Page 19 of Harry

She would go on with her life, not expecting anything from him. She had her babies to think about and they were what is important now. She had never been a wilting violet and had been through the horrible tragedy of losing both her parents at the same time. She could handle anything else.

She looked up when she felt him eased onto the side of the desk and try to hide her annoyance.

“I said I have work to do.”

“What a surprise, so do I.” Michael had a determined look on his face that told her he was not going to simply go away.

“I don’t want to talk.”

“You told him.”

“Yes.”

“And he didn’t take it well.”

She laughed at the absurdity of that statement.

“You could say that.”

“He will come around. You sprang it on him…”

“He does not want to have anything to do with me or his babies.”

He stared at her. “He cannot be that much of an asshole?”

“Apparently, he can be.” She knew her eyes were swollen, and the makeup had been applied with a thick hand, but even so, she had seen the evidence in the mirror that she was not looking her best. She had gone to bed without doing anything with her hair and had just scooped it into a loose ponytail and be done with it.

Nothing mattered, least of all, her physical appearance. “I really do not want to talk about it Michael. I know you mean well and are trying to look out for me, but I cannot do this now. The most I can do is work to take my mind off things.”

“You don’t look well.” He pointed out worriedly.

“Now there’s a news flash.” She waved a hand. “Close the door on your way out, please.”

He hesitated and seriously considered ordering her to go home or have some tea or just cry, but she looked so shattered, that he knew she was on the verge of a breaking point.

“All right. But for the record, I just feel like confronting that bastard and telling him exactly what I think of him.”

She looked up then, her face animated. “No! Michael, please promise me you will leave it alone.”

His hands fisted tightly, and he had to take breaths to calm himself. “All right.” He repeated. “All right. I’ll leave it alone for now.”

“Thank you.”

She stared at him pointedly and then at the door. With an aggrieved sigh, he left the office and closed it behind him.

She spent a moment, just sitting there, just staring at the document in front of her – her mind completely blank. Then taking a deep breath, she went back to work.

*****

His mouth tasted like cardboard and his head was pounding and there was a boulder on his chest. What the hell! Prying his lids open, he felt the nausea bubbling to the surface and had to swallow it down.

At first he had no idea what the bloody hell was happening or where he was, until he noticed the familiar fireplace with the dying embers and recognized his living room.

And the boulder on his chest was his dog.

“Bloody hell!” He shoved the animal with enough impetus to have him pitching on the floor, a pitiful whimper searing through his brain.

“Serves you right.” Harry eased off the sofa carefully, his hands going to his head, which to his relief was still where it should be. But it was pounding.

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