Bad Intentions ↠ h.s.

Chapter Eight

Harry

Ashley doesn't put up much of a fight. As soon as Arabella leaves, she simply sits down on the couch and looks at me. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. You're such a great guy, Harry, and I love you," she attempts to apologizes, her voice sounding the least bit sincere.

I roll my eyes. How many times have I heard those words? Those pathetic, untruthful words. She doesn't mean them. So, why does she say them? "That's not enough, Ashley. We have a daughter now! You can't just disappear for a day and then just waltz back in high off your ass, claiming to love me and expect everything is okay!" I lash out, praying that Arabella is in her room. I would never want her to hear this- any of this. It's bad enough she heard what Ashley had said earlier.

My wife presses her lips together in a thin line, looking irritated beyond belief. "It's my life, Harry. If I want to get high, then I will. If I want to drink, then I will. You aren't my boss."

"This isn't just your life! It's our life, we are married, Ash! When you're married, you share a life with someone. And now you share it with not only me, but our daughter too."

Ashley laughs. She actually laughs. "I didn't want her in the first place, Harry! You know I didn't! I said that we should just get a dog, but noo! We have to adopt a fucking teenager!"

I grind my teeth together, feeling the need to defend my Arabella. "You said you were happy about Bell coming to live with us." I try to keep my voice calm, but damn is that hard around Ashley.

"I wanted it to work. But it isn't."

"It's only been a few weeks," I remind her. "And she's such a good kid..."

"If we had to adopt, we should have adopted someone younger. She's too old to be our daughter. Do you know what people are thinking?"

"No, and I don't care. I love Arabella, she's wonderful. I wouldn't trade her for anything."

"Even our marriage?" Ashley spats, a scoff leaving her lips as she finds her way to her feet, and struggling to the bottom of the stairs. "I'm done with your shit."

"Thank god," I murmur so I don't have to get an explanation for the abrupt leaving, as she has a hassle to go up the stairs and I'm left alone with the thought of her.

After what seems like ages of me thinking everything over, I finally find enough courage to face Arabella and Niall, noticing that Niall is in the bathroom and Arabella is tapping away at her now newly built desk.

"I'm sorry," Arabella says gracefully, propping herself to her feet and coming near me. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's fine...you didn't know," I breathe out softly, listening to the sound of the shower starting at the end of the hall where Ashley was.

"Is everything okay...you know, between you two?" Arabella questions, pure sensitivity set in her mind I assume.

"It's okay. There's just a time when marriages are a little out of hand, so you have to tweak them a bit," I say, adjusting towards the eager urge to calm myself before I get out of control.

She frowns, bringing her arms around me and hugging me tightly by my waist. "Promise you'll be okay?"

"I promise," I comment, brushing a few strands of her hair behind her ear, and giving her a comforting smile.

~~~

Sleeping on the couch brought some sort of resort towards me, almost as if I belonged here instead of the bed with her.

I never thought that we would argue...especially with all the time that we used to spend with one another during happy times. Back before Ashley started fucking other guys behind my back. When our romance first started to blossum... things were so good back then.

What the hell happened?

Where exactly did everything go wrong? It's been this way for so long, I honestly can't even remember. Maybe it was always this way. Maybe things were always bad like this and we just didn't see it. Maybe we used to be able to get by simply on love and ignorance, but not anymore.

"Harry?"

I roll over to my side and smile slightly, happy for a distraction. "Bell...What are you doing up?"

My daughter leans back on the balls of her feet, puffing out her cheeks uncomfortably. "I wanted to apologize. I know it's my fault you and Ashley were fighting," Arabella tells me.

I groan, running my fingers through my hair. I can't believe she actually thinks this is her fault. "No, sweetie. You aren't the reason we were fighting. Ashley and I just... just butt heads sometimes."

"You do a lot more than just butt heads," the teenage girl corrects me, staring over at me with those hypnotized eyes of hers. I can't help but smile at her, even though there's nothing for me to be smiling about at the moment.

"Alright. We all out brawl sometimes!"

"I'm surprised you haven't killed each other yet."

I roll my eyes. "So am I," I reply, patting the spot beside me on the couch. She takes association by sitting on it, smoothing out her pastel pink pajama bottoms that had a silky texture, for what I assume,Ashley picked out.

There's a slight pause, before I switch on the television. "You know about that whole school thing?"

"About me being homeschooled or you going to public school?" I say in response.

"Yeah," she confirms with an eased smile. "Is it too early to decide?"

"Of course not," I say to assure her nervous feelings.

"I wouldn't mind going to a public school," she says weakly, as if she were scared to say it."But I think I'd prefer to stay here...if it was okay with you for sure."

"That's great!" I reply ecstatically, my mind going into the wonders of me teaching her one-on-one and so I'm with her all of the time. "Absolutely!"

"Thank you," she says warmly, dragging her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them to stabilize them. "Are we going to continue my room tomorrow?"

I nod, turning to the clock to check the time briefly before glancing back at her.

"You should probably get some sleep then if you want to do your room some more. It's going to be a long day process and it's already twelve at night."

I didn't want her to leave, but I couldn't continue to pull her along with my nonsense between Ash and I.

"Okay," she obliged, bouncing to the bottom of the stairs with her hands behind her back as she swayed slightly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight sweetheart," I say, another smile plastering along my lips. "Sweet dreams."

She gives me a quick shy grin and a small blush before heading up to her room.

------
Hope you guys had an amazing Thanksgving, and if you don't celebrate it, a good day.

Where still a bit slow on updating but I promise we'll fix it! :)

-Olive Oil and Cat