The Risk Takers

Part 31 | Moving On & Moving Out

The next morning I am up before the sun can spill into the bay window in my bedroom. I make myself some chamomile tea and camp out on a bar stool in the kitchen. We left a very intoxicated Harper and Teddy talking in the living room last night and I am dying to know if there was an unauthorized sleep over. I don't want to miss Teddy slinking out so I decided to find out for myself if anything happened between them last night.

I am flipping through my thick September issue of Vogue when I hear footsteps coming down the stairs. I whip myself around just in time to see Harper tip toeing into the kitchen. She's fastening the tie around her robe when I cheerily say, "Good morning!"

Her hands fly up to her chest as I accidentally startled her. She swats her hand at me and says, "Jesus Ellie! You damn near gave me a heart attack!" She continues fastening her maroon robe shut as she strides into the kitchen and she glides right over to the coffee pot. I swing my self around on the stool to face her and ask, "Soooooo..."

She glances back to me as she fills the pot with water and replies, "Sooo....what?"

Deflated with her obliviousness I ask, "So what happened after Liam and I went upstairs last night? And don't forget I can read your mind if I want to, so don't bother lying."

She shakes her head as she presses the brew button and then spins around to face me, "Nothing actually. Teddy knew I was smashed and like a gentleman he put me to bed and left. I totally wanted to rip his clothes off but he said he respected me too much to take advantage of my current inebriated state."

I'm actually kind of surprised by this. I didn't think her alcohol intake would have been a factor in getting her into bed. Maybe he knew I'd be mad. 

"Wow, I thought for sure you two would hook up. I owe Liam twenty bucks."

She rolls her eyes at me before turning back around and grabs herself a steaming cup of coffee. From her current frazzled looking state, I can tell strong black coffee is exactly what she needs. After taking a long swig she looks back to me, "I am sad I am leaving back to Arizona today." She gives me an over dramatic frown and I nod, "I know, it was nice having you here. But now you'll have to come and visit us in Texas."

"I still have a condo there you know. Maybe if you guys decide to stay long enough I'll make that my permanent residence again. Especially if Lily is going to be there too."

It would be nice to have us all in the same city again. Maybe Lily and I will become close like we used to be. Harper drops her coffee cup onto the table before saying, "I'm going to go pack. We have to leave to the airport in like," she glances to the clock above the dining room table before continuing, "An hour."

She's still frowning with her shoulders slouched as she leaves me alone in the kitchen. I reach over and snatch my phone off the table and text Teddy:

Thank you for not sleeping with Harper in the room across from me last night. Much appreciated!

I smile as I send the text, grateful that they managed to keep their hands to themselves last night. I pop up off the bench to put my cup in the sink and I hear my phone buzz.

Only because I caught her thought about Colin being there twenty-four hours before. I do have some standards.

I'm not sure if I should be relieved that he does have standards or disappointed that he would have hooked up with her if Colin hadn't been there. My thumbs hover over my keyboard but I decide to let it be for now. I decide to call my mom and throat becomes tight when she answers on the last ring, "Hi honey," she answers sweetly as I stride into the living room. I plop down on the sofa before answering, "Hey mom, got a minute to talk?"

"Sure, your dad and I just finished a walk around the neighborhood. It's a beautiful day here today." My heart clenches at the thought of my dad enjoying the outdoors instead of being locked away in his study working. 

"That's good to hear. Listen, Liam and I thought it over and I think we are going to move back to Highland Park for awhile. I want to be closer to dad and I thought you might like it if I was back home during this..." I was going to say hard time but a frog in my throat prevented it.

"Oh? That would be lovely actually. But what about work? I can't imagine quitting will be all that easy."

I decide to not tell her the truth as I really don't want to have to create a complicated lie, "Actually mom, Liam and I are a bit burned out. I think we are ready to take some time off to prepare for the baby anyway. We have money put away so we'll be alright."

"I'll talk to your father and maybe we can buy you two something nice out here. Something close by so you don't have to worry about it." I know my dad will agree in a heartbeat if it means I'll be close to my mom after...it happens. I know he won't want her alone in that massive house with no one close by.

"We would appreciate that mom but you don't have to take on something like that if it's too much. Liam and I wouldn't mind something right outside HP if we can't find anything right away."

"I'll find something for you that will be perfect for a baby. How soon are you thinking of coming?" She asks and I'm sure she'll enjoy doing something that will take her mind off everything that's happening with my dad.

"As soon as next month. We will probably pack up what we can and head out. If we can't find something right away, maybe we can just rent something."

"I'm sure we can find something. There are newer developments popping up all over. Are you sure you can come so soon?"

"There's no reason for us to hang around. Teddy is coming out with us too I think."

I hear her laugh and it's a sound I enjoy, "I would have been surprised if he stayed behind. Maybe I can find you a house with a guest house in the back."

I laugh knowing Teddy would move in behind us in a second. I'm glad neither of us have managed to cry so far even though my heart is stammering in my chest.

"Liam and I will be happy with whatever, just keep us posted on what you find. I'm going to go help Harper finish packing and I will call you later this week."

She says her goodbyes and as I hang up the phone, I watch Liam come into the living room. He's already showered and he's fastening his watch onto his wrist when he says, "Your mom?"

I nod, "She said she would find us a place. I knew she would if it meant us being close to home. I'm not sure if we could have afforded Highland Park without my parents help. I told her we could come as soon as next month."

Liam drops down next to me before saying, "I was going to go get some boxes today. I thought we could spend the week getting our house ready. We just need to decide if we want to sell it or rent it out?"

I look around our cozy condo and think of all the memories we've had in it since we've moved here. I would hate to sell it after all the work and love we've put into it.

"I think we should rent it out. Who knows, maybe someday we'll want to move back here."

Liam slaps my leg with his hand and nods, "Well we have a busy of weeks ahead of us then. I have some errands to do today so I'll be back this afternoon."

"I'm taking Harper to the airport and then I'll come home and start going through stuff." We both nod to each other in agreement and he kisses my forehead before heading out the door. I saunter back up stairs and at the end of the hall, I catch Harper sitting on top of her suitcase desperately trying to get the over stuffed luggage to zip shut. Using all her strength she manages to close it and she give me a thumbs up when she sees me.

"I'll go shower and then we'll head out." She nods to me before flopping herself back onto the bed clearly exhausted from getting her things together.