Page 89 of Tangled Desires

“What happened out there?” Liv whispers, glancing out the window like Gary might storm back in.

I take a steadying breath, trying to collect my scattered thoughts. “It’s his dad. He… He showed up, talking all kinds of shit to Harrison and Michael. He’s—he’s so vile.”

The girls exchange a glance, their shock and disgust mirroring my own. I can’t even repeat half of what Gary said. The words hang in the air like a bad taste. We move quietly to the bedroom, peering through the window. I watch Gary stumble away, hands raised in some pathetic half-assed surrender. Relief should feellike a weight lifted, but it doesn’t. The pit in my stomach only grows heavier. This—this mess—is going to fuck with Harrison. He’ll push it all down, wear that mask of his, pretending it doesn’t matter. And that scares the hell out of me.

“Are you okay?” Amelia asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m not the one you should be worrying about.”

The door opens, and the boys are back. Harrison and Michael hang back outside, still with their mum and Joe. Amelia moves toward Bradley instinctively. “We should get going, give them some time to wind down after that.” Bradley tilts his head toward the door. “Come on, Liv, I’ll take you home.”

The hugs come fast, squeezing the air out of me. Soft goodbyes, whispers of comfort. When Brad presses a kiss to my forehead, his lips are warm, but it’s his words that make the ground under me shift. “He’s going to need you now more than ever.” I nod, throat tight, barely able to breathe. He’s right, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

When they leave, the house falls quieter. It’s just Isla and me now. She rubs my arm gently. “If anyone can help him through this, it’s you. He needs you, Imogen. Don’t doubt that.”

I open my mouth, but no words come out. Before I can respond, the door creaks open. Xavier’s head pokes in. “Isla, come on. We’re heading out.” He glances at me, a brief nod.

Isla hugs me tight, her words soft in my ear. “Call me. If you need anything—both of you.” And just like that, it’s just me. The tension in the air is suffocating, like the whole house is holding its breath. Outside, muffled voices cut through the silence—Harrison and Michael, arguing, their tones sharp and low, snapping at each other.

I can’t make out the words, but I don’t need to. Something is about to break, and I’m not sure if it’s them or me. I need to do something. Anything to distract from the noise in my head. Myhands move on their own, grabbing empty bottles, plastic cups, anything left from the night. I toss them into the bin, picking up every stray can like it’ll somehow make the chaos outside stop. The yard looks decent enough, but I keep searching, bending down, finding something else to tidy.

It’s useless, but it’s all I can do to keep moving.

Dinner plates. I grab them, mindlessly rinsing them off, loading the dishwasher. But the tightness in my chest won’t ease. Every movement feels mechanical, disconnected, like I’m watching myself from somewhere far away. The door creaks open. Harrison steps in, his presence filling the room like a storm, raw and raging. His face is unreadable, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

He doesn’t pause. Doesn’t even look at me. Just walks right past, headed straight for the back door.

My heart stutters. I close my eyes for a second, gripping the edge of the sink, trying to steady myself. This is going to break him; I know it. And I’m not about to let that happen.

I find Harrison outside, hunched over in one of the old wooden chairs, his body crumpled. His head hangs low, and I don’t need to ask to know it’s all too much. I sit beside him, close enough to feel the tension rolling off him in waves, but I don’t speak. Just… stay. His shoulders tremble slightly, and when his voice finally comes, it’s rough, barely there.

“I just can’t catch a break.” His words crack open something inside me, but I keep my gaze steady, letting him carry on. A shudder shakes through him. “It’ll never… Stop.”

His head hangs lower, fists clenched tight in his lap. I watch the way his knuckles turn white, the way his breath catches.

“It will. Eventually.” The words feel hollow in my mouth, but I say them, anyway. Maybe if I keep saying them, I’ll believe them. His eyes flick up, green and wild, the lines around his face sharp with strain. His jaw is locked tight, mouth a thin line. He pulls off his hat, rakes a hand through his hair, then shoves it back on, backward.

“He’s ruined everything.” Harrison’s voice breaks, and I can hear the raw pain in every syllable. “Everything was going so well... I thought I could move past it. Dr. Lowes said I could.” The name hits like a surprise shot of cold air—Dr. Lowes.He actually saw her. After all this time, he’s trying, really trying, and it’s tearing him apart.

“He’s mixed himself up with bad people, Immy. Real bad. He owes them money, and the cunt had the nerve to ask me for it.” The words are venom, spat out with more force than I expect. I reach over, my hand resting on his arm.

“Harrison, we’ll figure it out. You’ll get through this.” But my voice isn’t as certain as I want it to be.

A bitter laugh escapes him. “No, Imogen. You don’t get it. These people aren’t just ‘bad.’ They’re ruthless. Real fucking criminals. They’ll come after him, and they’ll come for their money. And I can’t have you caught up in this. Not you. Not our baby.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

His eyes darken. “I need to keep you safe. I won’t let his mess come back to you.”

“No, Harrison. Tell me what you’re not saying.”

His jaw clenches, but he doesn’t look at me. “You need to leave, Imogen. You can’t stay here with me. It’s not safe here anymore.”

The air is suddenly thicker, suffocating. My breath stalls, throat tight. I blink, trying to clear the fog, but it doesn’t lift. “N-no,” I stammer. “I’m not fucking going anywhere.”

He stands up sharply, shoulders tight with tension. “Don’t you see, Midge? It’ll never work. I’m fucking broken. How did I ever think I’d be well enough to raise a kid, let alone be in a relationship? I’ve been mentally fucked for weeks, and now this? I can’t keep doing this to you.”

His words tear at me. And when I look at him, really look at him, I see it—the fight he’s losing in his eyes, the way he’s drowning in everything he can’t say. And I refuse to let him push me away.

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