Into the woods I P U B L I S H E D

„Everybody said that I should run away from you, that you are dangerous.

But I can’t.

I’m like a dear running into the wolf’s mouth.”

- Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Henry’s eyes traveled through the coffee shop, searching for a free table to sit until his eyes didn’t stop on Nicklaus and me. As he smiled at me, my heart started beating faster, my cheeks turning red.

He approached us, smiling more. He looked more handsome when he smiled. It made him look younger, happier.

„Hi, Elizabeth. How are you?” I almost forgot for a second what he had asked me.

„Hi, Henry. I’m good, you?”

„I’m good too, thanks for asking. See you have company here,” He turned to Nicklaus who was looking at him confused.

„I’m Henry,” He gave him his hand. Nicklaus still looked at him confused, thinking if he should shake his hand. A few moments later, he decided to shake it.

„It was nice to meet you, I’m Nicklaus Nightclaw,” Nicklaus said, squeezing Henry’s palm. Henry, on the other hand, didn’t even flinch when Nicklaus squeezed his hand with everything he had.

„Do you want to join us?” I suddenly asked. Both of them turned to me, and I wished to disappear. Why did I just ask this?

„I would love to,” Henry lets go of Nicklaus’s hand, took a chair, and sat close to me as much as possible.

„What are you - ?” Before I could even ask the question, Nicklaus stood up, showing me his phone. „I have to take it. It’s urgent,” He gave Henry a weird look and walked to the restroom behind us. After he left, I asked Henry my question.

„I had some work here, so I came here for some coffee. I didn’t expect to see you here,” He said.

The waitress walked to us, asked what he wanted, and as he looked at me, he said that he wanted the same thing I had ordered.

My scar started to hurt, letting a wave of warmness through my body. The waitress nodded and walked back to her station.

„What about you? What are you doing here with your boyfriend?” He leaned on the chair. I played with my fingers, trying to avoid his gaze that made my legs feel like jelly.

„Nicklaus isn’t my boyfriend. He is just a friend who helps me with the things I missed in history and English,” I could feel some tension in the coffee shop while both of us were waiting for one of us to say something.

„I can help you with that,” My eyed widened. In his eyes, a crumb of amusement was placed, and I wasn’t sure if those were his real intentions, or he just tried to make fun of me.

„Really?”

„Yeah, I would love to spend some time with you.” The waitress returned with his order. Placing it on the table, he said thank you to her and once again, she left us alone.

„Elizabeth,” Nicklaus called my name.

„I’m sorry,” He said. „I have to meet with my brother, it’s urgent,” He looked at Henry who was looking him directly in the eyes. What was wrong with them?

„Okay. After I drink this, I will go to the library and return back home with a cab.” By the look on his face, he wasn’t really pleased that I wanted to go home with a cab.

„We can go to the library and your support group, and after I drop you home, I will meet with Tyler. He can handle it until that.”

Before I could even answer him, Henry had answered it for me. „I can take you home. It’s not a problem.”

Nicklaus looked first at me then at Henry. „Okay.” Leaning down, he placed a kiss on my right cheek. „I will call you later, okay?”

I nodded. „Okay,” Smiling at him, he smiled back and looked at Henry, giving him a nod.

„Let’s drink this than we will go, okay?” I asked Henry who was looking at the wall with his jaw clenched.

„Henry,” I called him by his name, but this time, I moved my hand in front of his face.

„Are you okay?” He looked at me and smiled.

„Yeah.”

I don’t know how could I describe the air that was between Henry and me. It was different. Cold.

He was quiet. Too quiet for my liking. Since Nicklaus went out five minutes ago, Henry sat on his chair, bearly drinking or talking.

„Are you sure you are okay?” I placed the cup of coffee on the table as I leaned on my chair.

Looking at me, he nodded, but I could tell he was sad, almost angry.

„You know, I have to go now. You can sit here and enjoy your coffee at peace,” I waved at the waitress while grabbing my wallet from the bag.

„Wait” He grabbed my hand before I could even place the cash on the table. „I’m sorry for my behavior. It’s just...” He shook his head. „Never mind.”

The waitress came to us, giving us the check. Henry took out his wallet to pay, but I was faster. „Here,” I gave the waitress the money, glancing over to Henry who looked at me with an amused smirk on his face.

„You know, I could have paid for it.”

I shook my head. „This one is on me.”

„Where next?” He turned to me and we were both looking at each other directly in the eyes. Green eyes to green eyes.

„Well...” I thought for a few seconds what I had planned. „I have to go to the library and then I have a support group,” Opening the door, we walked out, and at the same time, we accidentally touched with our hands. A weird feeling went through my body, and by the look on his face, he had felt it too.

I took a deep breath, moving my hand from his.

„What is the support group about?” He asked.

„It’s about girls who went through a troubled and abusive relationship,” I glanced at him.

„So you were one of those girls?”

„No,” I lied. „I just listen to them and give them good advice.”

„But you had to be in one of those relationships to know how to give advice.”

„Anyway, we didn’t get to know each other more. I don’t even know what’s your last name or how are you,” I tried to change the subject from the support group and me. I wasn’t ready yet to discuss my personal life with him.

As we walked down the streets to the library, people were staring at us – more like girls were staring at Henry. I could feel my stomach clenching due to the jealousy and insecurity.

Do I have a chance next to him like these girls? These girls were beautiful, beauties from this town, and me, I was just an average Sweedish-Canadian girl. How could I have a chance at a guy like him?

„My name is Henry James...” He stopped for a second. „Einersen. I’m thirty-three.”

A deep silence was settled between us. He was probably thinking what I thought about this – about his age, but age was just a number. At least I thought I like that. Between my parents was almost 20 years of age gap, but they were a different story.

„I hope that my age isn’t a problem for you.”

„Why should it be a problem?”

„That’ I’m thirteen years older than you.” I bit my lips, really thinking through what he had said. I don’t know how should I answered it without sounding that I wanted to be with him.

„Age was just a number. That’s what my mother had said. There was a 20 year age gap between my parents. If you know that the person is the one – like a soulmate, you know, then the age doesn’t really matter,” He looked at me like I just gave him the answer he wanted to hear from the beginning.

„And your last name?” I whispered, staring into his green eyes. „You are not from here?”

„No,” He shook his head. „My family comes from Norway. I’m the thirteenth generation that is living here, just like my brothers.”

„Brothers? How many...” Before I could even ask him, Nicklaus and Tyler appeared in front of us, a little further from the library. I shivered at the sight of Tyler. Noticing my sudden silence, Henry asked me what had happened.

„It’s nothing. There is a guy that I don’t really like.” He looked at them, narrowing his eyes. „You don’t like Nicklaus?”

„Not him. He is okay, but his brother, Tyler, the one next to him. I don’t like him.” He looked at me confused. We stood a few meters from the library so they couldn’t hear us. I’m not sure If I wanted to tell him this, but I felt like I could trust him.

I took a deep breath. „The next day when I came here, I went to the library for my job. That’s how I met my friend, and when she went to grab her stuff, Tyler showed up, asking me to get him Eshil,” I closed my eyes. „The worst part is, when I asked him why he loved Eshil, he asked me the same thing just about Dante. I had never told anyone about Dante. From that day, I tried to avoid him as much as possible.” Henry was quiet like he was lost in his own world.

„Henry,” I shook him on the shoulder. „What’s wrong?”

When he turned to me, his eyes were dark green – wilder, angrier for some reason. His jaw was clenched, and those beautiful full lips were set into a thin line that made me feel scared because I don’t know how I should I reacted to his sudden behavior.

„It’s nothing. Just stay away from Tyler, okay?” I nodded. I didn’t know why he was saying that, but I let him had it. I think that he already knew him, and that’s why I was so afraid to ask him. I was afraid of the answer that I would get.

~ - ~

I hoped that it would be at least a few people in the library, but I was wrong. There was no one here. Ashley was boring herself by her desk, listening to some music on her phone. As we walked to her, she didn’t hear our steps, she was focused on her music – her thoughts. She was probably daydreaming of a beautiful beach and drinks.

I sneaked behind her and moved both of her earphones from her ears. Ashley jumped from her chair and at the same time, she managed to smack me with her hand across the face.

I swore every saint in myself.

Placing her hand on my shoulder, she pulled me into a hug. „I’m so sorry. I didn’t hear you coming here.”

„It’s okay,” I said, going my hand over my nose. „Is Mr. Tray here? He sent me an email about the schedule.”

She turned back to her desk. „He isn’t here, but he left the schedule for you,” Her hands went through a bunch of papers. „You know, you shouldn’t have sneaked on me like that.”

„I’m sorry too. I thought you heard us.”

„Us?” She gave me the schedule. „Nicklaus is here too?” She turned to Henry who was looking at her through narrowed eyes. He did that often. He always looked at people differently when they were around me.

Ashley stood still in her place, and I could swear that she got stopped breathing for a few seconds.

Same, Ashley. Same.

„I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that you were here,” She said to him.

„It’s okay,” He smiled. My heart stopped for a second because of his smile.

„Ashley,” She gave him her hand.

„Henry,” Her eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder to me.

That’s Henry.

She mouthed and I smiled as Henry glanced over to the shelves.

„You look familiar. Haven’t we already met?”

„I don’t think so” He answered, but she still didn’t believe him.

„Are you sure?” She pushed again.

Henry nodded. „Hundert percent,” He said, taking his phone out. “I need to take care of this.”

“Sure,” I said.

The moment he left the library, Ashley turned to me and narrowed her eyes at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Take that box and follow me,” She pointed to the box next to my legs. “I’m going to use your help while you are still here.”

I laughed. “You could have called me to help you.”

“Well, I didn’t think about it,” She shrugged, making me smile.

We walked through the shelves to a windowed closet where Mr. Tray keeps his most valuable books for display.

“So, this is Henry?” She glanced over at me.

I placed the books below a portrait of a blond man with green eyes. “Yes.”

“He looks good,” She commented, helping me to open the heavy box.

“He seems nice,” I blushed.

Standing up, I come face to face with the portrait. I stared at the man in front of me. He looked really familiar.

“Who is that?” I asked Ashley.

He eyed me and then looked at the portrait. “Oh, that’s the founder of the town. Henry James Nightclaw the first.”

“The first? So there are more Henry James in the Nightclaw family?”

She shrugged. “I don’t, you should check the book that I gave you,” She opened the closet and placed a book in there.

“He looks scary,” I picked up a book.

“Well, he wasn’t called the Beast of the rose garden without a reason.”

“Beast of the rose garden? What are you talking about?”

“According to the legend, he could transform into a beast with red eyes who would eat people at the rose garden just outside the town.”