug smile on my face which turned kind as I moved to face Joey. "Ah, that means you're in the same year as my siblings. In fact, the triplets are with me. You can come sit with us if you'd like." I posed the offer to both of them but surprisingly it was Joey who responded first with a small nod of his head.

I grinned at him and tossed Axel a careless wink as we went to sit back down at the booth the triplets were waiting in, squabbling with one another. Only Brooklyn quietened when she saw us, her eyes locking with Joey's for a brief moment before she looked to me, her cheeks scarlet.

I slipped back into my seat next to Carter and Axel sat next to me, Joey choosing to sit opposite him and next to Brooke.  "Carter, Noah and Brooke meet Axel and Joey," I said, motioning to each person. The long awkward silence I expected didn't last even a second as Carter noticed the hoodie Joey was wearing and they immediately launched into a conversation about a band they both liked, followed seconds later by both Noah and Brooklyn.

"I see we have similar tastes in desserts," Axel said, not wasting a second longer of our time together with unnecessary quiet.

~*~*~

A few hours later we all ended up at the arcade, the kids running around winning tickets from various games left right and centre.

Axel and I were sat at a table where we could keep an eye on all of them whilst also enjoying some nachos. It almost felt like we were parents taking our kids on a day out and the stupid thought made me blush furiously.

"What?" Axel grinned, dipping a nacho into some sour cream.

"Nothing," I said a little too quickly.

He playfully narrowed his eyes at me. "Don't make me throw this nacho at you," he threatened with that adorable smile still on his face.

I raised my hands in mock surrender. "Wow what terrifying prospect. Well, if you must know," I said, dragging out each word as slowly as possible. "I was thinking about what it would be like to do this for real one day with my own kids."

Axel's eyes glistened slightly in the dim lighting. "Any idea on who the other parent might be?" The question was light yet so heavy at the same time and it made my stomach flip and dance in a way I couldn't control.

"I... well..." I trailed off.

"Freckles?"

His silken brown eyes seemed to captivate me when I heard the nickname I'd grown so accustomed to hearing from his lips, my heart pounding in response. My throat bobbed but I did my best to snap out of whatever trance I was under. "I don't really know. You got any guesses?" I asked, reaching for my glass of Coke with a pink paper straw.

Normally I was great at flirting, something Zack had always teased me about but right now I was almost at a loss for words. How had he managed to leave me practically breathless with just one look? It was as if we were in a game of chess and Axel had just put me in check.

"I have one guess," he replied in a breathy tone, his eyes morphing a few shades darker.

Breathe, Harper. "Do you now?" I challenged, breaking free from my momentary weakness and matching his tone with an equally sultry look dancing in my eyes.

"Yep and it's a bet I should've placed a long time ago."

Without me realising, Axel had scooted his chair closer to mine, now within reaching distance as he leaned closer towards me. "There's still time to take the gamble," I said in a voice so rough yet alluring I was surprised it had come from my own mouth.

"Then I guess I'll have to go with my gut," he murmured but paused when he was mere inches from my lips. "Can I?" His hot breath fanned my cheeks, making me flush and I nodded silently, my heart thundering in my rib cage as he finally closed the distance.

My mind flashed to Paris and how we'd almost taken the leap so long ago. Then it flashed to a few weeks ago in my apartment when the news of Maddie had stopped us from finally crossing that line. The line we'd been so dangerously tiptoeing around for far too long.

This time, however, nothing stopped us and that line vanished.

My voice caught in my throat as his lips touched mine in the softest caress I had ever experienced. It was hesitant and light yet the gentleness of it warmed me all the way to my toes, filling me up with a tingling sensation I couldn't even begin to describe.

My fingers found the hems on the sleeves of his navy blue jumper and I pulled him closer, readying myself to deepen this kiss, the blissful high that came with him and I being this intimate beginning to take over.

However, before either our us could take it any further and experience each other in a way I'd been yearning to do for months on end, our little bubble was shattered by both Brooklyn and Joey running up to us, their arms full of tickets.

They must've been so focused on their potential prizes that our clear need for a moment alone didn't matter. "Can we go get our prizes now?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, we have enough to get the remote control helicopter," Joey chimed in.

Axel and I both sighed in resignation, finally fully aware that our moment was over.

After much heated debate on their parts, we got the kids their prizes and left the arcade yet I couldn't help but notice all the subtle glances and shy smiles Axel had cast my way the entire time, leaving me completely flustered. All I could manage was a few small grins and one final wink before we finally parted ways and went home.

~*~*~

That evening, my mind kept wandering back to Axel and all that he had implied. Did he see me the way I saw him? Did he want a future with me? I felt like a teenager at the childish wish yet I couldn't help but fixate on the possibility.

And that kiss. No matter how brief, it sparked something within me I had never felt before. Not with River, not with Damien, not with anybody else. Just thinking of it made my stomach flutter and transported me back to when I was a naive little schoolgirl, doting over her first crush.

But I was not a weak and terrified little school girl anymore. I promised myself that I was not going to let the encounter ruffle me. Axel was someone I wanted to face head-on, not like a spineless fool. Our match had been put on hold but I was determined to finish it.

Check, Knight. Your move.

~*~*~

It's not a drill, it finally happened!!!

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(Also, updates two weeks in a row? Who am I? Hope you liked it)

Until next time my lovely readers, stay safe xx