[ASTRID REESE]
London, England

★ ★ ★

Astrid spent her annual leave trying to find the courage to survive.

The assistant she hired for the wedding on Saturday filled her in on everything that happened. Thankfully, nothing had gone wrong after Astrid had left. The guests enjoyed themselves. The newlyweds were over the moon when they served up the second cake of the night.

Apparently, no one had known what happened between Astrid, Jennifer, and Jennifer's kids, and that was the best news. Astrid wasn't sure why she expected to hear rumours about it—no one but that little group was involved, and they didn't cause too big of a scene to attract attention.

David was the only one to eavesdrop.

David was the only one to call Astrid the following Monday.

When she saw an incoming call from an unknown number, she normally would've ignored it. Knowing what had happened, Astrid had a feeling it would be Jennifer, David, or even Derek. For what reason she thought her ex would call didn't make much sense to her—then again, none of what happened, did.

In the end, it turned out that David only wanted to apologise. Unsurprisingly, he heard the conversation, and he thought it was very unlike Jennifer to act that way. He supposed it was nerves—both because of the big day, and because her children had finally decided to accept her invite, and reunite with her.

Astrid didn't speak for the whole twenty minutes that David spent explaining things. It sounded like the man needed an outlet to vent because he didn't know who else to turn to. At that point, Astrid began to wonder how the hell he got her phone number, but then he brought up the cost of the wedding which linked into Astrid's pay and she no longer held any interest for the topic.

"You will, of course, get everything we agreed on upon our first official meeting. Please have no worries regarding this matter," he stated, voice ever so serious and direct. It crushed the weight on Astrid's shoulders, and she felt like she broke the surface of the water after being without fresh oxygen.

"I appreciate you taking the time to explain," she responded. "What had happened was inappropriate on my behalf, and I can only apologise for it."

"Sometimes, the pressures of life cause us to burst. We speak to those who are willing to listen, and you cannot blame yourself for trusting someone with your personal issues," David explained, and the way he sided with her made her feel guilty. "I am disappointed in my wife for dealing with her own problems by projecting yours that way. You are right—it was inappropriate for you, but also for her to then repeat those things in that way."

Astrid cleared her throat. "Again," she started low, and slow. "Thank you for taking the time to call me. It has been a pleasure to work with you, and your wife. I am truly sorry for how this partnership has come to an end, but I hope that everything prior to this incident was what you had hoped for, including the wedding day."

David then thanked Astrid for her hard work, and didn't forget to mention how he'd be sure to recommend her if he knew of anyone in need for a fantastic wedding planner. It brought a sense of relief to Astrid as she heard those words—whether the man would keep to those promises was another question.

For now, all that mattered to her was the pay. The end of the month rounded the corner, and her bank account desperately needed those numbers.

★ ★ ★

When Harry had asked for time to process his thoughts and feelings, it automatically entailed that he'd need space, yet Astrid somehow seemed to forget they came hand in hand. Being without Harry sucked—worse than it did when they went a few weeks without talking. Perhaps because this time the distance felt more permanent.

Astrid certainly had no idea what would come out of Harry's sabbatical. The chance of him wanting to work through what happened, and deciding that he's had enough were fifty-fifty. In all honesty, Reese didn't know which one she wanted.

While the obvious answer was to try with him and stay together, the looming shadow of never being able to make up for everything dawned on her. Dark clouds surrounded her mind and weighed down on her like thousands of stones. To walk on eggs shells around Harry, to reduce herself to nothing but a machine that spewed apologies every moment it could, was not appealing. She needed to be able to remain herself while working through this mess she caused.

Perhaps that was why it seemed so appealing to have things over and done with. If they never had to see each other again, Astrid would be heartbroken, yes, but she wouldn't succumb to a version of herself that only meant going back to the person she fought to leave behind. The breakup would damage her in a way she hasn't been hurt before, and it would also change her drastically, that much was obvious, but it would still be better than being an ass-kisser who didn't know how to stand up for herself.

Either way, the decision was not up to her. Harry needed to make up his mind on what he wanted, and the idea of not having a say in it already proved to be a great deal of loss of control on Astrid's end. Of course, she knew it was only right for Harry to make the decision, or, at least, have the weighing opinion in the matter because he was the victim of her actions.

Astrid ended up spending her time off of work in bed, rewatching a show she's seen before. That was the only reason she could zone out then back in when she caught herself deep in thought, and still know what was happening with the characters.

The endless scrolling on her phone pushed her screentime much higher than she preferred to keep it. Nothing had captured her attention, and she certainly refused to show any signs of life by posting, but something about looking at other people's lives felt therapeutic.

Well, that was until Wednesday night, around eleven in the evening, that she turned from her side to her back, and watched as the notification from Instagram dropped down from the top of the screen. Astrid's heart missed a beat when she noticed the name, the one she didn't think she'd ever have to see.

Kaitlin.

Panic caused Astrid to sweat as she sat up higher in bed then crossed her legs. Unable to hold back her curiosity, she leaned her elbows on her knees and opened the message.

Hi. I want to talk to you. I realise you probably don't because of what happened, but I don't think anyone other than you understands the position I am in. Feel free to ignore this message or tell me to fuck off, although I'd rather you did none of those things. Instagram dms might not be the appropriate way to do this but I don't know your number, and I certainly won't ask my brother for it. If, by some miracle, you agree to have a chat, I thought we could meet up or at least take the conversation to imessage? Whatever you'd prefer. Thanks, Kaitlin

The last thing Astrid expected was for Kaitlin to want to talk to her. The woman was pregnant with Derek's child, nevermind being Harry's sister! It left Astrid completely gobsmacked. If Astrid had a sibling, and they were in Harry's position, she would certainly not be contacting the culprit, asking for a chat about everything that happened.

Then again, Astrid had always known she was rotten on the inside—at least to some degree. To come up with this plan-that-was-never-a-plan, she had to be.

Kaitlin was not wrong—not many people other than Astrid could begin to comprehend her situation. At the end of the day, both women were played for fools by the same man. Kaitlin also hit the nail on the head when she mentioned this conversation was not appropriate for social media, but did Astrid have it in her to meet up with her? Giving out her number was one thing. Texting was fine. But to see her face to face?

Truthfully, if Astrid could've gone her whole life without talking to the other woman, she would've been more than content.

She opened the message, though, and her mind couldn't stop replaying it.

You're right. This is no social media conversation. Meet me at Leyland's Park tomorrow at 12.

Leyland's Park, also known as the park where Harry took her to talk after the wedding. Something drew her there, and it seemed like the most appropriate location.

Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow.

★ ★ ★

Astrid sat on the same bench she cried on when Harry spoke to her like she was the love of his life, and he was hurting because he hurt her.

Even the thought of that evening brought shivers to Astrid.

While she waited for Kaitlin, she noted with disappointment that Harry still didn't make use of his social media. The only time he ever used Instagram was to repost the things Astrid tagged him in. Something about it brought a sense of pride to her, and certainly a strange feeling of possessiveness.

"Hi," Astrid heard the soft voice from her left. There stood Kaitlin in a summer dress, and flats that curled around her ankles. Once more, Kaitlin's scary familiarity to Harry managed to freak Astrid out. "Are we sitting, or going for a walk?"

"You're the one pregnant out of the two of us," Astrid shrugged like it didn't matter to her while she was ready to jump out of her skin and make it as far away from Kaitlin as possible.

Kaitlin chuckled to herself quietly, and muttered, "Right," before she exhaled. "Let's walk. I could use some steps."

Astrid didn't need to be told twice. On her feet faster than anticipated, they fell into a slow rhythm. Birds accompanied their afternoon stroll, with the occasional greetings from elderly couples and women who tended to walk in groups.

"So..." Kaitlin started when Astrid remained quiet. Perhaps not the most cooperative and mature side of her, then again, she forced herself to be here. For what reason, she didn't know yet. "I realise this is quite unusual."

"A walk in the park is anything but unusual," she found herself saying with a little more bite than necessary. The attitude she gave Kaitlin was likely uncalled for but she genuinely didn't know how to act.

"I meant the fact that we are talking after everything that happened," Kaitlin corrected, just as Astrid expected. The woman didn't shy away from Astrid's blunt rudeness but seemed to feed off of it instead.

"You asked me here, and I was curious enough to agree," she said as a matter of fact. No reason to dance around it, right?

"Either way, I'm glad you agreed," Kaitlin sighed but Astrid had nothing to add. Truthfully, she wasn't sure why Kaitlin was so relieved. The last thing Reese expected was for Kaitlin to want to talk at all.

Though, clearly, she had plenty to say as she broke the silence, and spoke, "I was not aware that Derek was in a relationship, nevermind the fact that it was three years of it."

"I was not aware he was cheating, nevermind that he got someone pregnant."

Again, Reese gave Kaitlin nothing to work with. That lack of kindness caused the woman beside her to sigh like she was at a crossroads with no idea which way to go. Astrid knew she wasn't going to make it easy on her, regardless of how the truth had been revealed at the wedding.

"I have nothing against you, Astrid," she said after some thought. Reese hummed in response. "I obviously don't like the things you've done to get back at Derek, and therefore at me because you involved my brother but I had time to think about it, and I don't know if I have any reason to fault you for it."

Strange.

"Why?" Astrid asked. Parts of her craved acceptance from Kaitlin. Parts of her wanted to be excused and forgiven. To think that Kaitlin couldn't blame Astrid for any of what happened came as a surprise. Did she misjudge the younger Styles?

"Because it's not your fault that Derek was unfaithful," she said like it was the easiest answer. To some extent, Astrid agreed with that statement. The rational section of her brain knew this from the moment it happened. The other section refused to believe it wasn't her fault. "Your heart was broken as a result of his actions, and anything that came from it can be excused. I personally don't know how I would've dealt with the situation at hand if I were in your shoes."

"I doubt you would've gone after my brother," Astrid scoffed. She felt Kaitlin look at her then like she couldn't believe Astrid finally said something to show she wanted to contribute to this discussion. "For starters, I don't have one."

The last thing Astrid expected was for Kaitlin to laugh but she did, and said, "Fair enough."

While they continued to walk, a million and one questions arose in Astrid's mind. Annoyingly, all of them focused around the child that Kaitlin was no doubt going to have. Damn Astrid's love for children, and her understanding that they are never their parents. Regardless of what its father had done, that baby was going to come into this world and hopefully make better life choices than the man who sired it.

"I wanted to talk to you, and let you know that," Kaitlin said after some time. "That I don't blame you for anything that happened."

"Mature of you," she heard herself say. Astrid knew Kaitlin was younger than her because of social media, so as much as the comment sounded sarcastic, Astrid meant it.

"But I do want to know what made you do what you did."

This time, it was Astrid's turn to laugh. Definitely something she should've expected. No one in their right mind would've thought of the plan, so of course, others wanted to know the inner workings of her brain.

Astrid shrugged. "I needed to do something to counteract the pain."

"Revenge."

Reese nodded. "Revenge," she echoed. "Somewhere along the way, I realised there was a fifty-fifty chance of me ever facing my ex again but I thought I would take it because even if I never saw him again, at least I wasn't thinking of him and I wasn't feeling sorry for myself—or blaming myself for what he did."

"Do you love my brother?" Kaitlin demanded the answer with a sharp voice. It was a yes or no answer but Astrid didn't know if she could admit it.

"It doesn't matter," she found herself saying. It really didn't matter, Astrid realised. Knowing her luck, she was going to have to nurse her broken heart soon enough because there was no way Harry would want to deal with her. He'd been through enough shit in his life to bother with things like this. Astrid honestly couldn't blame him.

"You're not going to fight for him?" she accused.

"The only thing I can do now is accept whatever decision he makes."

"Wrong."

"It's not."

Kaitlin didn't let up. "How is it not wrong? If you love him, you do everything in your power to make him see that, and choose a life with you."

"I'm not going to discuss this with you," Astrid stated. She knew what happened when she opened up to Kaitlin's mother, and while they may not have been the same, Astrid wasn't going to risk it. One Styles had already burned her, another was yet to break her heart—she certainly wasn't going to let the last one do more damage than she'd already achieved.

Jesus. It dawned on her then. The entire family had it out for her in one way or another.

Kaitlin was smart, and she seemed to catch onto Astrid's stance in the matter.

"I understand," she nodded. "But it matters," she continued. "That you love him. Of course, it matters," Kaitlin said, disbelief crystal clear in her tone. A sort of offence sparkled through.

"Did you hear me say I don't want to talk about this with you, or do I need to repeat it a third time?"

"I heard you, but you have to realise that my brother needs time to understand what's happened. He's always needed more time than anyone else to come to terms with his feelings. Harry has never been impulsive, ever. He thinks, he considers, he—gosh, he's always been the more mature of us two."

Astrid couldn't argue with that statement.

"So, yes, it does matter—whether you love him. And I think you do."

If Harry was persistent, then Astrid wasn't sure how to describe his sister. Stubborn, most likely. It suited her just fine. The way she kept pushing at certain things—it felt very Harry at some points. Harry always wanted to know what went through Astrid's head, and while she missed it from time to time, she didn't need it from Kaitlin Styles.

"Is that why you're keeping the baby?" Astrid asked. It was rude, and she knew it the moment she spewed the words. Did she take it back? No. "Because you love Derek?"

Kaitlin laughed. "No."

"Interesting."

"I've always wanted to be a mother," she said. Astrid could barely contain the sigh in the back of her throat. The last thing she cared about was Kaitlin's sob story, though it was her fault—she walked right into it with her questions. "I've always known that I would be a good mother because I would never do what my mother had done. I suppose I've always wanted to prove that I am better, that I am not my mother's daughter, despite my wish for a relationship with her."

"Yeah, your mother is a work of art," Astrid responded, for it was the single thought in her mind. "Well," she shrugged, and checked the time on her watch. It said 'time to go home'. "Goodluck to you. I'd say it was great to talk, but I'm not a liar, and it wasn't."

"I don't know you enough to say if you are a liar or not, but you are dangerous."

Astrid laughed. "Dangerous?"

"You have no idea how much you hurt my brother, and I can't blame you because I understand you were motivated by pain," Kaitlin spoke faster now like she needed to spit the words out before Astrid turned around and left. "Pain that I contributed to, even without knowing. But it doesn't take away from the fact that my brother loves you, and you have a sway over him."

"I don't want to discuss my relationship with you."

Kaitlin responded immediately. "I'm not asking you to do that. I'm telling you that you have power over him, and I'm asking you not to use it."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Astrid countered. "And I don't know why you're telling me what to do, either. First, you want me to admit my feelings and to fight for him. Now, you want me to back off and leave him alone."

The woman sighed. "If you asked him to try again, he would."

"Do you even know your brother?" Astrid laughed. She sounded insane. Harry would never give in to Astrid's begs just because she wanted him to. He was too smart for that. Too mature. Astrid had always known Harry was great, and to be even spared four months of his life was a luxury that Reese might never get to experience again.

So, no. Harry would not give in just because she looked at him with her pretty eyes, and said some loving words. He asked for time and Astrid was going to be damned if he took that away from him. In her eyes, she hurt him enough to last him a lifetime and some.

"Like I said," Astrid continued as she was not given an answer. "This is not something I want to discuss with you. So, if you have nothing else to get off your chest, then I will be going."

Expectantly, Reese stood and watched the younger woman. She was stunning. Perfect, glowing skin. Smooth, radiant hair. Eyes that no doubt could seduce anyone. Granted, there were some things like Kaitlin's personality that Astrid didn't vibe with, perhaps because she felt they were too similar, overall, it made sense. Why Derek cheated. It made the most perfect sense as Astrid scrutinised the woman before her.

Disgust pooled in her stomach, flushed as a bitter taste in her mouth. Astrid hated being this way but she couldn't help it. Jealousy rose to alarming heights, and nothing could cap it. Obviously, she failed to deal with the ending of her previous relationship. Not that she could blame herself. She spent no time getting over it before she jumped into something—someone—else.

Perhaps the time Harry requested could do some good for her, too.

Question is, will she use it, or fall towards old habits?

★ ★ ★

[A.N.]

[Astrid and Kaitlin deserved their own moment. I honestly never planned for this but I'm glad it surprised me when I opened the word document and started typing away. I feel like it was nice to see into their minds, their dynamic, their opinions. Let's hope Harry isn't too upset by his sister contacting his (ex)girlfriend behind his back.] 

[I'm also interested in what you thought of these two finally getting together, since Kaitlin is a pretty important part of the story. Without her, Astrid never would've met Harry, and she certainly never would've come up with this plan, and fuck herself over x 10.]

[2 MORE CHAPTERS TO GO. I cannot believe it. I've grown to love Astrid and Harry so much because they're so different to any other couple I have concocted. I'm curious to know - if you've read my other stories, how you rank the couples! Let me know :).] 

[See you next weekend!] 

[Love, B xx]