Insufferable

Part 23

Henry

The goodbye wasn't the most painful part for Henry but the actual seeing the plane took off on air watching as the view of Alex standing by the runway getting smaller and smaller before the rest of California view disappears into the cloud made Henry's heart broke in pieces. His eyes stares deeply into the window of the Phillip's private jet and he was given a bed to lie down instead of sitting on the chair for the next eleven hours.

The stewardess handed him a glass of water which he took it reluctantly before Phillip handed him couple of pills before his flight. He pulled the hoodie over his head and hide his hands in his sleeves before resting his head back on the pillow and the stewardess wanted to grab the belt by his side to strap Henry so he won't fall but Henry flinched when her hands went over his pelvis and he pushed her hard on her body causing her to fall right on the aisle.

"Henry." Phillip stood up abruptly from his seat to help the stewardess up from the floor and Henry sat up with a guilt running all over his face. "S-Sorry." He mumbles before Phillip told her to go and she runs away into the back of the plane probably crying. Henry saw the tears in her eyes before she hides it from them and Phillip sighs before he raised his palm up for him.

"Just want to grab the belt for your safety, okay." He says and moves slowly towards Henry side to grab the belt and pulled it over his waist before he pushed it into the clasp until it clicked. Henry flinched at any sudden movement around him so Phillip is the only person he trusts and it was good enough for Phillip at least for the moment. He couldn't bear if his own brother couldn't let him near otherwise he will be out of ways to help him.

Henry fell asleep shortly after the plane take off and Phillip stays on his laptop to finish his work and by the time he knew it, he too fell asleep. These past couple of days had been hard for both of them, especially for Henry and he determined never to let him out of his sight anymore.

It was late evening when they arrived in London and it was raining. Henry could feel his stomach twisting at the scent of the Heathrow wet runway as they stepped out from the plane as they walked towards the car waiting for them. The guy stood opening the car door for them before Phillip let Henry got inside first and followed by him.

The ride back home was again another death silence on Henry's part. Phillip on the other hand busy on his phone typing away his email and Henry got annoyed when he glanced over his side, the screen light causing his headache grew further in the moving car. He inhaled longly and later exhaled his breath before he leaned his head back against the seat swallowing his throat dryly. He could almost feel his stomach churning and his throat is getting tighter by every swallowed. Phillip noticed the uneasiness in Henry's face next to him before he turned off his phone and hides it inside his coat pocket.

"Are you alright?" He asks and Henry could only turned his head to his window side staring at the passing trees and dark sky, not bother replying to his questions. He look up into the dark sky and saw the lights that passes from the streetlight cause a certain dark memories came back into his mind. He saw the same lights that passes the night Danny dropped him back to his dorm.

Seventy eight lights. He counted.

Henry remembers the light passes through his eyes as he counted on the drives back and seeing it again now right here in the car made his chest tightens and he can feel his throat getting harder to breathe. "Hen?" Phillip noticed how Henry's eyes kept staring at the seat before him and his hand clutched on his chest.

They were lucky that they are driving on a lone street with no cars in sight when Henry starts to panic and tried to open the car door while the car still driven on the road. "Stop the car." Phillip orders the driver and he swerved the car to the side and before the wheels barely had stopped Henry had the door halfway opened and stepped out onto the wet streets trying to catch his breath. The more he inhaled the more he felt tighter around his throat and his chest and he could feel his stomach is practically pleading to spill.