The weekend slipped by faster than she anticipated. It was nicer than she thought it would be, though it was still filled with awkward attempts at bonding. Ryan was trying; she would give him that. But it would take a lot more than a nice room and him trying to get to know her. Each effort had been met with a mix of appreciation and resistance from her. Because all of this was just too much, too soon. And over a decade too late. She thought back to all the times she had needed someone, someone who was supposed to be there, and he hadn't been. Because he'd given her up. Because he hadn't wanted her in his life… until now apparently.
She pushed back more, which in turn made her feel guilty. And then she would give him a chance, but that resulted in her feeling guilty as well because it meant she was trying. And trying meant that she was giving him hope while he was attempting to take her from the one family that wanted her. It wasn't fair to him, she knew that, but every time she softened, she felt like she was betraying the one family that had actually chosen her.
It was a messed-up situation that Harper had no idea how to navigate.
But Monday came too quickly, bringing with it the dread of another school week—a reminder that no matter how hard she tried to settle into this new life, her old one still had its hooks in her. She hoped it would go better than the previous one, but she didn't hold her breath. Because asking the universe to be kind to her was wishing for the impossible. A miracle that would just be a pretty box disguised as a nightmare.
She got dressed reluctantly, a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach. The idea of facing everyone after putting Kyler in his place was daunting. He wouldn't let it go that easily. It was a public humiliation on his part, and she knew she should expect him to retaliate.
Ryan knocked on her door before peeking in, his smile tentative, as if testing the waters. "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, kid," he said, overly cheerful.
"Okay, thanks. I'll be down in a sec."
Once Ryan left, Harper gathered her books for the day. She shoved everything into her bag, but the slow realization of his words processed in her mind. "He cooked? Oh, no."
Harper's heart raced. Abandoning her bag, she threw the door open and raced down the stairs. She braced herself to find the kitchen filled with smoke or up in flames if his last attempt was any indication of his cooking skills. Since the mac and cheese disaster, they'd ordered takeout every day. Neither one of them trusted him near the stove. Her heart pounded as she reached the bottom step, bracing for the worst.
She reached the kitchen and stopped short, staring in surprise. Because there was no disaster. There was no smoke-filled room. Instead of the mess, she found a simple setup: various boxes of cereal, a carton of milk, and a bowl with a spoon. She looked on in confusion while her heart slowed its frantic beating.
Ryan stood there, casually leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in hand. "Morning," he greeted her, catching her horror-struck look with a laugh. "Thought I'd keep it simple this morning."
Harper let out a relieved breath. "Oh, okay," she said with a small smile.
"Want some coffee?" Ryan asked, pointing to the built-in coffee machine.
"Sure," Harper said, taking a seat at the informal dining table. She stared at the different cereals laid out before her and opted for the one with the most sugar. Her bowl filled, she took a spoonful of the sugary cereal.
Ryan placed the coffee in front of her before sitting down and helping himself to breakfast. He kept the conversation flowing, asking her questions about school, hobbies, and more. Though the topics were innocent and casual enough, his attempts to get to know her only caused her to shut down. Each question reminded her of the years he wasn't there, of all the times she needed someone, and no one came.
And it didn't change the years of his absence and the hurt that came with it. It didn't change the fact that he'd willingly signed away his parental rights when she'd been just a child. She wasn't sure if anything could. How do you forgive someone for leaving when you needed them the most? It was a little too late. Because of that, she was determined to keep her guard up, no matter how hard he tried to break through.
Because she didn't want to get hurt again.
She didn't want to get her hopes up only for him to realize that being a full-time father was too much work.
After breakfast, Harper ran up to her room—her very temporary room—and packed up the last of her books for school. When she returned downstairs, she found Ryan scrolling on his phone. He looked up at her with one of his easy grins.
"Going somewhere?" he asked, nodding towards the bag slung over her shoulder.
Harper narrowed her eyes. "Uhm, yeah? School. It's Monday, and I'm sixteen, so I kinda have to go."
"What? No, it's… Oh, shit. You're right," he said with an awkward laugh. "I already had the whole day planned out for us. I was gonna show you around and have us grab lunch in town, but guess we'll have to do it another time."
Harper adjusted her bag and gave him a sad smile because she wasn't sure what to say. She felt a mix of relief and guilt; part of her didn't want to spend the day with him, but the other part hated disappointing him. "So, can you give me a ride? I used to carpool with Lucas, but…."
"Oh, yeah! Definitely." Ryan jumped up from the couch and reached for the car keys. With another grin, he threw them at her. "Here, you can drive."
Harper caught the keys and looked from them to Ryan. "I can't."
"Sure you can, kid."
"No, I mean, like I can't… I don't have my license."
Ryan blinked a few times, as if not understanding her words. "What? Okay, wait. You're serious? You really never learned?"
"Didn't really get a chance. You know, being in foster care and all. It wasn't really a priority," she said with a shrug.
His smile faded before coming back ten times brighter. "I'll teach you! We can do it after school one of these days. It'll be fun." He took the keys from her and took off for the door. "Let's go, kid. Don't want to be late."
Harper ran a hand through her hair before following him out the door. When they reached the driveway, her eyes widened in disbelief where Ryan had a Porsche parked in front of the house. The midnight blue paint gleamed in the morning sun, looking more like a showpiece than a car someone would drive to school.
Ryan beamed at her. "So what do you think? Pretty cool, huh?"
She stared at the car for another unbelievable moment. "This is ridiculous. Seriously?" she muttered. "What is… Is that really the car you're driving me to school in?"
Ryan chuckled, taking her speechlessness for admiration. "Yeah. I got it a few weeks ago and haven't had a chance to take it out yet."
"No. No way. I can't show up in that. It's like asking to get stared at," she blurted, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"What are you talking about? It's just a Porsche. It's got some style, but it's perfect for getting you to school," he said, his grin not wavering. "Besides, everyone will think it's cool."
"Yeah, that's the problem. I don't really want to be the center of attention," she said, shifting uncomfortably.
Ryan shrugged, still enthusiastic. "Alright, alright. If it's really a problem, we can take something else, like…." He walked over to a neon yellow Lamborghini that was parked further down the driveway. It was the kind of car that some action hero would drive in a high-octane action movie, not through the streets of the San Fernando Valley. "How about this instead? It'll definitely turn some heads."
"Ryan, are you trying to make me a target or something?" Harper snapped, frustration bubbling in her voice. "That's even worse. I'd rather disappear than show up in that."
Ryan put his hands up in surrender, chuckling. "Yeah, okay. I guess it's a bit much, huh?"
"Just a little bit," she muttered with a sigh and turned to the less flashier option of the two. "It's not like I have much of a choice. Let's just stick with the Porsche."
"Alright. The Cayenne it is!" Ryan grinned and walked over to the Porsche, opening the door for her. He slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.
Harper sighed and climbed into the passenger seat, unable to shake the feeling of dread and resignation. She fastened her seatbelt and mentally prepared herself for the day. Her eyes drifted to the window, watching the obscenely rich houses passing in a blur.
Ryan seemed oblivious to her discomfort, humming along to the music as they drove. The leather seat felt cold against her skin, a stark contrast to the warmth she wished she could feel. "So I was thinking," he started with a look her way, "we can start your driving lessons tomorrow after school. What do you think?"
"Uhm, yeah. Sure, I guess," she replied.
Ryan nodded a bit too enthusiastically, but his smile faltered. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, letting a few moments pass between them. "You know, I remember when my dad taught me to drive. My first lesson, I nearly crashed into a tree. Twice."
"Really?" Harper asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Yeah," he said, laughing. "It's funny now, but Dad was so mad at me. It took him a month just to get back out on the road with me. Everyone's gotta start somewhere."
"I guess so," she replied.
Ryan cleared his throat, focused on keeping the conversation going. "How was your first weekend here? I mean, did it go okay? I'm kinda new at this if you couldn't guess."
"It was, you know, fine," she replied with a shrug. "Just different."
"Good different or…?" He pressed, his expression hopeful. Too hopeful. She could almost see the cracks forming in his smile.
"Just… different. I mean, I'm still getting used to everything, you know? I'm not used to all of this," she explained, motioning to the space around them. The space that not only encompassed the luxuries that came with living with Ryan but this complicated relationship. "It's kinda a lot."
"Yeah, I get it, kid. It's a big change for me, too. But, hey, we'll make it work, right? Together."
Harper nodded, absentmindedly twisting the bracelet around her wrist. She wanted to promise she'd try, but hope was a dangerous thing to give away. And it wasn't something she was willing to do, at least not yet.
They drove in silence for the rest of the way, save for Ryan cranking the volume up on the radio. Harper's anxiety skyrocketed as they approached the school. The front of the building was already packed with students going in and hanging out in groups out front.
The Porsche was hard to ignore amongst the more modern cars. It shined like the expensive beacon that it was, drawing attention from not just students but faculty. Ryan put the car in park, his expression back to being confident. "Here we are!"
Harper's stomach twisted. She hated this—being seen, being noticed. Taking a deep breath, she unbuckled her seat belt and reached for her bag. "Thanks for the ride."
"Have a great day, kiddo," he said.
The car door slammed shut with a jarring finality as she stepped out. Adjusting her bag, Harper kept her head down as she started for the school entrance. Her heart pounded in her chest, a steady drumbeat against her ribs. All she wanted was to blend in, to fade into the background, but that seemed impossible lately. There was no more flying under the radar for her as stares and whispers followed her inside.
She could feel their eyes on her, like pinpricks on the back of her neck. It would be a long day, that was for sure.
The hallway seemed to close in around her as she stepped inside the school. The cacophony of voices and laughter was punctuated by curious looks thrown her way. Whispers, hushed and hurried, followed her, but she kept her gaze fixed ahead. She was determined to ignore them. Or at least try to, though it wouldn't be easy.
She hoped to make it to her locker without incident, but luck wasn't on her side.
Kyler walked up to her, flanked by his usual entourage. His voice sliced through the noise of the hallway. "Hey, Harper!" he called out, his voice carrying out across the hallway.
Harper's stomach twisted with irritation and dread, remembering their last encounter all too well. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. She was already on edge from the unwanted attention, and his presence wasn't helping. "What do you want, Kyler?"
Kyler's eyes gleamed with mischief, and his smirk widened. "Just wanted to see how your weekend was. I heard it was pretty awesome."
Harper tilted her head, clearly confused and not understanding why he looked so smug. "Uhm, yeah. It was fine," she said, hoping that was the end of the conversation.
"Just fine?" Kyler asked as he leaned in, deliberately keeping his tone casual. "Come on, Harper, I know it was better than that."
She narrowed her eyes, feeling a flicker of unease. "Yeah, it was a good weekend. Nothing special though."
He looked over at his friends, and his smirk grew even more obnoxious. "Really? That's it? Because my weekend was awesome, so I figured yours was, too."
Harper had no interest in keeping this conversation going. Her pulse quickened, irritation simmering beneath her skin. "Okay, fine. My weekend was great. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Kyler's eyes sparkled with a triumph that, for some reason, unsettled her. "That's what I thought. Glad you had fun," he said, his tone loaded with insinuation. With a final smile her way, he walked away and left Harper standing there, confused and frustrated.
She watched as he whispered and laughed with his friends, but had no idea what to make of it. It was as if they were sharing a private joke, one she wasn't in on. The whole interaction had left her feeling off-balance and confused, but she chose to put it out of her mind. Kyler was just trying to get under her skin, but she wouldn't let him. Not this time. Not after she'd stood up to him just last week. Still, something about the way he'd looked at her made her uneasy. Her instincts screamed at her to stay on guard, to keep her defenses up.
As she started the walk to her locker, something told her to stay alert.
"Hey!" Demetri said as he appeared by her side, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced with concern. She hadn't seen him approach, but his voice was a welcome relief. "What was that all about? You know, with Kyler."
"I have no idea," Harper said with a frown, shaking off her frustration. "He was just being weird and asking about my weekend. It didn't really make much sense."
"Yeah, that's kinda weird. I wonder what he's up to," Demetri said, his voice tinged with a worry that made her own unease spike. She felt her anxiety grow in tandem with his concern.
Harper shrugged, not wanting to dwell on Kyler's odd behavior any longer. "Who knows," she said dismissively, though a weary sigh escaped her lips. "I'm just getting really tired of everyone staring at me, you know? Last week they were talking about my suspension and what happened with Kyler. Now I show up in a fancy car, and they're talking again."
Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the frustration she was trying to suppress. It was frustrating to be the center of unwanted attention. Frustrating because it was as if people had nothing better to do than to gossip about her. She was used to it with her status as a foster kid, but that she was used to. That she knew how to ignore and go about her day. But this was a whole other level of attention. It made her uneasy. It made it difficult to ignore.
Demetri's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, that was you in the Porsche?"
"Yeah. It wasn't really my choice though."
"I thought it was some rich kid's car. So what happened? Did your foster dad win the lottery or something?"
Harper snorted. "I wish. But Ryan dropped me off. I'm actually staying with him for the next two weeks."
"What are you talking about? I thought you were getting adopted."
"I don't really know what's going on anymore," Harper admitted, her frustration mounting at the complicated mess that was her life. She looked his way to see his reaction, which was a mix of sadness and confusion. For a moment, she felt the weight of it all pressing down on her shoulders, heavy and suffocating. "You kinda missed a lot in the few weeks we didn't talk." On the way to their lockers, she filled him in on everything that happened since their fight.
Demetri listened intently as she told him that Ryan wanted his parental rights reinstated. His expression shifted from disbelief to quiet as she recounted the court's decision to give her foster parents and her dad dual custody.
"That's… a lot to deal with," Demetri said when she was finished, shaking his head. "I can't believe I missed all of that. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Harper said, forcing a smile. Her voice sounded hollow even to her own ears. "It's just another bump in the road, you know? Nothing I can't handle."
Demetri looked at her skeptically but didn't press the subject further. "Okay, but you know you don't have to handle everything alone, right? I'm here for you, and Sam will be here for you too once she's done being mad. Better friends, remember?"
The sincerity in his voice made her throat tighten, but she pushed the feeling away. Harper appreciated his concern, his willingness to help her, but she didn't want to burden him with her problems. "Better friends," she repeated with a smile.
The day progressed like any other, but Harper began to notice subtle changes in the way people treated her. At first, she brushed it off, convinced it was just residual curiosity from last week. But the whispers she had initially dismissed grew louder, while the sidelong glances were more pronounced than ever. By the time she got to her second class, no one was hiding the fact that they were talking about her.
Harper tried her best to focus on her notes, but the relentless whispering made it impossible. Every hushed word felt like a needle prick, sharp and stinging. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment, but she couldn't pinpoint why. It made her feel uneasy to have this much attention on her.
In between classes, she caught snippets of conversation that seemed to center around her. It was hard to make out what was being said, but from the looks thrown her way, it couldn't be anything good. A knot tightened in her stomach as she caught sight of a few students giving her pitying looks, while others snickered as she passed by. Not only was it frustrating, but it was concerning because she didn't understand the sudden shift in her social atmosphere.
Her mind raced with possibilities. Was it the Porsche? Had something happened over the weekend she didn't know about? It was more than just the car. It had to be. But she couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what it was or what it was about.
As the day continued, everything became more amplified: the whispers, the glances, and, worst of all, the suggestive comments. Her skin prickled with the awareness that they were all about her. By lunchtime, her appetite was gone, replaced with a gnawing anxiety that made it impossible to sit still.
She stared at her untouched tray, her fingers tapping restlessly against the table. Her mind replayed the morning's events as she tried to find a clue. Something to tell her what the hell was going on, but there was nothing she could think of. Nothing that gave her the answers she needed. Kyler's smug look flashed in her memory, and her chest tightened with a fresh wave of worry. The whispers, the stares—none of it made any sense.
But she knew one thing for certain: something had shifted, and she was, unfortunately, at the center of it.
Thanks so much for reading! I low key love Ryan and his attempts at getting to know Harper even if he is a little clueless. Her life is definitely getting more intense so we'll have to see what happens next. Let me know what you guys think!
Reviews (comments, ideas, etc.) would be appreciated :)