Aftershocks | Calum Hood

24

25 weeks

Calum rapped on the thin wood door of the small home and waited, glancing around at the boarded up homes and barred windows on the homes around him. Each passing moment seemed to take years before the door was finally opened to reveal a smiling Harper. 

"Cal!" She exclaimed, wrapping him in a friendly hug. "It's so good to see you. Did Kenz know you were coming? She's asleep. The baby's been making her so tired."

He frowned at her statement, he didn't know her exhaustion had returned, but he'd discuss that with Mack later. 

"Hey, Harp. We've got to get you out of this neighborhood." He said stepping through the doorway. 

"Yeah, it's not the best but it's what I've got unless they decide to start paying teachers more than peanuts, I hit the lottery, or I marry, like, Elon Musk." 

"I could buy you something nicer, in a better neighborhood." He offered nonchalantly.

"Shut up." She deadpanned, pulling two white claws from the refrigerator. 

"What? We're best friends too, Harper." He said cracking open his drink and taking a sip.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't need a pity gift that big just because you feel bad that I am now, eternally, going to be you two's third wheel." 

He gave her a knowing look at her wording. "So what would you want?" He asked with a laugh.

"My kids are driving me bat shit crazy. Please send me on a cruise anywhere but fucking here." She pleaded.

"I think that can be arranged." He laughed. "How long has Mack been out?"

"Umm," She started, glancing at the clock. "It's four now and she went to lie down around one, so like, three hours."

He nodded. "I hope she won't be too angry if I wake her up. I've got some stuff to talk to her about."

"Wait." She called, reaching for his arm and stopping him. "You know she was devastated that the baby wasn't yours, right?" Harper said softly. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and nodded. "And then with Tanner... doing what he did." She said her eyes growing dark from the disdain that settled in her chest as she thought of him abandoning her best friend, and his own child. "She just wishes everything were different. I think that's got a lot to do with how hard this pregnancy has been on her."

He nodded. 

"But Cal, you can't go in there and ask her to move back in with you." 

"What?" He asked, his chest deflating, that's what he'd come there to do. Along with surprise her with his visit home before their Los Angeles show tomorrow.  He brought his can to his lips and took a long sip

"Sierra told me that's what you were thinking of doing, but if you just go in and ask her, I'm afraid you won't get the answer you want."

"But why? We talked everything through we've been communicating so much better. We've talked every single night for like, over a month now. I'm about to ask her to be my girlfriend, like, officially."

"And I'm sure she'll say yes to that but she's been worried to death about the baby's living situation and whatever you two have going on. Asking her now is just going to overwhelm her and send her running."

He sighed heavily, doubt beginning to creep in to his previously confident mind. 

"So what do you suggest then?" He asked. If Harper felt it was the wrong move, he'd listen. 

"It's got to be her idea. Ask her to stay with you tonight. Let her see what it would be like with you around."

"We've lived together before." He reasoned.