Blair tied her hair into a high puff, her curls bouncing with a soft, effortless poof. Two slim curls framed her face, and a small gold clip held one side back. She wore her school uniform—pressed to perfection—and paired it with black Doc Martens, giving her whole look a subtle edge. A gloss shimmered faintly on her lips as she made her way downstairs, adjusting the strap of her bag.
As she reached the last step, her eyes fell on James.
He was in a soft grey sweatshirt that hugged his frame just enough, black jeans that sat low on his hips, and white sneakers that looked too clean for someone planning a stealth mission. His tousled blonde hair looked like he ran his hand through it maybe once—and somehow, it made him even more annoyingly perfect. The morning light filtered through the window, making his blue eyes brighter than they had any right to be.
He looked up just then, catching her staring, and gave her the most beautiful smile—warm and easy.
"Maybell," he greeted, walking up to her with a sandwich in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other. "I made breakfast."
Blair blinked, caught off guard, then smiled back, taking the food from him. "Thank you. And… good morning."
James leaned in slightly as she took a bite of the sandwich. "Best of luck today," she whispered under her breath, her voice low like they were in on some grand secret.
James chuckled, brushing a curl off her cheek. "You're so cute when you try to act mysterious," he teased, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. "Have fun at school. Try not to miss me too much."
Blair smirked, cheeks warm. "As if," she muttered, walking out before he could see her smile any wider.
Outside, the car waited. She slid into the backseat where Jazmine and Cassie were already seated. The silence? Immediate and awkward. Again.
"Oh, I miss Maddie already," Blair mumbled to herself, adjusting her skirt.
Jazmine glanced at her. "Where's Maddie?"
Blair blinked. "Maddie? She's… uh, sick. Got the flu. She's resting."
Cassie's brow quirked. "She seemed fine last night."
"It happened overnight," Blair said quickly. "Fever, sniffles—the whole thing."
Jazmine turned to Cassie. "They're a weird duo, right?"
Blair just stared out the window, trying to pretend she hadn't heard that. She pulled out her phone, opening Safari. Her fingers tapped quickly as she searched for the art exhibition James had mentioned. Found it. She opened the booking page and clicked "reserve tickets."
One for her. One for James.
She smiled quietly to herself. Maybe this wasn't just about DNA and stalker missions.
Maybe… it was something more.
---
---
Blair had barely stepped out of the car when she heard Cassie behind her.
"Hey, Blair… can we talk today?"
Blair froze. Slowly, she turned with a carefully arranged expression and tried her best not to look like a deer in headlights.
"Yeah… sure, we can. We'll talk," she said with a stiff smile before turning and walking quickly toward the school building.
Omggg she wants to talk. Today??
Do I tell her I like James?
This is hard. Like, painfully hard.
Nope. I'll just go with the flow. I can totally do that.
Classes passed in a blur, and by the time the bell rang for track, Blair was almost grateful for the chance to run her anxiety off. She changed into her shorts and fitted school tee, pulled her curls into a high ponytail, and jogged out to the field.
It wasn't long before her lungs started to burn from the sprints. She stopped near the bleachers, bent slightly and gasping, when a shadow fell across her.
"Hey, Blair."
She looked up, confused. She sees a tall guy, dark hair and bright brown eyes looking at her
"Hi… have we met?"
"Not yet," the guy said with a smirk, running a hand through his slightly sweaty hair. "I'm Jack. Quarterback for Westbridge."
Ah. That explained the confidence.
"Ohhh, I know your face," she said. "You looked familiar."
Jack grinned. "Could I get your number?"
Blair blinked. "That was… straight to the point."
He shrugged. "I like to cut the chase."
"I can see that," she muttered with a faint laugh. He handed her his phone, watching her type her number in and text right away.
Just before walking off, he smirked over his shoulder. "You look hot in those shorts, by the way."
Blair gave a half-awkward, half-disbelieving laugh. "Thanks… I guess."
Still catching her breath, she headed to the locker room, grabbed her bag, and braced herself for what she called the Afternoon Silence Tour—also known as the car ride with Cassie and Jazmine.
The drive was as awkward as ever.
When they pulled up to the house, Blair's phone buzzed with an incoming call—Mom.
She stepped aside quickly, lifting the phone. "Hey, Mom! It's been a minute… How's Florida?"
As she walked off to chat, Cassie sighed behind her, eyes quietly following Blair.
Jazmine nudged her. "Don't worry. Come on—let's go shower and eat lunch. She'll come to you."
Cassie didn't respond right away, but eventually nodded and followed Jazmine inside, leaving the moment lingering.
---
James's POV
"Are you sure she leaves around 11?" I asked, adjusting my hoodie and slipping on my sunglasses like I was starring in some low-budget spy movie.
Andrew, munching on a granola bar, nodded. "Bro, I swear caleb saw her leave two days in a row. Same time. Same boots. Same overly suspicious trench coat."
We parked a block away from the Quest mansion and ducked low in the front seats of my car like absolute creeps.
"She's coming!" Andrew whisper-shouted, nearly choking on the rest of his granola bar.
Sure enough, Sarah strutted out the front door, full baddie mode activated, phone in one hand, oversized tote in the other, and a sleek blonde bob that bounced like she was in a shampoo commercial.
We waited till she got in her Uber before following.
"This is giving very much Detective Diaries," Andrew whispered, adjusting his fake baseball cap. "You think she's taking the kid to some villain lair?"
I ignored him, eyes focused on the Uber's taillights.
---
30 Minutes Later…
"She's stopping," I muttered, pulling into a nearby parking space.
We watched as Sarah walked into a cozy townhouse, glanced around like someone actually being followed (which... she was), then disappeared inside.
"Do we wait? Do we charge in? What's the vibe?" Andrew asked.
"We wait," I said.
Ten minutes later, the door opened again—and a woman stepped out with a kid. A boy, about four or five, curly-haired, chocolate-skinned with honey eyes that looked too much like Caleb's for comfort.
"That has to be him," Andrew said. "Lucian."
"I'll get the distraction ready," I said, grabbing a lollipop and a plastic toy I bought at the gas station.
"James," Andrew said solemnly, "I want you to know, if I get arrested today, I'm blaming you."
"Fair."
---
Inside the Park Nearby…
Lucian was sitting on a bench, juice box in hand, while the woman (probably a nanny) scrolled through her phone. Andrew approached the kid like he was Dora the Explorer.
"Hey lil man! Wanna see a magic trick?"
The nanny looked up, slightly alarmed. I stepped in like backup. "He's a children's performer. My cousin."
Andrew pulled out a deck of cards and made one float. I discreetly took Lucian's juice box when the nanny's attention was distracted by Andrew juggling coins and pretending to sneeze glitter.
"We're good," I whispered. "Let's go."
We booked it back to the car like two fugitives escaping a jewelry heist.
---
Hospital – Caleb & Maddie's POV
Maddie's head rested against Caleb's chest, their fingers intertwined as they waited.
"Do you think Sarah was really pregnant before she left?" she asked quietly.
Caleb sighed. "I don't know. But I doubt it."
"And if she was?" Maddie asked. "If Lucian really is your child... would you marry her?"
He took her hand in his. "Don't. Don't ever say that. Lucian is not my child. And I don't plan on marrying anyone but you. I meant what I said, Mads. You're my last love."
Maddie swallowed hard, burying her face into his chest. "Okay," she whispered. "I believe you."
They sat in silence, wrapped in each other's warmth, until the entrance doors flew open.
Andrew walked in first, proudly holding a zipped sandwich bag containing Lucian's juice box. "Your juice is served," he declared dramatically.
"Took you long enough," Maddie muttered.
"We didn't know the exact way to the hospital," James added.
"Yeah, someone put in the wrong location in the GPS," Andrew said, side-eyeing James.
Maddie rolled her eyes. "I don't want to hear it. Just give me the sample."
They handed it over, and after a few awkward explanations, the DNA test was officially underway.
---
One Hour Later…
The results were ready. Caleb held the envelope like it contained the fate of the universe. Andrew leaned in dramatically. "This paper will determine if you're a father or not, bro. High stakes."
"I say we open it at home," James said.
Maddie agreed. "Yeah. Not here."
As they all filed out of the hospital, Andrew and James hopped into their car while Maddie and Caleb got into theirs.
On the ride home, Maddie noticed Caleb's tense grip on the steering wheel. She gently placed her hand over his, squeezing.
He looked at her and gave her a soft smile.
No words needed.
They were in this together.
---