Page 184 of The Revenge Plan (Forbidden Descendants 1)

He glanced up. “Yes. Yes, I do. I started this. And then I couldn’t stop it. No matter how much time passed, or how much I changed, I just couldn’t stop feeling the way I felt for you. I knew he’d leave you alone as soon as I got over you, so I’d try so hard to feel something for someone else. But I couldn’t. Why couldn’t I just move on? Why did it always come back to you? If I could’ve just stopped it, he wouldn’t have hurt you. I know it.”

I leaned in to press my brow to his. “Maybe it was fate,” I said. “Maybe we were always meant to be together, no matter what happened or who tried to come between us.”

His pale eyes filled with yearning. “I… Does this mean you’re…?”

He couldn’t seem to voice the question.

“Does this mean I’m what?” I whispered.

He breathed out a sharp breath as if he couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with me. Then he shifted a space back to eye me warily. “Does this mean you don’t hate me? That you’re… You’re okay with it? With the fact that I’ve wanted you for three years? That I never had the courage to approach you? That I let Nicholl step in and—” He broke off abruptly, not ready to get into the Topher topic just yet.

Reaching out, I cupped his face in my hand. “I am more than okay with it. With all the parts that involve you, anyway. I’m… God, Wick, my head is still spinning. I just… I can’t believe you’re Henry, that he’s real.” With a watery laugh, I kissed his lips. “I ended up with Hopeless Henry. The true, real-life Henry. This is so awesome. Why would I not be okay with that?”

“I can’t believe I’m with you, either.” He traced my cheek with his fingertips. “I always figured that if I really actually got to know you, it would ruin everything. I’d learn you were something I didn’t like after all, and it would crush me. But then you moved into my apartment, and I did get to know you, and Jesus, Haven.” He shook his head slowly. “Your personality, your bull-headed stubbornness, your nervy pluck, your sweetness, and your quirky humor… I am completely fascinated by every facet of you, every flaw and imperfection. Every bright and dark spot. You’re it for me. Whatever I felt for you before is nothing compared to what I feel now. You are in my blood. In my very soul. You’re just… You’re my Haven.”

I gazed into his pale eyes, more blown away than I could express.

Everything started to make sense, too. Every time he’d ever been there for me, helping me, guiding me through my misery. It hadn’t just been because he was a good guy. He cared about me. He had cared the entire time.

Wincing, I met his gaze. “That first night that I came into your room, crawled onto your lap, and we almost…”

When his eyes flickered with emotion, I swallowed and had to pause before asking, “That was real for you, wasn’t it? I was thinking about him and trying to reclaim my sexuality, looking for meaningless revenge sex and a rebound hookup, something that wasn’t meaningful, and all the while, it was finally happening for you. Your ultimate dream was coming true.”

I felt a little sick because I’d ruined our first kiss, our first…

He didn’t look upset about it, though. He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and smiled softly. “For me, it’s always been real. It’s always been you.”

“Oh God, Wick.” I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his neck. “I can’t believe this is happening. What’re we going to do about it? About Izzy, and ‘Hopeless Henry’? And Topher? About everything?”

He kissed my temple affectionately. “I guess we’ll figure it out as we go. As long as you can accept this, accept me, we’ll figure it out together, and we’ll make it through.”

Tears of joy tumbled down my cheeks. “Okay,” I told him. “I like the sound of that.”

48

Henry

Final Issue of “Hopeless Henry”

By Alice Bennet

Taken from the University Gazette

Senior year came at last. Thank God. I was so ready to get out of this college and away from certain memories. Certain people.

I would always have a soft part for the marching band and the friends I’d made there. I had a feeling I’d remain in most of their lives long after graduation. But other parts, I couldn’t wait to escape.

Just a few months to go, and it’d all be over.

I was looking forward to starting fresh. I could make myself a clean slate. I could leave behind all the things that haunted me and hopefully find a job in my dream career, then meet someone I clicked with and build a life with her.

I wouldn’t have to see Avery or Reuben or any of his bothersome friends ever again. It would be nice.

Meanwhile, I was hanging on and making sure I got through as I remained focused on graduation.

After being assigned a partner—Elliot—in my orchestration class, I agreed to meet with him at his dorm to go over a music composition project we had coming due.

He was incredibly annoying, but also brilliant, so I just had to bite my tongue and deal with some of his crazier ideas to get to the genius ones.

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