The state I'm in COMPLETED

Explanation

Nothing could have prepared me for the minutes that followed that unexpected encounter.

I stood there, frozen at the doorway, staring at the boy who had once promised me forever but left me drowning in heartbreak. Harry hadn't called, hadn't texted, hadn't shown up in weeks—giving me both the space to grieve and the agony of his absence. And now, here he was, standing on my parents' doorstep, looking devastatingly calm, as if the past month hadn't happened, as if I hadn't been unraveling without him.

Hiding the storm inside me, I forced my expression into something unreadable, gripping the door just enough to keep it half open.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" My voice was steady, controlled—nothing like the chaos I felt inside.

And then, the real shock hit me.

From behind, my father stepped forward, pushing the door open further, making space for Harry to enter.

"Thank you for coming, son," my dad said.

My breath caught. My fingers clenched around the doorknob. What the hell was happening?

"You asked him to come?" I turned sharply toward my father, my words cutting through the silence.

"Yeah. I did." He answered bluntly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Please, come in, Harry."

I could feel my world tilting, everything slipping between my fingers. Why would my father, of all people, call Harry here? And why would Harry come?

I followed them into the living room, my body stiff as I sat down on the couch, my hands gripping the fabric of my jeans to keep them from shaking.

My father had always been the quiet parent, the one who let my mom take charge of big decisions. He wasn't the kind of man to interfere in my life, let alone orchestrate something as dramatic as this. Yet, here he was, standing at the center of a situation he had created.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Harry," he repeated.

Harry, who had been silent up until that moment, finally looked at me. Just for a second. Then his gaze dropped to his hands, fiddling with his rings like they were the most interesting thing in the world.

"What is going on?" My voice was barely holding back the fury bubbling underneath. "Why did you ask him to come?"

"I asked him to come, Princess," my father began, "because I was the one who told him to leave."

The air left my lungs. I blinked, my ears ringing.

Harry let out a deep sigh, his gaze fixed on the floor.

I turned between the two of them, my head shaking in disbelief. "What? What the hell are you talking about?"

"That day you told us about the London course, I was out with your mother. I happened to see Harry at a café, having a drink with a woman. They seemed to be having a deep conversation, and—"

"Oh my God, Dad, just get to the point," I snapped, my patience already paper-thin.

He cleared his throat. "I spoke to him later that day, told him we should talk. When we met, I told him that—"

"That I was holding you back," Harry finished for him. His voice was barely above a whisper, but the words landed like a punch to the gut. "That I was dragging you down. That I should let you go."

I turned to my dad, my chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. "You did what?"

"Your advisor told us how talented you are, how much potential you have. That you could teach anywhere, that you could have a brilliant career. And I knew... I knew how much you loved him." His eyes softened with regret. "I didn't want to be the reason you gave up on your future, Val."

"Oh my God, Dad," I whispered, shaking my head. "Not you. Not you, too."

"I'm sorry if my words hurt you, Harry," my father turned to him, his voice sincere. "But you have a child. And you, of all people, must understand that a parent wants what's best for their child."

I looked at Harry, waiting for him to contradict my father, to tell me that he hadn't listened, that he had fought for us. Instead, he just sat there, rubbing his hands together.

"So, what? You just agreed with him?" My voice cracked.

Harry lifted his head, pain flashing across his eyes. "Your father only told me what I already knew, Valerie."

"What the hell does that even mean?"

He took a deep breath. "That I was never going to be enough for you."

A fresh wave of tears blurred my vision. "Harry..."

"That I was complicating your life, keeping you from your dreams. That one day, you'd wake up and resent me." He shook his head. "I didn't want to be the thing that held you back."

I felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. "So you replaced me?" My voice was hollow. "With her?"

Harry swallowed hard, guilt written all over his face. "Ashley... she's simple. Steady job. No family drama. No risks."

"Do you love her?" I asked. My voice was quiet, but the question landed like a gunshot between us.

His mouth opened, then closed.

"Harry, do you love her?"

"She's not complicated," he finally said.

My heart clenched. "And I am?"

Silence.

My breath hitched as I wiped at the stupid tears falling down my cheeks.

Harry stood up, running a hand through his curls, his voice breaking when he spoke. "You're too good for me, Val."

"No, Harry." I inhaled sharply, grounding myself. "I'm just too much work."

He knelt in front of me, his hands grasping my arms, eyes desperately searching mine. "Love isn't always enough, Valerie."

"You're right." I pulled my arms away from his grasp. "But I was willing to fight for us. I was willing to go through hell if it meant being with you. You? You gave up."

Harry's hands curled into fists, his jaw tightening. He turned to my father. "Sir, I appreciate you calling me here. But I can't. I can't do this."

And that was it.

He turned for the door, and for the first time in my life, I let him go.

I exhaled, looking at my father through watery eyes. "It's over, Dad. I knew that already."

Harry stopped at the doorway, his voice shaking when he spoke. "I'm doing this for you, Val."

I let out a hollow laugh. "No, Harry. You're doing this because it's easier."

I stepped forward, reaching for his hand one last time, feeling his warmth for the last time. "I hope you have a good life, Harry. I really do."

His fingers lingered against mine, a sad, broken smile tugging at his lips.

"Goodbye, Valerie."

"Goodbye, Harry."

He hesitated, just for a second, then pressed the softest kiss to my lips before stepping back. "Take care."

"Yeah. You too."

And just like that, he was gone.