I rolled over to my side and watched Ivy, cross legged on my parents’ living room floor, singing along to her favourite children’s T.V. show. Noah was sprawled beside me, kicking his arms and legs against the blanket he held in between his teeth. He was only a few months old, but he was already becoming more aware. Hopefully not as aware as Ivy, who hadn’t stopped begging to talk to Daddy for the two days we’d been apart.

The strangest thing was, the police hadn’t come yet. The story hadn’t even broke the news. I checked all of the gossip websites regularly, but nobody knew of the fight between Will and Harry. It was obviously a good thing, but it made me sickeningly suspicious.

I stood up and took Noah with me, patting his little bottom, circling the room and trying to get him to doze off. My mum soon entered the room, exploring the scene with her eyes. She gave me a sympathetic look.

“Here, lovely.” She smiled. “I can get him down.”
“Are you sure?” She nodded. I smiled thankfully. “Cheers, mum. Ive, I’m going to go and take a shower.”
“Okay mummy.”
“Be good.” I looked back at my mother, and she nodded as if to tell me to stop worrying and get on with my day.

I fell back onto my bed with a thump and looked at my phone. It was nine in the morning and I knew that Harry wouldn’t be awake yet, unless he had to be. I still dialled his number anyway, desperately hoping that he was tucked up in our bed and not in a cold cell.

“Hiiiiiiii.” He sounded more like a groan. “You alright, bug?”
“You’re awake?”
“Hm. I am now.” I heard his palm rub against his face.
“No police?” I said, biting my lip. He paused.
“No, not unless they’re downstairs having a cup of tea, waiting for me to get ready.” I could hear the smirk in his voice and it made me want to hit him.
“Can we come home yet?” I bit down on my nail.
“Err..” I heard a shift that sounded like him sitting up, the sheets falling down his chest.
“I need to be with you, I just want a cuddle.” I felt ashamed at the admission, I always hated telling him how much I needed him, afraid that even now it would freak him out.
“Oh, bug. Don’t.” He sighed. “I suppose you can come back. But the kids-“
“They miss you. They need you, we’ll deal with it, if it happens.” He knew I was referencing to several police cars turning up to take him away.
“Okay, babe. Alright.” He sighed. “I reaaaally miss you.”
“I miss you too. How’s your nose?” I frowned, hoping that not an inch of his perfect face had been damaged permanently.
“It’s alright. A bit sore.” He cleared his throat, stifling a laugh. “Oh. I’ve looked up and down the house for cameras, but I don’t think he was using them. One of the security cameras on the terrace outside our bedroom had been blacked out. I’m pretty sure he must have got onto there and..”
“And?” I willed him to go on, but I felt sick knowing what he was about to say.
“And watched us.” He concluded, his voice in no way jovial now.
“Sick fuck.” I mumbled, trying to understand how someone could be so strange.
“Just get home. I’ll talk to you when you’re here.” He said, and the thought excited me.
“I love you.”
“Love yoooooou.” He said, and then the line went dead.

---

“What are the cries for little man?” Harry reached out for Noah, who was screaming from the amount of disturbed sleep he had had away from his own crib. Harry nestled him into his chest and pecked me on the cheek. “Hii.”
“Hi.” I managed, flabbergasted at carrying in two bags and two children. “Any news?”

Harry shook his head, wincing as Noah carried on crying, even though his sobs were slowing down. I wiped my brow in stress.

“Something isn’t right.” I said. “He wouldn’t just let this go.”
“Annie,” Harry warned, side-eyeing Ivy, who was staring at us both.

I looked down at her and sighed in defeat. She wandered over to her seat, probably expecting her dinner soon.

“I’ve checked everywhere, Annie, there’s no-one here.” He said, in a hushed tone. “Calm down."

His words were not enough for me, that evening. Even when Harry had drawn me a bath and I’d soaked in it, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘what if there’s a camera in here? can people off the street see in here?'

I felt like I was living in a glass bubble, and the idea of Will watching Harry and I actually having sex made me want to scrub at my skin and erase all my memory. I felt so ashamed and frightened, and furious that I was being made to feel that way about being in my own home.

I also couldn’t stop calling for Harry every half hour, worried incase he’d somehow been captured and taken to the local police station in the time it took me to get dressed. Every time he would bring himself up the stairs with heavy, irritated footsteps. The last time he came into the bedroom, I just grabbed onto him and held him for ages.

“Why is this happening to us, Harry?”
“It’s over now.” He sighed, brushing his hand through my hair. “It has to be.”
“You don’t know him.” I shook my head.
“And you do?"

I retracted my arms from around his waist, sick at the sight of the bruise on his left cheek, in between the dent of his nose and the soft skin beside it.

“Well, clearly not.” I felt my anger rising at him. “You’re not being very sensitive, considering my psychopathic ex-boyfriend watched us having sex.”
“Annie, after seeing exactly what a psycho he was three days ago, I’m just glad he didn’t take one of the kids or something much more fucked up.” His brows knitted together and I could tell he felt indignant. “Don’t act like I’m thrilled of the idea of him watching you, naked.”
“Do you have to say it like that?” I hissed, stomping over to my side of the bed and launching a pillow onto the floor.
“I risked everything to go and figure this out with him, please don’t start with me.” His face was genuinely irritated and genuinely fed up, and I needed to remind myself that I shouldn’t let Wills sadism tear Harry and I apart.
“Well you shouldn’t have resorted to violence.” I said matter-of-factly, sliding into the bed and facing away from him.

There was a moment of silence as I felt him dip into the bed beside me. Harry exhaled deeply and brought his thumb to his lips in concentration.

“He needed to see that I’m not a pushover. I’ve never retaliated to anything he’s ever done because you never wanted me to. But our kids, Annie. No. I had to.” I felt his eyes staring at the back of my frame and I rolled my eyes, sitting up and looking at him, pushing the damp strands of freshly-washed hair out of my face.

“Thank you.” I placed a small, soft, strict kiss to his lips, and felt him smile. “Now please, lets go to sleep."

Notes

What do you think? Is it the last of Will, or is he planning something else?!