Chapter 26: The Most Embarrassing Morning

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Most Embarrassing Morning

"I just want to watch you sleep right beside me while I stare at your pretty face, Mr. Griffin."

Henry let out a dry chuckle and shook his head. "That’s not funny, Eli."

"I’m not trying to be funny," Elisha said, a faint, lopsided smile touching his lips. "I’m trying to be romantic."

Henry rolled his eyes at the comment and turned on his heel, walking into his spacious walk-in closet. After a brief moment, he returned with two sets of soft, luxurious silk pajamas, one for himself and one for Elisha. He placed Elisha’s neatly folded set on the bed.

As Henry turned back toward the room, a mischievous thought crossed his mind. He wanted to see how long Elisha’s newfound self-control would last.

He stood in the open space of the bedroom, Henry began to undress, his gaze locked on Elisha. With slow, unhurried movements, he reached up and unbuttoned his shirt one button at a time, then slid the fine fabric off his shoulders and let it drop to the floor.

Elisha’s breath hitched. His eyes snapped upward, tracking the smooth expanse of Henry’s chest and the sharp lines of his collarbone, completely transfixed.

Henry didn’t stop. A slow smirk curved his lips as he reached for the waistband of his trousers. His fingers hooked into the metal clasp, undoing it with a sharp click before slowly sliding the zipper down. The rasp of the zipper echoed loudly in the quiet room.

As the dark fabric parted and Henry’s trousers slid smoothly down his hips to pool at his ankles, Elisha suddenly broke into a rough cough, pressing a fist to his mouth.

"I—fuck," Elisha choked out, his face flushing. "I need some water. No... fresh air. I need to step outside for a second."

Henry burst into laughter, his eyes dancing with triumph. "Alright, Eli. Take your time."

Elisha tried to stand, but his body refused to cooperate. He groaned under his breath and sank back onto the edge of the bed, crossing his arms and pressing a hand firmly between his legs to hide his reaction. Then he quickly turned his face toward the wall.

Henry glanced at Elisha and caught him desperately trying to compose himself. A deep, breathless laugh escaped him. Thoroughly amused, he shook his head, turned on his heel, and walked into the en-suite bathroom with a triumphant grin, leaving Elisha alone to battle his own racing pulse.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door clicked open, and Henry stepped out, fresh from his shower and already dressed in his silk pajamas. His damp hair clung softly to his forehead.

Elisha, who had been pacing near the edge of the bed, immediately hurried past Henry, keeping his arms crossed over his lap to hide his lingering reaction. He disappeared into the bathroom and quickly closed the door behind him.

Henry’s laughter echoed through the room. "Careful in there, Eli! Don’t go staining my pristine bathroom!"

"Henry, shut up!" Elisha called from behind the door. "You know exactly what you just did!"

"What?" Henry replied innocently, leaning against the vanity. "I have no idea what you’re talking about!"

"Fuck you, Henry!"

Henry grinned. "Fuck yourself, Eli!"

Inside the bathroom, Elisha turned the shower all the way to cold and stepped under the freezing water. He needed to cool himself down before going back out there and giving Henry another reason to tease him. He stayed under the cold spray for several minutes until his breathing finally slowed and he felt more in control.

Once he had calmed down, Elisha turned off the shower, dried himself, and stepped out. He picked up the silk pajamas Henry had left on the bed and slipped them on before joining Henry, who was already sitting against the pillows.

Henry looked at him, a smile playing on his lips. "So... did you take care of yourself in there?"

Elisha let out a tired sigh as he climbed onto the bed. "I’m perfectly fine, thank you very much."

"I could tell," Henry teased, a quiet chuckle escaping him.

Wanting to change the subject before Henry could tease him any further, Elisha brought up a few pending corporate matters and international accounts they had been reviewing that week. Henry joined the conversation, and soon they were casually discussing work as the earlier tension faded into a comfortable rhythm.

Slowly, their voices grew quieter. Lying on the bed facing each other, they continued talking, until the exhaustion of the long day finally caught up with Henry. His eyelids grew heavy, and his words gradually trailed off as he drifted to sleep.

Elisha fell silent, watching Henry’s peaceful face. He reached over and gently pulled the duvet over him before settling back against his pillow. A small smile touched his lips as he closed his eyes and fell asleep beside him.

The next morning, the quiet bedroom was suddenly interrupted by the relentless ringing of Elisha’s phone.

Still half-asleep, Elisha groaned and squeezed his eyes shut against the morning light. He reached blindly across the nightstand, searching for the phone until his fingers finally found it. Without bothering to check the caller ID, he swiped to answer and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello," he muttered, his voice thick with sleep.

A frantic, tearful voice suddenly came through the speaker, instantly snapping Elisha awake. His eyes flew open.

"Elisha!"

It was his mother. She was practically sobbing on the other end, her voice trembling with distress.

"Why couldn’t you tell me? I am your mother! Did you really have to hide something this serious from me? We could have done something! We could have sought medical attention, seen specialists, anything—"

Elisha bolted upright in bed, blinking rapidly as confusion washed over him. Beside him, Henry stirred beneath the duvet with a sleepy groan.

"Mom? Mom, what are you talking about?" Elisha stammered, completely disoriented. "What’s going on?"

"Your girlfriend called me yesterday!" his mother wailed, sounding as though she were mourning a tragedy. "She called me in tears and explained everything! She said that ever since you two got together, you were completely unable to touch her because you couldn’t perform as a man! How could you hide this from me, Elisha? How could you carry something like this all by yourself—and then, out of shame, just go and dump the poor girl? Why would you break her heart when she was only trying to protect your dignity? I am your mother!"

Elisha stared blankly at the wall, his brain completely short-circuiting.

"Mom... calm down. Hold on. Stop." He dragged a hand down his face, his voice rising in disbelief. "My girlfriend called you to say what? That I can’t perform as a man?"

"She told me everything!" his mother cried dramatically. "She said you have severe erectile dysfunction! She said there’s something wrong with you and that you can’t function like a man. She said you couldn’t be a man with her, and because you were ashamed, you broke her heart."

Henry propped himself up on one elbow beside him, his hair messy from sleep as he stared at Elisha in confusion. "What’s going on?" Henry whispered, rubbing his eyes.

Elisha looked at Henry, then back at the phone, his mouth opening and closing as if he couldn’t find the words.

"What the actual fuck..." he muttered, his face turning bright red. "Me? I can’t perform? Is she out of her absolute mind?"

"She was crying her eyes out, Elisha! She defended your honor!" his mother continued, completely ignoring his outrage. "She said you tried your best, but your body just wouldn’t cooperate! But don’t you worry, my son. We’re going to fix this. You need to come home immediately. Come home right now so we can settle this. I’ve already called your girlfriend back, and you two are going to talk this out. You need to get back together! I’ve already reached out to our family doctor. Whatever treatment you need, whatever pills or therapy she recommends, we’re going to do it!"

"Mom, are you insane?!" Elisha shouted, horrified, as Henry suddenly snorted beside him.

"I do not have erectile dysfunction! I am perfectly, completely, one-hundred-percent functional as a man!"

"Oh, stop lying to protect your fragile ego, Elisha! Denial is the first stage of healing!" his mother sobbed loudly. "Get in your car right now and come home. We’ll get through this difficult time as a family!"

The call abruptly disconnected with a sharp click.

Elisha sat frozen in the middle of the bed, holding the phone away from his ear as if it might explode. His face burned with mortification.

Henry buried his face in his pillow, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as laughter burst out of him.

"Don’t you dare laugh," Elisha hissed, glaring at the back of Henry’s head. "That woman is already planning medical treatment for a problem I don’t even have!"

Henry rolled onto his back, tears of laughter in his eyes as he pointed at Elisha.

"Oh my God. Your ex really told your mother you’re broken? That is the most humiliating, unhinged revenge I’ve ever heard!"