Heartbeats || H.S. [ONGOING]

{seven}

A week — Niko spent the better part of a week crying and depressed over Harry after he walked out of her life again. Max was so used to her mood swings that it didn't even phase him anymore. He just comforted her when he was around and tried to be a shoulder for her to cry on. The man probably thought she needed to be medicated or something.

Max had been busy all week with his work at his firm, so he wasn't really around — which was fine by Niko, since she just wanted to be alone anyway. But he insisted on staying at her apartment that weekend to keep her company, as he put it.

"What do you want to eat for dinner tonight?" Max asked as he flipped through channels on the TV as the two of them sat on the couch together.

"I don't care," Niko mumbled, shrugging her shoulders as she sat with her knees up to her chest.

"We could get some Chinese from that place down the street," he offered and she shrugged again.

"Or pizza?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"I don't care," she told him. Her indifferent attitude was not lost on him, she could tell. Max was very patient with her, but she could always tell when his annoyance set in, even if he didn't take it out on her.

"You've got to give me something here, baby," Max sighed heavily.

"Chinese," she told him, finally giving him an answer just to appease him.

"Okay, do I even dare ask you what you want?" Max asked, heightening his eyebrows at her.

"I'll have whatever you're having," she told him passively and he nodded, getting up to get his phone to call in their order.

There was a knock at the door a moment later, causing Niko to grumble. She figured it was her landlord. He was such a nosy bastard.

"Can you get that?" She asked Max once he grabbed his phone.

"Yeah," he said, walking toward the small hallway that led to the front door.

Niko grabbed the remote and started flipping channels. There was seriously nothing on — so much for Saturday night TV.

"Babe? There's someone here for you," Max called to her.

Ugh. She really did not want to talk to her landlord. She groaned inwardly as she got up from the couch and made her way to the door. She gasped noticeably when she saw who it was, her eyes widening as she stared.

"Harry. What are you doing here?" She asked, gripping onto her chest where her startled heart began beating rapidly.

Harry was staring at Max as Max was looking at her, but Harry's attention went to her when she spoke to him.

"Uh..." Harry stammered, his words failing him as their eyes met.

Niko noticed Max's head volleying back and forth between the two of them, making her feel incredibly awkward. He was probably so confused. She truly hated this situation.

"Are you going to introduce us?" Max asked Niko a moment later and the fear she was feeling flared up inside her.

"Uh, Max, this is Harry. Um. Harry is the father of some kids I used to be a nanny for a couple years back," Niko said awkwardly as her face blushed hot.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he stared at Niko. Was that all he was to her? A father to some kids she nannied for? When Niko looked at him again, her expression fell into a plea directed at him. He knew she was struggling. The former lover face-to-face with the new lover. The thought of it bitterly stung his heart.

He wouldn't be there if it wasn't for his kids. His heart was breaking all over again just being in her presence, seeing her with him. But she promised to hang out with his kids again, and Jackson hadn't stopped hounding him about it since he got home from his mum's house nearly a week before.