Broken Dreams(147)

“He’s got…” Before she finished her sentence, we heard a gunshot. We stood still, knowing it was the end of Kellan’s torturous reign over Henry. After all of those years of being subjected to his brutality, Henry was one step closer to getting the revenge that he sought.

Minutes later, we heard footsteps coming up the stairs on the porch. I ran to the door and pulled it open. Nick stopped when he saw me.

“Are you okay?” It seemed like a silly question.

“As good as I’m going to be.” He walked past me and over to Claire. Henry had quieted down for the moment. I sat down on the floor beside him and Sophie. He was looking at the floor with a blank expression.

“Hey.” I touched his face. “Let’s get you cleaned up. Claire finished a bag. You’re in need.”

I grabbed his hand, and he winced in pain. On top of the injuries Kellan caused and his stiffness from the virus, there were cuts all over his hands. I guided him to the kitchen, and dragged a chair in. I sat him down beside the sink. Claire brought in the antiseptic, bandages, some gauze pads, and a bottle of water. I began cleaning him up.

It was my turn to take care of my man. He stared at the floor, lost in thought, hissing as I was trying to clean his wounds. Claire helped me bandage up his hands.

I knelt down in front of him. “Henry…I love you so much.” He nodded and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me onto his lap to hold me tight.

He whispered in my ear, “I love you, too. Please, don’t ever throw me away. You’re all I have.”

My heart ached for him. He feared that I would run far and fast. “That’s not true. You have all of us. We are all here for you.”

“I don’t feel worthy. I’m a throw away.”

“No, you’re not. There must be some reason she did that. It wasn’t because of you, Henry. Maybe they forced her.”

“You heard Kellan.”

“Yes, I did. I don’t care what he said. You are not a throw away. You are not trash. You are an amazing, loving, and deserving man.” Sadly, he shook his head. “Yes, you are. You have to trust me when I say that.” I leaned in and kissed his forehead.

He dug down into his pocket, pulling out my ring. “If I’m so deserving, why did you give this back to me?” His eyes were welling up again.

“Henry…I was stupid and wrong for doing so. I’m sorry. I was just so angry with the entire situation.”

I held out my hand, and he slid the ring back on my finger where it always belonged. He wrapped his arms around me. “I can’t go on without you,” he whispered in my ear. We held one another for a few moments.

“Come on, lover. Let’s get you some blood.” An odd statement, but it was what it was. I got up and headed into the dining room. I stopped as I passed Claire. “Thanks,” I said. I grabbed the bag off of the table and went back to the kitchen. I saw him rummaging through cabinets. “What are you looking for?”

“Mugs, cups, glasses…”

After I guided him to the correct cabinet, he pulled out three mugs. I handed him the bag, and he emptied it evenly between them. He walked back out, and handed Sophie and Nick their share.

“Cheers,” Henry said, glumly. He held up his mug for a brief second, then tipped it back. He set the mug down, and had to hold onto the table. He leaned over, his head hanging in a temporary state of euphoria. Nick sat down and sipped away, enjoying every drop of Claire’s blood. Sophie stood, and hadn’t even looked at her mug. My stomach began protesting.

“How can you think that tastes good?” I asked in disgust.

“It’s not that it tastes good. It’s euphoric. Near orgasm-worthy.” Each word Henry spoke came out breathy and relaxed. I made him sit down before he crashed to the floor. He looked up at me and licked his lips. I knew exactly what he was thinking, but we knew we had other matters to be concerned about at that moment.

Without looking at her, Henry commanded Sophie to drink. She broke out of her trance and sat down at the table to sip the elixir of life. He sat and surveyed the damage he had caused. He was ashamed and embarrassed. I could see how upset he was for what he did. I grabbed his hand. “It’s okay.”

“No. No, it’s not. I destroyed your mother’s things.”

“They’re just things. I have learned, since all this fucked up bullshit started, that the only thing that matters is us. All of us. These are just objects. They don’t hold the memories. Our hearts and minds do. Nothing is more important than the love between us. My mother would understand.” His face never changed. I couldn’t tell if he absorbed what I said.