Closer (Completed) Dark Romance

Chapter 25

The thick snow outside patched the ground completely white, illuminating the street below down a few blocks where the bus stopped to an empty house. After I had showered, I brushed my teeth and slipped into my sleeping gown, getting ready for bed.

But I couldn't fall asleep. It was almost midnight, and Henry wasn't back yet. Did I not hear him come in? I'd have at least heard the car engine or his steps up the stairs. I peered out of the bedroom window to check if there were any tire tracks leading to the garages on the snow, but there was none.

I looked at my phone on the dresser, debating whether I should call him, but I knew better. What was the point? If I called him to ask why he didn't come back, he would probably find it amusing. Henry didn't give a shit about me. He was an adult and old enough to take care of himself. Why should I worry about him?

But deep within me, there was a part that still held onto him and I couldn't deny it.

Then the worse, chilling thoughts came across my mind. What if he had too much to drink tonight? What if he and Larry got into a car accident? The conditions outside weren't that favorable either.

And even though Henry had hurt me in so many unimaginable ways, I couldn't bare seeing him injured. The unsettling thought only agonized me the more I pondered about it.

I picked up my phone and dialed his number, desperate for an answer. I waited as the line rang, but no one picked up. It went straight to his voicemail, and I called again, being the insecure type.

"Hello," a strange voice answered.

"Hello, who is this?" I asked, perplexed upon hearing a woman's voice.

"This is Vivian," the woman replied. "Who is this?"

Vivian? Who was Vivian?

"This is Ally. Is Henry there?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from cracking as my pulse rose.

"He is."

Good. That was all I needed to know. I was about to hang up the call, but she said something that caught my ear.

"He's asleep right now. I'll let him know you called when he wakes up," she responded rudely and hung up, leaving me speechless.

I placed my hand over my mouth in disbelief. Henry was asleep? With a woman? At this hour? Only a fool wouldn't be able to piece the two together. He was with another woman. I may be stupid sometimes, but I wasn't that naive. How could he? And only after a couple days since our wedding?

It felt like a thousand needles pricking at my heart. The oxygen level in the bedroom felt completely depleted as it became harder for me to breathe. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to stay. I didn't want to be here.

But with the money hanging over my head, I couldn't simply pack my things and leave in the middle of the night.

Should I call Eve? Would she be able to calm me down? No, I couldn't. I'd be so embarrassed for not heeding her warning.

Lily and Adam? How about Nancy? No. I didn't want to bother them, especially at this late hour.

And with the snow that was falling nonstop since early evening, my car wouldn't make it two miles before getting stuck.

I had to deal with this myself. I climbed into bed and pulled the duvet over me as I curled into a ball, trying to comfort myself. During the next sleepless hour, I laid wide awake, unable to fall asleep as my head pictured Henry bedding another woman.

With a frustrated groan, I strolled downstairs to retrieve a warm cup of milk in an attempt to put my mind to rest. The lights in the house unexpectedly turned off as I was microwaving my drink in the kitchen. It couldn't have been the weather outside as we weren't in a total blizzard. I didn't have my phone on me and even if I did, I probably wouldn't have been able to figure out how to turn on the flashlight app. I didn't even know where the flashlights or candles were stored in this house.