Chapter 5

Nora sat on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched her stomach, feeling a mixture of joy and despair. She was pregnant, but not by the man she had promised to love forever.

Suddenly, the door opened and Ned walked in. Nora gasped in surprise and wiped away her tears, trying to compose herself. Ned's presence made her feel both relieved and nervous at the same time.

"Ned," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "What are you doing here?"

Ned walked over to her and sat down beside her on the bed. He looked at her with sadness and longing in his eyes.

"I heard you were here," he said softly. "I had to see you. I had to know that you were okay."

Nora nodded, feeling overwhelmed by his presence. She had missed him so much over the past three years. She had thought about him every day, wondering where he was and what he was doing. But now that he was here, she didn't know what to say to him.

"I'm fine," she finally managed to say. "Just...surprised."

Ned took her hand in his, and Nora felt her heart race. His touch still had the power to make her feel weak in the knees.

"I know," he said gently. "I shouldn't have left without saying goodbye. I shouldn't have disappeared like that. But I had to go. I had to figure some things out."

Nora nodded, understanding his words. She had never been angry with him for leaving, only hurt that he had left without saying goodbye.

"And now?" she asked, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. "What happens now?"

Ned looked down at their intertwined hands and sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. "I never stopped loving you, Nora. But I understand that things are different now. You're married, and you're going to have a baby."

Nora's heart sank at his words. She had hoped that maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance for them. But it seemed that fate had other plans.

"I made a promise to you," she whispered, feeling the weight of her broken promise. "I promised to love you forever. But then you disappeared, and I didn't know what to do. I was lost, and Desmond...he was there for me."

Ned nodded, his expression pained. "I know," he said. "And I don't blame you, Nora. I just wish things could have been different."

They sat in silence for a few moments, both lost in their own thoughts. Nora felt a wave of emotions wash over her - regret, guilt, longing, and love. She still loved Ned, but she didn't know if he could ever forgive her for breaking their promise.

"I have to go," Ned finally said, breaking the silence. "I just wanted to see you. To make sure you were okay. But now that I know you are, I should go."

Nora nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat. She didn't want him to leave, but she knew it was for the best.

"Goodbye, Ned," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Ned leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a soft, tender kiss. Nora felt a surge of emotions at his touch, and she wrapped her arms around him, not wanting to let him go. But he pulled away gently, his eyes full of sadness.

"Goodbye, Nora," he said, before turning and walking out of the room.

Nora watched him go, feeling her heart shatter.

Desmond burst into the hospital room with a big grin on his face. "Hey, my love, why the tears? Is it because you're carrying my child?" he exclaimed, holding Nora's hand tightly.

Nora slowly pulled her hand away and wiped her tears. "Desmond, it's not what you think. I'm not crying tears of joy," she said, her voice trembling.

"What do you mean?" Desmond asked, his grin fading.

Nora took a deep breath and looked up at her husband. "Ned, my eternal lover, he's back. He's standing right in front of you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Desmond's face fell, and his jaw tightened. "What? Did he return because of you?" he said, his voice full of disbelief.

Nora nodded slowly, tears welling up in her eyes again. "Yes, he's back for me. He just walked in here a few minutes ago."

Desmond's eyes blazed with anger. "I can't believe this. I thought I had won you fair and square. I thought you loved me," he said, his voice rising.

Nora shook her head. "Desmond, you don't understand. Ned and I have a history. We made a promise to each other before he disappeared. I never stopped loving him, but I had to move on with my life," she said, tears streaming down her face.

Desmond clenched his fists. "So, what are you saying? That you want to leave me for him? After everything I've done for you?" he said, his voice full of hurt and anger.

Nora looked down at her belly, her hand caressing it gently. "Desmond, I never wanted to hurt you. I didn't plan for this to happen. But I can't deny my feelings for Ned. I love him, and I always will," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Desmond let out a deep sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "I can't believe this is happening. I thought we had a future together," he said, his voice cracking.

Nora looked up at him, tears still streaming down her face. "Desmond, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. But I can't deny my heart. I have to follow it, no matter where it takes me," she said, her voice trembling.

Desmond looked at her for a long moment, then turned and walked out of the room without another word. Nora watched him go, her heart heavy with sadness and regret. She knew that this was only the beginning of a long and painful journey.

Desmond stormed out of the hospital room, his anger boiling over. He couldn't believe that Nora was still in love with Ned after all these years. How could she be so blind? He had done everything for her, everything that Ned never could. He had married her, taken care of her, and given her a family. And yet, she still pined for this man who had abandoned her.

As he walked out of the hospital, he saw Ned standing near his car, leaning against the hood with his arms crossed. The two men locked eyes, and Desmond felt his blood boiling with rage. He marched over to Ned, his fists clenched at his sides.

"What the hell are you doing here, Ned?" Desmond growled.

Ned straightened up, his expression guarded. "I came to see Nora," he replied evenly.

"She doesn't want to see you," Desmond spat. "She's moved on with her life. She's with me now."

Ned's eyes narrowed, his voice low and dangerous. "Don't you talk to me about moving on. You know damn well that Nora and I were meant to be together. You just swooped in and took advantage of her vulnerability."

Desmond bristled at the accusation. "I did not take advantage of her," he retorted. "I loved her, and I still do. And unlike you, I was there for her when she needed someone."

Ned stepped forward, his fists clenched. "You don't know anything about what she needed," he hissed. "You don't know anything about her at all."

Desmond felt his anger boiling over, and before he knew it, he had thrown a punch at Ned's face. The two men grappled with each other, throwing punches and insults as they fought. It was a brutal, messy brawl, with neither man giving an inch.

Eventually, the two men were pulled apart by a group of onlookers who had gathered around them. Desmond was panting, his face red with rage, while Ned was bleeding from a cut above his eye. They glared at each other, each man daring the other to make a move.

"You stay away from Nora," Desmond snarled. "She's mine now, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect her."

Ned brushed off his jacket, a cold, hard look in his eyes. "You don't know what you're getting into, Desmond," he warned. "Nora and I have a connection that you could never understand."

With that, he took some steps backwards, giving Desmond a daring stare, seething with anger and frustration. He knew that this was far from over, and that he would do whatever it took to keep Nora by his side, even if it meant fighting his own step-brother.

As the two stepbrothers stood, fists clenched, ready to engage in a physical altercation, their father Mr. Harris walked in on them. He stood at the doorway, looking at the two of them, his expression hard and serious.

"What in God's name is going on here?" he demanded, his voice firm.

Desmond immediately stepped forward and began to speak. "Dad, I caught Ned here trying to take Nora away from me. He's been in love with her for years, and he's trying to steal her from me."

Ned, looking enraged, stepped forward to defend himself. "That's not true, Dad. I came here to talk to Nora about something important, and Desmond started attacking me out of nowhere. He's been treating her terribly and I'm trying to protect her."

Mr. Harris listened to both of them, his face growing more and more troubled. "I don't care who's right or wrong here, the fact remains that you two are brothers. You can't just fight each other like this. What would your mothers think if she saw you two behaving like this?"

Desmond spoke up, his voice trembling with emotion. "But Dad, he's trying to take my wife away from me. I won't stand for that. I won't let him ruin my marriage."

Mr. Harris looked at his son with disappointment. "Desmond, you know that's not how you should be treating your wife. You need to be a better husband to her, instead of trying to blame your brother for your own shortcomings. And Ned, you can't just come here and stir up trouble. You need to respect the fact that Nora is married now, and you can't just barge into her life and cause chaos."

Ned nodded, his expression serious. "I understand, sir. I just want to make sure that Nora is safe and happy. I care about her, and I don't want to see her getting hurt."

Mr. Harris sighed, looking at both of his sons with a heavy heart. "I want you two to work things out. You're family, and you need to stick together. I don't want to see you fighting like this again."

Desmond and Ned both nodded, their anger slowly dissipating. They knew that their father was right, and that they needed to be better to each other. They shook hands, silently agreeing to put their differences aside and move forward under pretence

As Mr. Harris walked out,  he couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. He knew that there was still a long road ahead for his family, and that they would need to work hard to overcome the issues that had divided them. But he also knew that as long as they had each other, they could make it through anything.

Mr. Harris sat alone in his car, the sound of his two sons' argument still ringing in his ears. He couldn't help but feel responsible for the constant conflicts that plagued his family. If only he hadn't slept with Ned's mother all those years ago, he thought to himself, things might have turned out differently.

As he sat there lost in thought, he replayed the events of the past in his mind. He remembered the excitement and thrill he felt when he first met Ned's mother. It was a fleeting moment of passion that had left a lasting impact on the lives of everyone involved.

Mr. Harris had always known that his actions would have consequences, but he had never imagined that they would come back to haunt him in such a profound way. He had tried his best to be a good father to both of his sons, but he couldn't help feeling like he had failed them both in some way.

As he sat there in his car, lost in thought, he made a vow to himself. He would do everything in his power to make things right with his family. He would try to repair the damage he had caused, no matter how long it took. For the first time in a long while, Mr. Harris felt a glimmer of hope that things might turn out alright in the end.