A slow, predatory smirk curved across Elisha’s lips. He looked straight into Henry’s eyes, the shadows of the room wrapping around them like a cage, and asked the question that shattered the last of Henry’s defenses.
"Who was fucking you in your dream, Henry?" Elisha murmured, his voice low, raspy, and dangerously quiet.
Henry’s breath fastened, the warmth of his release instantly draining away as panic washed over him. His fingers were still caught inside the waistband of his pajama pants, the realization of what he had just done and who had watched him making humiliation flare hot and sharp beneath his skin.
Elisha didn’t let him squirm. He leaned closer, his eyes narrowing with demanding focus. "I’m asking you a question, Henry," Elisha said. "Answer me."
A sudden, sharp spike of anger cut through Henry’s panic. The audacity. Elisha could spend three months treating him like dirt, pushing him away, calling what happened between them a disgusting mistake, and hiding behind the safe shield of "best friends"—yet here he was, sitting in the dark and demanding answers about Henry’s body.
No. If Elisha wanted to play the strict, untouchable best friend, Henry was going to give him a taste of his own medicine. He had to let Elisha know he didn’t stand a chance of playing these games anymore.
Henry forced his hand out of his pants, swallowed the lump of raw nerves in his throat, and looked straight into Elisha’s dark, intense eyes with an unreadable, confident smirk.
"I was fucking my girlfriend, obviously," Henry said smoothly, his voice dripping with casual indifference. "Who else do you think I’d be dreaming about?"
Elisha’s expression instantly cracked, the smug, predatory confidence vanishing from his face as if he’d been struck.
Henry noticed his reaction and decided to push his advantage, deliberately making his words hurt even more. "She’s quite good, you know. She rides my cock so well it makes it completely impossible for me to forget her. That’s exactly why I want to marry her, she’s everything I could ever want in a partner. Sensational in bed, sweet, and totally addictive."
Elisha stared at him, completely stunned, his jaw slightly slack. The words choked in his throat before he managed to force them out, his voice laced with absolute disbelief and disgust.
"You’re... you’re already sleeping with her? A woman you barely even know, and you’re already dreaming about her like that?"
Henry’s smirk didn’t falter. He held Elisha’s gaze without flinching. "Why not?" he said coolly. "She’s my woman, and she means everything to me."
Elisha looked genuinely hurt, a dark wave of possessive jealousy crossing his face. But Henry didn’t care. A quiet sense of satisfaction settled over him.
Without giving Elisha another word, Henry pushed himself up from the mattress, ignoring the heavy glare following his every move. He walked past him, stepped into the bathroom, and cleaned himself up with deliberate calm. When he came back out, he climbed into bed, turned his back to Elisha, and pulled the duvet over his shoulders.
Behind him, Elisha let out a harsh, disbelieving scoff. "You’re already sleeping with someone else? How can you even sleep with a woman you aren’t officially married to yet? Have you no self-control, Henry?"
Henry didn’t turn around. He kept his eyes closed, a quiet smirk playing on his lips, knowing with absolute certainty that Elisha would lie awake and tear himself apart over every single word.
Elisha sat stiffly on the edge of the mattress, the silence of the room pressing down on him like a weight. He reached over to the nightstand, poured himself a glass of water with a hand that barely concealed its tremor, and dragged his fingers through his damp hair.
How can he even sleep with her? Elisha thought, his chest burning with a furious, toxic rage. Is she really that good that he’s dreaming about her like a lunatic?
Unable to stop himself, he leaned closer to the edge of the bed, voice tight and strained.
"So she’s just... what? That good in bed?"
Henry didn’t turn. His voice drifted back into the dark, smooth and dripping with deliberate exaggeration.
"Oh, she’s incredible. Too good, honestly. Sweet and tight, takes me in every position imaginable... I probably couldn’t get her out of my mind even if I tried. Unlike a certain one-night stand from three months ago that left zero lasting impression. Right now, my fiancée is all I think about."
Elisha stared at the back of Henry’s head, his chest tight with a painful wave of jealousy. The irony was almost unbearable. He was desperate to hear Henry say his name.
Instead, Henry was intentionally torturing him with a made-up, exaggerated picture of another woman.
Elisha wanted to shout. He wanted to shake Henry, grab his shoulders, and yell that it was him, that it had always been him. But he didn’t dare raise his voice. He couldn’t risk getting thrown out or being sent to sleep on the floor.
So he just sat there in silence, swallowing the bitter feeling, fighting the jealous anger that was tearing him apart inside.
Henry lay under the duvet, listening to Elisha’s heavy, uneven breathing and the quiet sound of him falling apart. A deep, satisfied smile spread across Henry’s lips in the dim light. He let out a soft, contented sigh and drifted off to sleep without a care.
Meanwhile, Elisha spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling. He was completely tormented by the ghost of a girlfriend he hadn’t even met in person yet.
Hour after hour ticked by in the dark. Elisha tossed and turned, his mind racing with wild, jealous thoughts.
By the time it was nearly 5:16 a.m., exhaustion finally won. Elisha closed his eyes and drifted into a light, restless sleep.
A few hours later, sunlight filtered through the curtains. Elisha was the first to wake, despite having slept so late. He opened his eyes and found himself looking at Henry’s back. For a few minutes, he simply lay there, quietly watching him.
A few minutes later, Henry stirred and slowly turned around. The moment his eyes opened, he found Elisha staring at him.
To Henry’s surprise, Elisha suddenly became unusually sweet. He leaned closer, a bright smile spreading across his face as he greeted him.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Elisha murmured.
Henry stared at him, keeping his face blank. He didn’t say a word.
Elisha didn’t let the cold silence stop him. He propped himself up on his elbow. "So, do you have a lot of work to do today?"
Henry narrowed his eyes. "Why do you ask?"
"I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight," Elisha said, his tone careful and sweet. "It’s been a long time since we went out for dinner, like we used to before everything fell apart."
Henry let out a cold breath. "I have too much work. I’m not available for dinner."
Elisha’s face fell. He opened his mouth to say something else, hoping he could find the right words to make Henry smile. But before he could find the right words, Henry’s phone started vibrating on the nightstand.
Henry reached over and picked up the phone, bringing the screen into view. Elisha’s eyes immediately caught the name displayed on the screen.
Prince Raphael.
The moment Henry saw the name, his face lit up. A genuine, happy smile spread across his lips.
He answered the call immediately, intentionally putting it on speaker.
"Your Highness," Henry said, his voice instantly warm and respectful.
On the other end, Prince Raphael’s smooth voice came through the speaker. "Henry, I’m sorry for calling this early in the morning."
"It’s fine, Your Highness," Henry replied.
"I’ll go straight to why I called you."
"Alright."
"I’m staying nearby with my brother. We came for a royal engagement and will be here for the next two days. I was wondering, if you’re free tonight, would you let me take you out for dinner? We could spend some time together before I head back."
Before Raphael could finish, Henry quickly agreed, his voice bright with excitement.
"Wow," Henry said, sounding genuinely pleased. "You’re nearby? No problem at all. You can pick me up later. I’m completely free tonight. We can go out."
Elisha sat right beside him, watching every single change in Henry’s face.
Just minutes ago, Henry had looked at him like a stranger and claimed he was too busy to go out with him. Now, he was smiling from ear to ear and happily clearing his entire schedule for a prince.
Henry finished the call quickly and set his phone down.
Elisha stared at him, his jaw tight with anger. "Didn’t you just tell me that you have too much work and can’t go out with me?"
Henry looked straight at him, putting on an innocent expression. "I’m sorry, my best friend. You’re just a friend. But this person is very important."
Elisha stared at him, too stunned to speak. Henry had never turned him down whenever he asked him to go out before. Yet this time, Henry had immediately said he was too busy, only to accept an invitation from someone else moments later. The realization left Elisha at a loss for words. "Are you saying I’m not important?" he finally asked.
Henry tilted his head. "No, don’t get me wrong, Eli. I’m not saying you’re not important. You’re my best friend. But how am I supposed to say no when a prince personally asks me to go out with him? That would be ridiculous."
With those words, Henry stood up from the bed. He didn’t wait for Elisha to say another word before walking straight toward the bathroom to get ready for the day.
Elisha sat there on the edge of the mattress, a cold, empty feeling settling in his chest. He felt as though he were losing something important, even though he couldn’t find the right words to explain exactly what it was.
The silence in the room felt suffocating.
Elisha pushed himself up from the bed. Stripping off his pajamas piece by piece until he was completely naked, he walked straight toward the bathroom door.
He slid the glass door open.
Inside, Henry was already standing beneath the running water, soap lathered over his skin.
The sudden sound made Henry flinch. Soap covered his face, and he quickly raised his hands to wipe it from his eyes.
Before he could clear his vision and see what was happening, he sensed someone moving closer.
Elisha had already stepped into the shower and was standing almost directly behind him.
The moment Henry turned around and his eyes landed on Elisha, he froze.