Family Ties

Deals

Harry's POV

I was pacing in my home office waiting to hear from Liam, needing to know what legal had said about that document. I hadn't been able to get a single thing done all day between worrying about the welfare of the kids and the fact that Hannah was so fucking obviously onto me.

I was an idiot to think she wouldn't see right through me, she knows me better than I know myself, but I wasn't willing to risk throwing her into a panic over it if nothing would come of it. Of course I would tell her if there was a real possibility he could take them from us, I would have to, but I wasn't about to just tell her we might lose the kids if there was no point.

I hadn't technically lied to her, it's not like I'd told her there was nothing bothering me or she'd directly asked me and I'd denied it...I'd seemed to find some way of saying I'd be fine or reassuring her things would be okay without actually saying anything was wrong. I know that sounds shitty, that I was just making excuses and trying to get out on a technicality, but it was the only way I could justify it to myself and have it not eat me alive. I was lying by omission, I knew that, but I was trying to do what was best for her.

I was trying to spare her the gut wrenching agony I was walking around with, the knowledge of knowing that this fucking scumbag might be able to walk into our lives and take the kids from us. I didn't want her to go through that if it wasn't going to happen, and if there was one thing I knew it was that I would die before I let him take them. I would spend every dime I had, sell everything I owned to make sure he didn't get anywhere near them if it was the last thing I ever did.

Still, I was building a wedge between me and Hannah, and I hated it. It was the same thing I'd been giving her shit for a couple months ago, and there I was being a hypocrite once again. Maybe I was being selfish in not wanting to lose her again, to have her slip back into that depression that made her feel so far away, but I wasn't willing to risk it. I needed her, the kids needed her, and if we were gonna have to fight their deadbeat father in court I needed her at her best.

My thought pattern was interrupted as I heard a knock on the front door, knowing we weren't expecting anyone and immediately bursting into the hallway to get it. Before I could reach it, Hannah had opened it to reveal a very worried looking Liam, clutching a familiar envelope in his hand.

"Oh, Hey Li." Hannah said, surprised to see him. "I didn't know you were coming by."

"Me neither." Liam chuckled nervously. "I uh, just needed to drop this off for Harry. It was urgent so..."

"Thanks for bringing it by." I said, Hannah turning her head to look at me and noticing me there for the first time.

She looked at me, then back at Liam, obviously suspicious and wondering what the hell was going on, but she didn't ask. She slowly moved out of the way so Liam could come in, and he quickly followed me down the hall to my office and shut the door behind him.

"Fuck, bro. You are so fucking fucked, you idiot." Liam scoffed as soon as the door closed. "She can read you like a fucking book. She knows something's up."

"I'm well aware, Liam." I snapped. "I'll deal with it later, what the fuck did legal say?"

I watched as he shifted nervously on his feet, looking down at his shoes before he took a deep breath and looked at me. I knew him well enough to know he didn't want to tell me, and it immediately made my heart start to race.

"They said that at the very least he can get a hearing." He sighed. "We'd have to do more research, but if there's no legal document proving that he actually signed his rights away he can argue that Emma kept them from him."