Chapter 61: Henry Finally Gives In

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Henry Finally Gives In

"It’s not late," Elisha replied immediately, sitting up straighter against his headboard. His heart began to beat faster. "If you want me to come, I’ll get dressed, have my driver bring me over, and I’ll be at your door in twenty minutes."

For a moment, Henry looked like he really wanted him to come. But then he rubbed his tired eyes and let out a soft yawn.

"No," Henry murmured, shaking his head against the pillows. "Don’t be ridiculous. We still have a busy week ahead of us. Save your strength for it, because I won’t be stressing myself. You’ll be the one doing everything."

"I can manage," Elisha replied. "I’m not complaining."

"No, babe. Let’s sleep. It’s getting late, and I’m completely exhausted. I just want to sleep now."

"Alright, pretty," Elisha whispered. "Goodnight. I love you so much."

"Goodnight," Henry murmured back, a faint smile on his lips. "I love you more."

With a soft tap on the screen, the video call ended.

Elisha lay back against his pillows and stared at the ceiling, a small smile on his lips as he replayed that single word in his head.

Babe.

Henry didn’t even have to try. One little word and a simple smile were enough to make his heart race.

But as the silence settled around him, the warmth of the moment slowly faded, and his thoughts returned to their earlier argument.

That’s my decision, and it’s final

Elisha let out a slow breath. He knew Henry had his reasons. He had always been independent and protective of his personal space. Still, the thought of living separately after they were married didn’t feel right to Elisha.

Not after waiting all these years to finally be with him. Not after everything it had taken for them to get to this point.

They were finally going to be husbands, yet Henry still wanted to keep a distance between them.

Elisha closed his eyes and tried to quiet his thoughts. He knew he couldn’t force Henry to change his mind overnight, especially when doing so might only create another argument.

For now, he would be patient. He would give Henry the time he needed and continue showing him that they were in this together. Maybe, with time, Henry would finally let his guard down and understand that they were truly a team.

With the quiet hope that everything would eventually fall into place, Elisha reached for his phone one last time. He scrolled through his gallery until he found a picture Henry had sent him a few weeks ago. It was a photo taken right after a shower, with his hair still damp.

Elisha smiled as he looked at the picture, the ache in his chest slowly easing. He placed his phone on the nightstand and settled back against his pillows. Before long, exhaustion took over, and he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, the soft light of dawn filtered through the curtains. Elisha was still fast asleep when his phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking the quiet of the room.

He stirred and reached for his phone without fully opening his eyes. After unlocking the screen, he saw a message from Henry. A smile immediately crossed his face as he quickly opened his eyes and read it.

Good morning, baby.

A few moments later, another message came through from their Italian designer, along with a catalog of wedding suit designs for them to choose from. Henry had already gone through the options and picked two designs he wanted them to wear for their wedding. He sent both choices to Elisha so they could decide together.

Elisha quickly typed back.

Good morning, pretty. I love both of them. They’re gorgeous. We should definitely go with those.

Henry replied a moment later.

What color do you want to choose?

Any color you choose is fine by me, Elisha replied. He trusted Henry’s sense of style completely.

Alright, babe. Let me talk to the designer and finalize everything. I’ll chat with you soon, Henry replied.

Alright, my love.

With the suit designs settled for now, Elisha locked his phone and set it on the nightstand before getting out of bed. He headed to the bathroom and began his morning routine.

After taking a hot shower and shaving, he dressed in a sharp, well-tailored suit. Once he was ready, he picked up his briefcase and headed downstairs.

The smell of breakfast greeted him as he walked into the dining room. His maid looked up and greeted him with a polite bow.

"Good morning, sir."

"Morning," Elisha replied with a faint smile.

He pulled out his chair and sat down. Before picking up his fork, he took out his phone and snapped a quick picture of the breakfast in front of him. He sent it to Henry with a teasing caption:

Your husband-to-be’s breakfast is looking good... but my champion is looking even prettier, and you know I’d rather have you for breakfast instead. ❤️

A minute later, Henry’s cheeky reply appeared on the screen.

I hope you don’t get tired of eating it later.😋

Elisha let out a low laugh and typed back.

Never, pretty.

He set his phone down and continued with his breakfast, enjoying the playful exchange between them.

Just as he finished his last sip of coffee, another message from Henry came through.

Alright, off to work now, babe. Talk to you later.

Elisha replied immediately.

Okay, babe. I’ll be leaving home soon too. Have a wonderful day at work.

A moment later, Henry typed back.

You too. I love you, big head.

Elisha smiled and shook his head at the affectionate tease.

I love you too.

He slipped his phone into his pocket, picked up his briefcase, and stood from the table. A few minutes later, he walked outside, where his driver was already waiting beside the car.

As Elisha approached, the driver took his briefcase and opened the back door for him. Elisha slipped into the back seat, and the driver closed the door before walking around to the other side and getting into the driver’s seat. He started the car and drove Elisha to the office.

When Elisha arrived, he settled into his spacious office and got to work on the stack of pending documents waiting for him. Since he would be taking a few weeks off starting tomorrow, he wanted to make sure everything was properly handled before he went on leave.

He called Sarah, into the office.

"Sarah," Elisha said, looking up from his desk. "Starting tomorrow, I won’t be coming into the office until after my wedding. Have all my schedules been cleared and taken care of?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes, sir. Everything is covered. If any clients reach out, I’ll let them know you’ll attend to them as soon as you return to the office."

"Alright. Thank you," Elisha replied.

Just as they were finishing their conversation, a sharp knock sounded at the door.

Elisha frowned and looked at Sarah. "Do I have any appointments this morning?"

"No, sir. Not on the schedule," Sarah replied, looking equally puzzled.

"Go and check who it is," Elisha instructed.

Sarah turned toward the door, but before she could reach it, the door opened from the outside.

Elisha looked up from his desk at the sound, his attention immediately drawn to the doorway. His eyes widened when he saw who was standing there.

Henry paused at the entrance, one hand still resting on the door handle, a small smile appearing on his face when he caught Elisha’s surprised expression.

Sarah quickly stepped aside and gave him a respectful nod. "Good morning, Mr. Griffin."

"Good morning, Sarah," Henry replied as he walked farther into the office.

Sarah stepped out and quietly closed the door behind her.

Elisha stood up from his desk and walked straight toward Henry. He pulled him into a tight hug, holding him for a moment before leading him over to the seating area.

Henry smiled as they sat down. "Did I surprise you?"

"Yes, pretty," Elisha replied, still looking at him in surprise. "Why are you here?"

"What do you mean? I came to see my fiancé at his company," Henry said with a small smile. "Why else would I be here, babe?"

"I’m just surprised. So, tell me. Why did you come?" Elisha asked.

"I cleared my schedule until after our wedding," Henry explained. "So I decided to spend the day with you. I’m staying here with you until you’re done with work, and then I’m going home with you."

Elisha blinked in surprise. "Go back to your place or my place?"

"Your place, baby," Henry replied without hesitation. "I want to start staying at your place so I can get used to it."

Elisha froze. He instinctively reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, staring at Henry in confusion.

"Babe... didn’t you just say yesterday that you didn’t want to move in?" he asked, shaking his head in confusion. "What changed?"

"Nothing changed. I just—"

"No, Henry. Please, tell me the truth," Elisha interrupted gently. "I know you. You don’t just change your mind like this. I’ve been confused since last night."

Henry sighed softly. He reached across the small space between them and took Elisha’s hand, gently brushing his thumb over his knuckles.

"You’re right. I should apologize first," Henry said quietly. "I’m really sorry, babe."

Elisha looked at him, surprised. "For what?"

"For everything," Henry said, his voice more sincere now. He lowered his eyes to their joined hands for a moment before looking back at Elisha. "Especially for the way I’ve been acting since we started planning the wedding. I know I’ve made things harder than they needed to be, and I’m truly sorry."

He paused, gently holding Elisha’s hand.

"After our argument yesterday, I called my mother and told her everything. I complained about moving into your house, and honestly...