Orphan

Chapter 76

With the page of a book she was just about finishing clasped between her fingertips and the cool evening breeze dancing on the skin at the back of her neck, Monique was content. Content with the fictional reality world in the palm of her hands, the story she could remember and reread when she saw fit, but the book was coming to an end and then she would be faced with the bare reality that it had been a month. A month since Harry had given her any notice, shown her any form of attention or even been home for longer than 2 hours. It's true, Harry had been busier than usual lately, but she couldn't help but feel like it was her fault. The past few weeks had been nothing but faint glances, rushed greetings and distance between the two.

He was preoccupied with the boys, and his 'jobs' and the secretive little important meetings he had to do. She was well aware of how extra secretive Harry had been ever since she had gotten back from the hospital a month ago, in the meantime she had focused on the house, her child within her and her friend she had now grown incredibly close to. "What did you say about the drink again?" Abby questioned with a coy smile as she peaked her head from the entry way to the kitchen, Monique rolled her eyes with a chuckle, "I said leave out the lemon... I was waiting for you to ask again since you were too googly eyed with Niall to even notice what I was saying."

"Yeah, yeah... so how is the book coming along, you liking how its ending?" Abby walked in with two glasses, of what seemed to be cranberry juice and placed it on the side table, lounging herself across the couch. "I think I'll finish it tonight... not sure how I'm feeling yet. I'm gonna need another one to keep busy soon."
"You need a hobby, this is your second book so far in a span of 4 weeks."
"People have read a lot more in shorter spans of time."
"That may be so, but those people need hobbies too." Abby chuckled taking a sip of her drink while Monique placed her book face-down on her lap, subconsciously stroking the skin of her stomach with her thumb. She was just over a month pregnant, and far from showing, but she had become very aware of the baby inside of her. Very aware that soon her body would change and she would have to adapt, would Harry adapt to the new her? Maybe this is why he's become so distant, she's not gonna be the same and he probably knows it. She frowns to herself clearing her throat as she shifts her thoughts from the toxic wasteland they've become. The days had become warmer and the nights all the more colder it seemed, since he was barely ever there anymore. "What's for dinner?" Liam asked walking into the lounge and placing himself on the sofa with a huff, exhaustion clear on his damp face. "Made stew. Where is everyone?" Abby raised an eyebrow at the restless man.

"Louis and Harry are on their way. Niall and Zayn are in the back. I'm gonna go wash off, tell Harry we're one brick short when he comes." Liam lifted himself off the couch and made for the bathroom. "So, have you told Niall?" Monique mumbled quietly, looking to Abigail who shifted in her seat. "No...not yet."
"You have to say something...soon. Before it starts showing itself and you'll have a harder time hiding it." She nodded towards her stomach which until now was still unchanged visually. "I know. I told you I've got a plan okay, just have to trust me."

"Okay." Monique nodded drinking up the rest of the cold liquid in her glass, the feeling soothing the warmth enveloping her body. The click of the door echoed into the lounge as Harry walked in, looking at a stack of papers in his hands. "Hi," Monique mumbled, getting up and putting the empty glass in the sink, Harry glanced up muttering a 'hi' in response and went back to the papers in his hands. "What are those?"
He froze quietly, lifting his eyes from the papers to meet hers before shrugging, "Nothing."

"Okay then... uh, Liam said you're one brick short. He's in the bathroom." She looked at him with curiosity, longing, confusion, and it was as if he looked right through her. Harry let out an exhausted sigh, "Alright. Thanks." His answers seemed only to get shorter and shorter, when all she wanted was for him to say more. Do more.
Harry made his way up to his bedroom, his attention still fixated on the papers in his hands and it was now or never. Monique gathered up what courage she had left and followed him, closing the door gently behind her, clearing her throat from behind him. "What is it?" He questioned, turning around, his full stature towering above her as he lifted his gaze from the papers and focused his eyes on her. And under the immense pressure of his gaze she crumbled, any and every word she was planning to utter just vanished from her conscience as if they were never there to begin with. "Uh. Hm...I. uh."
"Spit it out." He sighed impatiently, his foot tapping continuously on the floor. She shut her eyes tightly and breathed in deeply before taking the papers from his hands cautiously and placing them on the bedside table. Harry furrowed his eyebrows and watched as she stepped towards him wrapping her arms around his neck and her breathing flush against his cheeks and mouth. "You know, I'm wearing the underwear you like." She smiled up at him, hopeful and desperate for some form of attention from him. Placing his hands flat against the fleshy part of her bum. "...March, 18th"
"Excuse me?" She mumbled, confusion overtaking her thought process. His eyes shifted to the papers on the side table once more, "This date is wrong I knew it." He pulled away and walked towards the table double checking the papers, shaking his head to himself. "Fucking knew it, imbeciles the lot of em. I've gotta go. See you later." Harry grabbed his jacket from the hanger and left the room, not so much as a wave.