41, 42, 43, 44 steps down to the lobby. I am so angry I could scream. Well, I did already but I haven't been that angry since, well that's not important right now. The important thing is he got angry just because I shed some light on the fact that he's still a crazed killer. Psychopath. I think that's how the news lady put it. Dozens of assassinations. I don't care what happened to him. He's a mur- never mind. I don't want to think about any of that. I don't want to think about him or him. But I'll get to that later.
•••••
Work the next day was a complete nightmare. I felt miserable, guilty. I didn't expect anyone to notice my change of mood, but there's always that one person. And that one person happened to be Henry.
He offered me to lunch that afternoon which I wasn't up to but you can't turn a guy down like him.
We were standing in line of a sandwich shop when he decided it was time to make conversation.
"So," he cleared his throat. "What's new with you?"
"Not much really," I replied.
"How's um...Loki?"
He's already taken it to far and we haven't even been here five minutes. "I'm not sure."
"Really? I thought you two were t-together," he said.
"We're not together," I snapped. "We're not even friends!"
He gave me a startled expression, and then smiled.
"What?" I asked irritably.
"I knew something was bothering you, and I think I just figured it out," he admitted.
I felt my cheeks begin to blush and looked down at my shoes.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked me softly.
I sighed, "Maybe later."
•••••
I hate headaches. They hurt so much and I can't even think properly when I have one. I couldn't wait to get up the last twelve steps to my apartment and lay down. This has been the worst week of my life ever since you-know-who waltzed into my life. Well, maybe not the worst week ever, but it comes in a close second.
I finally made it to my door and I unlocked it as fast as I could. The air conditioning was running which made my apartment feel like I was in Alaska, but that's a good thing. The first thing I did was rush to my bedroom and plopped myself on the cool, fluffy mattress. I inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to relax my muscles. I felt on edge, like I needed to do something but forgot about it. I flicked on the tv in my room and put on Master Chef, I really liked that show. It makes me hungry, so I went into the kitchen to make dinner, until I heard someone knock on my door. I walked over to answer it.
"Hi," it was Henry.
"Hello," I responded.
"Are you ok?" he asked. "I came to see if you were feeling well."
I was confused. What is he talking about? "Uh, yeah I'm fine."
I let him move past me into the hallway, "What I meant by if you felt ok was about your, uh, ffffriend?"
I rolled my eyes and lead him to the kitchen. "If you want to know what happened you can just ask," I smirked.
"No...its up to you to tell me," he said gently. He was sitting at the counter while I stood on the opposite side by the stove.
I drew a deep breath in and out. I knew that he wanted to know, but it's hard telling a guy your feelings about another guy.
"Look, that's not really why I came," he admitted.
"Oh, really?" I raised an eyebrow.
He smirked at me, but it wasn't his. It seemed like someone else's smirk...
"I came to apologize to you," suddenly a shimmer of green light formed and his body changed. "Sorry darling, but I needed to speak to you."
I stood up straighter.
"First," he sighed, "I need you to forgive me for everything that I have done and everything I will do in the future. I have hurt people here in Midgard and in other realms as well, but there is a reason. I have wanted to tell you this before, especially when we spoke at the art museum. My family in Asgard have fed me the same belief all my life, that I was born to be a king.
My brother, Thor, has always been favorited by the kingdom of Asgard and his father. The reason for that was I was adopted and my real father was the enemy of Asgard in a realm called Jötenheim. When I discovered that I was being kept to rot in Asgard, with no cause or purpose, I left brokenhearted and came to Midgard seeking power and revenge. That's why when we first met in Germany, I ordered everyone to kneel before me. That was my start to rule Midgard." All the while he told me his story he never took his eyes off me.
I walked around the counter top and stood next to him. "There hasn't been anyone that was kind to you?"
He looked at me in the eyes. "My moth- the queen of Asgard. She taught me her tricks and magic. Thor claimed to have loved me, but I suppose I lost both of their affections."
I smiled at him, "I'm sorry."
He paused a moment, "Well there's some good in there. If none of this had happened, and I died an infant then I would have never met you."
"I'm sorry I insulted you that night in Germany. I didn't know -"
"Shhh," he interrupted me. "It's not your fault, Eliza."
He took his hand in mine. His was cool and large. "That's funny."
"What is?"
"I never thought anyone could have a worse life than I do," I explained.
He had a confused expression plastered on his face.
I took a deep breath. Should I tell him? Now? I don't want to make this about me.
"What happened, darling?"
Nope. To late. Why did I bring it up?!
"Ok," I wasn't sure why I was about to tell him all of this. Nobody knew any of this except my family, but I needed to help him see he wasn't the only one in pain. "Well, I was born in Maine, and I lived there my entire life. I was pretty much one with nature. My dad would take me and my two brothers way up in the mountains to hunt. My dad was my best friend. He always knew how to help me if I was in a bad situation and he knew exactly how to make me laugh. My mom wasn't the kindest to me because I wasn't the girly, pretty daughter that she always dreamed of. He would stick up for me. Once when I was fourteen my dad let me use his gun to take out a deer. I mean...it was an accident, I don't even remember how it happened but I tripped a-and it went off." I took a deep breath, tears streaming down my face. "I have never forgiven myself. My mother... Hasn't forgiven me. The only people who seem to are my two younger brothers. Ever since then my self confidence has plummeted. I barely had anyone in my life that I truly cared about. My life since then has been a difficult." I looked up at him. He was staring out the kitchen window.
"Well, you certainly make it look easy to forgive people, like your mother."
"It's not easy," I admitted. "So what now?"
"They need to be punished," he says roughly.
I turned my head towards him. "No they don't."
"You don't deserve to live in such misery!" He yelled.
"That doesn't mean you have to go crazy and start killing everyone."
"UGH!" He pushed me away. "YOU'RE SO IRRITATING! YOU MAKE ME FEEL HORRIBLE FOR EVERYTHING I DO! I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT IS COMING BUT I KNOW YOU WILL MAKE ME WANT TO STOP IT WHEN I CAN'T!"
Inhale slowly. Hold three seconds. Exhale slowly. I kept thinking that over and over. I felt like I was going to cry.
"Alright," I said smoothly. "If you want to have some closure with happened with your family, then do it. Go on with whatever plan you have, but I don't want any part of it or you." I could feel my cheeks turning red, and the tears stinging in my eyes.
I immediately walked to my bedroom and closed the door. I heard his footsteps and then the front door slammed shut along with my secrets.
He was gone.