birds // hs

13. 1 + 1 = 5? *

"He did so great today," Grace informed me with a wide smile as I walked in the door and set my purse down. "He really loves when I sing to him."

"Oh," I forced a smile. "That's good. So I trust your day was good? No accidents?"

"Yeah, it was really good. Actually Harry came home on his lunch break and he really helped me with another paper. He's a miracle worker."

Oh, he was so dead when he got home...

"Good, I'm glad," I lied. "We'll see you tomorrow, Grace. Thanks for staying so late."

"Yeah, no problem. See you tomorrow, Miss Rachel."

The front door clicked shut and I slumped into a kitchen chair, rubbing my sore feet and aching head as James' soft snores floated through the baby monitor on the counter. It was my second day of work as a whale specialist at the aquarium and I was more than exhausted.

So far I had been doing breathing exercises and training for my scuba diving license from eight in the morning to six o'clock at night- all with a big round tummy and cankles. My week was not going fantastically so far.

But soon I heard Harry's car pull into the driveway and his headlights flooded the living room, casting an unwanted beam over the cluttered mess while I tried to maintain my calm breathing.

"Sunshine," he called quietly into the darkness. "I'm home, baby girl."

I spun around and straddled the chair, my brow set in firmness. "Harold."

"Uh oh." He dropped his leather satchel in the narrow hallway and grinned at me as he loosened his black tie. "What did I do this time?"

"Grace told me you helped her with her paper today."

"Guilty as charged," he sighed a little. "She really needed my help, sweetheart. She practically begged me."

"Remember our deal?" I challenged coldly.

"I..." he cleared his throat and looked awkwardly over my head. "I promised I wouldn't be alone with her. But darling-"

"No buts! You broke your promise, Harry. How did you think I would feel about that?"

He slumped his shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"I don't care about sorry. I want you to show me you can be trusted."

"What have I ever done to make you think I couldn't be trusted?"

I didn't even have to think about it. "Caroline."

"Oh come on, Rachel. That was years ago!"

"That doesn't mean it didn't happen," I shot back. "Did you do something with Grace? Is that why you're being so defensive?"

"What? No! I-"

"You did!" I realized, rising to my feet as his cheeks flamed red. "You did something with her, didn't you? Did you kiss her?"

"Rachel, don't do this," he pleaded with a defeated expression. "Baby, please-"

"I knew it," I whispered, probably sounding like a crazy person as he backed into the counter. "Tell me what you did."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Please don't make me tell you, sunshine."

"Don't call me that," I grit my teeth as my voice became hoarse with tears. "Tell me what the fuck you did with her."

"Rachel, I'm begging you," he murmured softly. "Please leave this alone."

"If you don't tell me what you did right fucking now, I swear to god-"