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I look up when a chair scrapes across the tile. Both Noah and Harrow are looking at me. Then, they look at each other with disdain and sit in their perspective chairs. Noah sits right next to me and grabs my hand.
“If you're Hank. Prove it.” I say.
“How would you like me to do that?” He asks.
“Tell me something only I would know.” I straighten in my seat.
“Everything you would only know.” He says leveling me with a look. He sighs, “You used to make up a life for me. Sometimes I was the strapping young man who slept with the whole town, other times I was a serial killer.” He says with a pointed look at me. “You always wondered what I looked like. On many, many occasions you tried to force me to hold your hand to make me more…visible.”
“Yeah, well, it was killing me that you watched over me day in and day out but I never knew your name or what you looked like. You never spoke. You only ever shook your head. Or nodded. It was killing me not knowing who you were. You were a steady and constant presence in my life. One of three so, of course I was curious. Knowing this whole time you could have said ‘Hey, I’m Harrow’ really stings.”
“I’m sorry Dana. I didn’t want to mess up your routine. You seemed happy even without knowing more about me. I also had orders.”
“Ha! Orders? You spent years watching me. You could have said ‘Hi’ one time.”
“But it wouldn't have been one time. Would it? You would have wanted more and more. I can’t give you that.” Aavin stares at me with pleading eyes, trying to make me understand.
“Duly noted.” I mumble, a little heart broken. “So who are the shadows and why are they running amuck in my house?”
“I don’t know what you mean by shadows. I’m the only one in this realm from my world.” He crosses his arm over his chest, drawing my eye to his chest. I catch myself checking him out from head to waistline. I shake myself out of it.
“Don’t want to rain on your parade but there are indeed some whispy shadow fuckers that are haunting me.”
“She was locked in her room by them the other night and she was scared shitless before I could get to her. It could have been ghosts though. It was dark. Hard for her to tell.” Noah states.
Harrow has a furrow between his brows and he pulls his hand up to his chin, scratching it. “I don’t know what your talking about but I would like to know why the basement is torn to fuck.”
“We were looking for answers.” Noah says.
“I was asking Dana. I don’t need you to talk for her.” Noah is about to lose his shit, so I speak before he can.
“We were looking for answers and it led us back here. That’s all. If you didn't want us going through shit, maybe, don't leave your shit in my basement.” I raise an eyebrow at him and place my hands on the table and lean back in my chair. “Now, explain to me why you even shadowed me Hank.” I want to know why he was even in my apartment in my younger years. I could understand him being here, if we were in my old apartment, sort of. But we’re not. We’re here in my house. So he has some explaining to do.
“Your father needed you protected. He–”
I sputter, “Father?”
“Yes, are you going to let me finish? You interrupt a lot and you don't wait for answers. It’s rather infuriating.”
“Well, stop dropping bombs on me!” I fling my hands in the air. Harrow rolls his eyes and leans forward rubbing his hands together. He catches my gaze and his smoke billows angrily around him. His glare rooted on me.
“Your father found you years after you were born. We were on a mission when he felt a pull.” I give him a confused look and before I can interrupt he continues “We can feel our familial ties. Just like I can feel that you are my soul bond. We come here on rotations. He and I were needed in other realms so we had not been on Earth in quite some time.”
I can feel Noah stiffen at the words Soul Bond. I grab his hand and squeeze trying to convey my love for him but I have more important things to worry about than a pissing contest over me.
“What are you to each other? This is a new development. One that I am not fond of.” Harrow questions. I instantly roll my eyes knowing Harrow provoking Noah on purpose and it’s working.
“Alright, I have fuckin’ had it you fuckin’ wisp. She is not yours-”
Harrow levels a glare at Noah. “She is. Whether you like it or not.” Noah stands up and reaches across the table grabbing Harrow by the neck of his shirt. I sit ramrod straight in my chair. Worried about the outcome of this.
“If she is anyone’s, she is mine!” Noah practically spits the words in Harrow's face. Pulling Harrow closer to his face. Harrow just watches him. Not making a move which makes me more nervous. I’m on the edge of my seat ready to spring into action. “I have been there to wipe her tears, walk with her, drive her around aimlessly to get her mind off the ghosts. I have done everything to protect her. I am the one that has been here. I’m the one who has loved her at every moment. Where the fuck have you been? Standing sentry in the living room? Watching her from afar? Never holding her hand telling her everything is going to be okay? Were you there to help pack up her life when her mother died?” Harrow shifts his eyes to me looking confused. “No! It. Was. Me.” Noah releases Harrow with a shove. Noah then walks out of the kitchen and I can hear the front door open and shut. Harrow and I stare at each other for a moment. Then, immediately the front door opens and shuts again. Noah stomps back into the house and into the kitchen. “I can’t leave you in here with him alone.” I reach for his hand and stand up.
“We will be back in just a second.” Harrow nods at me but looks irritated. I lead Noah outside and breathe in my first real breath. “Noah, he’s not going to take me from you. I would never leave you. You’re mine and I am yours. Don’t let what he says get to you. He could be lying for all we know. About everything.”
Noah starts pacing and runs his hands through his hair. “Fuck. I know!” He yells. He winces and looks back at me. “I’m sorry. I know.” He says again softly. Noah shakes off the last of his anger. “Let’s go back in there and see what else this douche canoe has to say.” He stamps a kiss on my forehead and drags me back inside.
When we get back inside, Harrow is still sitting in the same chair. Waiting patiently. I don’t know if that eases my mind or makes me more uneasy. Is he waiting for an opportune moment to kill us? I sit down and eye him wearily.
