Marvels Of Fate

My Life

Harry's POV

"What have you been eating these past couple of months? I mean, you can cook, but I know how much you just hate doing so." I say, as I grab the cutting board and knife. After having tonight's meal, Mus will never think about visiting a restaurant ever again.

"Take-out," Mus answers. I halt my actions and turn around, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Take-out?" I repeat, unable to digest those words. "So you're telling me that for the past - " I struggle to figure out how many months have passed. " - Few months," I continue, "You've been eating take-out?" Mus nods her head, her expression telling me that she feels like nothing is out of place here. "Look, I don't know much about pregnancies, but the one thing I might just know is that a pregnant woman isn't supposed to eat unhealthy take-out food."

"And what else would I have done? Hired a personal chef?" Mus questions me, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, not happening." I shake my head in disbelief. I turn back around and get down to work. This woman is truly unbelievable. Eating take-out while pregnant, what bullshit!

"Shouldn't you be getting to bed?" Mus questions me after a while. I turn around to find Mus leaning onto the bar counter, her cheek pressed flat against the counter-top. Her eyes are shut. "I mean, you wake up everyday at 8, or something." A smile plasters itself across my face at the knowledge that she's aware of my daily routine.

"A promise is a promise," I say. "And I've promised to cook you a finger-licking meal." Mus smiles, her eyes still sealed shut.

"Thanks," she mumbles.

"Go to your room, Mus. Rest your body there for a while and once I'm done with dinner, I'll come and wake you up." Mus shakes her head lazily. Lord, this woman is a sleepy mess. Of course her stubbornness won't let me win. "I won't cook you dessert otherwise." I threaten and that's enough to get Mus off the stool. With sluggish steps she makes her way to her room, mumbling Lord knows what as she walks away.

Half of Mus' dinner is made with me smiling. If anyone was around they'd register me to the closest mental ward. However, this is the first proper interaction that I've had with Mus in months and that's enough to plaster a permanent smile across my face. Once I'm done, I line the three dishes across the bar and take off the apron.

"Dinner's ready!" I yell, admiring the platters. There's no reply. "Mus?" I try once more. Still no reply. "Fine, I'm coming." Sighing, I head towards Mus' room. I knock at the door before entering. Mus is splayed out on the bed, her hair curling around her neck. For some reason, a laugh escapes my lips. I enter the room, glad that I'm wearing socks so that my feet don't make a sound against the floor. Gently, I lift her feet off the blanket and pull my boots off her feet. I drop the boots onto the floor and pull the blanket over her body. Once Mus is properly tucked in, I seat myself onto the floor beside her bed and just watch her sleep. I've done this a bunch of times before and I'll never tire of this habit. Mus' lips part, an action that makes me want to cover her lips with mine. Swollen belly and all, this woman will always have the ability to make me want her. I lean my back against the wall and shut my eyes, my mind covered with a layer of peace at the thought that I'm sitting in the same room as Mus. Suddenly, my phone rings, making me jump up and rush out of the room. I gently shut the door behind me and fish my phone out of the back pocket of my jeans. Liam's name is displayed across the screen. I furrow my brows, why is he calling me at this hour of the night?

"Hi." I say, answering the call.

"Today I will speak and you will listen," Liam slurs. My eyes widen as I seat myself on the couch.

"You drunk, mate?" I question, turning on the tv. The minute it switches on, I turn the volume down. I don't want to wake Mus up.

"No - " hiccup " - I had a few drinks."

"And your definition of a few drinks is?" I flip through the channels mindlessly.

"Ten, twenty. Who knows?" Another hiccup. "But no!" I move the phone a good distance from my ear, not wanting to have my ear drum blown up. "Don't d-distract me. I am speaking!"

"Go on." I take a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever's to come.

"What's your problem, huh? Why are you always making my girl cry?" I raise an eyebrow to myself, confused. His girl? Who, Kate? "She's always crying more than she's smiling and it's all your fault. Yours!"

"Are we talking about Kate?" Liam laughs.

"No, no. She's happy. I keep her happy, unlike you." Then who're we talking about? "I'm talking about my girl best friend, Mus. In fact, you know what? Scratch that. She's my best friend, in both sexes."

"Since when?" I ask, all ears now. "And what do you mean I make her cry?"

"She's always crying, Harry, always. On the phone. In person," Liam says. "Do you have any idea who the culprit is? You!" I can't even deny his accusation because somewhere in the back of my mind I know what he's saying is right. "Yesterday she called me and broke down. I hate you for doing this to her." Hiccup. "She's like my sister and to see a guy like you abuse her emotionally in this manner. Especially considering her state...all I want to do is beat the fuck out of you."

"Did - Did she really cry on the phone yesterday?" I ask, the tv remote slipping off my lap. It clatters to the ground, making me wince. I hope I haven't disturbed Mus. I stare at her room door, expecting her to come out and start yelling at me. However, she doesn't.

"Yesterday? You're asking if she cried yesterday? You're a dick! She has been crying since you abandoned her, dick." Liam snaps. "But oh no, you don't care. All you care about is your fucking life plan, and your freedom. That's what this whole thing is about, eh? Freedom. You're afraid that if you have babes, you won't have time for yourself and blah blah blah. That's not how it works!"

"Then how does it work?" I murmur more to myself than Liam. He's hit the bulls-eye. This is exactly why I fear having children because I'm afraid of losing my freedom, my time and all the sacrifices that come with children.

"You make a family, that's how it works." Liam says, his tone softer now. "You hold them in your arms and tears fill up your eyes because you've created those little ones. You become closer to her because now you both have a special, different kind of connection." The line goes dead. I remove the phone from my ear, my thoughts all over the place. No! Not all men are like Liam, ready to accept the responsibility of children. I don't want to become one. At least not now! I shake my head, ridding my mind of Liam's words. This is my life and I decide when I want what to happen, not Mus, or anyone else for that matter.