I walked Henry over to his car. Before leaving, he pulled me in for another hug. This one was short and sweet. I watched him get in and drive away. I still had a lot to sort through but I was feeling a lot better about everything. I believed Henry when he said that his feelings for me were real. I also believed him when he said he was sorry. I didn't know if I could ever trust him completely again but at least this was a start.
When I got back to my room, Jane was back from dinner. I was hoping she would still be out and I wouldn't have to answer any questions about where I was. I wasn't sure if she would understand.
"Hey Em, there you are. Did you go get something to eat?"
"Yeah I did. Henry came to see me and brought me dinner. We went for a walk and talked."
She was staring at me in shock. I couldn't blame her.
"You talked to him? What did he say? Are you okay?"
"I'm better than I was. He apologized and told me that everything that happened between us was real. That he really does care about me. I believe him. But I'm not sure I can trust him again."
"So where do you two stand? I'll support you no matter what you do but I don't want to see you get hurt again. Are you sure he's being honest?"
"I am. I was afraid you were going to judge me. I know it's crazy to believe him. And maybe I am. I just can't walk away that easily."
"Em I would never judge you. But I'm not going to lie. I'm apprehensive about Henry but it's your life. It's not up to me to tell you how to live it. Just know I'm here no matter what happens."
"Thanks, you are the best Jane. So how was Sunday dinner? Did I miss any juicy gossip?"
"Not really. Jess was uncharacteristically quiet. I think she feels really bad about fighting with you. And Melissa just seemed annoyed with Jess. I was actually able to get a word in for once."
"I can't even imagine that." We both laughed at the ludicrous idea of Jess and Melissa actually letting someone else get a word in.
"Speaking of Jess and Melissa, could you maybe not tell them that Henry and I are talking again? I really don't feel like dealing with their objections."
"Of course! Although, I think Jess might have learned her lesson with butting into other people's relationships. Seriously, I've never seen her like this."
"I guess I'll give her a call tomorrow. I don't want to lose her friendship."
Between the food and talking to Henry, I felt a million times better. I asked Jane if she wanted to watch a movie. We got into our pajamas and scrolled through Netflix trying to find something we hadn't already watched a million times. A girls night was exactly what I needed.
The next morning I woke feeling much better than I did 24 hours ago. My life didn't feel like a total disaster anymore. I made a plan to call Jess and try to fix things. I hated that we were fighting. One of us had to be the bigger person and make the first move. I probably needed to talk to Liam as well. I didn't want to go home for the summer on bad terms with him. And then there was Henry. I wanted nothing more than to trust him again and go back to the way things were but that just wasn't possible. It was going to take some time to get over what he did. But I had to give him a chance. I couldn't just walk away from what we had.
I hadn't heard from Henry since the night before. I couldn't wait to get through my classes so I could go back to my room and call him. When I finally got to my building, Henry was waiting for me. He was sitting on our bench. It was such a nice surprise. He was wearing his usual jeans and a dark T-shirt. He had also shaved which was disappointing. I liked his scruff.
"Hey, what are you doing here? I was just going to call you."
"Do you want to go for a drive? I want to show you something."
"Okay. Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."
Now I was intrigued. Since I didn't have a car, I didn't really get to see too much of the surrounding area. It would be nice to get away from campus for a few hours. We walked over to where Henry parked and he opened my door. When he got in, he started the car and put the 90's station on for me. I loved how considerate he could be. A nagging voice in my head was saying that he was only playing me. I pushed it away. I didn't want to let my doubts ruin our day. I needed to distract myself.
.
"So why did you shave? I liked it scruffy."
His hand went to his face where his beard use to be.
"It was getting a little too long. I'll let it grow back for you."
"Are you going to tell me where we are going yet?"
"Nope. You'll just have to wait and see. It's not that far."
I looked out the window and watched as we drove further away from campus. I had no idea where we were going. When we got to a wooded area, Henry pulled onto a dirt road. Where in the world was he taking me?
We ended up in a small parking area surrounded by woods. I knew there was a large forest close to campus but I had never been there. I was getting nervous because I wasn't much of an outdoorsy person. At least I had on sneakers. Henry must have sensed my apprehension.
"Don't worry. It's a short walk. And I promise it'll be worth it."
I reluctantly got out of the car and followed Henry to a path that cut into the dense forest. We walked for about 15 minutes until we came to an opening in the trees. In front of us was a wide stream and to the left was a waterfall falling over a small cliff side. It was beautiful!
"When I need a break from everything or time to think, this is where I go. I sometimes just sit and listen to the waterfall or I write. But it's my favorite place. And I wanted to share it with you."