Chapter 39: When Secrets Start to Show

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: When Secrets Start to Show

A dark, confident smile curved across his lips. He leaned back against the seat and held the phone up for Henry to see.

"Perfect timing," Elisha murmured.

Henry pulled back. He shook his head slowly, keeping his voice low. "I would advise you to think about this again, Elisha. It’s not as if you can actually control how they’ll react once the dust settles."

"Exactly," Elisha replied, his voice steady and completely unbothered. "That’s why I have to tell them. Otherwise, this isn’t going to stop. I need them to know that I’m fine and that I love men. I can’t keep letting them force me into a life I don’t want."

Henry remained unconvinced. He didn’t believe Elisha would actually go through with it. Deep down, he was certain Elisha was only reacting to seeing Eloise, a burst of jealousy and anger that would fade once he had calmed down.

With a quiet sigh, Henry carefully stood up from Elisha’s lap, moved back to his side of the car, and hurriedly began putting his clothes back on.

Elisha didn’t try to stop him. Instead, he swiped to answer the call and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Mom."

Henry froze halfway through buttoning his shirt, pretending not to listen while hanging on to every word.

"Are you busy?" Elisha’s mother asked through the speaker, her tone brisk. "Can you come home tonight?"

Elisha raised an eyebrow and glanced at Henry. "What’s happening tonight?"

"Just come home," she replied smoothly. "It’s a surprise."

"Is there something we have to celebrate?" Elisha pressed, testing the waters. "Should I pick up a bottle of wine on my way?"

"That would be perfect," his mother replied.

"Alright, Mom. I’ll see you soon."

The line clicked dead.

By then, Henry had finished dressing, but the conversation still echoed in his mind. None of it sounded like the explosive coming-out speech Elisha had just sworn he was going to make. It sounded like a normal family dinner.

Just like I thought, Henry told himself bitterly. All talk.

Elisha locked his phone and tossed it aside before looking at him. "Henry, I have to head home. Do you still want to go back to your girlfriend?"

Henry forced his expression into one of indifferent calm, hiding the dull ache in his chest. "Yes. My car is here. More importantly, I brought her here, so I should take her back."

"Alright," Elisha said. "See you tomorrow morning."

"Alright." Henry didn’t think much of it as he reached for the car door.

Before he could pull the handle, Elisha’s hand shot out.

"Won’t you give me a kiss before you go?"

Henry swallowed hard, a wave of conflicting emotions washing over him. Still, he leaned in. Elisha caught his lips in a brief, possessive kiss.

Before Henry could pull away, Elisha grabbed his signature bottle of cologne from the console and sprayed a heavy mist over Henry’s chest and around the interior of the car, masking whatever scent remained.

Henry gave him one long look before pushing the door open. He stepped out into the cold garage and walked away without looking back.

"Inside the car, Elisha waited a moment before calling his driver on the phone and asking him to come back. A few minutes later, the driver returned to the vehicle, slipped behind the wheel, and pulled out of the parking garage."

As Henry walked back toward the entrance of the lounge, disappointment settled heavily in his chest. He felt like a fool, a man who knew better but still allowed himself to fall right back into Elisha’s hands, letting him have his way whenever he wanted.

He took a slow breath, smoothed down his jacket, and walked back into the lively noise of the bar toward Eloise’s table.

The second Eloise saw him, her face lit up. She hurried over and threw her arms around his waist. "Babe! Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you."

"I’m sorry," Henry said smoothly, offering a practiced, apologetic smile. "I quickly helped Elisha get to his car, and then I had to step away to handle something else."

As Eloise pulled him closer, her nose twitched. She caught the heavy, distinct scent of fresh men’s cologne lingering around him. She pulled back slightly, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Did you—"

"We should leave," Henry cut her off quickly, not giving her a chance to finish or ask any more questions. "I still have things to take care of tonight."

Eloise hesitated, glancing at her friends before nodding. "Alright."

Henry turned toward the table and smiled politely at her friends. "Thanks for keeping Eloise company tonight. I’ll take care of the bill."

"Oh, Henry, you really don’t have to," one of her friends said, looking slightly surprised.

"It’s fine," Henry replied with an easy smile. "I’ve got it."

"Thank you," another friend said warmly. "That’s really sweet of you."

"You’re welcome," Henry said, giving them a small nod.

After settling the bill, Henry turned back to Eloise and held out his hand. "Ready?"

Eloise smiled and slipped her hand into his. "Ready."

They said their goodbyes to her friends before walking out of the lounge together and into the night.

As they reached the car and settled into the back seat, the driver pulled away from the curb and merged into the evening traffic. Eloise turned to Henry, studying his profile for a long moment before finally speaking.

"Babe, I have a question to ask you."

Henry felt a sudden jolt of panic. He forced his voice to remain steady. "What is it?"

Henry swallowed hard, quickly gathering his composure. "It’s not mine—it’s Elisha’s. He was reeking of alcohol and sweat, and after all the touching and leaning against me, the smell got onto my clothes. So I grabbed his bottle and sprayed some on myself to cover it before his driver took him home."

Eloise stared at him without blinking. "It’s not just the cologne that feels off, Henry."

Henry stammered, a defensive edge creeping into his voice. "What are you even saying?"

"Your clothes look rumpled," Eloise pressed, her voice becoming more accusatory. "And your lips... your face... even your hair looks completely messed up, Henry. Tell me the truth. Did you sneak off somewhere to sleep with someone?"

Henry’s body went rigid, cold sweat breaking out across his neck. "What are you talking about? Are you even listening to yourself right now?"

"Don’t tell me..." Eloise paused, her breath catching as the realization hit her. "Don’t tell me there’s someone else, Henry."

"What absolute nonsense are you talking about?" Henry shot back, feigning offense to hide his panic.

"Don’t tell me you’re fucking another woman," Eloise demanded, her eyes flashing with hurt and anger. "Tell me who she is, Henry!"