Gus

Gus's POV:

"Where's Hadleigh?" Evylynn had asked me, finally seeming to be coming out of the daze she was in. She was in her night things, which were now covered in Henry's drying blood. She was pale as she looked at me waiting for an answer.

"She's in my personal room. Bathe and change before you go see her." I responded finally. Exhaling a puff of cigarette smoke before returning my eyes to Henry.

"What are your intentions with her?" Evylynn asked bravely. No one questioned me, especially when it came to my personal matters and decisions. I didn't respond for a moment while I thought about it. I'd known she was going to ask, but I didn't have a definitive answer. I knew she knew of my trips to visit Hadleigh in London. I was interested in Hadleigh, but I feared what that meant.

"If you're asking if I'm courting your cousin, I'm not. I just happen to enjoy her company on the level that she seems to understand me and I understand her. Will I say that I won't court her, no I will not say that because I do not know what is to come and I do enjoy her company. Not that it's any of your business, but she is safe with me."

"That's all I want is her safety," Evylynn responded, no anger in her voice, just genuine concern for her cousin. I only nodded in response. We stared at Henry together, watching him breathe for several minutes. I wanted Hadleigh in a way that I hadn't even wanted Genevieve, which if I was being honest scared the shit out of me. Genevieve was a storm, much like Evylynn. Headstrong, opinionated and beautiful and a giant pain in my ass. Hadleigh was the calm after the storm, she was quiet and like the sunshine breaking through the clouds. In the hours we'd spent in utter silence in London together barely talking as we roamed the streets together, I'd felt a sense of peace that I hadn't in a very long time. I was twenty-nine years old and had found sanctuary. I wanted Hadleigh as all people crave peace after their life has been a storm. I turned to exit the room. "Stay with him until he wakes. I've sent for another nurse to relieve you so you can take shifts." Evylynn didn't respond.

I walked up the stairs towards my quarters. I knew she hadn't left because my house was on lockdown. No one was leaving and the only person I waited on was the other nurse who was now being fetched by Andrew. She technically wasn't a nurse, but a healer from my family. She would do though. I walked up the stairs, my body already weary from the day. Even though it was not yet the lunch hour. I knocked on my bedroom door, not wanting to scare her any more than she already was. Hadleigh answered the door quick enough I knew she'd been pacing very near the door.

"How is he?!" She asked, stepping aside so I could enter the room before latching and locking the door again.

"He hasn't woken but his heartbeat is strong." I replied as I walked through the room towards the window, where the curtains had been pulled shut. I wasn't risking her too. People close to me had a way of disappearing or getting hurt. I peeked through the curtains down towards the road then walked to the fireplace which housed a warm fire. I stood there staring into the flames for a moment before I felt her arms wrap around me from behind. She hugged me tightly, trembling slightly. I didn't move but I instantly felt myself fractionally relax. I took a deep breath before loosening her arms around me and turning around. I needed to talk to her.

"It is no longer safe here." I turned eyeing her.

"I know," She murmured.

"You're safe from me, but I can't guarantee your safety outside this room. I desperately wish I could but I can't." I said honestly. She needed to know this, so she could leave without fear of repercussions, without regret. I would never intentionally hurt her, but like geneveive I couldn't keep her completely safe, just as Theo couldn't keep Evylynn safe.

"What are you saying?" She whispered after a moment, turning to look into the fire.

"I'm saying if you choose to stay here with us, we can't guarantee your safety."

"If I leave will I ever hear from you again?"

"I would never let you go truly, but we wouldn't see each other in person again." I felt like someone punched me in the gut as I said that. Her eyes turned back to look at me from the fireplace. I held her gaze. She was beautiful in this light. I thought, trying to memorize the way her face looked with the shadows moving across it.

After a long minute, she finally responded, "I don't want to go anywhere. I want to be where you are. I want you." She said softly, breaking eye contact to look at her hands as they fidgeted. I felt a small ember of hope blaze in my chest. I moved towards her, wrapping my arms around her in a gentle hug. "Then you may have me," I murmured into her ear, pulling her in tightly. I hadn't hugged her like this before. I'd only briefly held her in the car and held her hand in the streets of London. Her arms wrapped tightly around me, pulling my body flush with hers. I hugged her for a long time, for how long I don't know before a quiet knock rapped on the door.

"Haddy? Gus? It's me, Evy. Henry is awake, hurting something terrible but awake. I don't know what the gypsy woman you sent gave him but it calmed him a bit."

"We'll be down in a few," I called just loud enough for her to hear. She didn't respond.

"She doesn't like us together does she?" Haddy asked me.

"No she doesn't want us to continue this. She worries for you."

"She's a mother hen."

"I'm a dangerous man."

"I know that I do." She whispered after a minute, making eye contact finally. I stared at her beautiful face so close to mine. I knew what I wanted to do, and based on how she was looking at me, I knew she wanted the same. I kissed her slowly, lightly. Her lips so beautiful and fully pressed against mine, she was frozen at first, then began to slowly kiss me back. I couldn't resist her anymore, I pulled her in as tightly, keeping her body flush with mine. She grew more confident and began kissing more passionately, but her lips weren't quite as experenced as his and crushed depserately into his. We broke off for a while to breathe, her cheeks rosey.

"I've um, I've never been with anyone romantically." She whispered, her face flushed.

"Thats ok, we'll take it slow." I responded.