CHAPTER 8


Fearless is falling madly in love again, even though you've been hurt before.

~Taylor Swift


"This is the final review of the schematic design proposal, set up by the design team, Sir." The employee that stood at the podium of the large boardroom, started, introducing his presentation with a slide show playing in the background. Harry took a glance at the new 3D model, which pretty much exceeded his expectations. Just like the previous projects, his staff never failed his trust in their skills and abilities. He nodded in approval, as a signal for the employee to go on.

"The context of our presentation today includes all the plans, elevations, sections, freehand sketches, and three-dimensional graphics. All according to the requirements stated by the contractor, and your previous review on our prototype model."

Harry and the rest of the team members from various departments were all seated at the large round table for a final display of their project to be submitted to the contractor whose visit was scheduled in two weeks. The revelations of the hard work that had been poured in by his employees for the past few weeks seemed to pay off, as their results suited perfectly to his ideal visualization of the project. Going through an in-depth description and detailed explanation of their various departmental contributions, Harry had a fully booked day, to the point of asking his mother to pick up Zia from school with his driver at the usual time he occasionally did so.

The meeting was long and tiring, he'd gone through the presentations of the schematic design, the further design development that was built from it, and the full construction documentation from another department. It was a lot to cover, but the urgency and criticality of the project required the extra time and effort. The meeting was pretty hard to get through, not until Astrid Hofferson walked in. She'd been on endless phone calls with the structural, MEP and other consultants setting up appointments, sending emails and clarifying issues with them. She'd also left in the company vehicle to retrieve signatures on some required documents of the project.

Returning from the errand, she walked into the boardroom, and the atmosphere changed positively, at least for Harry. It was the first time he'd seen her today, and his heart raced instantly. She was dressed in a white-collar shirt and plain black bell-bottoms that hugged her curves perfectly. He almost burst into a snicker when he noticed her shoes. This woman really took his advice and paired black coloured vans with formal wear. It should have been ridiculous, but for some reason, it matched perfectly with both her beauty and also her personality.

It made him flashback to History class at Glendale high school, Arizona. The way she always walked in late, in a blue hoodie that matched her eyes, dark leotard tights and a mini skirt. Her beautiful long blonde hair in a ponytail, and her bangs, sweeping across the sides of her face. He remembered how her presence always sent butterflies in his stomach, not even able to stare towards her direction or make eye contact with her. Her eyes had held the kind of power that made him lose his sense of reasoning, and his ability to construct a normal sentence, even as the most awarded straight-A student. It also made him drop all self-worth, making decisions outside his favour, just to make her happy.

He'd always wondered what it was about her that attracted him so much back then, even when she was clearly out of his league. She was beautiful, but it wasn't just about her beauty, it was her spirit, her aura, everything about her just seemed so...fucking attractive, even after twelve years.

He watched her closely, as she headed quickly to her seat, bowing and apologising for her interruption to the meeting. Her presence grasped his full attention, but he wasn't complaining, it was a breath of fresh air in the room that almost suffocated him with pressure and responsibilities. The presentation went on after the interruption, and Astrid's presence suddenly became a problem. He needed to focus because the project was a really important one but still found himself stealing glances at her. He'd reserved a seat at the table next to him, but she didn't even walk towards his direction, the same way she always did in high school.

He wanted to brush it off, it didn't matter where she sat anyway, but he couldn't help but feel so offended. She was his secretary, right? Why was she not seated by his side? He nodded at the presenter on the podium, but immediately diverted his attention to her again. She wasn't even looking at his direction? What was she doing? Taking fucking notes! Like he'd ever instructed her to do so! His desperate need for her attention made him feel like a child, but he was willing to be one if that was the solution to make her look his way!

Running out of ideas, he picked up his phone and sent a quick text to her, trying to do it in a way that wouldn't make the presenter feel like he'd completely lost Harry's attention.

'I don't remember telling you to take any notes.'

He watched keenly as she checked her phone after the notification of his message. She immediately took a glance backwards at him with an amused smile, then started typing in a reply into the chatbox. He waited with his attention back to the meeting until he received a reply from her.

'I'm trying to recall some information I'd gotten from the MEP consultant. Your eyes should be on the presenter, Mr Haddock.'

Harry smiled when he read the reply, tempted to send in a compliment as justification like he usually did, but he hesitated. Teasing her brought him more joy.

'Well, I couldn't miss the sight of those vans. You really outdid yourself this time, Astrid.'

He got the exact reaction he wanted and it made him chuckle softly, watching her bury her face in her palms. She looked adorable turning back at him with a forced frown. He ignored her gaze pretending not to notice her stare, and returned his gaze back to her when she looked away. He picked up his phone again when he noticed she was sending another reply.

'Look what I found in my scrapbook last night. I really had a hard time trying to recall why I became friends with this freaky physics nerd.'

She sent the message with an old picture of Harry from the time they spent together years ago. It was a picture of him sleeping over a forced physics lecture that she'd bullied him into. It was the lecture that brought them closer together, and the only reason why she'd agreed to hang out with him. He never knew she'd taken a picture back then, and was so embarrassed staring at his past from the future. So this was how he looked in high school?! No wonder girl's avoided him all the time.

'Where did you get this?!'

'Careful, there's more where that came from.'

Harry snorted, instantly gaining the attention of his employees, who gave him unusual stares. He was getting distracted and being unprofessional, especially regarding how important their project was. He put down his phone, placing his full attention back to the meeting, but unable to hold back his smile.


The meeting had lasted way longer than Astrid had predicted, with the employees working overtime till eight. Although Harry had suggested an early commencement of the meeting, the employees were willing to make the sacrifice, all except Astrid. She'd texted Heather to pick up Neil from daycare on her way home, but felt uneasy being away from him for so long. His health always stood as a wall of fear she could never get across, and each minute of distance from him raised panic within her.

She picked up her purse, putting in her iPhone and other items from her desk, all in preparation to go home to her son when she noticed Laura, an employee of the design department team, walk out of Harry's office with a bouquet of sunflowers in her hands.

Astrid shouldn't have been so curious about it, but for some reason she found herself watching the young woman marvel at the flowers with a bright smile on her face, a smile that triggered an immediate reaction from her. Why the hell would Harry give her flowers? Is this how he'd consoled himself as a single father? Or did he just have a habit of flirting with his employees?

Why are you so bothered about it, Astrid? It's not like you both are together!

Right. Harry was an adult and had the right and liberty to live the way he wanted, so why was she so affected by it? She wanted to ignore the whole situation because Neil was waiting for her at home, but another glance at the flowers made her completely distracted.

"Nice flowers." She buried her envy deep within the softness of her voice. "Were they from the boss? They look so pretty."

"Yeah." She replied, with the same smile that triggered her even more. "He gives flowers to the female employees on their birthdays, isn't that sweet of him?"

Wow, Astrid. Points down for that silly conclusion and immaturity.

"Oh, really?" The jealousy eased off her, embarrassed about her reaction to the situation. "Yeah, that's really sweet of him. Happy birthday, Laura."

"Thank you, Astrid." She replied, "Can't wait to inform my fiancee that my boss beat him to it."

"You're...engaged?" Astrid asked in shock, drowning even more in embarrassment of her childishness and wrong judgement. "Wow, I didn't know that."

"Yeah, to be wedded in a month. I'm excited, and terrified at the same time."

Astrid gave a faint smile, knowing that she couldn't give any positive encouragement to her, as her own fiancee had failed to keep to the promise of the ring he'd put on her finger.

"That's great, Laura. I'm...happy for you."

"Thanks, Astrid. I need to go now, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, you too." She watched her leave, with tears clouding her eyes. She remembered when she used to be that happy, and full of joy, counting down the days to her wedding day. She'd given her time, her heart, her soul and full devotion to Stanley, and even with all that, it was still very easy for him to walk away.

"Are you alright?"

Astrid jolted to the familiar voice, wiping her tears immediately, and turning to see Harry standing at the door of her office, watching her in silence.

"Uhm...of course I am. Do I have a reason not to?"

"I don't know… do you?"

"No." She sniffed. "I'm alright, Harry."

"Stop crying, Astrid. Her engagement doesn't make you any less than she is."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "I know that, silly. You don't have to tell me."

"I needed to remind you," Harry replied with his arms at his back. "How's Neil?"

"He's good. I'd called Heather earlier to pick him up from daycare." She zipped up her purse hanging it across her shoulders. "He's so obsessed with the bike you got him."

"Glad to hear that, I'm happy he likes it."

"And Zia? How's she doing?"

"She's good too. My mum picked her up from school at two, I hope she wouldn't punish me for breaking my record again."

Astrid laughed. "Of course she won't."

"And that crazy picture you'd sent earlier? Please keep it between us, alright? I don't want my daughter to see me any less than she does."

"Well, that depends on whether you behave or not."

"I would, just...don't show it to her. I'll never hear the last of it if she sees that."

"Alright, I won't."

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Not if you get me fired"

"Never."

Harry turned to go, but stopped, pulling out a single beautiful rose, red as Scarlett, and in full bloom on the long-stemmed stalk that he held gently between his fingertips. Her heart dropped instantly, body froze in profound shock as she flickered her gaze from the rose, then to Harry's stare. He was giving her that look again. It was like he stared through her soul, and as if every ounce of breath was taken from her lungs floating into the air like midnight smoke.

Why was he doing this to her if he really wasn't willing to let go of his past? Did he not know that she was falling in love with him again? Did he not know that he kept pulling her further and further with every compliment, stare and act of kindness? They both still had personal battles to sort out within themselves, they had wounds that needed to be mended, they had pasts that they both had to put behind them.

Putting their emotions first wasn't the right thing to do, but it was the only way Harry knew how to deal with the pain. She couldn't decipher his true feelings, if he genuinely liked her, or just chose to go along with their relationship, because of her bond with his daughter.

"It's not my birthday, Harry."

"I know."


"Neil? Heather?"

"Mummy!"Her three-year-old toddler rushed towards her, and she scooped him up, throwing him in the air in joy.

"Hi baby, how have you been, today?"

"Not good, you came home late, mummy, you promised."

"I'm so sorry sweetheart. Mummy was working really hard today."

"With Mr Harry?"

Astrid smiled nodding, "Yes, with Mr Harry. Where's aunt Heather?"

"She's in the shower. She made Spaghetti and meatballs mummy, it's so good."

Astrid tugged gently on his cheeks. "You little foodie, you started without me?"

Neil crackled, "I was hungry."

"But you're always hungry, and yet still so skinny." She rubbed her fingers on his sides, making him laugh out loud. "How much did you eat today, huh?"

"A lot." He laughed even harder and hugged Astrid when she stopped so he wouldn't run out of breath. "Why do you work so hard?"

"Why do I work so hard?" The question was both shocking and saddening depending on how she chose to take it. She decided to use it as a means to teach her son some valuable lessons. She walked towards the dining, still in her bosom, heading towards the fridge to get herself dinner. "I work hard because I love you, Neil, because I need to earn money for you, baby."

"But you're always tired."

Astrid smiled and kissed his cheek. "When I get tired, I just have to see you. When I see you, Neil, I'm not tired anymore."

"Can I help you, mummy?"

"With my work?" Astrid laughed, "Neil, I've just got eighteen years to take care of you, and you've got more than twenty to take care of me, so just grow up first and be healthy, then you would be able to help me out."

Astrid placed her plate of food in the microwave, putting down Neil to finish his meal in his highchair. She also poured out a cup of orange juice for him in a plastic cup.

"I told my friends about my new bike."

"Did they want to see it?"

"Yeah, I'm happy I have a bike like they do."

Astrid raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. "Is that why you wanted a bike?"

Neil nodded, and it made her heart drop. "Tyler has a bike that he rides it with his dad every day. I wanted one too."

Astrid smirked, shaking her head. "And Mr Harry got you one, and rode it with you last weekend, didn't he?"

"Yeah. I like Mr Harry, mummy."

Astrid rolled her eyes with a smile. "I wonder why."

"Mum? Is Mr Harry my dad?"

Astrid froze, the ceramic plate in her hands that contained her dinner slipped, crashing and the contents spilling all over the floor. It was the very first time that her son had ever asked about his father. She had thought she would have to deal with the questions later on in his life, at adolescence but at three and the half years old? Why didn't she think of this?! He was going to daycare now, meeting up with other kids his age. He probably saw his friends with their fathers and complete families and wondered why his case was different.

Harry was the only man he'd seen around his mother, the only man who cared enough to ask about his health, enrol him in school and get him a bicycle. It was pretty obvious that he'd assume that only his father could do all those things, only his father could care about them that much.

She felt knives pierce through her heart, and was completely heartbroken. How was she going to answer his question? How was she ever going to tell him that his father didn't even know about his existence? More so cared? She could see it in his eyes, he desperately wanted a positive answer. He wanted to hear that Harry was his father, he wanted to be able to tell his friends at school that he owned a bike bought by his father, he wanted Harry to pick him up from daycare like she usually saw most fathers of other kids do at his school. She wished she could give him that answer, and make him smile and squeal in joy, but she couldn't.

She couldn't lie to her son, or she would create an even bigger problem when he gets older. Harry was not his father, but blood was not a barrier for him. He genuinely loved and cared a lot for Neil making it one of the major reasons why she was falling in love with him. Neil needed to know that he could still get such love and care from someone other than his father. It would make him sad, but she had to bear it, and still continue to play both parental roles in his life. She knew it wasn't a void she could fill, and she had no intention of even attempting to do so. Her son was a champion anyway, that's why she named him Neil.

"Mummy! Are you okay?" He shrieked in reaction to her spilt food. She immediately snapped out of her thoughts and shock, noticing the mess she'd made in the kitchen.

"I'm fine, Neil. Don't worry about this, I'll clean it up."

"I'm sorry, mummy." Neil broke into tears that made Astrid rush towards him in panic.

"For what? Why are you crying?"

"It was my fault," He cried, as Astrid lifted him up from the highchair, giving him a gentle cuddle as she patted his back.

"You didn't spill it, did you? I was the one who did it."

"But I made you do it."

"Shhh.." Astrid hugged him even tighter. "You didn't do anything okay? Stop crying."

"Okay, I won't cry anymore."

"Mr Harry is not your Dad, Neil." She swallowed hard, ready for the effect of the truth. "He's my friend...our friend, and you know what?"

"What?"

"He loves you so much and would ride your bike with you anytime. He would pick up from school if you want him to. He loves you that much."

"But I want him to be my Dad."

Astrid bit her lower lip, holding back the sob in her throat. "I know Neil, but it doesn't matter if he's your dad or not, he'll be there for you...Zia too. See how she brought most of her toys? and left them all for you because you didn't have any."

"And she plays with me at school too."

"She does?"

"Yeah."

"So you see? You don't have to be like Tyler, because you're different. You're special, Neil, don't ever forget that." Astrid said as he wrapped his arms tighter around her neck and leaned into her shoulder. She kissed his hair, and couldn't hold back the tears. She then noticed Heather in the living room watching them in silence with tears in her eyes.

Heather mouthed with a faint smile on her face.. 'You're an amazing mum.'

Astrid returned the smile, with tears still streaming down her cheeks. 'I know'


"Itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout, down came the rain and washed the spider out."

Zia sang from where she was seated in her car seat, as Harry watched her through his rear mirror. They were on their way to Astrid's to give both her and Neil a ride to Vinedale, much to Zia's constant persuasion. She wanted so much to ride to school with Astrid and he honestly had to pretend to be hesitant towards the idea. Despite the act, he'd put up earlier arguing with her over it, the truth was that he wanted to see her again, becoming dangerously addicted to the feeling her presence always brought. It was something he hadn't felt ever since Camilla's death and really yearned to make it last as long as he could.

"Sing with me daddy, it's your line."

Harry smiled, "What about we sing our favourite rhyme?"

"We sing that all the time, I want to sing another one."

"Come on, Zia. Hush my little princess, don't say a word."

"Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird," Zia responded, her smile returning instantly.

"And if that mockingbird won't sing?" Harry said, gesturing with his hand in the air.

"Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring."

"And if that diamond ring turns to brass?"

"Daddy's gonna buy you a looking glass!"

"And if that looking glass gets broke?!" Harry raised his voice, and she giggled in response.

"Daddy's gonna buy you a billy goat!"

"And if that billy goat won't pull?!"

"Daddy's gonna buy you a cart and bull!"

"And if that cart and bull turn over?!"

"Daddy's gonna buy you a dog named Rover!"

"And if that dog named Rover won't bark?!"

"Daddy's gonna buy you a horse and cart!"

"And if that horse and cart fall down?!"

"I'll still be the sweetest little princess in town!"

She exclaimed very loudly, clapping her hands together in glee, as Harry joined in her laughter. Bonding with his daughter was always his favourite part of the day, singing, telling absurd stories, and even chatting about Harry's childhood and her grandpa, his father. Letizia was his best friend, his greatest treasure, and her level of maturity and intelligence even as a child made him very open to having many conversations with her.

They talked about everything except her mother. It was still baffling that Zia had never for once mentioned her mother's name or asked about her. Harry knew why, and that was what hurt him the most. He wished he could tell her that it was alright to ask about her mother, that he wanted her to ask, and that she didn't need to worry so much about him. Although she probably missed Camilla, talking about her was the only way to keep her memory alive, even if she barely got the chance to make memories with her mother.

"Zia?"

"Yeah?" She answered, her gaze fixed at the window, very eager for them to arrive at their destination.

"Do you ever...miss…"

"We are here, daddy! Look! It's Miss Astrid's house!"

Harry sighed at her interruption, giving her a side glance. He didn't know if she did that on purpose, or was just excited to meet Astrid again. If she had the mentality and thinking of a regular five-year-old, he wouldn't even be making such speculations, but he'd come to realize that his daughter was so much smarter than he'd thought. Nothing was ever normal and coincidental with her, even her constant requests to pay frequent visits to Astrid. He'd somehow suspected that Zia wanted Astrid to be her new mum. Although he always gave in to her requests, he hoped that it wasn't the case, and she just developed a normal bond of friendship with her.

"Alright Ma'am, let's go meet her, shall we?" Harry pulled up into their driveway, looking at Zia through the rear mirror.

She nodded in response as he took off his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. He unstrapped her from her car seat and walked beside her towards the front door of the house Astrid shared with Heather.

"I want to ring the doorbell, dad."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You've become very demanding, you know that?"

"Please?" She grinned sheepishly as he sighed and lifted her up to ring the doorbell.

Heather answered the door, her look of surprise an obvious indication that they weren't expecting Harry and Zia's visit. She looked like she was on her way to work, dressed in a full pantsuit set, with her hair tied back in a neat bun.

"I'm sorry for dropping by without an invitation, but my daughter really…"

Heather laughed, "It's okay! You both can drop by anytime! Hi Zia!"

"Hi Miss Heather." Zia waved back with a smile.

"Whoa...you know my name?"

"Yeah, Miss Astrid told me, and you make delicious cookies."

Heather knelt to her eye level, touching her cheeks gently. "You're such a sweet little girl. I'll definitely make some more for you, okay?"

"Thank you."

"Heather? Is that Jackson? I really need to say hi to your…" Astrid called and came to the door, trailing off when she noticed Harry and Zia. She was in a sky blue sleeveless satin top and a black high-waisted pencil skirt, just above her knees. Her hair was in the kind of look she usually had in highschool, ponytail and side bangs. He remembered he'd made fun of her the previous day for her footwear choice, but this time she was back again in heels, her look making it impossible to believe that she'd ever been through a tomboyish phase.

She looked drop-dead gorgeous, and he was beginning to doubt his ability to keep working with her without getting distracted.

"Miss Astrid!" Zia exclaimed in excitement before Harry could say a word, not that he could even form them, being instantly mesmerized by her beauty.

"Hi, Zia! You came to visit me again today?" She said picking his daughter, who already had her arms open in anticipation.

"Yeah. Ride with us to school together, please?"

She took a glance at Harry like she was seeking for his approval, and then he shrugged with a smile, "Sure, Zia. We would go with you. Come on, let's go get Neil first, okay?"

"Okay," Zia said as she and Astrid left going further into the house. Harry watched her leave with his hands in his pocket, that obsessed smile still on his face. He then noticed Heather watching him in silence with an amused look, and his smile faded.

"So when are you going to tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"That you have feelings for her."

"No, I don't. We are just friends, Heather."

"I know that, but you can be attracted to a friend."

"Well, I'm not."

She chuckled at his denial, "I see the way you look at her, Harry. I also saw the rose yesterday, so don't even lie to me."

"That doesn't mean anything, I was just trying to cheer her up."

"You are attracted to her, aren't you?"

"I mean she's beautiful." Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "But…"

"Oh cut the crap, just admit that you like her. There's nothing wrong with that."

"She's my ex, we've been there before."

"Ugh! What is wrong with the two of you? You're both each other's exes, so what?!"

Harry grasped her wrist, looking around nervously. "Can you bring your voice down?"

"Not until you promise me that you're going to tell her."

"It's not that easy, Heather."

"Why not? Because she's a single mother? Because you found out that Neil's father could reappear at any minute?"

"No, no, you've got it all wrong, it's not that."

"Then tell her, or I will." She pulled his hands off his grip on her wrist, heading down the stairs towards the driveway and to her car. "You've got three days! Three days!"

"Sure! Like that's gonna make me do it."

"Try me."


"What's up with the egg salad, anyway?" Harry asked as he took the seat across from Astrid at the cafeteria, where he'd been having his lunch with her frequently. It seemed like the employees had become used to his presence and the looks and stares had stopped, making it even more comfortable for her to have lunch with him, even if she'd told him not to He'd claimed that having lunch with his employees at the cafeteria was a way to get closer to them and improve his working relationship with them.

"You didn't have to place the same order Harry, I was just craving salad. Neil has a sweet tooth, so I've had a lot of sugar lately, and I want to try something healthy today."

Harry snorted, trying to keep in his laugh, but failed to do so. Astrid gave him a quizzical glance, wondering why he always saw opportunities to keep teasing her. "What's so funny?"

"You. Neil has a sweet tooth. There was a time that you lived entirely on junk Astrid. It was my job to also get her majesty her daily soda on the track, don't you remember?"

Astrid rolled her eyes in disbelief. "I was an athlete, I actually needed the sugar."

"Sure. I guess you also needed the calories from every pizza slice you cheated me off."

"You said you didn't want them."

"It's called sacrifice, Astrid. Of course, I had to let you have them with such an appetite."

Astrid laughed, "I'm not like that now, Harry. I barely exercise ever since I had Neil, so I don't need those calories anymore."

He shrugged, taking a bite of the salad, nodding in approval. "If you say so."

"Jeez, you really so many issues with me back then, didn't you?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

But he still chose to love her. It made her curious about the reason why he'd chosen her in particular. They both had almost nothing in common back then, and she'd never shown any interest in him or even looked in his direction, so what exactly was the reason? What was special about her?

"So, do you have any plans for Zia's birthday?" She started, moving the conversation away from their past experiences. "She seemed to be expecting a lot."

"It just means I set up the bar far too high last time. Father of the year?"

Astrid rolled her eyes, "Let's hope you can exceed the bar this year."

"Actually I...started a foundation a year ago in Camilla's name," Harry said, Astrid immediately glanced at him to see his expression. He didn't seem sad, and she was quite relieved that he could finally talk about his late wife without that depressed look on his face that concerned her so much. "She loved children, and lived on babysitting for years because being with kids was her source of happiness."

"That's amazing."

"Yeah, and it's pretty sad that she wasn't given more time with her kid."

Astrid placed her hand on his in a comforting manner. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course. As I said, I've had almost four years to move on."

"And it's alright if you need more time. She was worth it."

Harry gave a faint smile. "The foundation is for orphans, we fully sponsor an orphanage monthly, for education, medical and welfare. I know it's a little, but…"

"Of course not." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "You are still saving lives and caring for children, Harry...that's what matters."

"So I want to throw her a party with the kids, so she can celebrate with them and learn just how fortunate she is, and that not everyone lives in a huge mansion, like we do."

"That's perfect, Harry, and knowing the kind of girl your daughter is, she would love that."

"Does that mean you're gonna help me? Plus you know you have to be there, right? Zia literally can't breathe without you, Astrid. It makes me feel jealous."

"Oh really, huh? I'm glad you're having a taste of your own medicine because you're all Neil talks about." Astrid took a bit of her salad, splitting the yolk from the white part of the eggs.

"Does that also make you jealous?" Harry teased.

She swallowed, her smile drowned with a pained expression. "He thinks you're his father, Harry. He asked me last night."

Harry's fork slipped from his hand, a plain expression of shock on his face. "Uhm...I'm really sorry about that, Astrid. I had no intention of…"

"It's fine, Harry. You've cared so much these past weeks, it's normal that he would think that."

"Are you alright?"

"I knew I would have to answer questions, but...I didn't expect it to be too soon."

He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes with assurance. "It's going to be fine, trust me. You just need to keep being strong for him, and remember, I'll always be here for you both."

Astrid looked into his eyes, her worries sliding away at that second. "Thank you, Harry."

He smirked and reached his fork towards her plate of salad, placing in all the egg whites from his plate, in exchange for the yolks. Astrid smiled, staring at him in silence, surprised that he still remembered the tiniest things about her. He also remembered how she often picked out the yolks from her egg, having disliked it right from childhood.

"That's why I also ordered an egg salad."

Her eyes were suddenly locked on his again, her shoulders were trembling, her face was bright red, and her smile was so wide he could probably see her uneven teeth. And it was all because of him. He'd pulled her all the way in, crumbled her defences and made her come apart. She'd lost full control again like before, but was delighted, to know that he was the cause of it...

To know that somehow, he'd made her fall in love with him all over again.

'