"You did what?!" Nora yelled after Alex told her about Henry incident yesterday right before he left the apartment. She came to pay him a visit when she realized Henry was resting in Alex's bedroom.

"I know, its stupid." Henry says fixing himself to sit up against the headrest. Nora noticed the grimaced face he made when he moves even a slight movement made him winced.

"Are you okay?" She asks sitting on the edge of the bed next to Henry. He sighed nodding his head with a painful smile on his face. "I'm fine Nora. I'm sorry I can't be there to help you at the store." Henry apologized.

"Nonsense Hen. You stay here and rest. Take as long as you need alright?" Nora sense Henry lowered gaze might meant something unpleasant from what she just said to him. She palmed Henry's hand over his lap before Henry lifted his gaze back at her.

"What's wrong?" She asks concerned.

"I know you hired someone else to replace me. Nora put me to work. Maybe I can mind the register or I can still help you take out the garbage and- "

"Henry stop. Breathe." Nora stops him from spinning out of his mind from all the thoughts especially when Henry gripped her fingers tightly and she could feel his hands trembled from fear of losing his job. Henry exhaled tiredly lowering his gaze from Nora's burning gaze before he loosen his grips.

"Listen." Nora lifted Henry's chin up with her finger so Henry can face her again.

"There is no one that can replace you Henry. As soon as you are back on your feet, you have your job back just the way you left it alright? Don't put any ideas in your head and focus on getting better." Nora felt relief when he saw the smile curved on the corner of Henry's lips. He nods weakly letting Nora's fingers stroked his knuckles softly.

"Why did you shoved Alex anyway?" She asks which Henry snorted rolling his eyes back. "That asshole wants me to work for him." Henry says leaning himself back against the headboard.

"Isn't that a good thing? Office work is a lot easier than managing a store." Nora says but Henry shot her a look retracting her idea.

"Nora looked around. I'm practically living in here and chained to the bed because of him. Working for him? That would make him has entire hold on my life. I didn't escape a prison just so I could ended up in another." Henry's head hung low picking on the sleeves of his sling before he continued.

"I do not wished for that life." His lips trembled in tears as he stares deeply in Nora's eyes. Nora sighed rubbing her manicured finger over her temple. "I'll talk to Alex. I'm sure if you can cut down on the painkillers, you can mind the cash register." She say and Henry sighed happily with a wide smile on his face.

"But if you passed out in the store I am going to ask Alex to literally chained you to the bed for real this time." Nora pointed her finger at Henry after agreeing upon her request.

"Where is Alex?" Henry asks after he noticed how quiet the loft had gotten after Nora came to visit.

"Out. Don't ask me where or what is he doing cause I don't know anything!" Nora told him before Henry could asks her.

.

Nora helped Henry changed and finally after Alex out of the loft, he managed to find decent time in the bathroom without him guarding him like a hawk after an incident where he almost slipped and fell from the painkillers. Alex was beyond infuriated when he couldn't get to Henry in time because he locked the door and threatened to remove all the doors in the apartment if Henry ever locked it again.

Nora suggested for him to soak in bath tub to relief him from all his tense muscles and even suggested her favorite bath bombs but Henry picked the familiar one that smelt just like Alex.

Henry watched as the half filled tub water changed colors from light blue to a deeper shade of deep sea color before he began to undress himself.

"I can do it Nora. Thanks." Henry says shyly throwing the sling over the counter before he pulled the sweatshirt above his head.

"Don't worry Henry. I've seen your scars before remember." Nora says helping Henry removed the shirt from his injured shoulder. "Still." Henry let Nora pulls the sleeves off from his arm exposing his naked skin to the cold air of Alex's bathroom. She couldn't help staring at Henry's scar over his both wrist tracing her fingers along the marks.

"Can I ask how did you get this?" She asks him and Henry sighed cupping his palms to hide the marks.

"First few years I was still strong enough to fight them. Broadmoor is an old hospital that had zero resources or investors to help maintaining the supplies. So instead of using a proper restraints, they used other things like- rope, cables, belts." Nora noticed Henry's eyes lowered on his marks wrist before she stood and saw the scars on his back.

"What about this one?" She asks tracing his fingers over Henry's pale back that made Henry shudder under her touch.

"Punishment. They hated when I disobeyed. Every chances that they got to hurt me, they won't hesitate." Henry continued holding on to his arm pressed over his stomach. Nora could sense the awkward conversation Henry tried to avoid and didn't want to push him further so she clapped her hands together before helping him.

"Come on, let's get you in the tub." Nora told him but Henry looked up meeting her gaze in a frown. "Uhm- can you uh-" Henry pointed her at the door which she sighed rolling her eyes back. "Fine, I'm not closing the door though." Nora says pushing the door slightly close for Henry to remove his pants and get into the tub.

Nora heard water splashing and Henry's head leaning against the bath tub sighing in relief. "Want some pizza?" Nora asks peeking her head from behind the door.

"Uhm- sure." Henry told her and she smiled before closing the door of the bathroom leaving an inch opened to give Henry some privacy.

After she ordered some pizza for lunch, she waited in the living room turning on the television for some sounds when she heard the front door opened and Alex stepped into the loft looking dreadfully exhausted.

"Hey! You're back early. I wasn't expecting you until later." Nora told him and he sighed putting on his fakest smile before his eyes searched the entire apartment.

"Henry still sleeping?" He asks and Nora shook her head at him. "Nope, in your tub. I ordered pizza." She says and Alex shimmied himself out from his coat. "Great, I'm starving." He said before disappearing into the closet room to hang his coat.

"Listen, I need to talk to you about something." Nora asks after she saw Alex dragging himself out from the closet rubbing the back of his neck in tiredness. "Whatsup?" He asks standing behind the couch as Nora turned and kneeled against the couch herself.

"Henry told me about your offer to work for you." Nora starts crossing her arm over her chest. Alex snickered a smile nodding at her. "Yup, did he tell you he agree or not? Cause he hasn't decide on anything." Alex asks.

"It seems that he doesn't want to." Nora pressed her lips together when she saw that annoyed look on his face turned into an anger.

"I'm gonna talk to him." Alex was about to rush into the bedroom when Nora climbed over the couch and pulls him back by his elbow. "Listen to me first." She says pulling him away from running towards his room.

"Look, Henry already felt bad enough mooching off from you. Do you really wanna make him feel even more guilty having to work for you?" She asks pulling Alex to face her from rushing into the bedroom in such haste.

Alex sighed desperately jutting his chin out before he lowered his gaze at her again. "What should I do then? He's still not strong enough to work." Alex told her which she nods understand Alex's struggled to keep Henry at home.

"He begged me to give his job back. I told him he can stay behind the cash register." Nora saw how Alex cocked his head at her in shocked when he heard her. "Wait what? He barely can stand on his legs, how on earth you think he's going to work from morning till eight Nora?!" Alex yelled at her which Nora suspect he would knowing how badly this idea in his head.

"Stop yelling. I would keep my eyes on him and I won't let anything happened to him." Nora smacked his arms from raising his voice at her. "What makes you think you can?" Alex protest. "I can take care of him better than you did asshole!" She spat.

Alex stared at her petite figure standing before him barely reaching his neck angrily at him before Alex finally surrendered to the idea. Nora was right when she said she took care of Henry better than he did, he only makes things worst and hurt him further.

"Fine. I'm going to talk to him." Alex says headed to the bedroom when Nora stopped him. "He's- uhm, Henry is taking a bath." Nora suggest but Alex shrugged. "So?"

"I don't want to wait out here while you make out with your boyfriend in the bath tub jackass!" Nora whisper-yelled at him causing Alex to frown at her.

"Stop being weird." Alex told her before he head straight to his bedroom to look for Henry. Nora sighed shaking her head at his stubbornness to invade the bathroom before she went back to the couch waiting for their lunch.

Alex couldn't hear anything when he pressed his ear towards the bathroom door before he pushed it opened. He saw Henry leaning against the bath tub with his eyes closed, blue water lined up to his neck making Alex smirked at his choice of the bath bombs.

Alex leaned against the doorframe crossing his arms over his chest while he stared at Henry resting peacefully on his tub. He can't hide his smiles from forming on his lips when suddenly Henry gasped, surprised by his presence at the door staring back at him.

"Sorry, you look so peaceful, I don't want to disturb you." Alex says apologetically when he sees how frightened Henry got after his eyes shot opened. He knew he shouldn't have surprised Henry knowing how edgy he gets lately.

"Where have you been?" Henry asks after he calms down leaning himself back against the tub. His arms are hidden underneath the cloudy blue waters covering the rest of his body. "Around. Need to get something done." Alex says leaning over to kiss him on his forehead before kneeling next to the tub stroking Henry's wet hair back from his temple.

"Are you in pain?" He asks and Henry shook his head softly at him with a smile. Alex exhaled resting his chin over the cold white porcelain letting his fingers trails over Henry's cheek. "Nora told me you wanted to go back to work at the bakery shop." Alex starts noticed the guilt flashes in Henry's eyes before he straightened his back.

"Is that okay with you?" He asks softly without lifting his gaze.

"If that's what you want." Alex said back at him and Henry finally lifted his gaze at his brown eyes. Henry smiled when he studied Alex's face carefully. The way his curls falls on his forehead, his sharp nose that Henry could feel poking into his cheek when they kissed. His chiseled jaw and chin scrubbing through Henry's pale hairless one causing to feel jealous sometimes of Alex capability to grow facial hair within the night. Everything about him is perfection to Henry and he failed to understand why Alex would be interested in someone like him.

He wanted to raise his hand and stroke Alex's lips that he yearned more each day no matter how angry he got at him but the thought of Alex seeing his marked wrist making him retracts that decision from doing so.

Alex noticed the sudden realization that hits Henry when he pulls back leaning against the bath tub with his gaze low on the murky water before him.

"What's on your mind Henry?" Alex asks shooting Henry's gaze back at him on his side. He shook his head frantic hiding the fact that his mind was indeed cluttering with things.

"N-Nothing." He lied. He could see the frustration flashes in Alex's eyes when he rolled it back with a soft shake.

"Fine, but I'm gonna kiss you." Alex says leaning over Henry on the tub pressing his lips on Henry's thick lips. It caught him by surprise but soon melted in Alex's scent mixed with the soap water invading his nostrils.

"You're a menace." Henry whispered between their kisses bringing Alex's smile wider deepening his dimples on the side of his cheek.

"Guys! The pizza's here!" Nora yelled from the living room pulling Alex from kissing Henry. He groaned pushing himself off and sat on the edge of the tub facing Henry still soaking in the blue water up to his chest. "Wanna dry up and have lunch?" He asks and Henry nodded but didn't make any signs of movement.

"You go first." He signed the door behind Alex causing him to furrow his eyebrows at him. "Seriously?" He asks him and Henry nodded with his eyebrow raised.

"Please." Henry plead knowing Alex was rather disappointed of not be able to help him out of the tub and honestly he had enough of Henry pushing him away. "One day Henry, all of this would make a lot of sense and you wont be able to push me away anymore." Alex said displeased by the fact he has to leave. He dragged his long legs towards the bathroom door when Henry spoke softly stopping him in his track.

"Maybe one day I won't be here anymore Alex and you would stop wanting me." Henry could see Alex gripped the door knob tight turning his knuckles white.

"I don't think that's possible Hen." He says stepping out of the bathroom closing the door after he left. Henry sighed hunching over in the tub before he raised his palm up exposing his wrinkled skin from soaking too long underwater. He eyed the mark on his wrist when he felt the tightness in his chest returned.

"If only you knew how much I wanted to tell you everything Alex. But I can't risk having you look at me the way I already did. Purely and utterly disgusted by my own filthy past." Henry lowered his arms back into the muddy water feeling his vision blurred by his own tears. He inhaled sharply before he stepped into the shower to wash off before he joins Alex and Nora for lunch.

.

"Let me know the progress you made and don't forget to update me any chance you got."

"How long you will be gone?"

"A while. Let me know once you find him."

"When would I expect my half of the payment then?"

"After you found him. The longer you took, the more I will cut your pay."

"We never agreed on this."

"I don't care. I'm on timeline and I'm desperate. If you can't fulfill your task, I shall find someone else that can."

"I'll do my best."

"Your best isn't good enough, I need results and I need it fast."

The call ended seconds before Charles could even say anything back. He could feel frustration building up inside of him increasing the headache pressing inside his head. Phillip had left New York for the mean time and he didn't exactly tells him where he's headed next nor when he is coming back. All Charles knows is that he's gone for now and he needed to find this guy fast before he were to be replaced and lost all the money.

"Prick." He muttered under his breath.

He knows Phillip isn't exactly a dangerous person, he just acted like one but desperate heart can make certain someone turned into someone unpleasant to deal with and he had dealt with someone a lot worst than him.

Although, he pays a great deal of money to find this person that Charles assumed is really important but failed to see why this person had done to make such impact on him. The only reason for someone to go above and beyond to find a person is either they cared about them or they are scared of them. He had his money betting on the latter.

He eyed the photo in his hand staring at the gallows eyes staring back at him that hides thousands of secrets within. None of this makes any sense especially when he failed to find any criminal history on this person or even had his face comes out in the system. All he know is either this person is dead or he never even existed.

Honestly, he felt bad for this person. He wasn't sure the connection he had with him and Phillip didn't exactly told him who this person was to him. All Phillip did tell Charles was that this person is dangerous, mentally and would create harm to him and his family. He never care for the background of person he was hired to search nor he ever question their motives in finding them.

But this time, he was intrigued, curious about finding this guy that desperately trying to hide away from Phillip. He felt there is more stories to unravel than to listen to one man side rather than both. If this guy was that dangerous, why does he fell from the face of the earth after receiving a second chance in life? Why he's the one that runs from Phillip instead the other way around? Why finding him is that important that made Phillip left his family behind.

He pulled out his phone hovering his thumb over the screen tempted to call the number he had kept for years in his contact. He clicked his tongue, desperate before tapping the screen connecting the call he dreaded to make.

He stood there waiting as the call rings but never connected and sighed, gave up on waiting for the person to answer before he taps the screen again to end the call.

He exhaled his breath feeling disappointed by the fact that person had every rights to denies his call or his cry for help after what he did years ago. He never forget till the day he died.

.

"Alright, you promise me you would take it easy today. If I see you carry anything, or even swayed, I would called Alex to drag your ass back home. Understood?" Nora pointed her fingers inches away from Henry's face making him gulped his throat in fear.

His arms still secured in a sling pressing over his chest when he nodded at her. "Mind the register, and that's it. Nothing more." Nora says before she headed towards the back room to start her baking. Henry sighed circling around the counter when Emily approached him from the opposite side.

"You're a trouble magnet aren't ya?" She snide and Henry didn't want to be rude so he just kept himself quiet lowering his gaze as he wiped the table clean.

"I don't get ya." She says leaning herself over the counter facing Henry still wiping the top clean with his one good arm.

"You appeared out of nowhere one day and suddenly you're part of their small family? You know how hard it is for me to get Alex to even talk to me? Took him almost three months to make him stop looking at me like I killed his parents." Emily says making Henry stood behind the counter uncomfortably to find words to explain his existence.

"I don't know where you're going with this Emily. I'm just here to work and everything outside of work is none of your business." Henry says tossing the napkin over the counter behind him before he rearranged the items to keep himself busy from Emily's judging gaze.

"Whatever." She clicked her tongue at him before she went to complete her work. Henry sighed watching as she took over his previous routine in loading the freshly baked on the trays while Henry guard the cashier counter waiting for customers.

The days goes on with Henry stood behind the counter taking orders smoothly and occasionally he made few drinks order although he only had one arm to work. Nora warned him for the first few customers he handled and made their drinks order since Emily is taking her time to made them. It annoys him when she deliberately ignores his call for the drinks order so he ended up making it himself.

During lunch time, Emily disappeared to have her break with her friends leaving Henry alone with Nora at the store. He finally could breathe without having Emily's judgy stares following him around the store.

Henry waited for Nora to bring the lunch over while he closed the store for the meantime. Nora didn't want him to be stuck with a customers with no help so she instructed him to close it for lunch. He sat by the window staring at the people passing by the stores too occupied by their own life when Henry noticed a glimpse of figure in between the crowds.

He stood up edging closer to the glass window trying to see the figure clearly but it disappeared. Henry sworn he saw her, standing in the crowd looking back at him in the store with that same worried gaze.

"Henry."

He heard the whispers behind his ear and the same coldness brushes the back of his neck. Henry stood frozen staring at his own reflection on the glass when he saw her image through the glass, standing right behind him.

"Henry."

"June." Henry whispered back her name feeling the tightness in his chest grew. He wasn't afraid of her. He knew she was there not to hurt him like the way he sees Bea. But her eyes hides something that Henry failed to understand.

"He's coming."

Henry heard her whispered muffled in his ear and it seemed that June is holding on to him desperately without disappearing again.

"Who June?" Henry asks although he could feel the dizziness starts to affect him.

"Be careful Henry. Watch out for yourself." She warned him and as Henry turned to face her, she was no longer standing behind him and her reflection on the glass mirror had finally disappeared.

Henry breath out the tightness on his chest feeling his knees wobbled before he grabbed the table to help steadied himself from falling on the ground. He slowly plopped down on the chair hunching forward with his head rested on his arm when he heard the door bell chimed behind him.

"Hey, I got lunch." Nora voice cheerily setting the paper brown bag on the counter when she saw Henry bending himself over the table with his head rested over his arm on the table. "Henry?" She rushed to his side pushing him by his shoulder to straighten his back.

It worries her when she saw how pale Henry had gotten. He leaned back trying to catch his breath when Nora noticed he pressed his thumb into his chest. "What happened? Are you okay?" She asks and Henry nodded swallowing his throat dry.

"I'm fine, just couldn't catch my breath just now." Henry says but he knew better not to fool Nora by now.

"Did you see anyone?" She asks and Henry sighed shaking his head weakly at her.

"No one Nora. It's just the pain. Plus, I haven't taken my meds today." Henry says and Nora sighed staring at him still in disbelief.

"Let's eat." Henry lied through his teeth putting on his fake smile at her. She wasn't convinced but she didn't want Henry to think that she's as bad as Alex and starts hovering behind him like a hawk.

They sat by the window eating lunch with Henry staring at the food before him. June's last words haunts him and he still could feel the trembling in his fingers. He couldn't shake Nora's burning gaze from staring at him but he couldn't care less. He had something else in his mind that worries him.