The state I'm in COMPLETED

What now?

Valerie's POV

"God, I missed you... all of you," Harry murmured with a smirk, holding me tight as we lay tangled in the sheets. His fingers traced lazy circles on my arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my cheek, his warmth enveloping me.

"Me too," I whispered, but even as I said it, a storm brewed in my mind. Where did this leave us? Were we together again? Or was this just another temporary escape before reality dragged us apart? Would I wake up tomorrow and find myself broken all over again?

As if sensing my escalating thoughts, Harry's voice cut through them.

"What's on your mind, baby?" His tone was gentle, but there was an edge of knowing behind it.

I let out a small laugh and moved closer, tightening my arms around him like I was afraid he'd slip away.

"Why are you laughing, baby?" he chuckled, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"That question," I admitted, feeling my cheeks warm. "It's what got us here in the first place."

He smirked, tilting my chin up so I had to meet his eyes. "Then it's officially my favourite one."

But his playful tone didn't last long. He could still feel the tension in my body. "Seriously, Val... what's wrong?"

I swallowed hard, trying to organize my thoughts. "What are we now, Harry? Are we just pretending none of this happened? Do I get up, get dressed, and pretend that I didn't just..." I motioned to our situation, both of us lying naked in his bed. "Because I can't go through that again. I just can't."

His jaw clenched, and for a second, he looked away. "We can't go back to that, Valerie," he said finally. "It's obvious—we can't stay away from each other."

Relief flooded through me. But before I could even fully process it, his expression darkened.

"But..." he hesitated, running a hand through his already messy hair. "We need to figure out how to stay together without them finding out. At least not until everything is finalized with the custody hearings."

Custody. Right. Reality was already creeping back in.

"How's that going?" I asked, my voice quieter now.

"I've been working overtime, saving up for legal fees," he admitted. "I needed to keep myself busy anyway... I was going crazy, baby."

"I know," I whispered. "Me too."

"My lawyers say I have a strong case for shared custody. They just don't think I can get full custody—not unless I can prove that Nadia is an unfit mother."

I hesitated. "Is she?"

His face twisted in frustration. "She's not abusive. She takes care of him, loves him. But she's also possessive, manipulative. And her family..." He shook his head. "They're fucking insane, Val. What they did to you—what they could do—I swear to God, if I ever get my hands on Helena's husband..." His fingers curled into a fist before he exhaled sharply, trying to regain control.

I placed my hand over his, calming him. "Baby, we'll figure it out. We always do."

He looked at me then, something unreadable in his expression. "We have to. They thought they could break us apart, and for a while, they did. But they don't know what we have. They don't know that..." He swallowed. "I've waited my whole life for someone like you, baby."