Having the Styles' approval was a huge confidence boost, and Harry seemed over the moon that his family liked me. Seeing how close they were, how supportive and loving, helped me understand why he was so attached to them. For the first time in a while, things seemed to be falling into place. Maybe—just maybe—there was a silver lining in all of this.

Harry and I were better than ever. The storm had finally passed, and everything felt normal again. He'd visit the baby at the clinic every day and return with a million photos, showing us every tiny movement his son made. Meanwhile, I spent my days at uni preparing for the new semester with Rose. His family would drop by whenever they came to see the baby, and our afternoons were ours. We talked for hours, laughed, did everything normal couples do.

I cherished every moment.

I loved his attention.
I loved giving him mine.
I craved his kisses, his touch...his love.

For the first time in my life, I felt like the luckiest person alive.
Like there couldn't possibly be another person on Earth feeling what I felt for him.
But then again, I was just a nineteen-year-old girl—what the hell did I know?

The honeymoon phase couldn't last forever. Harry's days off were over, and he had to go back to work. Reality was knocking. It wasn't just about him anymore—he had responsibilities, a son to provide for. Sure, his father had covered the clinic bills against his will, but Harry still had a long road ahead. Divorce lawyers were expensive, and knowing how these things went, it could take months—if not years—to finalize. It weighed on him, and I knew it.

When it was finally time for him to leave, the apartment felt heavier. Even Rose seemed affected, standing at the door with a rare frown on her face as he packed up most of his things, leaving only a few behind "just in case."

"You kinda grew on me," she admitted, her usual sarcasm laced with genuine sadness.

We agreed to see each other as much as possible—he'd come back every other day, spend weekends here, or I'd visit him whenever I could. It was the best we could do.

On the morning of his last day, Harry was anxious.
More anxious than I'd ever seen him.

And I understood why.

That day was the last time he'd visit his son in a controlled environment.
The last time he'd see him under the care of nurses, in a setting where he still had some control.
By tomorrow, the baby would be at Nadia's parents' house. If Harry wanted to see him, he'd have to step into enemy territory.

Lucy had already warned me—whenever he went to their house, they would shred him apart. Insinuate he was a terrible father. That he didn't care. That he wasn't man enough to be responsible. It didn't matter that he visited the baby every single day. That he paid for all the baby's furniture, all the necessities. It didn't even matter that his father had taken care of the hospital expenses.

To them, it would never be enough.

And there was one thing Harry could do to make things easier.
Break up with me.
But he wouldn't.

"Come with me to the clinic, baby," Harry whispered, his warm breath tickling my ear as we lay tangled together in bed.

I froze.
Was he serious?

"Are you out of your mind?" I pulled back to face him. "I'd love to see your son, but I'm not going to start a war. It would be wrong for me to be there. Nadia just gave birth—it would be insensitive, and you know it."

"I know..." he sighed, rubbing his face. "It's just that my parents aren't coming today, and I feel awkward going alone."

"Why aren't they coming?" I frowned, remembering how his dad had called me yesterday, thanking me for supporting Harry. He hadn't mentioned missing today.

"Something came up with my dad. I don't know."

He was uneasy, I could feel it. And as much as I wanted to stay out of it, I couldn't let him go alone while feeling this way.

"Tell you what," I said, brushing his hair back, "I'll drive you there and wait in the parking lot. OK?"

His eyes lit up. "You'd do that?"

"Of course."

"You're the best," he grinned, kissing me before pulling himself out of bed.

As we drove through town, we stopped by Costa Coffee to grab some cappuccinos. It was a quiet ride, both of us lost in thought. Neither of us wanted to say it out loud, but we knew that after today, things would be different.

Harry had his own reality to face.

And so did I.

I had a conversation to have—a difficult one.

Mr. Styles had asked me to talk to my parents.

"Valerie, they need to know. This isn't just some harmless college crush—it's serious. If I were your father, I'd want to know what was going on. I'd want to be fair."

And he was right.
I owed my parents the truth. I needed to face it.

I promised myself I'd go home on Friday and tell them everything. But first, I needed to talk to my brothers—with Leo backing me up. If I had them on my side, maybe my parents wouldn't take it so badly.

Maybe.

When we pulled into the clinic parking lot, I stopped at the entrance to let Harry out. He kissed me quickly before stepping out, turning back for a last glance before the glass doors swallowed him inside.

I parked the car properly and sipped my coffee, pulling out my phone to pass the time. I was deep into a Wattpad novel when—

THUD.

I jumped as something slammed against the roof of my car. My heart pounded as I turned—

Helena's husband.

Leaning against my window, smirking like he was enjoying my fear.

I rolled it down, my voice steady despite the panic clawing at my chest.

"What do you want?"

"You don't get it, do you?" he said, voice dripping with condescension. "You just can't take a fucking hint."

"What do you want?" I repeated.

"No, sweetheart. The question is—what the fuck do you want?"

I clenched my fists.

"This won't end well if you keep doing this, girl," he sneered. "He'll have his fun with you, then throw you aside when he's bored."

"You don't know him," I shot back.

"Tell that to the girl holding his baby."

My blood boiled.

"I don't owe you an explanation."

"No, but how will you explain yourself to his son? When he's old enough to ask why his parents aren't together?" He leaned in, inches from my face. "Because of you."

I froze.

No.

This wasn't my fault.
It wasn't.
They were never a couple.

"You're selfish, you know that?" he spat. "You're standing in the way of that kid's family. They had a chance—but you ruined it."

I didn't even realize I was shaking.

"Leave." My voice was quiet, but firm.

He smirked.

"This is just the beginning, doll. You think you've had enough? Think again."

And then—he was gone.

I sat there, frozen, drowning in doubt.

What if he was right?

Harry slid into the car minutes later, beaming.

"Baby, you look like you've seen a ghost. Are you OK?"

I swallowed hard.

"I'm fine."

And for the second time, I lied.