unfortunate timing | wroetoshaw fanfic

chapter 37

"Sally! Sally! Please stop running away from me!" I shout, running down the stairs after Sally. The sound of my shouts and her heels on the metal echo through the stairwell.

I catch up, stepping around her to place myself in front of her so she can't go down anymore steps. The face she gives me replicates the face I was given at the hotel in Guernsey; the night before the reunion.

She looks heartbroken, once again, and it's all my fault.

"I don't have another kid," I say breathlessly. "It's not my kid."

"How do I know that?" She says, her voice choking through her tears.

"You have to trust me," I say, causing her to look away unconvinced, "please, Sally."

"Harry, I want nothing more to trust you," she cries, "but, don't you think it's always going to be like this?"

I furrow my brows, looking up at her with a confused expression. What does she mean? It's always going to be like this?

I grit my teeth together, "Like what?"

"Like," Sally sighs, "we're going to keep running after each other."

"No because we have each other," I protest, taking my hand in hers. She holds it there limply, not wanting to lace our fingers together.

"We don't though, Harry. Look at what's happened with Olivia," she says, and I watch as a small tear slides it's way down her cheek.

"That's not my child," I argue, squeezing her hand to reassure her but she just shakes her head.

"I don't know that."

"How can you not believe me?" I retort.

"Because, Harry," she raises her voice, "I managed to get knocked up by you unexpectedly, what makes me think that she hasn't!"

"You're kidding me," I laugh incredulously, is this seriously happening right now? I thought things had finally fallen into place, "Sally, I only have one child, yours."

"Yeh, well you've not exactly been a great dad to him, have you?" she snaps, her eyes glaring angrily into mine.

My mouth slowly closes as I replay her words in my head. I look away from her trying to conceal my hurt and amount of anger I feel towards her right now. Additionally, attempting to stop myself from bursting into tears of frustration.

I turn my head, meeting Sally's gaze again. I watch as her eyes soften; her hand reaching up to my cheek where she attempts to wipe away a tear from my face.

I flinch as her finger nears my skin, and I step down the stair, placing a distance between us. I'm angry and suddenly feel sick at the thought of being with her for another moment.

I didn't know about Jamie. I couldn't have been a great dad to him because I didn't know about him.

"Sal, do you know what really disappoints me?" I whisper, "The fact you keep on bringing up the fact that I'm a bad dad. I haven't had the chance to be a dad because I didn't know about him. It's not fair to say that to me."

She rolls her eyes to which I scoff at. I clench my fists in frustration as I think about my desperation to be Jamie's father.

"I'm a mother, Harry," she says matter-of-factly, "I can't be dealing with this while I have a child being looked after by my brother."

"Our child," I say, correcting her.

"Yeh, sadly, our child."

The hurt I feel in this moment can't be explained as rivers of different emotions flow through my head.