LIES AND TRUTHS

CHAPTER FOUR

I wonder where he is, Elodie thought for the umpteenth time that night.

She was worried.

Henry had left the house, it was past midnight and he was not back yet. She had tried calling him but did not get any response which only made her worry more.

Why the hell am I worried about him? She asked herself.

He had made it very clear to her that he wanted nothing to do with her and he did not love her so why was she pacing the living room and staring up at the wall clock like some fish wife whose husband had gone missing?

Blame it on her stupid heart for always fluttering anytime he was here and anytime he smiled or spoke.

She was hopeless.

Elodie sighed, collapsing on the sofa.

“What are you doing?” Her mother in law asked.

She jolted from her thoughts, her eyes widening. She had not heard the woman approach.

“I… I am worried about Henry” She murmured. “He is not back yet”

“Henry is not a child and he can stay out if he wants to” Abigail scoffed.

“Yes but he is not picking up his phone and I am worried something bad has…”

“Will you be overjoyed if something bad were to happen to my son?” Her mother in law stopped her. “Are you waiting up to hear some sort of bad news? An accident perhaps, just like your parents?”

Elodie winced at her brutal words.

“I would never want anything to happen to Henry” She countered.

“I am sure because if anything were indeed to happen to my son then you can be rest assured that I will make sure you have no peace for as long as I fucking live”

The woman stalked off leaving Elodie to wonder as to her behaviour. She glanced towards the clock again and tried calling Henry again.

He picked up this time.

“Hello Henry, where the fuck are you? I am worried” She asked

“Henry cannot come to the phone right now, he is very exhausted from everything but I will let him know you called” A woman’s voice came through.

“Sophia?” Elodie tried, unsure of whom she was speaking to.

She heard a chuckle and then the line clicked, indicating that whoever it was that had picked up her husband’s phone had hung up.

Of course, she thought to herself. She had been worried about the damned man and he was with another woman.

Her eyes hurt from all the tears she had shed and so she closed them, dozing off on the sofa.

…

Henry’s eyes opened and he groaned trying to get up. His head hurt like crazy and his mouth felt like paper.

“Good morning”

His head snapped to the side, taking in a naked Sophia smiling down at him.

“What happened?” He asked, reaching for his discarded shirt.

“I… you must have had a lot to drink if you cannot remember everything that happened last night” She giggled, her cheeks staining with a blush.

“I remember us talking about my mother and the dancing and the drinking” He groaned.

“Here, let me help you” She reached for the buttons of his shirt.

“Then we came over here and… we did…”

“Do not tell me we had sex” Henry ground out, his eyes flashing.

Sophia nodded, smiling at him.

He did not smile back and she wondered if she had made a mistake and he did not love her as much as she had anticipated. He had mentioned that he still cared for her but that did not mean, he had not explicitly said he loved her.

Her smile disappeared replaced by a worried frown.

“I am sorry, I did not think you wouldn’t… we were so drunk and it doesn’t mean anything” She scampered.

“Yes” Henry answered, rising to his feet.

Sophia’s eyes followed him, wondering if she should say more.

“I need to go” Henry muttered as soon as he had his pants and shoes on.

“Of course” Sophia agreed, rising with him.

“We will talk later?” He asked, grabbing his phone.

She smiled, nodding her head.

He reached for her and her heart sang but when she thought he was about to kiss her on the lips, he only kissed her forehead which infuriated and confused her.

Henry walked out of the hotel and straight to where his car remained backed. He was still very much hungover and could hardly walk straight.

He climbed into the car, flipping out his phone.

Missed calls… a lot from Elodie and there was one where they had spoken.

What had he said? He wondered.

He shook his head and then turned on the ignition of his car, backing away from the bar and straight home where he let himself in.

Everywhere was quiet which indicated that no one was awake yet. It was better because he wasn’t about to explain his whereabouts to his mother or wife.

He was just about to cross the threshold of the living room before he saw her, Elodie. She was laying on the sofa with her arms crossed against her chest and her mouth slightly agape.

Her eyes were closed but he could see the dried up tears on her cheeks and perching on the tips of her lashes.

She had been crying, he thought.

His heart thumped painfully at this thought.

He moved like in a trance to where she lay, his fingers reaching to brush the hair out of her face.

It was in that moment her eyes opened, unfocused at first and then focusing on his face. She yelped coming up and hitting him square on the nose.

“What the hell, Elodie!” He yelped, backing away from her.

“I… you scared me” Elodie gasped, her hand coming up to her chest.

“I was merely… I just wanted to…You know what, forget it” He grunted, wondering what he had been about to do.

Touch her?

I am most definitely still drunk, he thought to himself.

“I am sorry, I did not know you were… where have you been?” She asked, her eyes raking over him.

“I went drinking” He muttered, wondering why he had answered.

“Of course you did” She responded. “Alone?” She asked again.

“Yes” Henry lied.

“Okay” Elodie’s voice broke.

He lied to her! It could only mean he had no idea she had spoken to Sophia.