Henry's POV
Moving robotically, I tried to get dressed as fast as I could, pretending Andrew's words didn't affect me—that I wasn't bothered at all. But I could feel his eyes on me, his gaze so intense it was almost unbearable. Still, I ignored it and finished dressing in silence.As I pulled on my shirt, I felt another set of eyes on me. I glanced up and saw Julian. I expected some kind of mocking smirk, but instead his gaze was almost pitying, not mocking at all. Then he turned away, leaving me with my embarrassment."I'll be out for a minute. I have a mini-date planned with my friend Jenna and her girlfriend," I said, with extra emphasis on "her girlfriend," looking pointedly at Andrew. He looked right back at me, his eyes pleading, but this time I just turned away, ignoring him completely, and walked out of the room.It was a lie; I wasn't meeting anyone. I just needed to be alone. Being in that room with Andrew was suffocating. At this point, I didn't even want to look at him.I wandered the campus aimlessly for a while, my thoughts a raging mess. Eventually, I found a quiet clearing and sat down on the grass, trying to calm myself. I fought to block out Andrew's words, tried not to let them affect me, but they kept ringing in my ears like an annoying alarm. They did affect me—in ways I hadn't imagined. Not even the breakup with Ethan hurt as much as Andrew denying me. Why did it hurt so much? With Ethan, I'd held my own during the breakup, but Andrew's rejection cut deeper than I'd ever expected.It threw me back to when I first came out, back when the kids avoided me like I was contagious. Or maybe I am, I thought bitterly. Only Ethan and Jenna had stood by me through all that back then. Now, I just wanted to be alone. Jenna had warned me about this, but I'd ignored every warning sign. I didn't even want to talk to Ethan about my life anymore. Or maybe I should.As if on cue, my phone rang—an unknown number. I hesitated, debating whether to answer, but curiosity won out."Hello, little lamb," came the voice, smooth and familiar.There was only one idiot who called me that. "Ethan," I said through gritted teeth.He laughed. "Miss me?"Ethan's POVI stared at my phone, thumb hovering above Henry's number. I knew I was taking a risk calling him. My uncle had warned me—no, ordered me—to stay away from Henry. I never understood his obsession with Henry's family, but I know better than to cross him. Last time he caught me still talking to Henry, even after our breakup, he broke two of my ribs as punishment. That's how he is—hurts you in places no one else can see.You might wonder why I stay close to someone so controlling, sadistic, and crazy. But I know he cares about me, even if he doesn't know how to show it. Deep down, I know he loves me, and I respect him for that. He's my only family since my parents died in a plane crash coming home from a business trip. I'm used to his kind of love by now—he's broken, just like me. I understand where his pain comes from. But I can't stay away from Henry, no matter how hard I try. He's the only ray of sunshine in my otherwise dark world.So I ignored my uncle's warning and dialed Henry's number. Even though I'd lost my old phone, I could never forget his number. He's cautious—he never picks up calls from unknown numbers. But today, he picked up after a few rings."Hello, little lamb. Miss me?" I said, hoping to sound casual.He sounded annoyed. "Nope. Never did. And how did you get my number?""Never deleted it," I said simply."But this is a different number," he replied."Yeah, I broke and lost my old phone. That doesn't mean I forgot your number.""That doesn't explain how you got my number," he said, voice sharp."Calm down," I said gently. "Why are you so defensive today?""Nothing," he replied, but his voice was tight."How's college treating you?" I asked."Fine," he answered, but it was clipped and flat."You sure nothing's wrong?" I pressed."Yeah, nothing.""Come on, Henry. I know you better than anyone. I know when you're not okay.""Yeah? Are you my guardian now, that I have to tell you every single thing that goes on in my life?""No, I'm not. But I'm still your friend. Or since we broke up, am I your enemy now?""No," he said quietly."Then what's wrong with you? Talk to me. Do you think I'm crazy for liking men?" he asked, so quietly I almost thought he was whispering to himself."What nonsense are you talking about, Henry?" I shot back, my voice rising. "No. Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong, okay? Clear that nonsense out of your head."He was silent for a moment. "It's just… someone said something today.""Who?" I demanded, my knuckles turning white where I gripped the phone."Don't worry about it," he said, shutting down.I wanted to scream. "You're killing me here. I'm trying to help, but you're treating me like the person who hurt you. Please, just talk to me—"Then I heard a voice on his end of the line. "Henry, is that you?"He spoke hurriedly. "I'll call you later, okay?" Before I could protest, he hung up.I stared at my phone, seething, then nearly threw it across the room, but caught myself. I dialed my informant's number, but she didn't answer. The call was cut off. I called again, furious."Pick up the phone, you goddamned bitch!" I yelled.Finally, she answered, her voice timid. "Hello?""Something's happened to Henry and I need to know before morning," I snapped.