“I’m so confused right now.” Henry tried to embrace me, but I pushed him away. “Don’t touch me!”
“Elaina, it’s right here. Look!” He was desperate to show me, to prove to me that he threw it all away just for me, instead of using me as part of his mission. “Look, please. I didn’t want this to happen. I went rogue. I didn’t want to inject anyone. I knew it was wrong.” His voice cracked. “I thought that by holding the injection hostage, I could prevent this, but I failed at that, as well. I’m such a screw up.” My heart ached. I was hurt, but I could see how broken Henry was. I wanted to take him away from all of it.
“So when you actually met me, instead of continuing to stalk me, you decided that you couldn’t go through with the program anymore?”
“Precisely. I didn’t want to do it anymore. I love you so much.” He was looking for permission to get close to me. I wiped my tears on my sleeve. “Elaina, you mean everything to me. You’re the only person that has kept me sane in this entirely mental, fucked up life of mine. Please…” His words were getting caught in his throat.
“I need to say a few things.” Henry nodded. “I’m so angry right now. I’m so hurt right now. I always knew you were hiding stuff from me. I mean, why would you never let me into your apartment? I only ever knew a part of you. I’m…”
His desperation was evident. He was going to fight for me tooth and nail. “Love, please. I love you so much. I was just protecting you by not letting you completely into my life and my home. I would die for you. I would fight to the very end for you. Haven’t I proven that?” I nodded. “I know I should have told you all of this, but I was afraid you would leave me. I was so scared that I would lose you. But you have every right to leave me. You still do. If you want me to, I will leave right now. I’ll pack a small bag and leave you with the truck, along with a majority of the weapons. I will walk out that door right now if that’s what you want. I’ll understand if you want me to leave, but you have to understand. I will fight until the very end to have you in my life. You’re the only thing that makes it tolerable. I beg you not to walk away from us.” I couldn’t take it anymore. He was right. He would die for me.
I grabbed him and latched on to him. “Stay. I can’t live without you. I can’t.” I don’t think I had ever held Henry that tight before. I needed to hold him together. I didn’t want him to shatter all over again.
He kept whispering how sorry he was. I didn’t care. He was broken because he had been through so much abuse. His entire body trembled with fear. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophie approach us.
“Henry…I want to apologize for the both of us.” He looked at Sophie, who was shattering, as well. “I realize how much I’ve hurt you. Please forgive me.” I was hesitant and afraid of how Henry would react.
He stood glaring at her for a moment, then embraced her. “Thank you.”
“Thank you?” She questioned as she pulled away. He wrapped his big hands around the nape of her neck and held her face in his hands.
“Yes, thank you for helping me get it all out there. I was just kidding myself. I would never have been able to build up enough courage to tell her. I’m glad she knows, and I no longer have to live with the burden and fear.” Sophie didn’t know what to say. She broke their embrace, turned around, and ran up the stairs.
***
There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the house that evening. Henry finally sat back down at the table. It was Nick’s turn to glare. He stood up and pointed in Henry’s face. “Just because my sister forgives you, doesn’t mean I do.”
Claire grabbed Nick’s arm. “You have to forgive him. If Elaina wants us to continue to accept Henry, that’s what we have to do. We cannot be divided. It will only cause us to fall.” She turned to me. “Elaina, please accept my apology. I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you earlier.”
“I accept,” I quietly said.
“Okay. Well, let’s make some plans,” Claire said with a genuine smile. I think she realized how broken Henry was. She had witnessed so many of his outbursts of self-loathing misery as of late.
“Shouldn’t Sophie be involved?” I asked.
Henry cleared his throat. “I think she needs time.” He poured us all more drinks, and unfolded the maps to begin pointing out the different routes that we could travel. Between, Henry, Nick, Claire, and I, we ended up finishing that bottle of whiskey, then we killed one more.