Just Can't Let Her Go

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

You Need To Leave

He looked, Harry looked as well. They both looked over in confusion. Harry hadn't noticed Joe until that very moment. Everyone got silent, waiting to see what happened. Even the little old man that barely knew where he was at and thought Alicia's name was Alexa silenced his mindless blabber.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here? Better yet why does Astrid know you're name?" Harry said, ignoring Finn who was whining at his feet.

"I was invited to this party just like everyone else was." Joe answered with a less that happy look. He honestly wanted to bash Harry's stupid overblown head in.

"Harry maybe you just need to calm down..." Steven tried, making his way through the crowd. He looked at Joe, sizing him up. He had an idea of what was going on here.

"Shut up. Now. I don't want to hear your voice." Harry grunted as he stared deadpan at Alicia now. "Come here."

Alicia looked around, meeting a few peoples eyes as she walked to Harry. He couldn't help but feel some of his tension fade as Alicia looked at him sweetly. Astrid reached out for Harry and he took her into his arms.

"Az tell me how you know Joe?"

"Haha let's not blabber honey..." Alicia pleaded, praying Astrid wouldn't talk for once. It couldn't come out, and certainly not like this. Not in front of all her peers.

"Wesh, I went and played dollies with him and we watch that doo dood doo Dora!" She told him, and then continued. "Don't worry Daddy he ish reawwy nice. He nice to me and to mamma."

"Astrid please don't." Alicia and Joe begged, what she said was bad enough but she still had more to say.

Harry's eyes were beginning to water as suspicions began to arise. Everyone was starting to whisper. Steven was staring at Joe with a distasteful look. "The fuck man? Are you some kind of homewrecking little bitch?" He asked him with some confused expression.

"Joe even gives Mommy smoochees!" Astrid giggled, she found this all to be a game. She was so young and innocent, little did she know she may have just destroyed the little world she'd been living in. She ripped the nails out of the seemingly stable foundation that was Harry and Alicia. The trust was gone, and both of them looked at each other.

"Cake now?" Astrid asked with a smile.

"No. Definitely no cake now, we need to discuss some things how about you and Finn go play with someone." He said as he put her down watching as some adults took her into the another room.

Everyone else was just watching, all in awe of what was happening. Then there was those four standing in an awkward square. Alicia was much closer to Harry though, making their square an awkward shape.

"You... you're cheating on me?" Harry said, his voice cracking.

"Harry I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you."

"I trusted you! I don't trust anyone, and the one person I let in does this? Alicia I let you in, I let you have my heart in your hands and you took it for granted. I let you know me, all of me, all my secrets. I don't understand, after all we've been through how you could..." Harry ranted even though his voice was weak and straining. He paused only because he began to cry, he'd never shown so much weakness in front of anyone but her. She'd broken him.

"Harry, I love you. It was a mistake, I want you to know that what we have is something different. I wasn't thinking, Joe wasn't serious it was just stupid." Alicia said as she placed her fragile hand on his chest.

"Don't put your hands on me. I don't want to hear that bullshit. You don't love me at all, you used me. All you wanted was someone to keep you entertained, well I'm sorry sweetheart but I'm nobody's toy." Harry said sternly as he pushed her hand away.

People were leaving in packs, nobody stayed except for Steven. He went to go play with Astrid and the puppy.

"You know, the sick thing is that I was actually so convinced that you loved me and only me. I was so stupid to think that you gave a damn, that you thought about someone other than yourself." Harry said with sick laughter, he continued to cry as he shook his head. "And as for you, you're a low life piece of shit. I might have done some pretty crappy things, but I have never gone after someone that was taken, much less engaged with a baby. You have no respect for yourself or for her, if you did you'd have realized that I actually loved her not just wanted to screw around for fun."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, I care for her too. I listen to her, and I never hit her or force her around. I take care of Astrid too when you were to damn busy, she wanted me because you weren't treating her right!" Joe said looking quite indignant as his volume was loud and his fists were clenched by his sides.

"Treating her right? Too busy? Oh you mean all those times I was sorting out business for HER, or at the lawyers office for HER, buying her dinner 'cause she was to tired to cook, buy her a puppy. I was just so harsh all those times I rubbed her back, or or maybe when I made her breakfast in bed and her eggs weren't done enough so I went back redid the whole thing. Oh no or maybe you're referring to the time when she hit her head and I had to tend to her hand and foot." Harry snorted, thinking of how worthless it all was now. He still loved her, but she obviously didn't love him.
"And don't you dare talk about Astrid. I love her. She's probably the only reason I'm still calm right now. I'd give anything to see her smile. You think you know my kid? You don't know shit! Joe you don't know her favorite cereal, you don't know her favorite bedtime story, you're not the one she cried for when she's scared. That's me. I'm her Dad. Hell you don't even know her middle name."

Joe knew he was right, he had no words he felt disgusted for what he'd done. Harry obviously loved Astrid and Alicia more than he did, not that he didn't love them. But Harry was far more passionate. Joe turned around, and just walked out on the situation.

Alicia couldn't believe Joe just left her to fend for herself. She saw now that she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. "Harry please forgive me I'm sorry. You're the only person I really love. This was never a game for me, you know that. I love you, I love Astrid, I love the life we have. I made one stupid mistake."

"Did you sleep with him?" Harry said as he finally allowed her to put her hands on his chest. He couldn't help the soft spot in his heart for her, but he was utterly heartbroken by her.

"Once, but Harry it wasn't anything compared to you, because when I'm with you it's love. It's a connection."

"I don't want to hear you, I know how you use your body and your words and your looks to get what you want. I want to think." Harry stated as he looked down at her, his lips still trembling. "Get out."

"Wait what?" Alicia said as if she'd misheard him. He wasn't going to kick her out. He wouldn't dare.

"You heard me. I don't care where you go, but you need to leave. Don't even think about going to get Astrid. You can walk your ass upstairs pack a bag and leave. I'll call you when I want to talk to you." Harry answered her simply.