Nap Queen

Six

The next morning after everyone is gone, I take to tidying the house. Brandon and my mom are gone also, so I get myself a bowl of cereal and plop down on the couch to watch some Netflix. After a bit I hear a phone ring. It isn't mine but it sounds like its coming from upstairs. I follow it up and find it in my room.

Asher must have left his phone here yesterday. The screen says 1 missed call from Liam. I swipe the notification away. It's only 3 o'clock so I decide to just take it back to him since he gave me his address yesterday.

I'm not supposed to drive in case I have an attack, so I walk. He only lives 15 minutes away. I throw back my blue pills on my way over there. When I show up, I'm in awe. His apartment is in Brookedale, which is a well known and high class apartment building. Of course he lives here. I walk in and there is a pretty Asian lady sitting at a desk.I attempt to sneak past her, but she raises an eyebrow at me.

"Can I help you, Miss?" She asks.

"Um, I'm a friend of Asher Klein's, he's in apartment uh... 30?" I reply. She looks at me again before deciding I'm 'suitable'.

"Mr. Klein is in the penthouse. Floor 6." Then she returns to her keyboard. I step into the elevator and press the 6 button. When the doors open it reveals a beige hallway with one door at the end. I walk up and knock on it. A big crash echoes inside.

Feet run to the door and its unlocked and yanked open.

"Finally!.." Liam exclaims. Then his face falls. "Oh, it's you."

"Liam?"

"What do you want?" He snaps.

"Is Asher here?"How rude.

"No, obviously not."

"Well I have his phone, he left it at my house yesterday," I say holding his phone out.

"No wonder that bastard hasn't been answering his phone." He mutters.

"You and Ash, huh? Didn't see that coming, he's usually not DTF." He snatches it from me. I blanch, he thinks Asher and I are...

"We are just friends, you pig," I say. "Not that it's your business."

"Alright whatever. Thanks." He goes to shut the door when I hear crying.

I stick my foot out and stop him.

"What was that?" I ask.

"Nothing, go away." He tries to close the door again. The crying gets louder. What the..?

"Is that a baby?" I inquire, pushing past him and into Asher's apartment. I follow the sound into a nursery. There is a baby in here.

"What is going on? Why is there a baby in Asher's apartment?" I demand. Liam just glares at me.

"You're the one who woke her up with your loud knocking!" He yells, arms flailing. "I've been trying to get her down for almost an hour!"

"Liam, there is a human child in here. What is going on?" I'm so confused. He crosses the room to the crib.

"She just won't stop crying!" He groans looking down at her. I try to stay level-headed. Questions later I guess. I shake my head at him, he is a terrible babysitter, but it is kinda funny to see Liam Davis standing in this pink nursery losing his mind. "I don't know what to do! Asher was supposed to be back half an hour ago!"

I go and stand next to him to look at the baby, she looks back at me and stops crying. She's gorgeous, and she looks exactly like Asher.

"Is this Asher's baby?" I can't help but ask.

"Not exactly... Audrey Rose is Asher's baby sister." Liam relents. This is Audrey Rose? A lot of things from yesterday make more sense now, like Asher's insistence over the phone that Liam not wake her up. Liam reaches down at picks her up. Seeing him with Audrey Rose in his arms is heart melting. Until she starts crying again.

"You're hopeless." I sigh. I reach for her and he hesitantly hands her to me. She stops crying and gazes at me with curious eyes. "She might actually go down if it wasn't so bright in here."

I walk to the windows and close the blinds, dimming the room substantially. I sit in the rocking chair with her and cradle her in my arms. Liam just takes a seat on the rug and watches me.

"How did you do that?" He marvels.

"Girls just need to be held, Liam. You're too aggressive with her." I reply. I close my eyes and hum to her, gently rocking the chair. Everything from the week catches up with me, and soon Audrey Rose an I are both asleep.

***

Liam POV

She just stopped. That rotten little she-devil stopped crying for little miss perfect, but when I hold her no, she has to cry. I huff.

I've never liked Evie Walker. She walks the halls like a princess, with her nose turned up, and I know she's hiding something. The way she glances around nervously before opening her locker. The way she always seems to be sleeping or tired every time I see her, and don't get me started on her annoying as fuck older brother who always seems to be buzzing around.

Yet, here she is, rocking Audrey Rose and humming a sweet melody to her. Proving once again that she's a woman of many talents. I almost fall asleep myself, but I can't keep my eyes off her. She annoys me, and god she's fucking weird, but she looks kind of beautiful right now. I close my eyes and listen to her.

After a while, the humming stops. I open my eyes and glance at her. She's fallen asleep. The front door opens and closes again, Asher comes running in looking a mess. His eyes look from me to Evie, and he looks surprised to see Audrey Rose curled up against her, both sleeping soundly.

"She's sleeping. Oh, thank god, man." He exhales. "What happened?"

"Evie came to give your phone back and heard Audrey Rose crying. Long story short, she got her to go to sleep." I motion towards the pair. Asher sits on the floor with me, taking off his beige overcoat fancy sonofabitch. My gaze travels to her again.

"Think she'll babysit more often?"He asks.

"I don't know, she's pretty annoying man I don't know if you want her around." I tease. As soon as the words leave my mouth I know I don't believe them.

"She's my friend, shut up." He snaps.

I think I wouldn't mind if she came around more.