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Maybe not yet. Maybe not ever. Or maybe I already have.
I don’t know.
My feelings are all jumbled like an impossible-to-solve Rubik’s cube.
Henry breathes hard, his chest pumping. He’s wearing a stained T-shirt under a Henley button-down. From what I can see of the grey shirt, it’s stained in sweat. How long has he been waiting out here to see me?
We stand there staring at each other for a few seconds until I break the stand-off. “What are you doing here, Henry?”
“You weren’t answering my messages.” His eyes slink to me and then away as if he can barely make himself look at my face. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
I wait until he gains the courage to look at me so I can sign, “If you’re here to apologize, don’t bother.”
His head whips up and he advances desperately. “I wouldn’t. I would never ask you for forgiveness, Yaya. I’m not that selfish.”
Dare places a protective hand in front of me when Henry gets too close, but I push his arm down.I’m okay. I don’t need to stand behind you.
As much as Dare likes to tease me, neither of us are mind readers. I don’t expect Dare to see inside my head, but I’m grateful when he doesn’t try to drag me away.
Not that he’ll give metoomuch space.
He’s right there, practically breathing down my neck and watching Henry like a hawk.
The security team is still on high alert too. Tension thickens the air and I wish we didn’t have an audience. I can’t think. Can’t focus. There are too many distractions. Too many people, emotions, and conversations to keep track of.
“Please. Five minutes. Just give me five minutes,” Henry begs.
I gesture for him to go ahead.
“Somewhere private.” His eyes dart to Dare again and, this time, they narrow ever so slightly.
Dare puts a hand on my shoulder, a silent indication that he’s not going anywhere.
“Whatever you want to explain, you can do it in front of him,” I sign.
Nostrils flaring, Henry blows out a breath and dips his chin once.
I wait for him to explain himself.
He doesn’t. Instead, his eyes fix on me and trace every inch of my face.
“Are you just going to stare at me?”
Henry jerks awake like a man rising from a long nap. “Sorry. I just… I missed you so much. It’s been so long since I’ve seen your face.”
Dare shuffles angrily.
I grab his hand and squeeze.
“What did you come here to tell me, Henry?”
“The truth.” He lifts his chin. “When I saw your interview with Sullivan that day,” Henry flashes a challenging look Dare’s way, “I knew something was off. I knew you’d never willingly date someone like him.”
He’s not wrong.
“I traced it back in my head. This chaos all started that night of the wedding. The night I trashed the wrong car. The night you ran into Sullivan for the first time. That’s the only reason he even spoke to you. That’s when things started to fall apart.”
Dare’s got his arms folded over his chest, standing off with Henry as if he’s waiting for any indication that I’m ready for my best friend to be escorted off the property.