“I wish you wouldn’t lie to me. I just want the truth from you.” I know he wanted to tell me what was ailing him, I could see the desperation in his eyes, but something was stopping him. I wondered if it was me. I wondered if he didn’t want to say anything because he was afraid of how I would react.
“Please, I’ll be fine. Let’s just get rolling, shall we?” He stood up, grabbed my hand and pulled me up. He took me by the shoulders and asked, “How about you and Nick switch spots?”
I missed my Henry so much. I really wanted to be with him, but I was so unsure of everything right now.
“Please, love? I’m desperate for time alone with you.” He pouted, complete with his bottom lip sticking out.
I rolled my eyes. “Fine.” Sometimes he could really get to me, and he knew it.
I went over to Nick. He was leaning on one of the abandoned cars, his feet crossed, enjoying an old magazine he found. “Hey, Nick.”
He looked up at me and smiled. “Hey, sis.”
“I just talked to Henry and he wants me to ride with him. Would you mind riding with Claire and Sophie? He wants some alone time.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. He was concerned. “Only if that’s what you want.”
“It’s fine.” I was annoyed, and I crossed my arms in front of my chest. Apparently, he didn’t think I could make my own decisions. Obviously, he had never met me before.
“Okay, then.”
At that point, Henry spoke up. “Alright, ladies and gentleman. We are taking off. Sophie, Nick is riding with you so Elaina and I can have some time to ourselves.” Claire gawked at me. I shrugged. Then she shook her head. I looked down at the road, admiring all the little pebbles. “We’re going to continue until the next exit. It’s about ten miles. Hopefully, it won’t take us long. Depends upon what we run across. Once we get off the exit, we will pull over somewhere that looks safe. Alright?”
“Got it.” Sophie turned on her spiked heel and headed back to her truck, Nick hot on her heels. Claire stood and glared at me for a few more moments, then followed suit. I felt like I needed a shower after all of the dirty looks I was getting. Henry grabbed my hand and led me to the passenger side of his truck, like the gentleman that he was.
“Hop in, love. Buckle up. It might be a bumpy ride.”
“Great,” I said with not much enthusiasm.
“That’s my girl.” He half smiled. He started to give me a peck on the cheek, but then he stopped himself. I could see the pain in his eyes. I reached up and brushed my fingers down his cheek. He closed his eyes, exhaling as I slid my fingers over his stubble.
When he opened them again, they were swimming with tears. His eyes wandered about my face, searching for the answer to the question that was lingering between us. He looked down, and his jaw trembled. He looked back up at me, lips parted like he was about to say something. But then he just turned away and closed the door.
I had broken his heart. I absolutely crushed this already broken man. I couldn’t believe I did that to him. I wasn’t sure if we would ever be able to get back to what we had, and the doubt that radiated from him told me he felt the same.
He had secrets. Secrets that he desperately wanted to share but, for some reason, felt that he couldn’t. I don’t know if it was a trust issue or what. But whatever it was, it was killing both of us.
It was killing us, period.
Henry was torn and broken, and it was my fault. My hands shook as I clasped them together in my lap. He climbed into the driver’s seat and rested his head on the steering wheel, trying to gather himself. I could see that his pain was not only emotional, it was physical. I needed to help him through it.
“Henry…”
“Not now, Elaina. I can’t handle it.” His voice cracked.
“But…”
“Just leave it!” he shouted at me. I just wanted to help him, offer him some sort of assistance in his time of need. Whatever that need may be, I would do it for him.
Henry jammed the key into the ignition and started the truck. I had thought the whole point of me riding with him was so that we could talk about everything. It was apparent that talking wasn’t going to happen.
I let out a loud sigh and turned toward the door. I heard him hit the steering wheel in frustration. He put the truck into drive, and we continued on to Unhappyville.
The highway was relatively open after the whole on-ramp debacle. We were still weaving in and out of lanes, dodging abandoned vehicles, but it wasn’t that bad. I was pretty surprised that the highway was as clear as it was. Most of the people who were trying to flee became stuck at the city on-ramp.