Harry's POV

"Aubrey, I'm coming over tonight whether you're busy or not. I haven't seen you in almost a week." I leave a voice message when she doesn't answer her damn phone.

She is stressing way too much about starting school next week. She's been trying to get everything "prepared," but she still has another week!

I'm really going to miss her, and while she's been getting ready to head off to Stanford, I've been sulking like a fucking girl. I'm really dreading this. It's not going to be easy, that's for sure.

Come over at 8.

I read her text and smile. I want to spend every last minute I can with her before she leaves. I should do something special for her tonight, maybe it will help her with her stress. She's been going crazy.

---

Aubrey's POV

Sophie and I just got back from the mall, but she had to go to a family dinner or something so I just decided to go home. Harry should be coming over in an hour anyway.

"Harry?" I slowly walk into my house when I hear music playing and a path of rose petals. I follow them apprehensively.

Honestly, the thought of the night that Ethan showed up in my kitchen flashed through my mind, but I ruled that out quickly because thankfully his parents sent him to some boarding school in Vermont.

"Harry!" I yell again. Is he not here?

I stop and gasp as I enter the kitchen.

Harry is standing there smiling at me, dressed in my favorite white dress shirt of his and black pants. Candles are lit on the table, permeating scents of warm vanilla in the kitchen. Dinner is laid out on the set table.

"What is this for?" I slowly walk towards him.

"You've just been stressed out with school, I thought we could have a little date night."

"Harry, I don't know what to say..."

"Lets eat!" He pulls a chair out for me and I sit.

"You really didn't have to do this." I tell him. It's really too much.

"I know, but I wanted to. I know you have a lot on your mind with school, but just take a break tonight."

*That's not all thats on my mind. My inner self adds in.

"Harry, we need to talk." I sigh. Fuck it's warm in here.

"Aubrey, it's not that big of a deal! Do you want some salad?" He holds a bowl out to me.

"Harry, I'm breaking up with you." I close my eyes and bury my face in my hands. I hear the salad bowl drops to the table.

I look up at Harry when he's silent, just staring at me.

"I'm sorry." I tell him and a tear rolls down my eye.

"Here, you'll like this." He hands me a plate full of pasta.

"Harry." I say, trying to stifle my tears. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Why?" He looks at me, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "I don't understand, nothing's wrong?"

"I just can't." I take a napkin and blot my eyes.

"Yes you can! Is it college? We can make it work! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Harry, please. I've made my decision."

"Tell me why!" He stands up, slamming his palms on the table and making me jump in my seat. "Is it because of Liam?"

"No! How could you say that?"

"Then what the fuck is it?" He yells.

"It's everything! School, you.."

"What about me!?"

"Harry, I just can't keep doing this. Do you know how much I worry about you when you don't stay over one fucking night? How can I go to college and be 5,000 miles away from you? It won't work. And the way you freak out every time I even mention Liam's name... You know I'm going to be making new friends at school, how are you going to deal with that?"

"Aubrey! We will make it work, I promise. I'm sorry about Liam, please..." He's now letting his tears out, which makes me sob even harder.

"I just think it's best." I take his hands in mine.

"Don't you love me? Did you ever?"

"Of course I did! I still do!"

"Then why? I don't understand." His tone is soft and vulnerable.

"It will hurt less. College with change us, and this will prevent either of us from getting hurt."

"I'm never going to hurt you, I told you that. And you've never hurt me, you won't. I know you won't."

"Let's just take a break. It'll be easier." I breath.

I've taken this whole week to think about this. Talking to Liam and getting advice from Sophie and my mom really helped. I love Harry so much, that's why I have to do this. I know it will be way too hard trying to keep this going, and I don't want to get hurt any worse than this is hurting me.

"I don't want to hold you back. You're going to be in London, and I don't want you missing out because you have a girlfriend that you will never even see."

"You won't be. Aubrey, this is a bad idea, why don't you see that?"

"I've been thinking about this for a while now. It's for the best. You know I love you, and that's why I think it's best."

"Aubrey, please don't do this."

"I'm sorry." I choke up and turn around so he doesn't see my sobbing uncontrollably.

I feel him wrap his arms around me from behind me and hold me tight.

"Please. I need you, I don't want to be with anyone else. It'll be hard, but we can do it. I love you so much."

"I think you should go." I say in between my hideous cries. I can't believe this is happening. I have to do it though, having a relationship with someone across the world doesn't make sense.

"Aubrey, don't do this." He protests.

"Thanks for dinner. I'll put it in some Tupperware and you can take it home. Sorry you did all this for nothing." I shuffle to the cabinets and pull out a few plastic bowls and boxes.

"Keep it. You need to eat." He walks over to me and stops my shaking hands.

"Harry..." I say and pull my hands away from his.

"I'll be waiting for you when you change your mind." He says into my ear before kissing my cheek.

"Goodbye, Harry." I whisper.

He kisses my cheek once more before holding my face in his hands and staring me in the eyes. I want to look away, but I can't. His eyes are full of tears and hurt. I know he's hurting just as bad as I am, but it would hurt later on if we stayed together. I don't know how, but something would happen. It's inevitable with us going to new schools and being so far away from each other.

"I won't stop loving you." He whispers and turns around, grabbing his jacket of the back of the chair and practically running out of the house.

I walk over to blow out the candles on the table before I break down again.

This is not what I wanted to do, and I know Harry probably hates me now, but it's what I had to do. I had to. I love him so much, I had to let him go. It's not fair to either of us. We won't be able to get our college experience because we'll be worried about each other and trying to make us work. It's too much.

I need Sophie and ice cream, I decide. She's the only one who can help me. She knew I was going to do this, and supported me. And I know that she sees how much I love Harry, so it makes me feel like I did the right thing.

---

"Holy shit, Aubrey." Sophie gasps when she walks into my house and sees me all teared up on the floor of the kitchen, surround by rose petals.

"So I take it you did it?" She kneels down and pulls me into a hug. I nod in agreement when the tears take over once again, leaving me without the ability to speak.

"Oh, Aubrey, are you okay? How did he react?" She asks.

"He didn't want to, he was mad." I choke out. "I feel terrible! He probably hates me so much."

"No he doesn't, he loves you, Aubrey. And you only feel terrible because you love him too. It was for the best, we talked about it. Just think of it as a break. Take a few weeks to experience college and see how it goes. You know he will always love you." She soothes me.

"I just don't know what to do, Soph. It's like, either way I'm going to get hurt." I try to explain.

"I know, Aubs, it'll all work out. Now let's go watch Mean Girls and eat this whole thing of ice cream I brought." She smiles and helps me get up.

"It's going to be okay, Aubrey."

"I hope." I say quietly, even though right now, I honestly don't see that happening. Everything just seems horrible right now. I want to just call Harry and tell him I was stupid for breaking up with him and ask him to forgive me, but then we'll just be back to where we started. It'll be miserable going to college and still be in a relationship with someone who lives half way across the world, it just doesn't make sense.

"It will be. Aren't you excited to start school?!"

"Yeah, it'll just be weird. I don't know anyone there, but maybe that's what I need... A fresh start. Can you just go to Stanford?" I joke, but can't even force myself to laugh.

"Hah! No. I couldn't get into Stanford!" She laughs. "I'm too excited for UCLA. And you better come visit me like every weekend."

My heart beats faster thinking of Harry telling me he would visit every weekend before he left. I close my eyes and try to think of something else.

He's so perfect. I love everything about him. He's the best thing that had ever happened to me, but I went and ruined it. I had to do this, I had to. I remind myself.

"Hello?" I hear Sophie and I'm brought back to reality. I think she's talking to me, but when I look at her, her cell is is pressed against her ear.

"Um yeah, one second Ry." She says into the phone and than pulls it away from her ear.

"Ryan wants to talk to you, do you not have your phone or something?" She asks me as she covers the mouthpiece so he can't hear.

"No it's in the kitchen, hand it to me." I point at her phone and grab it.

"Ryan?" I answer.

"No, it's me." A shiver runs down my spine when I hear Harry.

"Aubrey, I don't understand. I don't get it."

"Harry, are you drunk?"

"Maybe just a little." He slurs. "But! That's none of your business. You are not my girlfriend anymore!" His words stab at my heart.

"Why don't you love me back, Aubrey?" I can barely hear him over the loud noise coming from the background. He must be at a party or something.

"Don't say that." I pinch the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger as I try to stop myself from crying.

"Do you remember when I told you that I would never hurt you, Aubrey? Well I didnt. I promised that and I kept my promise. But you also promised me that you would never hurt me. I remember the exact day! But you lied! I'm hurting pretty fucking bad right now!" He yells over the phone and I let the tears overtake me again. He's right. I lied. I broke my promise.

I hand the phone back to Sophie. I can't talk to him anymore. I have to stay strong because if I can get through this, it will be worth it.

"Harry, put Ryan back on the phone." I can hear Sophie scolding Harry over the phone.

"Ryan, make sure Harry doesn't do anything stupid."

They talk for another minute or so and it gives me time to pull myself together.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know Harry was going to get on the phone." Sophie apologizes.

"It's fine." I assure her. "It's over, Sophie." It's all finally starting to sink in.

"So you guys are really done?"

I nod and stare blankly at the wall. This is it, the end. The best year of my life, despite all the fucked up shit that happened. Harry was by my side through it all, so it made it all worth it. But now it's time to start a new chapter in my life. Time for a new me. I'm going to focus on my school work, and myself for a change. It's for the best, if it wasn't, I'd probably be able to sleep tonight because Harry would still be my boyfriend.

It will get better... It will get easier...

Notes

Well... That's it for New In Town! Thanks for every single comment, vote & subscribe! I hope you enjoyed it, because I really enjoyed writing it!

**Comment your favorite part of the story or what you though of the ending! ...Did you guys expect that?!


I am hoping to begin the sequel tomorrow or the next day, so stay tuned... I'll post a link here when I get the first chapter uploaded! It will be called Never Let Me Go, so keep an eye out :) I think you guys will like it, I have a lot of ideas I'm working on!

Thanks again, you guys rock!

Ellie xx