“Back off!” Henry growled. His hand continued to shake as he held the gun to his temple.
***
I ran back out to the barn as fast as I could, leaving Addie in my wake. I heard Henry yell at Nick. I hurried up the ladder and saw him sitting there with the Sig to his head.
“No!” I screamed. I ran to him, but before I could reach him, Nick grabbed me.
“Sit,” he commanded.
“No! He is…”
“I can see what is happening here. I have two working eyes.”
“Please, both of you, just leave me alone.”
“No. Nick, tap me.” I dug through the pack and pulled out what I needed.
“No, Elaina. I will no longer accept your blood.”
“Henry, you have to.”
“I don’t have to do anything.”
“No, you don’t. Nor do you have to do this. I am begging you. I wish you could see the good that is inside of you.”
“I have done so many bad things. So many. Some I can’t even tell you about because they are so awful. I don’t want to burden you with it.”
“I understand, but you have to move forward.”
“You don’t know everything, and there is no forward. It’s now or backward. I want to choose my destiny.”
“You taking your own life is not an option. I’m taking that right off of the table.” Henry watched as Nick tapped me. He licked his lips. I could almost see him salivating.
“I can’t have a life if I am not living!” he growled.
“You are living. Your heart is beating, you breathe, you laugh, you cry, you make love to me. They can’t do any of those things.” He swallowed hard, and it dawned on me. “You only did that earlier as a last moment with me, didn’t you?” He slowly nodded, acknowledging my epiphany. I was shaking because I was so angry. “You asshole!” I screamed at him. “You did all of those things to me just so you could have me one last time?! If I didn’t find you, you would have gone through with it!”
“You don’t get it. It wasn’t for me. Remember, I stopped myself? I did it for you. You were the one who begged me to finish. I didn’t want to. It hurt too fucking much.”
I felt guilt ridden because I forced him to feel the pain. Nick glared at Henry while he took off one vial and popped on another. I hoped he wouldn’t ask any questions. I had a feeling he didn’t want to know, and I wasn’t about to elaborate any more about it.
He held it out to Henry, who didn’t acknowledge it. He sat and stared at me. Time for a new strategy.
“Henry! You are to drink that now! It will make you feel better.” He smirked at me. “What’s so funny?”
“You think it will make me feel better?”
“Physically, yes, it will.”
“Not up here, Elaina.” He tapped the Sig at his temple. “Not fucking up here.”
“I know you don’t want to do this.”
“You don’t know what I want or don’t want.”
“Yes, I do.” Nick popped off the next vial. “Take them, please,” I begged. He held out his injured hand, and I laid the two vials in it. He dropped them in his lap. “Henry, please. I am begging you. I need you. I can’t walk this earth without you next to me.”
“You will find a new love, one who isn’t a bloody leech.”
“You are not a leech. I’m fine with giving you my blood because I love you and I want you to live. What happened to rising up and forming a society…what about a memorial for Sophie…what about a family…what about us?” The moment my voice cracked, his jaw trembled. I inched closer to him. “Henry, I want to have a family with you. I want to give you a child. I want to make a home with you. I want to marry you. I want to help you. I want to take care of you. I want you to be by my side every day.” His body slacked. I slowly reached up and grabbed the Sig out of his hand, sliding it across the floor to Nick.
I grabbed the vials and straddled his lap. I popped the cap off of one. “Come on. Drink this for me.” I held it up to his lips. He parted them slightly, and I poured it into his mouth. When he swallowed, I felt relief wash over me. I opened the next one and made him drink that one, as well.
“I'm going to leave you two alone.” Nick got up and went back down to the house. I held onto Henry. I held him tight so he couldn’t shatter. I wouldn’t let it happen.
He wasn’t crying anymore. He was just sitting silently with one hand around my waist, accepting my love. I turned and looked at his face. He had his head tipped back against the barn wall, his eyes closed. He jumped when I ran the backs of my fingers over his stubbly cheek.