One Chance: a Ted Sweeran fanfic

Ch 5

Ed's POV

After about ten minutes of pondering in disbelief that I could have a whole family that I didn't know about, there was a frantic knock on the door.

"Yeah, um come in!" I yelled, shaken out of my daze. The door opened and a roar of voices and flashes going off hit me like a tidal wave. Harry desperately crawled his way into the room, literally, fending off paparazzi with some bedazzled footwear. He finally was able to shut the door, but not without losing what looked to be a glitter boot to one of the crazed photographers.

"Ah, man, these are vintage." He seemed lost in the Cinderella tragedy when he looked up and saw me and laughed.

"Sorry mate, the paps are insane in case you forgot that too."

I looked at his one shoeless foot and joked, "Even if I had it hasn't taken me too long to remember."

We laughed for a minute at the circumstance before things got serious. I could tell Harry was anxious about something, but I didn't know what.

"So," Harry began, clearing his throat, "what did Taylor say?" He tried to be nonchalant about it, but I could tell he was really worried about something. His normal carefree, confident demeanor was shaken up, but I had no idea why.

"Well, she did drop quite the bomb on me, I must say I wasn't expecting it at all," I began. This seemed to frighten Harry even more, so I continued on. "She told me that she was pregnant, and that I was the father, which I guess makes sense since we are married apparently, but it's just a lot, you know? I mean one minute all I know is my name the next I'm told I'm going to be a dad? I'm just really trying to wrap my head around the situation."

He breathed, seemingly relieved at the answer I had given him.

"Do you want to know something?" he asked, his eyes intently staring into mine.

I nodded and he added, "A long, long time before you two were married, Taylor and I, well we were dating. It didn't really last long but," he sighed as if unable to get the right words out. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though it didn't work out for me, Taylor makes you really happy, even if you can't remember it, and anyone who can make my best mate happy is okay with me. Taylor really is a great person, I mean we've had our differences, but she also is human."

I looked at him in confusion, "What you mean by that?" I questioned.

"I mean that if she were to make a mistake or something, you should forgive her, because she needs you and from what I know you really need her." I wasn't liking where this conversation was going, it was nice that Harry was trying to tell me about her, but from the way he was talking it was as if she had done something wrong. I knew Harry was hiding something but I didn't know what.

Before I could ask him about it, though, his phone went off and he answered it, "Uh huh, oh, I see, okay yeah I'll be right down. Love you too sweetie, see you soon." Then he got out of his seat, "sorry, that was Cara, she wants me to drive her and Taylor back to our place, Taylor is apparently pretty unstable right now so Cara wants to get her out of the hospital. You sure you'll be okay?" he asked.

"Yes, of course, I'll be fine, go take care of my wife." Harry smiled at this and waved then left the room, his steps uneven as he hobbled with only one shoe on.

As soon as he had left a heavyset male caretaker dressed in black scrubs from the hospital came in with my meds and small amount of food I was able to hold down. Looking at a chart he asked, "Are you Edward Sheeran?"

"Yes I am."

"Great, I have just what you need," his words were innocent, but the way he said it made my skin crawl.

He placed the tray down on a table that swung over my raised bed like a tray. Before I could thank him he was out the door.

I opened the lid covering the food and was surprised to see not a plate with portioned servings of what the doctor said I should eat, but only a small envelope. I picked it up, it was heavy despite its size, and tentatively I began opening it. The envelope contained a few articles along with some pictures snapped at odd angles. At first it didn't make any sense, but then I realized what they were. I dropped the envelope and all of its contents as if they were burning my hands and gasped for air. Now I understood, my instincts had been right. Something was very wrong, and I was in the middle of it.