Closer (Completed) Dark Romance

Chapter 26

I woke up suddenly aware that I wasn't sleeping in my room, but it was definitely another room in Henry's house. Blurry images of us from last night passed through my mind. I shook my head with an irrepressible smile on my face and attempted to get a grasp of the surreal situation. I rolled over on the bed, expecting to see Henry there, but it was empty. My heart dropped for a moment, thinking he had left me in the middle of the night. But when I saw him standing in front of the mirror fixing his tie, relief filled me.

He was still here. He was back to his old self, right? I had to at least try to bring him back to me.

I quickly reached over the bed for the white shirt he wore last night. The large shirt fits loosely on me and the long cut comfortably covered my thighs. As I approached his broad back, I slowly snaked my arms around his waist and leaned into him. The fresh smell of his cologne enough to dissolve any thoughts. The funny feeling from last night was still there in my stomach.

"Good morning," I said. "Thank you for last night."

I waited for his reply, but he didn't say a word. I gently tightened my arms, desperately holding onto the hope that he would say something to me, something good. After he was done rearranging his tie, he placed his hands over mine. But instead of caressing them, he callously shook them off. My hands fell back to my sides as Henry turned around to face me. The cold, ruthless look that I greatly dreaded to see was already engraved on his face.

He brushed a thumb across my cheek. "Should I accept it? Your gratitude?"

Unsure of how to reply, I only searched his eyes for that glimmer of hope — that glimmer of the old Henry — but I quickly realized there was nothing. Nothing, but darkness in there. Nothing, but malice and spite.

"I can't believe you actually fell for that," he continued, twisting the knife lodged in my chest.

"Fell for what?" I dared to ask.

Henry maliciously smirked with a sneer expression as he paced behind me. I felt him lean in my right ear with a wicked thought on the edge of his lips and whispered lowly, "You're too easy."

"Easy?" I repeated, repulsed by his words. "So, last night—"

"Meant nothing to me," he interrupted bluntly. "Consider it as part of your obligation for the debt you owe me. But by your performance last night, I'm having a hard time putting a price on it."

I had spoken too soon. He wasn't here. He was nowhere to be found.

"You ... you seduced me to get me into bed? All the things you said to me last night ... were just lies? How ... How could you?"

"Because I can," he justified, walking to stand in front of me again. "And I did."

My knees trembled for a second, and I nearly fell. The pain in my chest magnified as I stared into his leering eyes. The lack of compassion in them — and in his heart — was incomparable to anyone else's. How could I give in to my feelings so recklessly? How could I have been so foolish and blind to his scheming ways?

He lifted a hand to wipe away an unanticipated tear that had fallen down my cheek, the gesture anything, but amiable. I quickly swatted his hand away, disgusted by his touch. I didn't want him anywhere near me. He stole the most important thing to me — to a woman. He tricked me into thinking he actually wanted and needed me. He was heartless.

I could hear the blood pounding in my ears as anger raged in me. My arm raised on its own to slap him, but before my hand could make contact with his cheek, his hand swiftly caught a hold of my wrist. I tried my other hand, but he easily saw through me.