The One That Lied {Book Two in The One Series}

Chapter Two ~ Back Again

“Your house is very beautiful,” Adalyn said, looking over the house with careful eyes; she showed no emotion, cold as she had ever been. “And this rose garden…was it always here?”

“Yeah,” Harry replied, pouring their tea manually. They sat in the ruins of what used to be a small boxed in courtyard, now completely overgrown with roses. The chairs were white wicker with comfortable cushions, and candles hovered within the bushes “My grandmother had a knack for gardening.”

“It’s beautiful,” the conversation lacked as Adalyn looked over the garden, still holding Syrie close. “I’m sure you have lots of questions,” she finally said, still not looking at him.

Harry nodded “Lots.”

“Go on then, I’m willing to answer.”

“Why did you leave?”

Adalyn stiffened, eyes going hard “Any way I could pass on that one?”

Face staying straight, Harry didn’t look away; his eyes stayed glued to Adalyn and Syrie, looking for any reaction-any sign that showed she was still human somewhere inside “Not a chance.”

Sighing, Adalyn turned her head towards him and smiled sadly “I was scared, Harry. I couldn’t handle it, I couldn’t stay.”

“But why?” he asked, anger rising inside of him. Pushing his fury aside, Harry tried to remain calm “Why did you have to go? And why didn’t you come to me when you found out you were pregnant? Why-”

“Okay, okay.” Adalyn stroked Syrie’s head of curls and looked away “Its hard to explain, Harry. I’ve never stayed, never. I run away, every time. I usually come back.”

Harry snorted and she glared at him.

“I said usually. Anyway, when I found out I was pregnant I was sure of two things: it was yours, and there was no way I could tell you.” She sighed again and closed her eyes briefly “You’d just saved the world, Harry. And the world’s saviour can’t be a teen father.”

“I could be anything and people wouldn’t have cared,” Harry argued “I could have pulled it off.”

She shook her head “It would have ended everything for you Harry, and I couldn’t do that. Not to you.”

“Why not?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Not really: you lied, I lived without knowing I had a daughter.”

“I didn’t lie exactly…I just didn’t tell you.”

Harry shrugged “Same thing.”

“Whatever,” she snapped and Harry grinned: he’d seen a glimpse of the old Adalyn, the one that joked around and made fun of his hair and flirted with Ron to make him uncomfortable “The point is, Syrie needs her father, to know him. I need her to know her father.”