"It's all over the social media!" I heard someone scream. Groaning I snuggled with my pillow trying to sleep.

"How can you sleep so peacefully? Wake up!" I was smacked by a pillow.

I pulled the blankets over my face to block her out.

"Don't you have to go to your office? What happened to your workaholic ass?" She said dramatically. Involuntarily, my lips twisted into a small smile.

"I have to go to the restaurant but there is so much crowd outside. Do something, Gareth!"

"No one's going anywhere today." I mumbled.

"What?" The blanket was ripped off me. On seeing I was almost naked underneath it, she dropped the blanket on me again with a shriek.

Rubbing my eyes, I finally sat up straight and ran my fingers through my hair. "You can't leave the house today unless you want to be eaten by them."

"But..."

"Just listen to me once, Harper."

She huffed. "Fine." And walked out of the room grumbling to herself.

I picked up my phone from the nightstand which was blasting with notifications.

Oh God. Now I know how Eve must have felt when I tweeted about his wedding.

I kept the phone down, I will deal with it later. I got up and went inside the bathroom and did my morning routine.

Coming out of the bathroom, I walked downstairs and could hear the commotion outside. Ignoring it, I picked up the small parcel in the living room that I ordered last night.

Opening it, I hummed to myself in satisfaction and took the small jwellery box in my hand to the kitchen where Harper was eating breakfast served by Diana.

I sat down opposite to her and slid the box down the table towards her and she looked at it in confusion.

"What's this?" She inquired, her mouth full of pancakes.

"Your engagement ring."

"Let me see!" Diana exclaimed picking up the box and opening it, she admired the ring. "It's so beautiful."

Diana put down the box infront of Harper and resumed doing her chores.

Harper picked up the box and looked at the ring, her eyes widening slightly.

"How expensive is this?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "It doesn't matter."

"Gareth... it's..."

"Do you like it or not?" I interrupted her.

She nodded. "Of course. It's gorgeous."

"Then just wear it. No arguments."

Biting her lips, she nodded and gently took out the ring from the box and slid it down her ring finger and held her hand infront of her face and admired the ring. Her mouth slightly parted in awe. A strand of hair brushing against her forehead and she tucked it behind her ear.

She smiled softly at me. "Thanks." Her eyes twinkling. Sometimes I forget how beautiful she is.

I managed to smile back. "Thanks...I...I mean welcome."

She let out a small chuckle and shaking her head lightly, continued eating her breakfast.

Resting my elbow on the table, I tilted my head, cupping my cheek admiring the beauty in front of me.

Wait...what?

What the fuck am I even doing?

Stop staring at her!

But my eyes refused to avert from her. Someone please slap me.

The shattering of glass pulled me out of my thoughts. Turning to my left I saw a glass of water that slipped from Diana's hand and got shattered on the floor and Diana's eyes fixed at me looking shocked.

Recovering from shock, she gasped and bent down to pick up the pieces of glass. I got up and bent down too and helped her.

Harper attempted to get up but I glared at her. "Keep sitting." Rolling her eyes, she sat down.

I picked up the pieces of glass along with Diana and threw it in the bin.

"You okay?" I asked Diana and she nodded before going out of the kitchen and coming with a broom and she sweeped away the smaller pieces of glasses.

She told me to sit down and have my breakfast and I obeyed her.

As Harper finished eating, she got up and left quietly, my gaze lingering on her retreating figure.

Diana cleared her throat and I looked at her.

Diana smirked. "So...you are falling in love with her?"

"What?! No!"

She chuckled and patted my back. "It's okay. There's nothing wrong in falling in love with her."

"Diana, no. I am not falling in love with her. Don't say that. Please." I stated firmly.

She pouted sadly. "One day you will admit it, child." And she ruffled my hair before leaving the kitchen.

Falling in love? I scoffed to myself. Never.

The doorbell rang and three seconds later I heard my mother bawl from the living room. "Gareth! What is the meaning of all this?!"

I took a deep breath to prepare myself and went out. Mother stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, anger clouding her expression.

I looked behind her to see Eve at the door, beside him stood Aeryn and Carmel. Eve was shaking his head in pity, Aeryn looked confused and Carmel had a neutral expression.

Great! Let's put on a show for the whole world.

"I need an explanation, right now!" Mother ordered.

"I'm surprised you didn't come here earlier. Were you busy, mother?" I said sarcastically.

And Eve face slammed himself at my boldness.

Just then Harper came down the stairs on hearing mother shouting. Mother's expression softened on seeing Harper.

She walked closer to her. "Harper. How are you, dear?"

Harper glanced all over the room before answering. "I...I'm good."

"Come, you should sit." Mother grabbed her hand and made her sit on the couch. "You too Aeryn." She said to Aeryn and they both sat down beside each other.

If this is the treatment you get on getting pregnant, I will gladly become pregnant.

"And you!" Mother pointed at me. "I need an explanation. An honest explanation."

I sighed. "Mother...I..."

As usual, I lied. "I should have told you about it. I'm sorry. We got engaged recently and then there's a friend of Harper, named Isaiah, they grew up in the same orphanage. Lately, he was troubling her, he wanted to date her even though she refused him thousands of times. So, she just blurted out that she is engaged and he found out that she is engaged to me and he went and ranted it out to the media. That's it." I explained in one breath.

I took a deep breath to calm myself.

The story I told was believable but...

Mother looked hurt. "If you wanted to marry her, you could have at least told me. It's not that I would have stopped you from marrying her."

Okay, this is getting serious now.

I placed both my hands on her shoulder gently and made her sit down on the couch and I kneeled in front of her.

"Mother..." I said softly.

Eve came and sat beside her and tears formed in her eyes. "Why do you both keep lying to me? Why? Everette lied to me about his marriage, you lied to me about your relationship. Why? Why don't you just tell me the truth?"

A tear rolled down her cheek and placed my hand over hers and gently squeezed it and said nothing.

Guilt consumed me knowing I still didn't tell her the truth and I lowered my gaze with guilt.

I looked at Harper who looked guilty too.

"Gareth..." Mother said sniffing back her tears and I looked at her. "Are you hiding something else too? Just tell me now."

I shut my eyes tightly thinking whether to tell her or not. Opening my eyes, I looked at Eve for help and he nodded his head gesturing me to tell her the truth.

I held mother's hand tightly. "Mother, I don't mean to freak you out but...Harper is pregnant with my child."

Mother's jaw dropped. "Your child?! But you said it was her ex fiance's!"

"Yup. I lied. I am sorry."

"How? How did it happen?" She questioned.

My face grimaced. "How did it happen? Do you need the details?"

Eve groaned loudly in frustration. "She is not asking for details, asshole! What she means is when and why it happened."

"Oh..." I smiled sheepishly. "Um...it was a mistake. I mean it was a one night stand and she got pregnant. I don't know how to explain this." And I then continued to tell her everything about Isaiah too, telling her that our engagement is just fake.

"Then why did you lie to me?"

"I was just scared to tell you. I am sorry, mother. I'll be honest with you from now on. I promise." Lifting her hand up to my mouth, I gently kissed it.

"Am I that scary?" She asked, her voice cracking up. "Everette lied about his marriage and you lied to about her pregnancy. What I would have done if you had just told me the truth? I know I do freak out but I will always support you both."

I rested my forehead on her lap and whispered. "Forgive me, mother."

Eve wrapped his hand around her, placing his head on her shoulder. "Me too, mother."

Mother smiled softly, running one hand over Eve's hair and one over mine. "I forgive you both."

Lifting my head, I smiled at her and getting up sat beside her before hugging her tightly.

Pulling back Eve and I kissed her cheek simultaneously and she kissed our forehead.

Mother gestured to Aeryn, Harper and Carmel to come closer and when they did, she kissed their foreheads too.