One Wild Night

Chapter 904  Fix It

As the day turned into night, Harry found himself sitting on the couch, a statue sculpted from worry.

If the misunderstanding hadn't happened yesterday, by now they would have been busy celebrating their engagement, Harry thought as he stared at his phone.

He wanted to call Jade, to reassure her that they would get through this. And he yearned to hear her voice, the melody that had become the soundtrack of his life, but logic reminded him that space was needed to prevent further damage to their relationship, and rushing things wouldn't help.

Heaving a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world, Harry placed the phone face down on the couch since the glowing screen kept taunting him with its potential to bridge the chasm that had opened between him and Jade.

He used to be a very principled, logical, and practical man, but ever since his relationship with Jade began, all of that ha flown out the door and window and now he couldn't even recognize himself anymore.

He needed an escape, a way to clear the tangled mess of emotions churning in his gut. Pushing himself to his feet, he decided to take a walk to clear his mind.  He grabbed a light jacket and turned off the lights before heading out the door.

The night air, cool and fragrant with the scent of blooming jasmine from a nearby park, greeted him like a balm as he walked out of the his building.

Stepping onto the sidewalk, he began to walk, his pace brisk, mirroring the agitation within. Street-lamps cast a warm glow, illuminating his path as he wandered through the quiet streets.

The solitude was a double-edged sword.  While it offered a respite from the emotional turmoil within, it also amplified the silence that echoed within the vast emptiness of his apartment.

After what felt like an eternity, Harry turned a corner and found himself back near his building. The walk had done little to alleviate the knot of tension in his stomach.

Reaching his apartment, he trudged inside, a sense of weary resignation settling over him. As he switched on the lights, his phone on the couch caught his eye and he picked it up.

A quick glance at the screen revealed a string of missed calls. Curiosity piqued, Harry scrolled through his call history.

There were two missed calls from Tom, one from Candace, and another from his father.

Harry stared at his phone for a moment, debating who to call back first. His finger hovered over Tom's number. Was Jade alright? With a deep breath, he pressed the call button, wanting to know how Jade was doing.

It didn't take long for Tom to pick up. "Hey!" Tom's voice crackled through the receiver, laced with a hint of relief. "I was starting to worry."

"Sorry I missed your calls. I stepped out to clear my head. Is everything alright?" Harry asked, trying to mask his concern.

"Yeah. Sure. I just wanted to check in on you. How are you holding up?" Tom asked, his concern evident.

Harry let out a sigh. "I'm fine, I guess. Considering I brought all these upon myself. How's Jade doing?" Harry inquired, his voice dropping a notch.

A beat of silence followed. "Seems to be holding up," Tom said finally. "Haven't seen any tears, but she's really quiet and  withdrawn."

Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him. That simple statement, the absence of tears, brought a strange sense of comfort. It wasn't happiness, not by a long shot, but it wasn't despair either.

"That's good to hear. I was worried about her," Harry said, forcing a lightness into his voice that he didn't quite feel. "Keep me updated, will you? And remind her, she's to resume at the office on Monday."

"Sure. I'll stop by to visit you tomorrow," Tom offered.

"Alright. Thanks, Tom. And I'm sorry things are this…"

"Shut up. Be good," Tom said and hung up abruptly.

Harry sighed as he dialed his father's number, knowing that he had probably heard from Candace and wanted to find out what had happened.

It took a few rings before his father picked up. "Harry," Aaron's deep voice came through the phone. "How are you doing, son?"

"I'm fine," Harry said. "I guess you heard from Candace that I didn't go on with the proposal as planned."

Aaron sighed deeply. "Yes, she told me.  I was waiting to hear it directly from you, and since it's been twenty-four hours already and you haven't called, I decided to call you. What really happened? Why did you change your mind?" Aaron asked with concern.

He knew Harry well enough to know he always thought things through before taking any action, so he couldn't understand why Harry would change his mind about proposing to Jade at the last minute.

"I don't think she is ready for that step yet. She still has some emotional baggage she needs to deal with," Harry said and Aaron raised a brow.

"And I take it you just found out about the emotional baggage during the vacation?" He asked and Harry sighed.

"Not exactly. I've always known," Harry admitted, bracing himself for the inevitable lecture.

"So, you've always known yet you wanted to propose to her," Aaron said, his tone disapproving.

"I thought we had it under control. I thought I had it all under control. I thought I could manage and deal with it," Harry said, his voice tinged with frustration.

"But you thought wrong," his father said flatly.

Harry winced. The truth, delivered with the bluntness of a hammer blow. "Yes. I thought wrong."

"What exactly happened?" Aaron demanded, his tone sharp.

Harry explained the misunderstanding, recounting the events that had led to the canceled proposal. He also told his father about the first misunderstanding when she had seen them having coffee and how he had asked her to hang around whenever he was discussing with the event planner. Aaron listened quietly, and when Harry finished, he sighed again.

"Once again, let me ask. Didn't you know about Jade's insecurities before you started dating her?" Aaron asked.

"I already told you that I did. We discussed it. I assured her I was going to help her get over it." Harry admitted. "But I didn't expect her not to trust me, especially since I've never given her a reason to doubt me."

Aaron's tone was gentle but firm. "You gave her plenty of reasons to doubt you, Harry. What made you believe your words alone would be enough assure someone with deep insecurities? Do you think feelings of insecurity is something you can just turn on and off simply because someone gives you their word?" Aaron asked, and Harry sighed but said nothing.

"While you were making plans to surprise her with your proposal did it occur to you to put her feelings of insecurity into consideration? You mentioned that you both first had a misunderstanding about your meetings with the lady, why didn't you ask the lady in question to assign a male staff to discuss the plans with you, knowing your girlfriend wasn't comfortable with your interaction with her?" Aaron asked again.

"Am I going to have to cut off communication with all females even those I have business with at work just to make her understand? Why can't she trust me?" Harry asked and this time Aaron sighed.

"I know Jade. I may not have known her as long as you have, but I know her well enough to know she isn't unreasonable, and I'm sure you know that too. If she knew the exact business you had with this lady she wouldn't have reacted the way she did. You were keeping secrets and that would naturally make her imagination be on overdrive. I'm not saying she was right to react the way she did, but I'm saying you knew she had such a problem yet you didn't protect her from it. You got carried away with your plans and forgot to factor in her feelings of insecurity. You have your share of the blame. I'd say you have the lions share," Aaron said firmly.

Harry was silent for a moment, realizing the validity of his father's points. He knew she harbored insecurities, yet, in his eagerness to create a perfect moment,  he had failed to consider her fragile emotional state.

"I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't mean to make her feel insecure, but I see now that I didn't handle it well."

Aaron's voice softened. "Your intention might have been good, but you weren't thoughtful enough. And asking for a break wasn't the best decision. Maybe you could have been more supportive. You mentioned that you promised her from the beginning that you'd help her, right?"

"How can I help her when she doesn't even trust me? Besides the break is meant to make her be more serious about working on herself," Harry said weakly.

"I don't think so. I think showing her how her reaction ruined the surprise engagement would have been enough to make her realize she had misunderstood you. You could have told her you wouldn't propose to her or get married until she was better. You didn't have to ask for a break. Now you both will feel miserable unnecessarily."

"You're right," Harry said quietly. "But the deed is done. What can I do now?"

"You should apologize to Jade," Aaron said firmly. "As much as she was wrong and hurt your feelings, you were wrong in the way you handled everything. You should fix things, Harry. I raised you better than that. Make up with her. Drive her to and from her therapy sessions and hold her hand through it all. If you're going to eventually get married to her of what use is the break? Why are you pulling out and being absent at such an important moment in her life?"

Harry felt a pang of guilt. "You're right. I don't know what I'm doing. I guess I'm not thinking straight. I'm going to fix it. I haven't been myself since it all happened, and she is sad too."

Aaron seemed satisfied with that response. "Good. You do that."

"Thanks for the advise, Dad."

"Anytime, son," Aaron said warmly.

"By the way, how was your visit to the prison? We haven't really talked much since then," Harry said, changing the subject.

"It was okay," Aaron said, his tone lighter.

"I was told you didn't stay at my place but in a hotel."

"Yeah. I ran into an old friend, and she offered to accommodate me all through my stay in Ludus. There was no need to return to yor empty apartment," Aaron said with a smile in his voice.

Harry's curiosity was piqued. "An old friend? She? You stayed with a lady? You have to tell me more. Who is she?" Harry asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Mind your business, Harry," Aaron said with a chuckle. "Focus on fixing things with Jade."

"C'mon, Dad!"

"Goodnight," Aaron said with a chuckle and hung up the call before Harry could say anything else.

Harry smiled as he put his phone down, and he replayed his father's words in his head, realizing just how much he had to make up for.

He needed to apologize sincerely and show Jade that he was committed to helping her overcome her insecurities.