Closer (A Dark Romance, Book 1): The Closer Trilogy

by M. C. Vann

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “So … are you ready?” he asked. I stared into his eyes for a few more seconds and nodded. He gently smiled, seeing my hand reaching out for his.

  Being with Henry was like riding an endless roller coaster — it was frightening and exhilarating at the same time. I couldn’t predict where the next turn would be, but with him willing to be by my side, I was a little less scared.

  We both ran toward the plane just like the time we ran toward Buckingham Water Fountain, hand in hand. The only difference this time was the person leading. I led us to the fountain, but now, Henry was taking the lead.

  The flight attendant kindly held out his hand for me as I walked up the stairs into the cabin. My hands were shaking slightly, and my knees were weak, but I tried my best to calm my nerves.

  Everything happened so fast. Barely an hour ago, Henry and I were at my sister’s house having dinner and now we were sitting in a plane, preparing to take off to an unknown destination. I wanted to ask him, but I already figured out what he would say. Of all people, I knew he didn’t like to reveal his plans too much.

  “Ally, look outside your window,” Henry ordered me with a warm grin.

  I did as he said and my eyes beamed at the golden city of Chicago and the surrounding areas below. It was just like when we were at the Signature Room, but from the plane’s view, everything was ten times as beautiful. I could stare at this heart-stopping view for the rest of my life and never be bored of it, no matter how many times I had seen it.

  “It’s gorgeous,” I said, smiling at the scenery.

  “Just like you,” he mumbled softly next to me.

  I kept my attention on the view outside to hide my flushed cheeks.

  Nearly three hours later, we finally touched down at our destination, and it was already nightfall by then. Henry held my hand as we disembark off the plane toward a car already waiting on the runway.

  “Good evening, Mr. Pearce and Ms. Summers,” the tall, middle-aged gentleman greeted us as we approached.

  “Good evening, Bob.” Henry shook the gentleman’s hand and accepted the keys from him to the black Mercedes Benz.

  When we got inside the vehicle and buckled up, it finally hit me — I was alone with a man I knew for only a few weeks, far away place from home. Although it was me who wanted this in the first place, I felt nervous all of a sudden.

  Henry and I didn’t talk much in the car as I was getting drowsy. After all, it was one in the morning. My eyes grew heavier and heavier, and soon darkness overcame me.

  When my eyes fluttered open, I realized that I was no longer sitting in the car. Instead, it was Henry who was holding me. My heart raced just thinking of how close we were in proximity. His right arm wrapped around my back and his left supported my dangling legs as he carried me toward a house and I waited until we got inside to saying something. “You can put me down, Henry.”

  “You’re awake. I didn’t want to disturb your sleep,” he said, still holding me in his arms.

  “What is this place?” I asked as he turned into a hallway. The entire house was already lit, exposing the crisp, clean walls, and the antique paintings that hung from them.

  “It was my grandfather’s cabin. He passed it down and now it belongs to me.”

  “This used to be your grandfather’s. It’s really nice.” I thought of how lucky Henry was. He had it all — he had wealth, he had the looks of a model, he had a future. He had the luxury of everything and anything I could only ever dream of, and the question of why he wanted anything to do with me still astonished me. “Where exactly are we?”

  “We’re in Colorado, just a few miles out of Denver.”

  Colorado. That was a new state I had never been to.

  We finally stopped at the farthest door in the hallway and as he opened it, my stomach twisted into knots as I imagined what could be inside or even worse, what we were going to do inside. He would let me stay in a separate room, wouldn’t he? I mean … Even though we were technically dating, I hoped he knew I wasn’t that kind of girl.

  His grip on me loosened as he lowered my legs and soon, my feet connected with the wooden floor of the dark room.

  “Everything you need is stocked in the closet, but let me know if you need anything else. I’ll be in the next room,” he spoke in the darkness, but I was only half-listening.

  I took a few steps away searching for the light, but it suddenly came on, lighting up the entire room and at the same time, a hand gently hauled me back before I could continue roaming. His arm abruptly wound behind my waist and pulled me right to him, causing our bodies to collide. Quickly, my hands raised flat against his chest and stopped any more distance he could lessen between us.

  My gaze slowly traced along the sharp line of his jaw above me to his cheeks, then to his nose. My eyes stopped when I met his staring intently at me. His gaze flicked down to my lips for a slight second and my heart pounded even harder against my ribs. So hard. I was afraid he might have felt it too. Henry began leaning forward, but I remained completely frozen, unable to move or even think.

  No, I wasn’t ready.

  This was too soon.

  Way too soon … for me.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and tried in vain to back away.

  A wave of relief and euphoria washed over me when I felt a gentle kiss on my forehead. A shaky breath escaped my lips when he gently let me go.

  “Sweet dreams, Ally. I’ll see you in the morning,” Henry said to me quietly before leaving me alone.

  My hand pressed to my forehead, and I bit my lip to suppress a smug smile. I should have known he was going to do that. Henry was a gentleman.

  I grabbed my phone to look at the time but instantly noticed the ten missed texts and four missed calls on the screen. They were from Adam and Lily, asking me where I was and when I’d be coming home. I texted them that I was safe and they didn’t need to worry before the screen suddenly blacked out.

  Damn. I didn’t bring my charger. Either way, we were probably going back to Chicago tomorrow anyway. I hoped one night of not having my phone would be bearable.

  I walked over to the closet door, the one Henry had pointed to earlier. When I switched on the light, my eyes widened at the large space of the closet. Was it a closet or was it another room? All around the walls were mahogany dressers that hung women’s clothes of all colors. There was even a wall for shoes. Just shoes. My hands couldn’t stop, the urge of touching them was so great. There were even some pieces that still had price tags on them. After looking at the price of the dress nearest to me, I immediately dropped it. I could never afford that in a lifetime. I quickly searched for a pair of pajamas and stormed out of the room, or rather, closet.

  I woke up the next morning, expecting my usual room, but when I observed the unfamiliar setting and extravagant furniture, I was a little confused as to where I was. Then the memory of Henry’s lips on my forehead flashed in my mind and reminded me of where I was.

  The sunlight, illuminating from the large glass windows, lighted the entire room. I opened the glass doors to the balcony and inhaled a deep breath of the fresh Colorado air. The silhouettes of the mountains were even more beautiful in real life — no picture and words could ever do them justice.

  The cabin was situated near a crystal lake, one that had a dock built by the side. I couldn’t help but think of my father. He would have really enjoyed it here.

  With a little more hesitation than usual, I walked into the closet again. I didn’t know what to choose, so I settled on a pair of inexpensive khaki shorts and a white plain T-shirt after showering. When I said inexpensive, I meant it in context.

  I walked out of the bedroom and looked toward Henry’s door. He must still be asleep. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I decided to give myself a tour of the cabin.

  The living room had three brown couches situated around a fireplace while antique paintings of landscapes hung from the walls. On t
he mantel was only one picture frame and curiosity drew me to it.

  As I focused on the picture, I saw that it was a family — a mom, a dad, and a little boy who couldn’t be older than two years old. From the familiar smile of his, there was no doubt in my heart that the little boy was Henry.

  “Good morning,” a voice called from behind me, causing me jump around.

  “Morning,” I said to the man standing near the entrance of the living room. His hair was messier than usual, and he had already changed out of his pajamas. “I didn’t think you were up yet.”

  “I got up early for a morning jog. Are you hungry? I made breakfast.”

  “Yes, please.”

  I followed Henry into the kitchen where he had already laid plates perfectly on the black table. There was even a vase of fresh, wildflowers set in the center.

  “I didn’t know you could cook too,” I teased him.

  “Of course, I can. Do you only take me for a businessman?” he joked with me, and I was glad that he was.

  I smiled. “No, I was only making fun of you.” Henry pulled out the chair for me, and I sat down. “But how did you find the time to learn?”

  “Our house cook taught me whenever I asked her to,” he replied, watching me look around the table. There were plates of Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, mixed fruits, and juice. “I hope you like it,” he added nervously.

  “I can already tell it’s going to be better than my cooking for sure.” I giggled.

  After breakfast, Henry suggested that we go to the sporting goods store in town. Although I didn’t see anything special about it, I played along.

  “What did you need from here?” I asked as we walked around the store.

  “Here we are,” he said with satisfaction, placing his hands on his hips.

  I looked from Henry to the items in front of us, which were fishing poles and gear. At first, I was puzzled, but before he could even explain, I already figured out why he brought me here.

  “You said you wanted to learn how to fish,” Henry began, “and I thought … my skills might be a little rustier than your dad’s since it’s been a few years, but—”

  Before I let him finish, before I could even think rationally, I threw my arms around Henry. He didn’t push me back nor did he wrap his arms around me — he was probably astonished at my actions.

  “Thank you,” I mumbled into his chest.

  “Choose whatever one you like,” he softly said.

  I pulled away, smiling and biting my bottom lip to hide my excitement.

  Before registering for our fishing licenses, I persuaded Henry into letting me pay for the bill. It was only fair — maybe not even close, but it was the least I can do. After the cashier had told me the total, I reached for my purse, but it wasn’t at my side. I immediately realized I left it in Henry’s car back in Chicago.

  Henry handed his card to the cashier while giving me a playful look. I silently cowered in embarrassment. He knew I forgot my bag, and yet, he didn’t even tell me. From the corner of my eye, I could see the amused grin molding on his lips as he took the receipt from the cashier.

  I was so excited when we returned to the cabin. Even though I protested when Henry offered to carry everything, I could never win. He led us around the cabin to a large shed and I was slightly thrown off.

  “Was there something else we needed?” I asked.

  Henry placed the bags of bait and hooks on the ground and leaned our poles against the wall. “Yes, there is one more thing. And an important one too.”

  He pulled out his keys and opened the door to the shed which housed a white boat. It wasn’t too grand nor too small and just perfect for a family of four.

  “We’re using this?”

  “We are,” he confirmed, studying my reaction.

  I walked toward the boat. The pads of my fingertips brushed along the smooth surface. Papa always wanted a boat, but it was too expensive. If only he were here. My fingers stopped when they came across blue letters printed on the opposite side.

  “Who is Jennifer?”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Henry looked at me and then to the floor. I waited for his response, but the lingering silence told me he didn’t want to answer my question. I knew something was wrong.

  “It’s alright, Henry,” I said. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

  “No, I—It’s okay. She was someone very dear to my heart.” He spoke so endearingly about her. I could see how much he cared for this Jennifer.

  But I wonder who she was?

  “When the time is right, I would like to take you to visit her. Is that okay?”

  I smiled encouragingly and nodded. However, on the inside, I continued to wonder who this woman was. His mother? Grandmother? Sister? Ex-girlfriend?

  The last thought felt like a punch in my gut.

  I made a decision not to think much about it. I didn’t want little things like this to come between us.

  I trusted Henry after all.

  Like he said, he was going to tell me when the right time comes. I’d just have to wait patiently until I get to meet her.

  Half an hour later, we were out sailing on the lake. Henry maneuvered the boat slowly toward the middle of the water, looking especially cool with his aviators on. I couldn’t help but stare at the unbelievable man before me the entire time. When he flashed an unanticipated look at me, I flushed and blinked away so quickly — it was completely obvious he knew I was staring at him. He was entirely smug with it and smirked to himself.

  Henry stopped the boat in the center of the pearly, blue-green lake. There were absolutely no words to describe the beauty of the scenery. Pine trees, green grass, and the mountains surrounded us. It was all too much beauty in one place — if only I had my camera.

  “Are you ready to learn how to fish?” Henry asked, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Yes, sir,” I replied with an energetic grin. I took my pole from him and he suddenly reached over and lightly pinched my cheek, the touch of his fingers so gentle and warm.

  I never pictured Henry to be an outdoor guy even though I always felt there was more to this man than meets the eye.

  First, he wants to live in the countryside.

  Second, he cooks.

  And now he fishes.

  Who was this man? Was he really even a businessman?

  Throughout the lesson, Henry was patient in trying to teach me the basics of fishing. How to hook the bait, which was an utter disaster. How to cast, which probably took longer than a normal person’s time to learn to cast. Even though I wasn’t a fast learner, from Henry’s occasional cheering and encouragement, I did feel a little more confident.

  I watched Henry cast his line into the lake. His movements were so natural and fluid. I had to admit it — I was jealous. Was there something this man wasn’t capable of?

  If only Papa were still here. If only he saw what I was doing right now. But more importantly, if he saw who I was doing it with, he would be so happy.

  “Did your family come out here often?” I asked Henry as we waited for a bite.

  “Yes. We would fly out here once a summer for a weekend,” he answered. His voice was bittersweet as the memories replayed in his mind.

  “What did your family do?”

  “First, we would wake up and eat breakfast.” He chuckled. “Then, we’d take a walk, maybe go bike riding. Then, we’d take the boat out and fish here on this lake, just like you and I right now.”

  “That sounds like a lot of fun.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  Was. Past tense. Geez, Ally. You shouldn’t have said anything. I knew his family was no longer around, yet I had such a big mouth.

  “Even though they’re not here, I still feel obligated to fulfill the tradition,” he said, forcing a smile. I smiled meekly back as his eyes never budged from mine.

  Just then I felt a tug at my pole. “Oh! I think I
got one!”

  “Remember what I taught you,” Henry quickly muttered, but I was concentrating on not being pulled into the water, I couldn’t process his words or remember what he taught me.

  As I tried to reel in the fish, it was stronger than I thought. I held onto the pole so hard, my knuckles started turning white. Naturally, I tried to take a few steps back to give myself more room to work with, but that was a mistake. I backed up too far and in a split second, my body tumbled over the side of the boat and into the lake.

  The water engulfed me completely. It invaded my surroundings and blurred my vision. My arms swirled and my legs kicked around in panic, trying to get myself back up to the surface. But all of my movements were in vain. No matter what I did or how hard I tried, I kept falling deeper down.

  For a moment, I felt myself losing every last ounce of energy. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t hear or move. Worse, I couldn’t breathe. The pressure in my chest swelled as I tried to hold my last breath. My eyes closed shut as I sunk into darkness …

  “Ally, are you alright?!”

  “Ally! Wake up! Come on!”

  I could hear him — Henry’s voice. He called out my name once more before I felt hard, repetitive pressure on my chest.

  “Ally! Don’t give up on me, you hear me!”

  He sounded so close to me, yet so distant.

  “Ally! Please open your eyes!” he called out once more in desperation.

  My eyes lazily fluttered open at the exact moment his lips touched mine. I felt his breath down my throat, as he tried to revive me. All of a sudden, I felt my body lurch into the air, coughing up a good amount of water onto the floor of the boat.

  “Ally!” Henry called out in relief.

  “Henry…,” was all I could think of saying.

  When I turned to look at Henry, his face was so close to mine. He was bent at my side with both of his trembling hands holding onto either side of my jaw. His fingers tangled into my wet hair as his thumbs brushed against my cheeks. His eyes flicked back and forth to make sure I was okay. My eyes managed to reach his lips as he leaned forward to press his forehead against mine.