Henry didn’t look at me. “No.”
“But you seem angry.”
“I’m thinking,” he replied as we stopped at a red light. I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t speak.
The light turned green, and we drove on in silence. I hated this tension—there had never been so much coldness and distance between us, not even during our first encounter in the park. I didn’t blame Henry. He should have been in his office sorting out his own problems instead of getting dragged into my past and having to deal with Randell.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.
He sighed. “You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I just wish you hadn’t had to witness that.”
Henry abruptly pulled the car into a parking space at the side of the road and turned to face me. His eyes were piercing. “Do you have any idea how glad I am that I witnessed that? I’m not mad at you—I’m mad at myself for finishing some ridiculous email before I left. You can’t imagine how scared I was when I saw you there with that guy. And the knife...” He shook his head as if trying to banish the memory.
I swallowed. “You... you didn’t seem scared.”
“Believe me, I was. I would never have forgiven myself if something had happened to you.” He reached over the centre console for my hand and gently stroked his thumb over my cold skin. Thetender look in his eyes tugged at something in my chest. Despite how much he had on his plate, he had dropped everything just to be there for me.
“How did you even find me?”
“Tilly called me and said you’d cried in her office. I was worried about you. The old iPhone I gave you is still linked to my account, and I tracked you using Find My,” he explained hesitantly. “I’ve never checked up on you before, but when I saw you were at a cemetery after Tilly’s call, I was worried. I wanted to make sure you were all right. I hope that was OK.”
“It was.” I wouldn’t have called Henry, but I was still glad that he’d come. And it was nice to know that someone cared about me enough to worry. No one had looked out for me since my mum had fallen prey to Randell and the drugs.
“Good, that’s a relief,” Henry said with a smile. But instead of starting the engine and taking us back to the hotel, he got out and came to open my door.
I reluctantly left the warm car and stepped out into the cold drizzle. I glanced around. He had parked in front of a café called Better Days. The name was pretty ironic on a day like today.
“What are we doing here?”
“We’re talking,” Henry said. “Or rather, you’re talking and I’m listening.”
He took my hand and led me into the café. It smelled incredible—of roasted coffee beans and pastries. A young woman with pink hair stood behind the counter, carefully decorating cookies. She looked up as the bell above the door chimed, announcing our arrival. Her smile faltered at the sight of us—Henry in his elegant coat and tailored suit, and me in my worn leather jacket and mud-streaked trousers, both of us drenched to the bone.
The café was nearly empty, save for a couple and a blond woman working on her laptop—probably because most people were either at work or avoiding the rain in the comfort of their own homes.
“What would you like?” Henry asked.
“A tea.” The cakes and cupcakes on display looked delicious, and on any other day, the selection would have cheered me up. But I had no appetite today, and I dreaded the conversation we were about to have. I had avoided talking to Henry about my mum and Randell so far, but he deserved the truth.
“Find us a table. I’ll join you in a minute.”
I nodded and chose a booth in the furthest corner of the café. The place had a cosy charm, with small tables and chairs, and comfy seating areas piled with colourful cushions. The walls were dark green, and standing lamps cast a warm, inviting glow, even on a gloomy day like today.
I watched as Henry chatted with the woman at the counter. Her eyebrows were knitted tightly together, her expression inexplicably sceptical. Was she upset with us for leaving puddles on the floor? They spoke for a moment longer, their conversation animated. Finally, she nodded, and he handed her his credit card.
He came to the table without our order while the woman approached the other customers. I watched curiously as Henry removed his coat and draped it over the back of a chair at the neighbouring table before slipping around to the bench to sit next to me. “What were you talking about for so long?”
“I asked Kaycee to close the café.”
“Why?”
“So we can talk without being disturbed.”
“And she actually agreed?” I asked, disbelief creeping into my voice as I watched the blond woman shut her laptop and the coupleslip on their coats. None of them looked the least bit annoyed about having to leave.
“I said I would pay everyone’s bill, and offered her a very generous sum as compensation for the next hour.”
