Sage

47

let my demons win in that last chapter. many apologies.

Ellie.

"I'm telling you, I didn't fucking do it!" Harry shouts, banging his fist on the interrogation table. The detective across from him doesn't flinch, instead, he flicks his lighter at the end of his cigarette and takes a drag. 

He nods at Harry, his piercing blue eyes reading into his soul as he does.

Harry inhales a sharp breath and swallows harshly before doing a double-take and meeting eyes with me through the flimsy glass. I could hear and see everything, but I wasn't allowed in, only Jim (who sat in the chair next to Harry looking as stressed as ever). It wasn't like anyone gave a shit what was heard anyway, employees walked by without a care in the world. They discussed their weeks' plans and expressed exhaustion due to the work scheduled. Nobody cared that Harry was in here being accused of murdering his ex-wife by a brooding detective.

I bring my hand to rub around my bump, anything to calm my irate heartbeat. I knew stress wasn't good for the baby or me but how could I not be stressed? Harry and I went from looking at plants to buy at a music festival to being stuck in a nipping police station. They gave us no information as to how Quinn died. They were waiting for Harry to slip up and say something.

But he wouldn't.

I knew that Harry wasn't capable of killing Quinn. He hated her, for sure, but after she signed to drop their deal, there was nothing more. His focus was on our baby and his work.

His eyes are bloodshot from the frustrated tears that welled in his eyes but refused to fall. His entire face was ashen and clammy with sweat, and his hands shook as he placed them back into his lap. He's broken and confused and they're preying on it.

"Reports show that you and Quinn didn't have the best relationship...witnesses too," Detective Braden observes, pulling out a manilla folder with files. I take a step closer and furrow my brows. I know that whatever is in there is a tactic to get him to speak and say something incriminating. 

"They divorced, it's fairly obvious they didn't have the best relationship," Jim commented gruffly.

Harry says nothing.

Braden looks at Jim, "But to divorce and appear with a newly pregnant girlfriend just weeks later?"

Harry narrows his eyes at the man but keeps his drying lips pressed together. Jim inhales a sharp breath and straightens his back.

I felt useless behind that glass window.

"Have you seen the messages she'd written about you and Eliana?"

Harry's brows furrow as Braden pulls a sheet of paper out of the folder and slides it toward him, who immediately grabs it and peers down to read it. Jim tries to grab them but Harry moves them out of his reach as his green eyes greedily scan over the texts.

"I don't imagine you took any of this lightly, seeing as they were sent to your phone. I mean, look- man to man...If my ex-wife told me she hoped my baby died? If she called the mother of my child all of these...horrible names? I get it if you were to feel...angry," He gestures with his hands, and my body becomes washed over in fear at the look on Harry's face as he reads the messages. 

"And those slurs? Some of those I've never even heard before. She seemed very upset that you not only left her and impregnated another woman, but that said woman was black." The detective pushes to get a rise out of Harry.