Chapter 27: Twenty-Seven

Melina went to the bedroom and came back with the thermometer in her hands. Henry was staring at the window, lost in his mind. He didn’t move when she took his temperature. Only one degree off. She would have to keep him there a little longer. Didn’t he have a good immune system? If he didn’t get better soon, she would call a doctor or take him to the emergency room. She was so used to seeing and thinking of him as the big, dangerous gangster that nothing had prepared her to see him so desolate, and it didn’t sit well with her. He was a handsome man with a shady past, and one she got included in.

“It was a setup. I couldn’t save them, I’m sorry!” Once more, he had his gaze fixed on her face. The fever made his pools of honey even shinier. She soaked the wash cloths in cold water again and put them back in place while he observed her. “Everything happened at the same time. Claire, your parents. I had only two hands!” His face reddened in anger, making his eyes shine brighter.

“Don’t worry about that now, we’ll talk about it later. Rest for a few more minutes.” Melina cupped his cheek, and he covered her hand with his, closing his eyes.

“But you don’t believe me, do you?” He swallowed hard a few times and gave a heavy sigh. “Tom died, Melina. My only brother, and I miss him!” he said that with so much pain in his voice, tears welled up in her eyes. “My life didn’t go the way I had planned. I’ve never meant to hurt you.” He pulled her to sit at the edge of the tub and laced her by the waist, hiding his face on her stomach. The movement made water splash and got her clothes wet.

“I want to believe you, Henry. I just wished you had trusted me enough back then to come forward and try to explain everything, but you preferred to keep yourself in the shadows.” She caressed his soft strands, brushing them out of his face.

“I had to. If they knew, you’d become an easy target.” Shivers ran up his skin. “It’s so cold, Mel.” He hissed, chattering his teeth.

“I know. Hold it a minute longer, please. The fever is still too high, if it doesn’t come down I’ll have to take you to the ER.”

“You were so beautiful on your graduation day.” His voice got muffled by her clothes, and she almost didn’t catch it.

“Were you there?” Melina froze, and he opened his eyes. How did he know? He must have seen the puzzlement on her face.

He nodded. “I didn’t want you to be all alone.” Her heart swelled in her chest, and she didn’t hold herself anymore. She bent down and planted a kiss on his parched lips.

“Thank you.” She lingered on them a moment longer. “Thank you for being there, it was very thoughtful of you.” She caressed his face and held him for a while longer, then she took his temperature once more. He had fallen asleep, his head on her lap. The water and the medicine were working. It was time to get him out of that cold soaking. “Come, let’s get some sleep, Henry.” She coaxed him out of the tub with a gentle voice.

***

Melina left after making sure he got comfortable in bed. She needed to check on Evangeline, and if she was going back and forth, she would die of exhaustion. She left a note to Giagiá on the kitchen table explaining the situation and took Eve with her back to Henry’s house. They shared the flu, so there was no problem staying together to facilitate things for her.

Melina’s days resumed into a fussy and whiny Evangeline, and to a delirious Henry on and off a fever, blabbering some pieces of sentences and all the names she had read on his bracelet. The people he cared about the most. The only one he repeated a lot, and it wasn’t there, was the name Claire.

She didn’t know what kind of life he led, but by his anguished tone it had been a hard one. By the end of the day, the fever broke off, and Henry finally had some rest. Melina had a pleasant life until her kidnapping. From there it took a freaky turn and since then it was only downhill, but she couldn’t complain, her parents had been jewelers who raised her well and healthy. She had nothing to hide from the world. She was plain old Melina. He was the one with all the secrets.

Late that night, Melina laid down beside him on the bed, and made Sleeping Eve comfortable between them. She felt drained. The day had been a long one, and she needed some sleep, but her mind thought otherwise.

People in a delirious state couldn’t lie, could they? She didn’t think so, and once more Giagiá’s words came to her mind. She was right. He wasn’t the one behind her parents’ death. Who was Claire, and what happened to her?

It was time Henry came up clean with her and explained a few facts. Probably the one who did it was the creep, sending her the shitty messages. After much thinking, exhaustion took over and Melina drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

***

Henry woke up, and his entire body hurt as if he had been in a boxing ring and someone beat the crap out of him. The last thing he remembered was feeling hot and cold all the time, a nasty headache, and tumbling to bed in his clothes, then blank. Warm little hands cradled him by the neck and face, and bigger arms by his waist. It was the best feeling in the world.

He fluttered his eyes open and Evangeline came into focus, then Melina. What could they be doing there? No, he wasn’t complaining. He woke up to the most beautiful sight and the realization; he wasn’t alone anymore. Henry planted a kiss on Eve’s little palm and every chubby finger, taking care not to wake her up from her peaceful sleep.

After some time taking them in, he untangled himself from them. Even the cats were curled up in bed. Henry went about his morning routine, and he used the bathroom from the common area of the house not to wake them up. He was feeling like crap and desperately needed a shower. He was all nasty and sticky. The only thing in his mind was to get back in bed and sleep for a few more hours, enjoying the company of his family. It sounded crazy, but he had a family. Happiness filled his heart, and a smile made its way to his lips. One last thought crossed his mind before he fell asleep. He was a lucky bastard.

A delicious smell made its way into his dreams, and his stomach grumbled in protest as far away voices and meows made their way to his ears. Everything was hazy and the light-headed feeling lingered on him like a second skin. From night to day, he had a home and a family. What did he do to fall into fate’s graces? But the hard work was still to come. He had to convince Melina to give him a chance. They needed to have a serious talk and start anew.

A little dizzy, he sat up on the bed and dragged himself to the bathroom to clean himself up, then he walked to the musical voices filling his home. Leaning on the kitchen’s door frame, Henry stared at the scene.

“Hey, mommy is bringing a new friend for us!” Eve announced, all excited.

“Oh, come on! We don’t need anybody else.” Lina went to Eve, licking her cheek. “We already have enough people in our little family.”

“Besides, we’ve already got a creepy plus one.” Socks drawled. “Your mom doesn’t stop drooling over him!”

“Hey, my dad is not creepy!” Eve said with indignation in her voice, making him smile.

“Yeah, he may not be, but your mom drools over him, she really does…” Lina laughed out loud, teasing Evangeline.

“No, mommy doesn’t drool over him!” She scowled at the cats.

“Evangeline! Where did you get that? One more word and no dessert for you!” Melina brought her short.

Henry glanced at Melina. She was wide-eyed and flushed crimson under her sexy summer dress, setting his mind wild. He knew all the places that beautiful shade of red would cover.

“Lina said it!” Eve pouted and crossed her arms, annoyed.

“Lina, huh? Please tell me more about this drooling thing. It got me interested…” Henry said from the door with mischief glinting in those sinful pools of honey.