I Am Not Yours

Too Much

August 1914

Once the cafe owner reached Henry Gowen's front stoop, she looked up at the height of his house, really taking it in for the first time since she'd first visited him. She asked herself what sort of illegal transactions had he made in order to build this house. But, it was in her nature to try and remember that Henry had been through a lot. He was a lonely child, a lonely ORPHAN. Just like Cody was. He was troubled and had fallen into the company of the wrong sort of people at such a young age that no one was around to teach him any better or to take care of him. She didn't want to judge Henry anymore. Instead...she wanted to UNDERSTAND him.

She decided that, tonight, they would only talk about their lives growing up or more of their dreams and aspirations in order to keep the peace. Talking business never got them anywhere and she made a pact with herself to change the subject should anything about the town council come up.

With one big deep breath, Abigail reached up to the door's big knocker but before she could grab hold of it, the door opened and Henry stood in the doorway, softly smiling at her. "I am glad you came." He told her, almost as if admitting that a part of him had expected her to stand him up.

"How did you know I had arrived?" She asked him while he stepped aside and gestured for her to enter his foyer.

"I saw out the window that you were walking up the pathway." He told her, hoping she did not suspect that he had been standing at the window, waiting for her for quite a while....which he had. Henry closed the door once she had entered the house and he moved to stand behind her. "May I remove your coat?" He asked her.

"Oh...Yes, of course." She turned her back to him a bit more to allow him to do so and her eyes fell to the staircase in front of her. She stared down at it as if watching herself there...months ago...lying under him while they-

Once her coat was off of her arms, she turned around to face Henry again while he placed it up on a coat rack he had near the front door. "Is it cold out there?" He asked her, doubting that it was at this time of year.

"No." She answered. "The weather is lovely."

"Then why wear such a heavy jacket?" Henry wondered aloud, switching his cane from his left to his right hand.

"I did not want anyone to see-" She stopped what she was saying briefly before just deciding to tell the truth. "...I didn't want anyone to see that I was dressed up this evening. They would have asked questions."

"Questions?" Gowen slightly raised an eyebrow though he knew exactly what she meant.

"I couldn't very well tell them that I was on my way to dinner with Henry Gowen, now could I?" She asked him.

"No. I suppose not." He tried to ignore how much her shame of him hurt. "Could you have told them you were off to see Frank?" He suggested that would be quite a good lie for her to come up with.

"No. Because Frank and I are no longer seeing each other." She told him plainly before walking passed him and heading for his living room down the hallway that was familiar to her.

"I am sorry to hear that."

"Don't lie, Henry." Abigail told him over her shoulder as he followed her.

They made it into the living room and she sat down on the sofa that faced the fire. Henry sat beside her before looking toward one of his housekeepers with a nod and she left to give them some privacy and to make sure dinner would be ready soon.

"What makes you think I am lying?" He asked.

"You have been advocating for Frank and I to end things for months." The blonde said. "Well, you were right." She admitted.