at her sides, Elaina was pissed at Gunther for exposing one of Henry’s issues to absolute strangers. She cleared her throat. “That’s a little too personal, Gunther.”
All eyes were on her for a moment until Mara spoke again, “What are the relationships?”
“Quinn is my love, and Josie is like our daughter. Cora and her kids are our friends. Nick is Elaina’s brother. Henry is Elaina’s fiancé. And Thomas…” He looked back at him.
“He’s like my baby brother,” Elaina offered. Thomas smiled at her.
“How about your crew?” Gunther asked.
“Well, Lauren’s my sister, and Ben and Jane are our parents.” Then Mara sighed, adding a rolling of her eyes. “And Eli… He knocked up my sister and is an asshole, which we’ve already covered.”
“Okay, well, that was awkward,” Elaina mumbled. “I’m going to go check on Henry.” She spun around and stormed out of the cafeteria.
The anxiety level over her ill-fated relationship was reaching the limits. At that point, Henry knew she felt they were in a downward spiral.
Staring at the door, she needed to collect herself first, so Elaina paced around the hall, working through what she would say. Quinn was right. She had to help him.
Gunther eyed Eli. “How old are you?” he asked.
“What’s it to you?”
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
In one swift move, Gunther stepped forward and grabbed Eli by the throat, slamming him against the wall, coming to within an inch from his face. “You listen to me, you little fucking prat,” his voice rumbled. Eli whimpered which, in turn, made Mara laugh. “I will tear you limb from limb and eat you for breakfast. You’re in my house and you will respond to anything I ask; otherwise, you can have a nice fucking life on the outside. Clear?” Eli stammered, but no words escaped his terrified body. Gunther slammed him against the wall again. “Do not make me repeat myself!”
“Yes,” Eli choked out. Gunther let him go, then stepped back. Eli bent over, wheezing and trying to catch his breath. Lauren grabbed his arm and tried to calm him.
“Now, I do believe I asked you a question.”
“Eighteen…,” Eli gasped. “I’m eighteen.”
“Thank you kindly for responding,” he said with a smile.
“I like this guy,” Mara said, giving Gunther a thumbs up and giggling.
“I’m going to get with Henry and find out where he wants everyone to sleep.” Gunther nodded at Nick and Thomas, silently telling them they were to keep the new group in their sights. He cupped Quinn’s face and kissed her on the cheek before he jogged off.
Chapter 8
The door swung open again. I didn’t even have the energy to acknowledge whoever it was. Soft footsteps came toward me—my love. It had to be.
“Hey.” She ran her fingers through my hair. I groaned. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been run over by a bloody train,” I mumbled into my pillow. She grabbed my shoulder and started tugging, so I rolled over for her. I would have told anyone else to go fuck themselves.
“Let me see your eyes. Those same beautiful emeralds that grabbed me from the moment I met you, and the same emeralds that always reassured me.”
My eyelids were slammed shut, trying to avoid everything from light to critical stares. I wasn’t going to open them. “I don’t know if I’m that man anymore, Elaina. There’s nothing beautiful about hollow, lifeless eyes. And nothing reassuring from a man like me. I’m nothing but a fragile shell. One hard touch and I’ll crumble.”
“Please, Henry. I need to see them,” she begged softly. The silence grew heavy within my chest, crushing my heart, pushing out all my air. Elaina wiped the sweat off of my brow. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“This is not your fault. None of it. This is all on me. No apologies are needed from you.”
“I can still feel sorry, though. Look at me. Please.”
“I have a horrible headache. I can’t open them.”
In
All eyes were on her for a moment until Mara spoke again, “What are the relationships?”
“Quinn is my love, and Josie is like our daughter. Cora and her kids are our friends. Nick is Elaina’s brother. Henry is Elaina’s fiancé. And Thomas…” He looked back at him.
“He’s like my baby brother,” Elaina offered. Thomas smiled at her.
“How about your crew?” Gunther asked.
“Well, Lauren’s my sister, and Ben and Jane are our parents.” Then Mara sighed, adding a rolling of her eyes. “And Eli… He knocked up my sister and is an asshole, which we’ve already covered.”
“Okay, well, that was awkward,” Elaina mumbled. “I’m going to go check on Henry.” She spun around and stormed out of the cafeteria.
The anxiety level over her ill-fated relationship was reaching the limits. At that point, Henry knew she felt they were in a downward spiral.
Staring at the door, she needed to collect herself first, so Elaina paced around the hall, working through what she would say. Quinn was right. She had to help him.
Gunther eyed Eli. “How old are you?” he asked.
“What’s it to you?”
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
In one swift move, Gunther stepped forward and grabbed Eli by the throat, slamming him against the wall, coming to within an inch from his face. “You listen to me, you little fucking prat,” his voice rumbled. Eli whimpered which, in turn, made Mara laugh. “I will tear you limb from limb and eat you for breakfast. You’re in my house and you will respond to anything I ask; otherwise, you can have a nice fucking life on the outside. Clear?” Eli stammered, but no words escaped his terrified body. Gunther slammed him against the wall again. “Do not make me repeat myself!”
“Yes,” Eli choked out. Gunther let him go, then stepped back. Eli bent over, wheezing and trying to catch his breath. Lauren grabbed his arm and tried to calm him.
“Now, I do believe I asked you a question.”
“Eighteen…,” Eli gasped. “I’m eighteen.”
“Thank you kindly for responding,” he said with a smile.
“I like this guy,” Mara said, giving Gunther a thumbs up and giggling.
“I’m going to get with Henry and find out where he wants everyone to sleep.” Gunther nodded at Nick and Thomas, silently telling them they were to keep the new group in their sights. He cupped Quinn’s face and kissed her on the cheek before he jogged off.
Chapter 8
The door swung open again. I didn’t even have the energy to acknowledge whoever it was. Soft footsteps came toward me—my love. It had to be.
“Hey.” She ran her fingers through my hair. I groaned. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been run over by a bloody train,” I mumbled into my pillow. She grabbed my shoulder and started tugging, so I rolled over for her. I would have told anyone else to go fuck themselves.
“Let me see your eyes. Those same beautiful emeralds that grabbed me from the moment I met you, and the same emeralds that always reassured me.”
My eyelids were slammed shut, trying to avoid everything from light to critical stares. I wasn’t going to open them. “I don’t know if I’m that man anymore, Elaina. There’s nothing beautiful about hollow, lifeless eyes. And nothing reassuring from a man like me. I’m nothing but a fragile shell. One hard touch and I’ll crumble.”
“Please, Henry. I need to see them,” she begged softly. The silence grew heavy within my chest, crushing my heart, pushing out all my air. Elaina wiped the sweat off of my brow. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“This is not your fault. None of it. This is all on me. No apologies are needed from you.”
“I can still feel sorry, though. Look at me. Please.”
“I have a horrible headache. I can’t open them.”
In
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