Harper

SHOPPING

Harper's pov:

"Sorry," I said as I sat back down, feeling a pang of guilt for my outburst. "What's up with everyone... geez."

As I was saying, you will be going shopping with Herkins, Hayden, and Hardin in the next 1 hour," he said, his tone final.

I nodded and exited to my room. Once I reached my room, I decided to video call King with a fake account so they can't be hacked. I really missed them. As the call connected, King's face appeared on the screen, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Who's this?" he asked, his deep voice booming through the phone, making me blush really hard.

"It me amor," I said as I chuckled at his shocked face.

We exchanged pleasantries and caught up on each other's lives. The conversation flowed smoothly, and soon enough, we were laughing and reminiscing about old memories.

"How is Henry?" I asked, calling his name freely.

"He's right here," he said, going down to his stomach where my little Henry was asleep.

I missed him dearly, and as I smiled sadly, I said, "I miss you."

He commented on how hard it was being a single parent and changing Henry's diaper all alone, making me laugh lightly.

"Are you still hurt?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

I blushed and said, "Yeah, only a little though, and yes I take my medication."

We settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying the sound of each other's breathing and the familiarity of our connection. But soon, I couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to school?"

King chuckled softly, and I could hear the love and understanding in his voice as he replied, "That shouldn't bother you, love. Remember, Henry is always first."

He was right, of course. Our son, Henry, should be our number one priority, and that's why I was planning to introduce him to my family that night.

"I love you, Amore," I whispered, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over me as we ended the call.

As I heard a knock on the door, I knew it was time to get ready. "Come in," I called out, rushing into the closet to put on something better.

**

I applied a light layer of lip gloss, grabbed my phone, and followed Denny out the door. "So, Harper, are you ready to go shopping?" Hennie asked, catching Hardin's glare as he eyed me. "What the fuck?" I looked at Caroline, who was sitting on Tyrus's lap, reading the newspaper. "Aren't you coming?" I asked, hoping we could go shopping again. "No dear," Caroline replied with a sad smile, and I nodded reluctantly.

We left for the garage, which was enormous. There were so many cars, I couldn't believe it. Before leaving, I made sure to have my phone with me, just in case I wanted to text King. Ten minutes later, we arrived at the mall, which was different from the one I visited last time. It was bigger.

As soon as we got out of the car, everyone seemed to stare at us. Girls were glaring at me, and boys were looking at me with wide, eager eyes.

As we entered the mall, it was even more beautiful than the outside. Hennie and Denny held my hand, and we began exploring. Hardin, however, was preoccupied with his phone, seemingly forgetting about my presence. I had hoped that sharing my past with him would bring us closer, but it seemed like he was still distant.

"So, Harper, where do you want to go first?" Denny asked, but I shrugged my shoulders, not feeling like shopping. "Alright, let's go to the IT store to buy your electronics for school," Hennie suggested. Although I wasn't interested in electronics, I knew I had to get them for school.

All I wanted to do at that moment was talk to King.

****

 I had just finished buying the latest iPhone 14, an iPad, an Apple Watch, and several other gadgets I couldn't even list. As we were about to head to the back-to-school section, I received a notification from King.

King 💞: Hey love 

Me: I'm shopping with my friends, amor 

King 💞: That's cute

 Me: Whatever 

King 💞: I sent more pictures of Henry, we actually went to a studio to get it done.

 Me: That's risky, WTH 

King 💞: Relax love, I hid my tracks well Me: do you think I should tell my family about him. I think it will be better, for his safety. 

King💞: I will support your decision no matter what.

As I was about to continue typing, I bumped into Hardin, making me fall on my buttocks. 

 I let out a low groan and gingerly rubbed the sore spot as Hardin shot me a piercing glare. "Watch where you're going, insolent," he spat, extending his hand to help me up. Involuntarily, I flinched at his sudden movement but eventually accepted his assistance. As I rose to my feet, I offered a sincere apology, unable to ignore the hurt that flickered across his face.

We proceeded to gather all the necessary school supplies, and I couldn't contain my excitement. However, things took an unexpected turn when Hardin insisted on buying an excessive amount of items for me. He purchased a multitude of bags, explaining that I would need to change them daily. In total, we ended up with 11 bags, leaving me bewildered by the extravagance.

Additionally, he bought seven pencil cases, which he casually mentioned would be discarded after a week. The sheer excessiveness of it all left me dumbfounded. To add to the absurdity, there were 13 water bottles in various colours and designs. When questioned about the necessity of so many bottles, Hardin simply stated that they would be used according to my mood, prompting an eye roll from me.

To my surprise, he also picked out an array of different brands and shades of lip gloss for me. Just as I was about to express my gratitude, his demeanour turned icy, and he shot me a deadly glare.

I just moon walked away.

***