better now > sequel to neighbours. [HS]

thirty eight

January was a shit month, mainly because of how slow it went and the thoughts of repeating a whole year again drained me but there was a silver lining, my birthday was in January.

It was my Twenty-Seventh birthday tomorrow and I was sitting in bed with my daughter while we wore matching pjs with cartoons playing in the background.

"So if grandpa is married to grandma, then who are you married to?" Ana quizzed me. I laughed. "Nobody. You don't have to be married to anybody." I told her.

"Dad is married." She sighed.

I sat forward a little, "huh?"

She nodded and sat up too, the little girl obviously excited to share her news with me. "To Emma! And, Emma said she was going to give me a little sister. I can't wait."

"She did?" I nodded slowly, processing it all. I wasn't even aware Harry had introduced Ana to Emma. He certainly didn't tell me about it.

"She said I could live with them and have a sister, so then my mummy and daddy will be married."

Okay now that one hurt.

I smiled and nodded. "You'd leave Mummy?" I asked her. Her face fell, as well as mine but she shook her head no.

"No..but I want my mum and dad to be married like your mum and dad. And Emma is going to marry dad so she'll be a new mummy." She tried to explain.

It wasn't even possible to be angry at her. She was small and didn't understand the world. What she wanted in her head was simple, but in my head it was heartbreaking. I excused myself to make her some lunch and dialed Harry's number with shaky fingers.

He answered right away.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked, his smooth voice luring me in until I snapped.

"You're a prick. And that Emma is so stupid, have you any idea what she's been telling Ana? MY Ana? You're a sly cunt, Harry. I know what you're at and I'm having none of it." I yelled.

Harry chuckled. He fucking laughed, and I was fuming. "Mae, are you drunk?" He dares to ask.

"No!" I yelled back at him. I was about to set off on another rant, not even noticing until now that I was digging my nails into the skin on my leg.

"I'm coming over. Whatever has you this upset is alarming me, we can talk." He announced.

He hung up and I let out a frustrated scream into the cushion on the couch before tossing my phone away from me. He was so annoying it hurt.

I loved him to bits, of course I did, he was the father of my child and we had nearly spent the last decade together playing happy family. I was fine with that, it was when Emma came in that I began to feel messed up. It was the fact that I had no right to feel mad at him over it that got me so upset, Harry and I weren't together. We were co-parenting but to the extent that we were almost like a married couple ourselves.

I think over all I was just afraid to admit that I loved him, and afraid to accept that he didn't feel that way about me. I was just Ana's mother to him.

I served Ana her lunch and decided to feel sorry for myself on the couch until he came. I didn't like feeling sorry for myself but I sure did it a lot, I was pathetic, but Harry was a dick so I was allowing myself to be sad.

Using a spare key I forgot to take off of him, he waltzed in quietly carrying a bag and typing away on his phone. I rolled my eyes.

"Hi," he greeted. He kicked his shoes off and set the bag down before coming over to me. His long legs seemed never ending as he rested his feet on the coffee table in his black skinny jeans, matched with a dark blue tee that complimented his dark curls.

"So, are you going to talk to me or just stare at me?" He barked. I squinted my eyes and focused my stare on his face. He looked different.

He had stubble littered over his jaw, I had seen it a few times but not often. He clenched his jaw slightly and I snapped out of my trance admiring his face.

"You're married?" I asked him blankly. I was trying my best to show no emotion, he knew my weak spots and he would only push my buttons.

"What?" He laughed. He shook his head. "Where did you hear that?"

I shrugged and folded my arms. "Ana."

"And you're going to assume she's telling the truth? Mae, how could I possible be married?" He chuckled again. I felt my anger sizzle down but I was still annoyed at him, simply for just being him.

"I don't know." I admitted. "Emma was telling her all this stuff."

His brows knitted together and he leaned towards me slightly. He looked scared. "What stuff?"

"Well for starters, apparently you guys are giving her a sister! Oh, and let's not forget the part where Emma mentioned Annabel living with you both. Or Ana telling me she was going to live with her mum and dad." I spat. The reality of the last sentence caught me up and I ended up bringing my hands to my face to hide the tears. I could just pass it off by looking frustrated.

"Woah.." Harry's calm voice returned and his warm arm wrapped around my shoulder. He always knew what to do and it was annoying.

"That's not going to happen, Maelynn." He mumbled. His lips were pressed against the top of my head and I could feel his heartbeat against my side. As I slowly but surely ended up with my head on his chest as he spoke, the vibrations from his voice were continuing to calm me.

"I'm sorry she said those thing, she's a bit uh.." he struggled to finish the sentence and I laughed. "Obsessive?" I offered.

He hummed. "That's one word."

I pulled away and turned to face him. He was truly breathtaking and it was almost as if he grew even more handsome as each day passed. His lips curled into a smile and I looked away to my hands.

"Harry I hate being a sensitive ass bitch." I sighed.

"I hate it too. But it's funny when you get worked up like that, so I don't mind." He cheekily smiled and I waved him off.

"Quick question though," He smirked. This wasn't gonna be good.

I rose a brow at his mischievous look and He snickered. "Will you please admit you're jealous of her now?"

"Harry.." I warned. I wasn't sure how he got a kick out of it but he did. His face brightened up and his dimples popped when he grinned and I found myself fighting a smile too.

"I'm not jealous of her." I told him.

I wasn't though. I was jealous of what she had, but not her.

"Liar." He cockily sang. I wanted to punch him, but Ana's presence surprised us both and she giddily ran into Harry's arms. I watched him hold her proudly and I began to feel bad for him. I was whining about him being in a happy relationship when he was the one who had it bad. He had all this money, all these cars and a good looking girlfriend but he didn't have the joy of waking up to his kids everyday or sending them off to school. He got visits and day trips to the park and as I watched him listen so carefully to what his daughter was telling him I realized maybe it was time for him to move on. I had my love, and it was our daughter.