Chapter 28 Truth.
~Haven.
Just when you stop wanting something—it shows up.
Unexpected—unwanted.
……..
I almost cried my eyes out that night.
I felt like killing Hannah with my own hands.
I wanted to see her.
Ask her why she married Walter when she knew her heart belonged to someone else.
I sobbed… my heart ached.
My whole body felt sore.
I just… I just wanted to be happy, but it felt like I was asking for too much. Hannah was always there to snatch it from me.
I lay on the bed that night, feeling nothing but emptiness inside and out.
But my heart came to a conclusion.
Hannah was crueler than I thought she was.
……
When morning came, I could barely lift my legs.
My body felt so heavy… but I knew I needed to head out and clear my head. Distracting myself with work seemed like the best thing to do.
I headed out and found Walter sitting in the living room.
He raised his head, but unlike usual, his gaze barely lasted for a second before he looked away again.
I cleared my throat as I walked toward him.
It felt wrong not telling him what had happened last night. Everything that happened with Mason had to do with Walter and me… so I just had to tell him.
And plus, I knew about his wife’s affair with the cook.
It was only right that I told him.
“Good morning,” I greeted.
Walter’s voice was cold. His gaze stayed everywhere but on me. “There’s no need for that.”
Ouch.
“Um… there’s something I want to talk to you about. Last night, I—”
Walter didn’t let me finish. “I remember what happened last night. I remember all the things we said. We both agreed to stay away from each other, didn’t we? Let’s keep things that way.”
Walter walked away before I could say anything else.
I stood there with my mouth wide agape.
It felt strange being ignored by Walter, and it hurt way more than I thought it would.
I knew I’d asked for it, but… not like this.
I heaved a sigh before heading out.
It was a good thing.
We’d finally both agreed that the place for us was somewhere far from each other.
I left.
Days slowly turned into weeks, and Walter? He was barely around.
I almost never saw him. Hannah hadn’t returned either, and Mason just—existed.
My life wasn’t the way I pictured it to be. It wasn’t perfect, but at least I had almost no worries.
I’d find myself staring at Walter, hoping that he would look at me, but he didn’t—not for once.
Good. Isn’t it?
And Harrington? He was always there.
We spent most nights together. Nights where I needed to get my mind off Walter.
It was nothing out of the ordinary. Talks, dates, and sometimes hugs that lasted more than usual.
But… I was slowly starting to forget about Walter.
My thoughts didn’t drift toward him as much, and everything was starting to fall into place.
That evening, I sat in front of the mirror, adjusting my dress with a smile hanging on my face.
The silver necklace Harrington got me sat perfectly on my skin, and the bracelet looked like I was born with it.
I stepped out of the room, and the smile on my face flickered when I set my eyes on Walter walking toward my room.
My heart thumped.
We hadn’t spoken in days, and I couldn’t help but wonder what he wanted to say.
“You can sleep out tonight,” he started. “Hannah. She’s coming over, and she said she didn’t want you here. I’ve already spoken to your father. I told him there’s no need to… look after you anymore.
You can come back tomorrow to pack your things if you want to.”
What?
All of a sudden?
Not that I wanted to stay, but I should have been told earlier.
“Why didn’t I hear anything about leaving before now? You can’t just throw me in and out as you wish!” I stated, my voice laced with irritation.
Walter took a deep breath, like I was too much trouble for him to handle. “The only reason I ever wanted you here is over. And just like you said, Haven, we shouldn’t be holding onto anything. You know what that means.”
Like always, Walter walked away—leaving me to finish the conversation with myself.
My feet dragged against the ground as I walked out of the house.
I was sure my place would be filled with dust, and Father’s house wasn’t an option.
Harrington pulled over, a smile hanging on his face—as usual.
I smiled back, but he still noticed the sadness in my eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked the moment I stepped in.
I laughed. “Nothing out of the ordinary. I’m being kicked out.”
Harrington smiled. He leaned in and raised his brows. “Come live with me,” he whispered.
I chuckled. “Like it’s that easy.”
“I mean it,” he ignited the engine and drove. “Not like I know why you still haven’t agreed to be my girlfriend, but there wouldn’t even be a need to ask if you were my girlfriend.”
“It’s not that—” I paused.
I suddenly felt irritated.
The past few days were quite tough for me. I’d been feeling funny, but I was telling myself it was just a fever.
“Can you… pull over?” I could barely speak.
Harrington immediately did, rushing out to my side of the door.
I stepped out and threw up almost immediately.
I watched as Harrington rushed back in to get a bottle of water. He handed it over, but I could barely get a grasp of it.
My hands were weak, and I suddenly felt dizzy.
I tried holding onto Harrington, but I couldn’t.
My head banged… my legs lost balance, and that was the last thing I remembered before I… passed out.
……
I woke up to that smell I hated.
Hospital.
I opened my eyes, my head banging like it would explode.
I looked at Harrington, who sat next to me.
At that point, his eyes didn’t carry the warmth they usually held. He no longer looked at me like I was his world.
It felt strange. His gaze was unreadable.
“Harrington,” I managed to speak.
“You lied to me,” he said, finally looking away.
I tried getting a hold of him, but he stood up before I could.
“You told me there was no one in your life, didn’t you?” he sneered.
“What is all of this about?”
“Answer me, Haven! You told me whatever stupid thing between you and Walter was over, didn’t you?”
“Yes, so?”
“Then tell me why the fuck you’re pregnant!”
Then it hit me like a wave.
Walter—he wasn’t lying.