No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

57 - The Seed's Sown

"What's going on?" I asked, surprised at how normal my voice sounded considering my insides were trembling. I wasn't sure what I had just interrupted, but my mind was conjuring all sorts of crazy theories I couldn't bear to entertain.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, looking down at the floor.

"Sorry?" I echoed, my heart pounding. "Sorry for what?"

"I shouldn't have spoken to her like that," he mumbled, as Callie rolled her eyes.

"What pressure is she supposedly putting on you?" I demanded. "And what did you mean, you're trying to do the right thing?"

His eyes darted to Callie's face briefly, but her expression was unreadable.

"She thinks I'm going to hurt you again," he said after a moment. "She won't let it go. I'm just trying to make you happy, but she doesn't trust me."

I stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate but apparently this was the extent of his explanation. I shifted my gaze to Callie, who made a grunt of disgust in Harry's direction and wrinkled her nose.

"Well?" I demanded. "Is this true?"

"Of course," she answered smoothly, looking past me at the wall. "Just because you've forgiven him doesn't mean I have to."

I waited again for one of them to volunteer more information, but they remained silent, looking back at me as though waiting for some sort of cue.

"I should go," Harry said, taking a couple of steps towards me. "I'm due at the studios."

"I'll see you out," I mumbled, leading him to the door. We stepped out into the hallway and I pulled the door to behind me.

I didn't know how to approach this without accusing him of something, and in truth I didn't really understand what had just gone on. All I knew was it was enough to make me uneasy.

"Harry," I began, pulling nervously at my fingers as I tried to scramble my thoughts. "Harry... what just happened in there?"

His eyes darted to the closed door and then back to my face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean just then. Why were you arguing with Callie in low voices?"

"She doesn't think I deserve you," he answered. "I'm just getting fed up of it."

"Why, has she spoken to you about this before?" I asked, now even more confused. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Callie had only crossed paths with Harry briefly at my flat. They didn't even have each other's numbers. Did they?

He hesitated. "I just mean it annoys me that she's so openly rude. But she's upset, so it's fine. You should go and look after her; make sure she's alright."

I opened my mouth to remark on his sudden change of heart after his anger at being let down earlier, but he spoke again.

"Baby I really have to go, I'll be late to the studios."

He stepped up to me and pulled me close to him, burying his nose in my hair and breathing in deeply.

"I love you so much, you know that don't you?" he murmured as he kissed the top of my head.

"Yeah, I know," I replied, and he tilted my face up to his and kissed me softly on the lips.

"Sorry I was moody before," he apologised. "Go and plait each other's hair, or whatever else you girls do at times like these. She needs you. I was a dıck for being selfish."

"It's OK," I said.

"Ring me later and let me know what you're doing," he said, and I nodded and watched him disappear down the hallway to the front door, flipping his hair back as he went.