Henley

A knock came from the front door and I shot up from the couch, going to answer it. Both Lee and Henry smiled bashfully at me as they stood on my doorstep. "Did you two make up?" I asked immediately.

Lee threw his arm around Henry's shoulder, pulling Henry closer to his side, nodding. "Of course. It took some wheedling, though."

"Good," I said, relieved.

"I came to pick up my car," Lee told me, hooking his thumb toward his Maserati still in my driveway. "I know Bennett has a fit if he has to park on the street and I figured he'd be coming here after work."

I stepped aside so they could enter the house, grimacing. "That sounds like him."

"The keys are inside somewhere, though. I have to find them," Lee said, making a beeline for the couch.

"Want something to drink? Are you staying for a bit?" I asked, directing my words toward Henry.

"I could use some water," he answered, following me into the kitchen.

I reached for the glasses on the top shelf. "Neither you or Lee answered my texts, I was worried you two were still fighting. I should have known you'd make up fast. I could never see you two actually being mad at each other."

Henry easily reached over me and grabbed them, handing them to me. "Well. It's not like we didn't fight at all."

My eyes widened. "You actually fought?"

"It was more me being upset with him," Henry said, watching as I filled the glasses with ice and water.

"For sleeping with Brandon?"

Henry pursed his lips at me. "Can you not say it like that?"

I grinned, handing him a glass. "Sorry."

"But no," he continued. "This might sound childish, and I'm not blaming you or anything, but it was upsetting to me that Lee would rather go to you with his troubles rather than me."

I wrapped my hands around my cup, taking a sip. "I can see why you'd feel like that, though. Lee's only known me for a year. He's known you way longer."

"And I'm his boyfriend."

"But I'm sure that's why it was harder to admit everything to you," I said, leaning against the counter.

Henry nodded. "He did. And I understand why he went to you first. But that doesn't mean it didn't hurt. I wish he could have trusted me instead of worry about how I'd react. I thought he knew me better than that. I would never think badly of him."

"He knows that," I assured Henry.

Henry smiled. "I know. And I understand his side of things too, now that he's explained. But I also let him know that in the future I'd like to help him face these things. It all worked out."

"I'm glad. I'm sorry Brandon got him so drunk he passed out and didn't text you. That's kind of on us," I said, scratching the back of my head.

"You know, I did oddly feel jealous of Brandon," Henry admitted after a moment. "I know those two have a past history of being drinking buddies. But is that all?"

I almost laughed at the idea of Lee and Brandon together. "No. I can assure you Brandon does not feel that way toward Lee. I would know if he did. And Lee would never choose Brandon over you. You two are like a match made in heaven. I can't see him ever breaking up with you."

"He wouldn't break up with me," Henry said.

My eyebrows rose at his confidence. "Oh, yeah?"

"I wouldn't break up with him either, though."

"Yeah, then who would support you?"

Henry's mouth fell open. "Henley!"

"What?" I said innocently. "Nothing wrong with that. It's romantic. Lee supporting your dreams."

Henry pursed his lips. "I have money. I'm not using Lee's. Why do you think I lived in such a little apartment? I put most of my money into savings."

"Did you? Why?"

He avoided my gaze. "I don't want to say. It probably will sound ridiculous to you."

"I bet it's not," I said, frowning. "It's obviously something important to you if you worked so hard to save money for it."

"I wanted to save my money and buy a small house on some island far away and live out the rest of my life there quietly. Raise some animals, spend my days writing. In peace," he said, smiling nostalgically. "That was the plan, anyway. Now it's different."

"Why is it different?" I asked. "And that doesn't sound ridiculous at all."

"Well, now I have Lee. And you. And Bennett. I don't think I want to leave everything behind anymore," Henry said, staring at the floor. "Now being alone doesn't sound as enticing as it used to."

"Yeah, I'd miss you," I told him, bumping his hip with mine. "But what are you going to do with all the money you saved? Invest?"

"Oh, I'm sponsoring some of the local animal rescues," he said. "I thought about opening my own with Lee's help, but I don't think I have the emotional capacity for it. So, I'll just help monetarily."

I took another sip of water to keep myself from smiling too hard. "That's really sweet. I should sponsor one, too. Bennett is paying me so much."

"I'll give you a list," Henry said as we made our way back to the living room. "You can also find local ones on Facebook and just send them money via Venmo or whatever when they need to raise emergency donations."

"Oh, I could do that, too."

"Is Henry advocating for cats again?" Lee asked us as we approached him, arm wedged deep behind one of the cushions of the couch.

"Not just cats," Henry corrected. "All animals."

"I'm waiting for the day he starts bringing them home," Lee said to me. "I know it's going to happen."

Henry perked up. "You want to adopt animals?"

"I figure you would. We have the room."

"I do," Henry said quickly. "How many?"

Lee retracted his arm with his keys in hand, raising an eyebrow at Henry. "Did you have a number in mind?"

"Ten—" he cut himself off. "Not really, no."

I grinned at the pair, but my mind drifted toward adopting a pet, as well. I'd never felt stable enough to adopt one. Afraid of losing my apartment, afraid of not being able to afford vet bills... It just was never the right time. But now? I could I wanted to. I hadn't considered I was now in the position to do so.

But something told me Bennett wouldn't like having pets. He liked everything so clean. Pet hair alone would probably bother him.

But him playing with a cat...

My heart clenched. I wanted to see it. I wanted to see him playing with a cute animal.

The door opened, causing me to whip around, startled. Bennett entered, his gaze shooting right to me, mouth falling open. "Oh. I'm sorry. I should have knocked."

"No, it's okay," I said. "You're welcome over whenever."

"Still," he said, shutting the door behind him. "You've been robbed before. That's not something easy to get over."

"I lock the door when I'm alone," I told him, fiddling with the hem of my shirt. And Brandon was with me now, too. While I didn't want to admit it to his face, he had gained some muscle while in jail. He was pretty intimidating. "What are you doing here? I thought I was going to come to your house when you got out."

Bennett looked pointedly at Lee, who'd frozen up at the sight of his younger brother. "I've come to see Lee."

The color drained from Lee's face. "Bennett—"

"I know everything already, Lee," Bennett said, lips pressing into a flat line.

"That's..." Lee clenched his hands into fists, dropping his gaze. "I'm..."

"Whatever you're thinking, stop."

"But..."

Bennett strode across the room and enveloped Lee in a hug. "You're still my brother. Nothing changes that, Lee. Don't think for a second this information is anything other than that— something that someone told us. We will decide what we do with it."

Henry pulled on my hand, a silent suggestion that we give them some privacy, and together we snuck out the front door and onto the porch. Not two seconds after we sat down on the wooden rocking chairs, Ariana's car pulled up behind Bennett's on the street. The closer she inched closer to his bumper, the more I got excited to see Bennett's expression when he eventually would notice. Part of me wanted to go guide her so she could get as close as possible, but I didn't want Bennett to faint.

"Everyone is visiting today," Henry commented, leaning back in the chair.

"I don't get why it's my house. Yours and Bennett's are so much bigger and nicer."

"Yeah, but your house feels more like a home."

I couldn't disagree with that, and it made me smile. It did feel like a home. Especially when everyone came to visit.

When Ariana came stumbling up to us, I expected her usual cheerful expression, but instead, she was crying her eyes out. Henry and I both jumped up immediately, going over to her. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm so stressed out," she cried, wrapping her arms around me. "Everything keeps piling up. And on the way here, I got a flat tire. I don't have money for a new tire."

I pulled back from her, noticing the black grease smudged on her arms and hands. "Ariana, I have money for a tire if you need one. Are you sure it just can't be patched?"

She wiped the tears from her face, streaking the grease there now, too. "I don't know. Knowing my luck, it'll have to be replaced."

I glanced at the door. Bennett and Lee probably weren't done chatting yet, but...

"Sit down," Henry told Ariana, pointing toward the chair he'd abandoned. "Take a deep breath."

Ariana did as she was told, breathing in deeply, head in her hands. "

"Work has been miserable without you," she started. "I have to do everything. I feel stuck and jealous working this minimum wage job while you're now making a decent salary at the hotel. The people in my lab group refuse to do their work no matter how much I text and call them and tell them it needs to be done. They're trying to make me do it as if I don't have enough work from all my other classes. I'm taking two accelerated courses on top of my four normal ones. I don't have time. I need to keep my grades up to continue to get my scholarships. And I got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do an internship abroad and I can't figure out why I'm not jumping on the opportunity. I could make connections and get necessary work experience, but I keep hesitating. But I need to make a decision soon and I'm just tired and stressed out."

"Anyone would be stressed out dealing with all that," Henry said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "That's a lot to deal with."

Ariana sighed, dabbing at her eyes again. "I'm sorry for crying. I need to get it together."

"You feel like I left you behind?" I asked, folding my arms along my stomach. "Why?"

She bit her lip, hands clenching the fabric of the emerald green dress she was wearing. "I'm really happy for you. I am. You finally are getting everything you deserve. But I can't help feeling jealous. Which makes me feel guilty. And I can barely talk to you lately because you're so busy with Bennett and work and everything else. I don't know why I feel like this."

I crouched down beside her. "No, I get it. If our positions were reversed, I would be jealous, too. And I know I've been busy lately, but it's not an excuse for ignoring you."

"You're not ignoring me," she said. "I can't demand your attention, anyway. You have your own life. I guess I just keep thinking that you leaving Coffee House means you're leaving me behind, too."

"I'd never do that, Ariana. You're my best friend," I responded, trying to ignore the way my heart clenched. "Are you not happy at Coffee House anymore?"

She shook her head. "The customers are getting ruder and ruder and your replacement refuses to so much as take an order. It sucks."

"Would you take a job at the hotel?" I asked. "I can ask Bennett. I'm sure he will."

"I don't want to use him like that."

I stood up again, putting my hands on my hips. "That's not using him. You're a great worker, Ariana. I'm sure he'd be happy to have you. If Coffee House is stressing you out that much, I think you should leave. I'll ask Bennett, okay? I'm sure he'd pay better, too."

"It's not just that," she mumbled.

"If the students in your group aren't doing their work, tell your professor," Henry said. "I dealt with classmates like that when I was in college, too. It's not your problem they don't want to work and will receive a zero. You will get credit for all the work you've done."

Her head fell back. "Then they'll hate me."

"You need to focus on yourself, Ariana," Henry said admonishingly. "You can't carry everyone's work like that. These are not children. They're fully grown adults. They can either do their work or get a zero. Don't put up with it. Do you want me to e-mail your professor instead?"

Ariana smiled a little, the twinkly returning to her brown eyes. "No, that's okay."

"You're right. Bennett's name would look a lot more intimidating," Henry responded thoughtfully. "Maybe he should."

Ariana held up her hands. "No, really! It's okay! You're right. I shouldn't put up with this. I'll e-mail my professor and explain the situation. I honestly feel a little better already after venting about everything."

"What about the internship?" I asked, mentally going through her list of problems. Maybe she would feel better if she had a plan for all of them. "Where is it?"

"Spain," she said. "Ten weeks over the summer."

"What? That's awesome!"

She smiled weakly. "Isn't it? It is. I'm so lucky to have been offered it, but..."

"Is it because of the language? Is Spain Spanish really different from Venezuelan Spanish?" I asked.

"It's not different enough that I wouldn't be able to understand it. Just small differences," she explained. "That's not the problem."

"Is it going overseas?"

"I guess? Going somewhere new, not knowing anyone, leaving everyone behind."

Realization hit me. "Ah."

"I know it's not forever, but I don't know. I'm nervous and scared and it makes me want to stay, but I know that I might not get another opportunity like this." She ran a hand through her dark hair. "And then I get to thinking what if I like it there? What if they offer me a job? I already looked up how long I could stay on a work Visa. Doesn't that mean I want to go? So why do I hesitate?"

Henry walked over to the porch railing, looking out at the sunset. "Because it's a big decision. It doesn't mean you don't want to do it the same way it doesn't mean you want to."

"How long do you have to decide?" I asked her.

"About a month. I have to decide by April 17th. But I wouldn't leave until June. Which also makes me wonder if I might regret my decision during the month between."

I tapped my fingers on the chair's armrest. "If you say yes for now, could you back out later?"

"I guess I could. But I'd feel bad doing that."

"Hmm..."

"I should just go, shouldn't I?" she sighed, pushing herself up. "If I just make a decision at least I can stop stressing out over it."

"You talked to Brandon about this?" I asked, remembering how Brandon had mentioned Ariana telling him something she hadn't told me. "What did he say?"

Ariana joined Henry's side, leaning over the railing. "He said I should go. Do you think he's trying to get rid of me?"

I snorted. "I doubt that."

"Sounds like he's just trying to support your dreams," Henry said.

"Yeah, he's an idiot, but he's a good guy. I think he is, too," I agreed.

Ariana sighed again, letting her arms dangle off the railing, cheek pressed to the painted wood. "I can't even bring my problems up to Sebastian."

"What? Why not?"

"He'd probably just think they were silly. Complaining about my job, school. It just feels so inconsequential when I consider his status."

I slapped her back, startling her. "Ariana! Sebastian is not like that."

She rubbed where I slapped her, awkwardly bending her arm back. "Yeah. But still. You know what I mean, Henley."

I closed my mouth. I did. I felt the same exact way with Bennett, and in some ways, I still did. "Okay, I was hypocritical just now."

"I kind of understand now why you felt you were so far out of Bennett's league."

"I think people feel that way at first even if their significant other is on the same level as them," Henry interjected, crossing his arms. "There's always doubt you have to overcome. I'm not attractive as them, I'm not as talented as them, I'm not as better off as them, I'm not as kind as them. But then you realize that you don't have to compare yourself when you're in a relationship. You're equals."

I grinned at him. "You're so wise, Henry."

"I'm just older than you two."

"You felt that way with Lee, then?" Ariana asked, turning to Henry.

Henry nodded. "Of course. But I'd feel that way even if I dated you, Ariana. Henley, as well."

"What?" Ariana and I chorused together.

"You're so friendly and outgoing, Ariana. You have a great personality. Wouldn't someone as shy as me not be a good match for you?" he said. "And Henley, you've worked so hard to get where you are. Wouldn't someone like me, with no family and no job, just hold you back if we dated? Bring you back to where we started?"

"No," Ariana and I said together again.

Henry smiled. "See? Those are just my thoughts. It's not how other people feel. So, Ariana, you should share your problems with Sebastian, too. He cares about you and I'm sure he'd be hurt to know you shared with all your friends except him. He'd want to help you, too."

Ariana nodded slowly, looking a little guilty. "Yeah, you're right. I'd want him to come to me with his problems, too."

Henry stuck his hands in his pockets. "It's your decision in the end though. Although I doubt those two would try to sway you."

"They'd be more likely to go with her," I joked.

Ariana giggled. "Thank you, you guys. I feel a lot better now. I guess everything was just getting to me. It was nice to talk about it."

"That's what friends are for," I said and then noticed the grease on her arms again. "Oh, right. Let's go inside so you can wash up."

"Did you change your tire all by yourself?" Henry asked her.

"Yep. I learned from my mom because she didn't want me to have to ask for help from random people if I ever got a flat or pay a lot of money to have someone come out and change it."

"That's smart. While there are good people out there, it's safer to know how to do it yourself. Henley, do you know how to change a tire?"

I made a face. "Uh. No."

"We can teach you," he said casually.

"I mean, I guess it would be good to know." I tried to imagine Bennett changing a car tire. He definitely seemed like the type of person to just call AAA. Or simply abandon the car and buy a new one. "Actually, I should learn."

Henry and I cautiously poked our heads through the front door to check on the situation inside while Ariana watched on bemusedly. I heard Bennett's voice from the kitchen and took that to be a good sign and the three of us trooped in.

"Oh, perfect timing," Lee said as we went into the kitchen. "Oh, hello, Ariana."

"Hi Lee!"

"What's all over your face?" Bennett asked Ariana, eyebrows furrowing.

Ariana went over to the kitchen sink and began to soap up her hands. "I had to change my tire on the way here."

"Oh, no. Do you have anyone to take it to? I know someone who runs a tire shop who's really fair," Lee said, reaching below the sink cabinet to get Ariana a fresh dishtowel. "She can tell you if you need to buy a new one or just patch it."

I briefly wondered how he knew they were there, but knew better to question these things at this point.

"That'd be great, actually. I'm using my spare right now. Although I don't know how much I could afford for a new tire right now."

Lee hesitated a moment. "Oh. I'm sure she could find a used one for cheaper if you needed it."

Ariana paused. "Really?"

"Sure," Lee said, smiling. "I'll take your tire for you, too. We can put it in my car later. Are you three hungry? Bennett and I were thinking about going out for dinner. I'm buying."

"That sounds fun," Henry said immediately. "Let's all go."

Lee's eyes crinkled as he beamed at Henry. "Right?"

"Should we invite Sebastian, too?" Bennett asked. "I'd feel bad leaving him out."

"Is Brandon coming?" I asked.

"You bet I am," Brandon answered, appearing out of nowhere behind me, making me jump. "Free food? Always a yes."

"We should invite Sebastian, too," I said.

Brandon pulled out his phone. "On it."

"Wow, we haven't all gotten together like this since our Christmas party!" Ariana said excitedly.

"I figured right now would be a good time for us all to relax and enjoy each other's company," Lee told her, taking out his phone as well. "I'll call to make reservations."

"Too bad Cara and Tala can't join too," Bennett said.

"Where are they?" I asked him.

"On vacation. They won't be back until next week."

"Oh, well, we could meet up with them then."

Bennett crossed the room to sidle up to me, pressing his shoulder against mine. "That works for me. The more I get to see of you, the happier I'll be."

I stood on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Cheesy."

He put his arm around my waist. "You're not used to it already?"

I laughed, but before I could respond, his phone began ringing. He ignored it once, but when it rang again, he took it out with a mildly annoyed, answering it before looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"At least one of my sons knows how to answer his phone," I heard the caller say sneeringly.

My heart sunk to my stomach as Bennett's hand clenched the phone tighter. I could recognize that voice even through the static. Bennett's jaw tightened. "What do you want, Mother?"

Author's Note:

I keep trying to write in Lee's POV, but I just don't feel like I can get his voice right. What do you guys think? Do you want a chapter in his POV? Maybe a special short chapter instead?

Sorry for such sporadic updates. Unfortunately with this story, I can't promise weekly on-time ones, since WAS is my main work, and I have other paid projects I'm doing which also come before even WAS since... you know, they're contracted lol. And my day job. I do want to try to keep it to once a week, but most likely, it'll be 1-2 weeks.

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! 

P.S I didn't proofread. Sorry. But I'm hungry and wanted to get this up first lol.