Flynn slammed his apple down on the counter. “Because I didn’t think you would be home for hours. Why can’t you be like April and stay out late making out with boys you’ll never marry?”
Sandra gasped. Flynn took off after his mother trying to control the situation.
***
Henri’s phone chirped.
He fished it from his pocket. The glint from the moonlight caught his attention before he looked at the text message. All below the window of the yogurt stand lay shattered glass.
“Shit.” Henri muttered to himself, he slowed to a stop at the deserted yogurt hut. Beer cans were scattered all around the tables. But there was nobody in sight. He wondered who would do such a thing. There wasn’t very much crime in Portwood, it was a safe place to be.
He kicked at the glass with the toe of his shoe and checked his phone.
It was Maven.
Tonight was the greatest night of my entire life. You’re the best, Henri.
He grinned, the glass the furthest thing from his mind, he was tangled in Maven once again, intoxicated by the mere thought of her.
You mean I didn’t scare you away with my weird dance moves?
Nothing weird about it. You were perfect. Goodnight, Henri. And good luck tomorrow. I will see you as soon as I can ok?
Henri nodded. Happy to know someone he cared about would be by his side after all was said and done.
Ok. Thanks. I’ll text ya from my bed if they allow it. Dream of me, ok?
I couldn’t think of a better kind of dream.
Henri hesitated on sending his next text, but he was feeling kind of gushy.
I know love is something you feel jaded by, but I really think I am in love with you. And if for some reason I never am able to say so, now is the perfect time.
He couldn’t be sure the surgery would go the way he wanted it to. He didn’t want to close his eyes without ever telling Maven how he felt. He wasn’t one of those people who believed you could fall for someone in the matters of weeks, but he knew she was the person he could love for a lifetime. Life was just forcing him to be honest a little sooner than he wanted, but it didn’t matter to him, he had a feeling it was something he would always want to say to her no matter where they were in their lives.
***
Jake stumbled from out of the brush. He zipped his pants. And right before his eyes was the one person he didn’t want to see.
Henri looked up, startled Jake was even there. He thought he was alone. That undoubtedly explained the broken glass at the yogurt hut.
“Henri.” Jake slurred, using the picnic table to make it over to Henri.
Henri shoved his phone into his pocket. “Jake.”
“Henri, why you running around so late at night,” Jake hiccupped. He climbed up on the table, falling sideways as he took a seat.
“Heading home right now.” He looked him over. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair disheveled. It all proved just how intoxicated he was. Henri wanted no part in it.
“No, no. Why don’t you stay?” Jake patted the picnic table. “Sit. I’d offer you a beer, but I drank them all.” Just then Arnold appeared from the brush. Henri noticed he looked more aware of his surroundings than Jake did. Arnold’s gray eyes clouded with concern at the sight of Henri. He knew Henri shouldn’t be there.
“Hey, Henri. I am really sorry about the window. Jake’s just a little drunk.” He sighed. “Maybe I could pay your family tomorrow for the damages.”
Henri nodded. “It’s not my yogurt hut. But I’ll be sure to let them know that it was an accident.”
Arnold nodded, turning toward Jake. He grabbed him by the arm. “Let’s get you home.”
Jake pushed Arnold, hardly bringing himself to standing. “Everyone wants to tell me what to do.”
Henri’s phone chirped. This caught Jake’s attention. Henri refused to pull the phone from his pocket. But that didn’t stop Jake from waiting for him to make a move. “Are you going to check that?” Jake said, pointing toward the phone.
“Nope.” Henri replied casually. Suddenly his phone was ringing making matters worse.
Jake stepped forward. “What’s wrong, Henri? You don’t want me to see you talking with my ex-girlfriend?”
Arnold stepped in between the two of them, trying to diffuse the situation. “Jake. Home. Now.” He tried his best to push him the other way. But Jake was a lot bigger than he was. He had pushed him around since elementary school. Jake shoved him in a flash, knocking him into the table.
“Arnold you go if you’re so worried about going home.” Jake pointed at Henri’s cell that hadn’t stopped ringing. “Do you want me to answer it?”
Henri shook his head. “It’s probably just my cousin checking to see where I am.”
But Jake wasn’t satisfied with that answer. Henri flinched. Jake yanked the phone from his pocket shoving him with his free arm. The ringing quickly ended.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Henri asked, dusting himself off. He had to give it to the guy he had a good amount of muscle on his side. He had almost made him eat the concrete.
“Jake give him his phone back. He hasn’t done anything to you.” Jake ignored them both reading over the texts between him and Maven. His blood rocketing through his veins and making him angrier and angrier with every heartbeat, the thought of Maven having a nice time with anyone else made him furious. He squeezed the phone in his fist and then threw it at the window of the yogurt hut, letting out a guttural scream of anger. It crashed, a new symphony of glass showering the ground. Leaving both windows of the yogurt hut smashed.
Henri backed up, but Jake was gaining on him. He couldn’t even understand what he was saying, he was in shock. His body inundated with adrenaline, telling him to run instead of fight like normal guys his age would do.
Arnold jumped in trying to pry Henri loose from Jake’s grip. He hadn’t admitted to anyone, but he knew Henri was sick. And even though he had been sworn to secrecy he wasn’t about to sit there and let Henri get pummeled by Jake. Arnold pushed and shoved Jake trying his best to release Henri.
Henri shoved against Jake, the foul smell of beer on his breath. The moment turning into nothing but a nightmare that he didn’t want to be a part of. He could hear his phone echoing from inside the yogurt hut.
Jake swung, his fist coming into contact with the side of Henri’s face all while Arnold was shouting at him to just lay off and leave poor Henri alone. Jake didn’t have empathy for Henri, he was beyond that. He was angry and drunk and irrational. He swung again landing another fist, only this time it was the side of his body because Henri was doing his best to duck and dodge each fist that crashed in a fury against him, burning his flesh, making his body ache.
“Why do you think you’re better than I am? Did Maven tell you about our kiss?” He swung again, both of them stumbling into the picnic table out of breath. Henri tried to stand up.
“What are you doing? What kind of guy doesn’t even throw a punch? Fight for her.” Jake growled, shoving Henri with everything he had left, knocking him against the wall of the yogurt hut and finally he dropped of his own free will into the glass beneath him.
Henri lifted his head, resting his arms on his knees. Jake was panting, out of breath at this point. He told himself to just get up and start walking. This kid was drunk and the quicker he got away the better. He wasn’t far from home.