So yes, I was moving her in. But now that she was here, she was refusing to move from the back door until I had spoken to Henry.
“It’s his home too,” she said. “I won’t invade until I know he’s okay with it.”
“He lives in a separate flat downstairs,” I argued, just wanting to get her firmly installed in the house. “The bastard refuses to come up here anyway.”
“I’m not moving from here until you talk to Henry and that’s it.”
“Talk to me about what?” Henry was standing in the doorway to the kitchen with one eyebrow raised and a small smile on his face.
“You’re out of your PJs!” Kira cried, flying across the kitchen and giving him such an aggressive hug that he let out an ‘omph!’ and went back on one foot. I strode over to them and pulled her back by one of her belt loops.
“The man managed to wear actual clothes, Kira,” I muttered, shooting Henry an annoyed look as he shot me a smug, amused expression. “I don’t think it deserves quite that level of exuberance.”
“Hmm,” Henry said. “Kira’s hugsdomake me feel a lot better though. And I have been through a rough time so . . .”
“Oh, Henry!” she cried, attempting to launch herself forwards, but I still had a hold of her belt loop so she was going nowhere. Henry’s smirk turned into a full-on grin.
“I take it you two have progressed from fake news to actual headlines now in the relationship stakes.”
“Well –”
“Yes,” I cut Kira off and pulled her back into me and away from Henry. “Kira is with me now. There will be no more hugs, howevergoodit makes you feel, you cheeky bastard.”
Henry let out a short laugh. “I knew it,” he said.
“What do you mean you knew it?”
“This,” he pointed between me and Kira, “was inevitable to anyone with eyes in their head. The only thing that surprises me is this possessive caveman bit. Never seen you like that before.”
I was about to punch him in the face but Kira spoke.
“Listen Henners, bit of trouble at my gaffe and Barcos wants me to stay here. I didn’t want to impose on you guys. If it’s not okay, I can–”
“What kind of trouble?” Henry stopped smirking, he crossed his arms over his chest and his eyes were now alert. Before Kira could play it down, I told him the whole story. He was nearly as furious as me and wouldn’t hear of Kira staying anywhere else. I hadn’t quite realised how important she had become to Henry as well, but I couldn’t say I was surprised.
It was after he’d helped us lug her suitcases up and when I was trying to find the sheets in the airing cupboard that I overheard them in the corridor.
“You doing okay?” Kira’s soft voice asked, the concern clear in her tone.
“I’m fine.”
“Please don’t you tell me you’re fine. I know that you’re not.”
“Okay, I’m not fine but I have contacted a counsellor. And I’ve got an appointment with my GP next week.”
“And your friends? Maybe even that girl that you–”
“One step at a time,” he told her. “You’re a pushy little bugger, aren’t you? Ow! Not more chest hair, you little shit!”
I let out the breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding. With Kira right here in the house, maybe I wouldn’t feel so helpless when it came to Henry.
“So,” I said as I emerged from the airing cupboard and made my way over to them. Kira was carrying a beanbag that had seen better days and a lava lamp. Henry had chucked the suitcases down on the carpet. “There’s lots of rooms, so you can take your pick.”
I’d forced her to come here and I didn’t want to make her sleep with me and not have her own space just because I was a horny bastard. Her gaze snapped back to me and she frowned.
“Oh,” she said. Her shoulders dropped a bit and her eyes dropped from mine. “Right, great.” She sighed, dropped the beanbag on the floor and then plonked herself down on it. Since this behaviour wasnotchoosing herself a room from the vast quantity she had available to her on this floor, and since she seemed weirdly sad, I wasn’t sure what to do.
Henry snorted. “I’ll just leave you two to hash it out,” he said, beating a hasty retreat down the corridor and then down the stairs to his flat.
