One Time Only

Chapter 44

Jerica, Andi and Louis looks at Harry in shock. "What did you just say?" Jerica asks in a whisper.

"I'm flying out in an hour, I'm going home, I need to check on the businesses there." Harry says, not noticing Jerica's already almost in tears.

"Why now. Why you?" Jerica asks. "Harry our child could be born at any time, you leave now you'll miss the birth." Jerica whispers around the lump in her throat.

"You know what Jeri, I don't fucking care." Harry snaps, surprising everyone in the room. "Every since we found out you were pregnant I've always wondered if that's even my kid. How do I know you haven't been with someone else? You sure as hell made sure I never stayed at your place to late, gone just after Timmy was in bed. Why was that? So you could bring some guy in without our son knowing and telling me about it?" Harry says. "I'm just not in the mood to raise someone else's brat, sweety you're on your own with this one."

Jerica is so shocked to hear what's coming out of Harry's mouth she can't form words. They've been getting along great, and for this to suddenly happen, she just doesn't know what's brought it on. Not saying a word Jerica just nods and walks out, she gets in her car and drives home. Once there she packs all of Harry's things up and sets them on the porch, she then sends a Louis a text for him to come get them. She then packs her and Timmy's things, places them in her car. Jerica drives to the school, picks her son up, and goes to Karen's, that's one place Harry still doesn't know about.

Harry, Louis and Andi were yelling at one another when Louis' phone goes off. Looking down at it, he looks at Andi. "I'll be right back." He says as he walks out the door. Twenty minutes and a speeding ticket later Louis walks back into the shop, he drops Harry's bags at his feet. "Hope you have fun finding a place to live." Louis yells at Harry as he shoves Jerica's diamond ring in his hand. "You're not welcome back in our home either."

Harry looks down at the ring in his hand, the bags on the floor at his feet, then he realizes what he's done. He believed what Jessi told him, the girl who drugged him, the same girl who's been in jail and wouldn't know what's going on. Thinking back, he now realizes Jessi was surprised when he mentioned Timmy and Jeri being pregnant again, that's when she said this child may not be his. And that was right after she'd told him she'd just gotten released from jail, and he was stupid enough to believe everything she said, not what Jerica has proven over the past five years.
...............

Anne storms into the shop, walks right up to Harry and slaps him. "I can't believe you have ruined everything you've worked so hard for in this past year. Threw it all away in one day, just because of what one bitch, who knew nothing, had to say." Anne yells. "Do you have so little faith in Jerica that that's all it takes for you to turn your back on her and your family like that?" Anne cries, throwing her hands in the air as she paces around the room. "Did you love her at all? Or were you just using her so you could see your son? You didn't have to do that, she'd already told you you could see him whenever you wanted to, why hurt her this way? For the fun of it? Are you really this evil now, back on the drugs? What?"

"No, I'm not taking drugs." Harry says. "It's just when Jessi came in here saying what she did, she sounded so convincing. I didn't even realize until Louis puts Jeri's ring in my hand that Jessi was shocked when I mentioned Jeri had a kid, being pregnant, that's when she started going on and on about the baby not being mine. And yes, I was stupid enough to believe her, even though I knew she'd just gotten out of prison for almost killing me." Harry cries. "I went to the house. I was going to try and talk to Jeri, I canceled my flight. She's not there."

"I did too, Harry." Anne snaps. "I went by the house, to Louis and Andi's, hell I even went to Karen's, which you never took the time to find out where she lived. Jeri isn't at any of those places Anne lies, she's gone. Jeri is due at any time, and she's out there with alone with a kid that's almost six years old."

"That's not my fault." Harry yells, just as the shop door opens. "She didn't have to take off like that."

"It is your fault, it's always your fault, Harry. You told her you were leaving her alone and pregnant again." Anne yells. "What did you expect her to do, say thank you?"

"So, the lying little bitch took off. She didn't want Harry to find out I was right and the brat isn't his." Jessi sneers.

Anne spins around and looks at the girl that almost killed her son. "So you're Jessi. Peter was your brother wasn't he? He tried to kill Jeri and Timmy?" Anne says, reminding Harry of his hospital promise. Of what this family has done to his own.

"Yeah, because of Jeri my brother is dead." Jessi says.

"No! He committed suicide because he almost killed my son." Harry snaps. "He didn't know Jeri had a kid when he went after her."

"Wait. Her son is yours too? Along with this kid she's pregnant with now?" Jessi asks. "I've been in jail for five years almost six, you two have been together that long?"

"No, we'd just gotten back together, and now thanks to you, I've lost my family again." Harry says as he turns and walks into Jeri's studio.