Chapter 8 #2
“Okay, to be honest, I haven’t been here in years.”
Henry takes a cautious step toward me, lowering his voice. “I’m sure it’s nothing. If anything, it’s a harmless raccoon or—”
A loud scraping sound echoes against the walls, making both of us turn pale. My insides start to feel like they are trying to shake something loose. I suck in a sharp breath.
Henry steps closer. “?Mierda! Please tell me that was the wind.”
“We’re inside. There is no wind.”
I point my flashlight toward the sound, hoping to find the culprit. When the shallow beam of light catches on a crumping desk, I almost let out a breath of relief. Then I see a shadow dart across the wall.
A high-pitched yelp escapes from my mouth, and my body moves before my mind can catch up. My instincts slam into overdrive, and I grab the closest thing to me, which, in this case, is Henry.
His arms tighten around me, and his accelerated pulse vibrates across my body. I burrow my head into him, eager to use his body as a shield from whatever is lurking around us.
“Emma,” he whispers.
Silence stretches around us, and it appears the creature is more scared of us based on its graceful exit. When the panic fades, I realize I’m still holding onto Henry. I pull my head away from his body and lift my chin slowly.
There’s enough light in the dark and damp building to see Henry’s eyes piercing through his glasses. His eyes are bright and glossy, and his lips are slightly open, holding space for the thick air cascading around us.
I blink hard, feeling my pulse in my throat. Only this time, it’s not from fear. It’s from something much worse.
This time, my eyes fall to his lips. His hands grip my sides and hold me in place. I lick my lips in anticipation as he starts to lean in closer. My mind feels completely blank at this moment, not worrying about what happens next.
I’m completely entranced by the idea of his lips on mine until we hear another thud. I push my hands against his body, eager to create much-needed space.
Henry is the first one to break the silence. “Can we please get out of here?” he asks.
I nod my head quickly, trying to get my breathing under control. “Yeah. Let’s go before your novel turns into a memoir.”
Henry surprises me and grabs my hand, tugging me down the entrance we came through earlier. I try to move my feet as I stare at our hands clasped together.
I inhale sharply and feel pressured to relieve the tension between us. “If I get murdered in here, I’m blaming this entire thing on you. Then I’m going to haunt you big time.”
Henry lets out a weak laugh, trying his best to remember the path we took to get in here. Before he can respond, another loud thud rings out from behind us. I let out another squeal and sprint forward with Henry’s hand still firmly planted in mine.
“Woah, slow down!” he yells, trying to keep up.
“You better move faster, or I’m sacrificing you to the raccoons.”
“I can think of worse ways to go out.”
I laugh, tugging his arm forward. “If we make it out of here alive, I think you have your next book idea.”
When we step out into the late afternoon sunlight, I drop Henry’s hand and double over, panting. Henry slumps against the building, throwing his hands on his knees to steady himself.
“You know,” I try to say through short breaths. “It’s odd you’re writing a thriller, and you couldn’t even last five seconds inside of an actual abandoned building.”
When Henry looks up, his face breaks out in a contagious smile, and we both start laughing. Minutes ago, we were scared for our lives; now, we are giddy and unfiltered laughter fills the air.
“This was a terrible idea,” Henry wheezes next to me.
I nudge him playfully with my shoulder. “Oh, please. That was the most thrilling experience I've had in a long time. I had fun.”
Henry rebuttals with a straight face. “So, your idea of fun is being emotionally traumatized?”
I shake my head and smile again despite my cheeks feeling sore from all the laughing we just did. “If it makes you feel better, I wasn’t really going to sacrifice you to the raccoons.”
He looks at me and something unreadable flashes across his face. “I wasn’t too worried.”
I lean back and prop my hands on my hips. “I totally could if I wanted to,” I defend, suddenly annoyed by his answer.
“Nope. I think you like me too much.”
Heat rushes to my head, but I try to cover up my discomfort with a scoff. “Oh, please. If anything, I can’t afford to lose you until I pass my class. Until then, you’re stuck with me.”
Henry hums, considering what to say. “Let me get this straight. Once you pass your class, then you’ll feed me to the raccoons. Correct?”
“That checks out.” I smile.
He nods. “Fine. At least I have a timeline.”
I roll my eyes, crossing my arms tightly against my body. When I look at him again, my heart flips. His eyes shine brightly, deeply engrossed in the conversation that flows easily between us. This thing between Henry and me felt effortless, and I liked it a little too much.
“Let’s go,” I pivot, trying not to dwell on the sinking feeling in my stomach. “I’m starving. Do you want to grab lunch?”
Henry looks back at me, his glass slightly crooked and his face flushed from laughing. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”
“You’ll see,” I say with a smile and head toward the car.
As we walk side by side, I try to contain the butterflies bouncing against my ribcage. I try to convince myself that his warmth isn’t chipping away at my heart. I try to hate the way his hand felt in mine. I try to forget about the fact that we almost kissed again in the abandoned building.
I try so damn hard, and yet, I can’t deny that I’m starting to regret putting Henry Castillo in the friend zone.