Detached [h.s au]

Chapter 70: Goodbye

Harry's POV

It's been a week. Seven days have passed since Gerald was killed and I was injected. The war is still not finished, but people willing to fight against the system have outnumbered those so keen on keeping things like they were. My father was executed along with the other supporters as an example what will happen to those who keep attacking us.

Beth's brother Daniel survived being shot after all, which was a huge relief for her, despite of everything he did to her. I know she won't ever truly forgive him, but a part of her will always care about him. He was later forced to leave the capital and hide somewhere far away once it was discovered he was one of Gerald's closest accomplices.

Beth has changed a lot during these past few days. She never talks about feelings like she used to, she's not teasing anyone, she's never asking questions anymore. I haven't seen her cry ever since I was injected. We rarely talk these days and there is no physical contact between us. It's my fault, though.

Despite my decision to distance myself from Beth, I tried to be there for her. But the problem was, she wasn't there. My Beth is gone, lost within all the pain and trauma she's experienced. 

Today, we celebrated my Birthday and everyone congratulated me except Beth. Lucky for me, mum, Gemma, Niall, Zayn, and Louis made sure to spend the day with me. We mostly talked and laughed at nonsense, and made a mess of ourselves with the Birthday cake my mum and sister had made for me.

I feel like I could get used to that, to simplicity and laughter with people I care about without the weight of the war and hatred. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. It never did and it never will.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," I suddenly hear Beth's voice in the darkness.

My hand reaches to turn on the lamp beside the bed and I squint my eyes a bit, letting them adjust to the sudden light. She's standing fairly close to me, her long hair falling over her shoulders. She's holding something in her hands, a tiny smile playing on her lips. 

"Thank you, I guess," I reply, raising my eyebrow. "Technically, it's not my Birthday anymore. It's past midnight."

"Yeah, I..." she glances down then up at me again. "I'm sorry, I really am. I, uh, I have something for you," she approaches me, handing me a stack of books. "They all have a happy ending, I know you're not a fan of tragic ones."

I smile widely, looking up at her. "Thank you, I think I need a bit of positivity these days," I place them on the nightstand, moving my body closer to the edge of the bed. "Could you lie down with me?"

She nods, lifting the cover and slipping underneath. I smile and lie down on my back, turning my head to look at her. Her brown eyes are already focused on me, observing me carefully. I debate teasing her about staring again, but I decide against it. Now I can observe her, too. We stay quiet for a while, our breaths the only sound heard in the room. 

"I'm sorry, Harry," Beth breaks the silence, making me shift my attention to her. "I'm sorry for ignoring you these past few days, I just..." she pauses. "I didn't know how--" 

"I know, Beth," I say. "I know, I understand," I shift on the side so I can face her properly. "You don't need to explain yourself to me. It was my choice. I know what's coming."

"Maybe there's still a chance," she says, tears filling her eyes. "Maybe you will be able to fight it. Maybe there's a cure, I..."

"That's a lot of maybe's, baby," I press my palm against her cheek. "It has already started, I've noticed the change," I tell her, gulping. "A few more days and..."