Until You

Chapter 3 ~ You are Flying with Us

Chapter 3

One minute she was smiling up at Uncle Henry, the next thing she knew, she was pressed into a hard wall, er, chest. Her breath was momentarily cut short. Then she pushed back as hard as she could but he wouldn't budge.

Theo stiffened but did not let go. This was so out of character for him. To be impulsive was not in his vocabulary. But still, he couldn't let go. His heartbeat was deafening. His hardness was instantaneous. It appeared that whenever she was around, he had no control of himself whatsoever. He knew she could feel his hardness. She squirmed in his arms but he wouldn't let go of her. She felt so right in his arms.

"Theo, let her breathe," Henry said while trying to extricate her from his arms. "What has gotten into you?" He added.

He breathed her in and slowly unwrapped his arms. He looked down at her. He saw confusion and fear in her eyes. That was not good. He doesn't want her to be afraid of him.

His arms slowly fell to his sides, she stepped back towards Henry and looked up. She furrowed her brows as if trying to remember.

"You?" She gasped covering her mouth.

"You knew each other?" Henry looked at them confused.

"No." Eli answered simultaneously with Theo's "Yes."

"Which was it?" Henry asked with an amused smile.

Elizabeth turned to Henry. "He's your nephew?" She asked.

"Yes," Henry answered smirking. "So, you do not know Theo but he knew you. Interesting," he surmised.

"We do not know each other. But I think it was him that I saw at the airport in Zurich the other night." Eli said when Theo appeared to not have any plan to answer his uncle. He was just standing there staring at her as if trying to memorize her image.

Theo's mind drifted. He was busy contemplating. He needed to come up with something. She was delivered to him on a silver platter. This must mean something. This could be his chance. He needed to come up with a plan.

"Theo!" His uncle's voice brought him back to reality. He smiled; a plan forming in his mind.

"My apologies," he directed to Eli. "I did not mean to be so forward," he added without clarifying anything.

Eli just nodded, too baffled to say anything. Maybe he had just mistaken her for someone else.

"Care to explain why you call her your darling?" Henry insisted with humor in his eyes. To which, Theo just smiled mysteriously.

"Can I carry your bag to your room?" Theo offered Eli instead.

"No, thank you. I can manage. It's not that heavy," she politely declined.

"Go on up then, Eli, and freshen up," Henry suggested. "Your room had been ready for a week."

"Thank you, Uncle Henry." Eli smiled at him. "I'll be down shortly."

"Take your time, sweetheart." Henry smiled when he saw his nephew's eyes slightly narrowed, confirming his suspicion.

As soon as Elizabeth disappeared from the top of the stairs, Theo dragged his uncle to his office down the hall, across the kitchen.

"Is there something that I need to know between you two, Uncle?" Theo asked as soon as the door was closed.

"I could ask you the same thing, son." Henry retorted nonchalantly. Theo groaned.

"Please, uncle. Just answer my damned question." Theo pleaded.

"You knew very well that Eli is like a daughter to me. She is my daughter's age had she lived. She helped me with my depression. She helped me fill the void left by my family." Henry paused to get his bearing back. The mere mention of his family would always bring up the kind of pain that he would rather forget.