Inevitable

Chapter 54

Jess looked a little guilty but it wasn't really her fault. And if I was being honest with myself, I was excited about seeing Henry again. Maybe we could have a do-over. Maybe I could tell him that I want him back. Or maybe he would tell me he was seeing someone else and I would crawl into a hole and disappear. I was starting to overthink again. I just needed to relax and enjoy the rest of the show.
I tried to focus on the music but I kept thinking about what I wanted to say to Henry. Maybe I shouldn't say anything. If he rejected me, I don't think I could handle it. I decided to hold off on spilling my feelings to him. It was probably better to just be friendly. I was suppose to be having a fun night with one of my best friends. I turned to Jess and made an honest effort to get into the music.
After they played their last song, Henry said goodbye to the crowd and ran backstage. Jess grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door and out into the night. Her friends couldn't stop talking about how hot the lead singer was.

"Guys, have some respect. That's Emily's ex."

"It's okay Jess. I mean, they aren't wrong."

Everyone laughed and I felt a little more comfortable with Jess' friends. On the drive back to Jess' house, I distracted myself by getting to know her friends. Sue and Erica seemed really nice. Rachel was a little
stand-offish. Jess had told me that she was kind of a bitch but they had been friends since kindergarten. I decided I didn't like her.
We finally pulled up at Jess' huge house. Her house was probably five times bigger than mine but she never acted like she was better than me. There were five bedrooms even though Jess was an only child, a huge finished basement, and an in ground pool and Jacuzzi in the back yard. It was definitely a good party house.
I ran up to Jess' room to check my hair and makeup. While I was upstairs, I heard the doorbell ring a few times but I didn't recognize any of the voices. Jess must have invited more people over. When I came downstairs it seemed like everyone was out back. Some people were already swimming in the pool. I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge to grab a beer. I heard the doorbell ring but I was the only one in the house so I went to answer it. Of course, it was Henry and his band. His drummer Pete greeted me by picking me up and spinning me around. When he finally put me back down on the ground, I was dizzy and it took a second to get my balance. Henry grabbed my arm to keep me steady. I felt the same electric shock I felt earlier.

"Thanks, I'm okay. Just a little dizzy."

"Pete's a little excited to see a familiar face."

"Just Pete?"

I don't know why I said that out loud. The smile on Henry's face disappeared. I didn't want to make it weird but that's just what I did.

"Anyway, everyone is out back. There is beer in the fridge. Help yourselves."

I turned to walk back in the kitchen and out the back door to the large patio area where everyone was hanging out. Jess had lit tiki torches and there were Christmas lights strung around a canopy tent. It was a really beautiful space. I found an open chair and sat down to drink my beer. The newcomers also came outside and Sue got up to talk to Pete. I noticed that Henry had a bottle of water instead of a beer. I guess he was back to not drinking.
      I watched as he made his way over to where Jess was to say hi. She was sitting with Rachel and a bunch of guys I didn't recognize. I wish I knew more people here. I felt weird sitting here all by myself. I didn't recognize any of the people sitting around me. I couldn't stop staring at Henry. All of a sudden, Rachel stood up to stand closer to him. She started laughing at something he said. She threw her head back and touched his arm. I felt sick to my stomach. This girl really was a bitch. The worst part was that Henry seemed to be enjoying the attention. He made no move to walk away from her. He continued to talk to her. I guess I had my answer on where we stood. He was moving on. He probably had spent the summer hooking up with a different girl in every town they visited. I couldn't even be mad. I ended things in the spring. He could do whatever he wanted. But I didn't want to watch it.
    I realized the beer I was drinking was empty so I got up to go inside to grab another one. When I closed the fridge and turned around, Henry was standing there. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the hallway.

"What was with that comment you made when I first got here?"

"I don't know. I don't know why I said that. It was a joke."

"I don't think it was. I'm just a little confused here, Em. You broke up with me, I don't hear from you for two months and then you show up to one of my shows out of the blue. I need to know why."

I started shaking my head and I looked down at the floor. He cupped my chin and raised my head so I had to look him in the eyes. I started to feel tears threatening to spill over.

"Tell me why Em."

"I missed you."

He leaned his head down and placed his mouth on mine. I instinctively opened my mouth for his tongue. I felt my body come alive with his kiss. It was like I had been holding my breath for two months and now I could breath again. He still made me melt with his touch. I ran my hands through his hair and pushed his head closer to mine. I couldn't get enough. He had backed me up against a wall and had his hands on my butt. I didn't care that anyone could walk in on us. All I cared about was Henry.
    He pulled his mouth away from mine and we were both out of breath. He leaned his forehead against mine and I felt his scruff like I wanted to all night.

"Is there somewhere more private we can go?"

Author's Note

I just wanted to welcome all the new readers that discovered this story this past week! And thank you to everyone who has been here since the beginning. We are over 4K reads and #4 in Love. I'm so grateful to all of you. Part 2 is already halfway written so I'll be adding a new chapter everyday for the next few weeks! I hope you all enjoy the next chapter in Emily and Henry's story! 💙🌻