Chapter 2 Harper

Jade stood frozen as Jace walked toward the front door with long, unhurried strides. Harper's soft whining filled the apartment,to notify that she needed some fresh air and was tired of staying locked up. but Jade barely heard it over the pounding in her ears.

"Jace!" she hissed, taking a step toward him.

He was already at the apartment door, pulling it open. "I'm heading out for some errands. We can finalize the utility split later."

"No, wait!" Jade rushed forward, her voice a desperate whisper. "Mara is coming!"

Jace froze, his hand still on the doorknob. He slowly turned, his expression darkening with sudden comprehension. "Mara? Why? I thought we made an agreement?

Jade nodded frantically. "She just called. She's bringing Harper a gift. She'll be here any minute. You said you didn't want her to know you were here."

"So...?"

"I think you stay out there a little longer"

Jace's jaw clenched, his eyes narrow and assessing Jade. Mara, his younger sister, had an uncanny ability to zero in on secrets. If she found him here, cohabiting with her best friend, she'd go crazy about it... and go tell her family about it and he doesn't want that not after everything that happened recently.

He opened the door.

The hallway was empty.

No Mara.

No visitor.

Just silence.

Just then, her buzzed.

Mara calling.

Jade's stomach lurched. She answered quickly.

"Mara?"

Her best friend's voice blasted through the speaker, annoyed and out of breath. "Jade! I'm so annoyed. I was already halfway to your place but my car broke down. Can you imagine? The universe hates me today."

Jade's knees almost gave out. "Oh my God. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just stuck. I'll head home once the mechanic is done. I'll come tomorrow instead. I bought Harper a little Christmas gift and everything."

"Tomorrow... okay. Just drive safe."

"Give my baby a kiss!" Mara added before hanging up.

Jade lowered the phone and turned slowly.

Jace was still standing at the door, arms folded, expression unreadable.

"Jade, next time, make sure you stop her on time." he said calmly.

Jade's breath caught. "I... I tried."

"Good," he replied without hesitation. "But try harder next time. My stay is temporarily, so I really do not want conversations, questions, interference... none of that. I'm here to get through the holiday quietly."

Jade nodded quickly. "I'll handle it. She won't come."

"Good."

Harper fussed louder from the room. pulling both Jade and Jace's focus.

Jace's eyes flicked to Jade. His jaw tightened. He wasn't cruel... just uncomfortable.

"She's... loud," he muttered.

Jade shot him a look. "She's a baby, Jace."

"And I'm not used to babies," he countered.

Jade's eyes turned cold, and without say a word, she went to her room to go feed baby Harper. While cursing under breathe.

While Jace stepped out leaving just Jade and Harper at home.

Jade kept herself busy with the house chores, as her job is already on a break... she was in the kitchen with Harper playing in the living room all by herself.

"Serving out of my dish won't be bad right?" Jade thought. Then she smacked her head hard "Jade, he said to keep out of his business!"

Jade wiped her hands on a towel, glancing toward the living room where Harper sat on her blanket surrounded by toys. The apartment was finally quiet... almost peaceful... until the front door slammed open.

And a sharp curse ripped through the air. "What the fuck!?"

Jace.

Jade's heart skipped. She immediately rushed into the living room and saw Harper crawling dangerously close to the hallway.

"No, no... come here," she whispered harshly, snatching the baby up. In one quick motion, she carried Harper to the bedroom, shut the door, and locked it.

By the time she returned to the living room, the smell hit her.

Harper had left a small, unmistakable mess on the floor.

"Oh God..." Jade muttered and hurried to clean it before Jace walked in any further.

Too late.

He stood at the end of the hallway, irritation carved into every sharp line of his face. "Are you kidding me?" he snapped. "I step out for an hour and return to this?"

"I'm cleaning it," Jade shot back, breathless. "Just... give me a minute."

"This is exactly what I was talking about," Jace continued, voice low with frustration. "Keep the baby in your room. I can't live like this."

"I said I'm handling it."

He let out a cold laugh. "Make sure it doesn't happen again."

Jade stilled, anger simmering. "She's a child, Jace. Children make messes. If you don't like it, maybe you should've gone to an hotel."

Jace stepped closer, his voice quiet but cutting. "The father of the child should be the one bearing this burden with you, not me."

Jade froze... just for a split second. Her jaw clenched. Her chest burned.

"You're right," she said tightly. "But life doesn't always give people what they deserve."

They stood there, breathing the same sharp air, staring at each other with resentment thick enough to touch.

From that night on, Jade became stricter on her promise as she made sure to keep Harper in the bedroom. All day and Every day.

Jade ate in the room. Worked in the room. Sang to Harper in whispers.

Their presence in the apartment became almost ghostlike... barely seen and barely heard.

And Jace... got exactly what he asked for.

Jace felt bad at a point, but he didn't know what to do or say as he was barely at home... so he let them be.

A Week Later...

It was early morning, sunlight dripping through the blinds. Jade stood in the kitchen preparing breakfast, Harper sat on the kitchen counter, babbling happily.

"Stop grabbing my hair," Jade laughed, kissing her cheek. "You're lucky you're cute."

Harper giggled loudly, smacking Jade's cheek with her tiny hand.

Jade gasped dramatically. "Ah! Assault! Harper you're under arrest!"

Harper cackled... a bright, open mouthed laugh filled the kitchen.

Jace stepped in at that exact moment, heading for a glass of water.

He stopped half way.

The scene froze him.

Jade's hair was messy, her face soft, and smiling like she hadn't in weeks. Harper giggling with pure joy. And the Sunlight kissing her face.

And then... he saw it.

Harper's smile.

Wide,Bright, And on the left side of her cheek... that tiny, unmistakable one sided dimple.

The exact dimple he had.

Jace's breath caught in the cuteness before him, Jade and Harper looked like an artwork before him.

His glass nearly slipped.

Harper looked up at him, still giggling. her eyes sparkling with the same warmth his mother always said he had as a baby.

Jace felt something unfamiliar twist sharply in his chest.

But before either of them could speak...

A sudden, violent cough escaped him as smoke coiled towards the ceiling.

"Jade?" Jace coughed again. "The stove..."

Jade's eyes widened. "Shit!"

She spun around, realizing the pot on the stove was overflowing with black smoke. She rushed to turn off the gas, fanning the air with her hand.

Jace grabbed Harper instinctively, lifting her out of the smoke filled kitchen as she began to cry.

"Open the windows!" Jade shouted.

Jace kicked one open, still coughing, holding Harper protectively against his chest.

The smoke thickened.

A sudden loud snap came from the stove... and a sound sharp enough to jolt both of them.

Jade froze.

Jace's eyes widened.

And then...

BOOM!

The entire apartment shook.

Then, silence...

Jace's voice broke through the haze, raw and tense as he shouted, "how can you be so careless that you forgot you were heating an oil?"

"Jace, not now," Jade snapped, waving the smoke away with one hand.

Harper buried her face in his shirt, whimpering.

"Fuck..." Jade breathed.

Just then, a bang on the door, followed by a voice.

"Jade are you in there?"

Their eyes shot to the door... widened as they saw the doorknob twisted.

The door wasn't locked?

"Harper...."