Chapter 44: One Kiss, One Forgiveness

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: One Kiss, One Forgiveness

Elisha looked down at him, his expression filled with concern.

"What’s wrong? Tell me."

"You’re playing with my heart," Henry murmured, his eyes heavy with exhaustion and hurt.

"I’m sorry," Elisha whispered, his voice filled with genuine remorse. "Tell me what I’ve done. I’ll fix it—"

Henry didn’t answer. He simply stared at him.

Elisha stopped when he noticed Henry shivering badly beneath the sheets.

Elisha quickly got up and placed the bouquet on the chair before rushing into Henry’s walk-in closet. He grabbed a soft, silky pajama set and hurried back to the bed.

He gently helped Henry put on the pajama shirt, buttoning it before helping him into the pajama bottoms. Then he pulled the heavy duvet over him and tucked it securely around his body.

Elisha rushed out of the bedroom and called down the stairs for the maid to bring a basin of warm water.

A few minutes later, the maid hurried upstairs with the basin and towels. Elisha took them from her with a quick nod before dismissing her.

He sat back down on the edge of the bed, dipped a small hand towel into the warm water, wrung it out, and gently pressed the damp cloth against Henry’s forehead.

"I’ll call the doctor," Elisha murmured, reaching for his phone on the nightstand.

A weak, trembling hand emerged from beneath the blankets and caught Elisha’s wrist. Henry looked up at him, his tired eyes pleading softly.

"No... just stay with me. Hold me. I’ll be fine."

Elisha hesitated, studying his pale face. "Are you sure?"

Henry nodded weakly. "Yes."

Elisha didn’t argue. He placed the phone aside, slipped under the covers beside him, and wrapped his arms around Henry, pulling him gently against his chest.

He held him close in the quiet room, softly stroking his hair until Henry’s breathing became steadier and he drifted back to sleep.

Elisha lay beside him, watching over him until exhaustion finally claimed him too, and he fell asleep.

Hours later, Elisha stirred and woke again. He reached out and pressed the back of his hand against Henry’s forehead, then touched his own. A wave of relief washed over him. The blazing heat was gone, and Henry’s fever had finally started to subside.

A moment later, Henry stirred. He slowly opened his eyes, and the first person he saw was Elisha gazing down at him with quiet concern. With a soft murmur, Henry reached out and hugged him tighter, burying his face against his chest.

Elisha gently stroked his back. "Do you feel any better?"

"Yes," Henry whispered, his voice still slightly raspy. "Being in your arms makes me feel so much better."

Elisha smiled, a tender warmth filling his chest, and hugged him back. "Now... tell me what I did wrong. Why were you so mad at me?"

Henry shifted and looked up at Elisha with heavy, accusing eyes. "Yesterday, you said you wanted to come out to your parents. But you didn’t. You went there, acted like you were having fun with them, and it hurt, especially after all the promises you made while you were inside me."

Elisha frowned, looking at him in confusion. "Wait... but you told me I shouldn’t tell them."

"I wanted you to tell them," Henry said softly, shaking his head. "I just didn’t want you to feel like I was forcing you to do it. I wanted you to make that choice yourself. But you didn’t tell them."

Elisha stared down at him, baffled. "How could you possibly know I didn’t come out to them?"

Henry blinked, searching his face. "Well... did you?"

"Yes, I did," Elisha said firmly. "I told them everything."

Henry sat up slightly, his brow furrowing. "So... what did they say?"

"I don’t care what they said," Elisha replied, his jaw tightening as memories of the previous night came rushing back. "I finally told them the truth. I’m done hiding that part of myself from them."

Henry noticed the sharpness in his voice. "Did something else happen? You sound angry."

Elisha was quiet for a moment, his expression darkening.

"Henry, you won’t believe what happened last night," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"What happened? Tell me about it," Henry urged, settling back against the pillows.

Elisha let out a slow breath before telling Henry everything that had happened at his family’s estate. He explained how his mother had practically trapped him into staying overnight under the pretense of a family celebration. When he got to what happened with Jasmine, he told Henry how angry he had been and how the whole situation had pushed him past his limit. He had planned to tell his family calmly, but in the end, he simply told them the truth and stopped caring about how they would react.

Henry listened quietly, taking in everything Elisha had told him. "That was... a lot." He paused for a moment before looking at Elisha. "Do you think they’ll ever accept you after all of that?"

"Henry, I don’t care," Elisha said softly, leaning closer to him. "What I care about right now is you."

Henry gave him a bitter smile. "You care about me? Yet right after you finished sleeping with me last night, you answered your mother’s call and suddenly started calling Eloise my girlfriend, like you hadn’t just been jealous about her moments before. You acted like you didn’t even want me calling her that when you were inside me, and then, right after, you were the one calling her my girlfriend. What was I supposed to think? It felt like you got what you wanted from me and then went right back to treating me like I was nothing."

Elisha stared at him, finally understanding what had been weighing on Henry since the night before. "Is that what you’ve been thinking about all night? Is that what made you sick?"

"I’m not as weak as you think," Henry muttered defensively, looking away. "I was just tired from all the stress. It finally got to me."

"Alright, I understand," Elisha murmured, his voice softening. He reached out and gently cupped Henry’s cheek. "I’m sorry. So... what can I do to make it up to you? Is there anything you want?"

"I don’t want anything," Henry whispered, leaning into his palm. "I just want to stay here with you." He paused, then glanced toward the chair across the room. "And... bring me that bouquet. I want to see it."

Elisha smiled softly and stood from the bed to retrieve the lush bouquet of flowers. He walked back and handed it to Henry.

Henry took the bouquet and pulled it close as he sat up against the headboard. He inhaled deeply, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "It smells amazing. I really like it... Thank you, Eli."

"I’m sorry I got you so angry," Elisha said, sitting back down beside him and pulling him close. "But trust me, I love seeing you smile. So please... forgive me?"

Henry looked up at him, the last trace of coldness fading from his eyes. "Alright. You’re forgiven."

Elisha’s smile turned playful as he shifted closer, his eyes dropping to Henry’s lips. "Really?"

Henry nodded. "Yes."

"Alright," Elisha murmured. "If you truly mean it, kiss me."

Henry didn’t hesitate. He leaned in and kissed Elisha, holding his lips against his in a slow, lingering kiss that finally eased the bitterness of the night before.

They were still kissing when a sudden knock sounded against the bedroom door.

Henry immediately pulled back, his eyes widening slightly.

"Sir?" the maid called from outside. "Miss Eloise is here to see you. Would you like me to bring her up to your room, or would you prefer to come downstairs and meet her?"

He slowly turned toward Elisha, his gaze dropping to the bouquet still resting in his hand before returning to Elisha’s face.

Before either of them could say anything, the sound of high heels clicking against the floor echoed from the hallway.

Henry’s eyes widened.

Eloise was already making her way toward Henry’s bedroom.