“I did what I had to do to keep you in my life. You wouldn’t have let me be part of your life if I dumped Julia.”
She stared at him feeling her world crumble. “You shouldn’t have stayed with her, Henry. She thought you were going to pop the question.” She sobbed the words out. “Julia loved you so much that she was prepared to get rid of me.”
“I’d never let it happen.”
Staring past his shoulder at the grave April shook her head. “I need some space.”
“Don’t, April. Don’t cut me out.”
“You’ve just told me my best friend wanted me dead. This is too much. Please, give me space.”
She turned away and started walking away.
Henry didn’t let her get too far. He tugged her into his arms, spinning her to face him. His fingers sank into her hair as his mouth drew closer. She closed her eyes as his lips sealed over hers. Gasping, her body awakened under his touch.
The fire she missed with David was present all the time with Henry. Her emotions were in turmoil, and Henry had the ability to make her feel.
“I love you, April. I’m not going anywhere.”
This was more than she ever hoped for. She rested her head against his. “I need some time.”
Reluctantly she pulled away leaving the graveyard behind.
Julia, what the hell did you do?
There were no answers to her question. Henry loved her. He’d been in love with her from the first moment he saw her. How did she not see it? She always thought he hated her.
Entering her apartment she took a seat on the sofa and stared around the room with picture of Julia, Henry, and herself.
She quickly removed her coat and gathered all the pictures. With fresh eyes she started to look at them.
In one picture of Henry and Julia, she saw her friend looking at him adoringly, but he was smiling at the camera. She’d been the one taking the picture. His arm held Julia, but there was no real passion to the hold.
She moved onto the next photo, a Christmas one of her and Henry. April held up a novelty jumper to the camera. Henry was smiling down at her with his arm across her chest. At the time she thought he posed for the picture. She saw the need shining in his eyes. Each photo she picked showed Julia’s love while Henry paid attention elsewhere. There was not the same attention between the two.
Over and over she saw the same evidence in each picture. How did she not see this before? Julia hadn’t known, and when she did, she was willing to end April’s life. Getting up from the sofa she started to pace her living room. She couldn’t be here right now. April grabbed her jacket and headed out the door. She didn’t have any girlfriends she could talk to. The only person she knew was David.
It sucked. The guy she’d been dating was also the same guy she trusted with this kind of information. She knocked on his door and waited for him to answer.
The door opened, and he smiled at her.
“Baby, what’s the matter?”
“My best friend tried to kill me because she found out Henry was in love with me.” She blurted the words out without giving it much thought.
David paused, staring at her. “I take it I’m out of the picture.”
“I don’t know what to think right now. I wanted to come and see my friend. Could we be friends?” Was she asking too much?
He stared at her for several minutes. “Sure, we can be friends.” He let her inside his place, taking her jacket from her.
She followed him through to the kitchen, taking a seat at the counter.
“I take it you’re a little lost for words right now,” he said, grabbing a beer from the fridge. “And with what you just told me you can force yourself to have at least one drink.”
April took the bottle from his hands and took a sip. The horrid taste did nothing to relax her. Her emotions were all over the place with Henry’s revelations.
She’d also lied to him about the contraceptives. She wasn’t on any medication at all.
“You’ve disappeared again,” David said.
“Sorry, I’m just, I’m all over the place.”
“I’m not surprised. Are you going to tell me everything?”
Taking in a deep breath, she spilled it all out telling him everything. By the end of her talking she didn’t feel better. She felt worse.
“Wow, erm, you really didn’t see how he felt when looking at the pictures?” he asked.
“No, why should I?”
“Baby, I saw it every time I looked at them. The man is smitten with you and has been for a long time.”
“How did I not see this?”
David shrugged. “Your friend stopped you from seeing it. I bet you were the loyal friend and wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”