Chapter 3
Henry leaned back and said, "Look, since you two aren't a thing, he shouldn't be acting clueless. He should've talked to the elders and cleared the air. Plus, he's got a girlfriend already, so why's he messing with you? And in this crazy rain, what if something happened to you?"
Amelia's eyes went wide. She didn't expect Henry to stick up for her like that. But honestly, it felt kinda nice, especially since she was feeling so down. She really needed someone to be there for her.
Henry glanced at the pouring rain outside and awkwardly switched gears, "Did you get a room? I'll take you up."
Amelia felt a bit let down and shook her head. "No, I didn't book a room. I was just gonna crash on the hotel's sofa for the night."
She wasn't fishing for sympathy; she just felt like if she couldn't share her sadness, she'd be even more miserable.
Just when Amelia thought Henry was about to leave, he suddenly said, "I've got a luxury suite with some extra space. If you don't mind, you can stay with me for the night."
At this point, having a place to stay was a blessing. What other choice did she have? Anything was better than a sofa, so she quickly agreed.
As they walked down the hallway, Amelia couldn't help but think about his past. Even though he was Alexander's brother, he had moved out a long time ago. There was no place for him in that house; he was the odd one out.
James Anderson had a one-night stand with Henry's mom after getting drunk, which led to Henry's birth. But at that time, Scarlett Garcia was already his girlfriend. James had no choice but to marry Henry's mom, so he and Scarlett broke up.
They could've kept living like that, but Henry's mom had an affair. She got caught, and after the divorce, James married Scarlett.
Henry's presence was a constant reminder of that messy family drama, so leaving was his best option.
Plus, Alexander always looked down on Henry and bullied him whenever he could. He even told Amelia that Henry was worthless.
At first, Amelia believed him, but after getting to know Henry better, he didn't seem like that kind of person at all.
There were clear signs of Henry's life in the suite, showing he'd been staying there for a while.
'Does he not have a home?' Amelia wondered.
"There aren't any women's items here. I'll have the front desk send some up," Henry said, snapping her back to reality.
She was already grateful for the place to stay; she didn't want to trouble him more. Amelia quickly waved her hand. "It's okay! It's just one night!"
Henry still made the call and then handed her a cup of hot coffee. "Here, have some coffee. It's freezing outside; it must've been tough getting here."
Maybe her brain was too frozen to react, but even after entering the room, Amelia hadn't taken off her wet coat. Sitting on the sofa and sipping the hot coffee, she finally started to warm up.
Feeling the awkward vibe, Amelia wanted to chat with Henry and ask why he came back so late. But before she could say anything, Henry got up and headed to the bathroom, his tone a bit distant. "There's another bathroom outside that I haven't used. All the toiletries are there. You can take a shower and avoid catching a cold."
By the time she wanted to thank him, the bedroom door had already closed. Henry didn't even give her a chance to respond.
Amelia shook her head, a bit helpless. After all these years, Henry was still as quiet and reserved as he was when they were kids.
Thinking about the pranks she and Alexander used to play on him, it was pretty generous of him to take her in. Could she really expect him to be all smiles for someone who used to bully him?
Soon, the hot water washed over Amelia, making her feel alive again. At least Henry had given her a warm and comfy place, while Alexander had left her soaked in the rain.
After her shower, before she could even dry her hair, there was a knock on the door. It was the hotel staff, politely handing her a bag. "These are the items Mr. Anderson requested."
Amelia thought the bag would have some basic women's items, but to her surprise, it also included an expensive nightgown and a set of skincare products.
Most importantly, there was a hot drink, just what she needed, at the perfect temperature.
She smiled. 'Who would've expected that Henry, despite being so quiet, is actually pretty thoughtful?'
That night, lying in bed, Amelia couldn't sleep. Alexander showing up with a girlfriend had changed everything. She couldn't pretend nothing had happened. So what were they now? Just family?
Just as she was about to drift off, Alexander's call came through. "Amelia, did you find a place to sleep?"
Before she could answer, Mia's voice chimed in with a laugh. "It's so late; Amelia must have gone to bed already. Why are you bothering her?"
Swallowing her words, Amelia realized she was just part of their flirting. After a polite reply, she hung up the phone.
A thought suddenly hit her, 'Alexander sucks. Henry cares more about me.'
Childhood memories flooded back to her first meeting with Henry. Because of Alexander, she didn't have a good impression of Henry. That day, after dinner at the Anderson Family, while the adults were chatting outside, Alexander suddenly patted her shoulder. "Go tell Mom and Dad that Henry pushed you."
Young and obedient, Amelia, who had never played a prank, was almost in tears. "How can I do that!"
But Alexander didn't care and even got a bit angry. "So what? He came to ruin our family. If you don't do it, I won't be friends with you anymore!"
Young Amelia was almost in tears, but she didn't want to lose Alexander as a friend.
When the adults returned, Amelia nervously said that Henry had pushed her while they were out.
Sure enough, the adults were furious, and Henry looked at her in shock. But he didn't say a word in his defense.
This only made the adults dislike Henry more, making his life at the Anderson Family even harder.
As she drifted off to sleep, Amelia suddenly felt ashamed. 'How could I have treated Henry like that back then? But so many years had passed; how could I make it up to him now?' With this question in mind, she finally fell asleep.