The state I'm in COMPLETED

The date

Lying in bed, I still couldn't wrap my head around the events that had unfolded only hours ago.

I could still smell the salty ocean air mixed with Harry's cologne, still feel the weight of his gaze—the way his jade-green eyes had searched mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch.

There was something about him.

Something I couldn't quite grasp.

He intrigued me—not just because of how little he spoke, but because of what he chose to reveal. He wanted to go on a date with me, yet he barely looked at me, barely talked to me. Was this a good idea?

My instincts were at war—one part of me was desperate to understand him, to peel back the layers and figure out what he was hiding. The other part was screaming at me to be careful.

Because whatever was beneath the surface, Harry wasn't letting me see much.

I woke up early, the restlessness still lingering.

I had planned to focus on studying, but my mind refused to cooperate.

Cathrine.

I had to check on her.

She had taken the news about Leo better than I expected, but I knew her well enough to see past the I'm fine act. After we got dropped off at the garage, she had interrogated me about every single detail of my conversation with Leo, forcing me to replay entire chunks of it over and over again. In the end, though, she understood the truth—Leo was Leo. He wasn't looking for anything serious, and as much as it stung, she had to accept it.

That didn't mean she wasn't hurting.

I dialed her number, and she picked up after the second ring.

"Hey! Good morning, beautiful!" I greeted, trying to sound cheerful.

"Sleep well?"

There was a small pause before she answered in a deliberately casual tone. "Yeah, I'm fine. You don't have to check on me, you know."

"Can't a girl call her best friend just to wish her good morning?" I teased.

I could hear her eye-roll through the phone.

"Oh, please. You're checking up on me, and you have a date tonight."

I winced. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? Have you seen the guy? He's like... unreal. I'm coming over at noon. We need to make you irresistible for Mr. Hot-Stuff-I-Don't-Talk-To-Anyone-For-More-Than-Half-A-Second."

I laughed. "Cathrine—"

"Nope. Don't argue. See you at noon."

Then she hung up.

I groaned.

I was in trouble.

I buried myself in my notes, determined to focus. I managed to cover a good amount of material before my phone buzzed.

I looked at the screen.

Harry.

My stomach twisted.

I took a breath before answering.

"Hi."

His voice was smooth, but flat. "Valerie, this is Harry. What time should I pick you up?"