Chapter 52: A Marriage Neither Expected

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: A Marriage Neither Expected

Elisha’s expression grew more serious. "I’m worried about them too. More than that... I already saw a missed call from my father."

Henry nodded slowly. "I missed a call from my father too."

Elisha gently took Henry’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Let’s take a moment to calm down. Then we can call our fathers back once we’ve gathered our thoughts."

Henry looked up at him, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. "When we call them... are we going to confirm the news is true or deny it?"

Elisha didn’t hesitate. "The choice is yours, Henry. Do whatever you feel is right for you. But as for me? I’m done hiding. I’m going to tell my father the truth."

Henry looked at Elisha, letting his words sink in. He remained silent, holding his gaze.

Neither of them said much after that. They stayed together for a while, quietly taking in everything that had happened. Eventually, they went downstairs and had breakfast together.

Once they finished eating, Elisha looked at Henry. "I think we should call them now."

Henry nodded. "Yeah."

Elisha stayed in the living room while Henry went back upstairs to his bedroom. They both took out their phones and prepared to call their fathers.

Elisha’s Call

The phone rang twice before his father answered.

"Elisha."

"Dad," Elisha said, keeping his voice steady. "I saw you tried to call me. I’m calling back because of the news articles."

There was a brief silence before his father spoke.

"I’m looking at the reports right now. The pictures, the headlines, everything. Is it true?"

Elisha looked out the window and took a slow breath. "It’s true, Dad. Some of the things the media reported aren’t accurate. The pictures are fake. I never kissed Henry in public. But the main part is true. I’m in a relationship with Henry."

His father was silent for a moment.

Elisha waited, but when his father still said nothing, he continued. "I love him. I want a future with him, Dad. That’s why I walked away from the family arrangement. My heart chose Henry."

His father remained silent.

He didn’t yell. He didn’t curse. He simply ended the call without saying another word.

Elisha lowered the phone and stared at the screen for a moment. He knew his father well enough to understand the silence. This was not something he could simply accept overnight. After everything their families had shared for decades, there was too much to take in, too many things he had never expected to hear from his son. Elisha knew his father would need time. He could accept that.

Upstairs, Henry sat on the edge of his bed with his phone in his hand. He took a deep breath before dialing his father’s number and pressing call.

Henry’s Call

The phone rang twice before his father answered.

"Henry," his father said, his voice tense. "Explain to me what this is about. What is all this filth online?"

"I’m sorry, Dad," Henry replied.

"I don’t need an apology, Henry. I want an explanation. What do you have to say about all this?"

Henry took a breath. "Dad, that’s why I’m calling. What you’re seeing is real."

His father let out a sharp, disbelieving breath. "What? Are you insane, Henry? Your mother just told me you got engaged recently. How did you end up falling for your childhood best friend? Have you both lost your minds?"

"I ended things with Eloise because I knew it wasn’t real," Henry said firmly. "I didn’t choose to fall for Elisha, Dad. It just happened. Elisha is the person my heart chose. I want a future with him."

Silence filled the line.

Henry waited, listening to his father’s heavy breathing on the other end.

After a long moment, his father finally spoke.

"I’m really disappointed in you, Henry."

The call ended.

Henry slowly lowered the phone, staring at the screen as the silence in his bedroom settled around him.

A few minutes later, the door opened. Elisha stepped inside. He looked just as tired as Henry felt. He walked over and sat beside him on the edge of the bed, gently sliding an arm around his waist.

"How did it go?" Elisha asked softly. "What did your father say?"

Henry slowly shook his head. "It didn’t go well."

"Same here," Elisha murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. "Don’t worry too much about it, pretty. Let’s just give them some time."

Henry let out a quiet breath and rested his head on Elisha’s shoulder. "Did you reach your assistant yet? Is this affecting anything at your company? Because mine is actually completely fine. Some of my business associates are even sending me congratulatory messages."

"Same here," Elisha replied, gently rubbing his arm. "I just haven’t replied to anyone yet."

Henry lifted his head and looked at him. "So everything is fine with the public and our businesses. It’s just our fathers we have to worry about."

"We shouldn’t worry too much," Elisha said. "I believe once they see how openly the world and everyone else accepts us, they’ll eventually come around."

Henry narrowed his eyes slightly. "Alright... but what are you going to do about Jasmine?"

Elisha’s jaw tightened. "She’s crossed the line too many times already, but this time, I won’t let it slide. Let’s wait and see what our fathers have to say first. Once I know where things stand with my father, I’ll deal with Jasmine myself."

The rest of the day passed quietly. They spent the day together, but neither of them could completely relax. Every time one of their phones rang, they glanced at the screen, wondering if it was one of their fathers calling back.

But neither of their fathers called back.

As night fell, Elisha and Henry decided to distract themselves by watching a movie. They stayed in the bedroom, curled up together on the bed as the movie played on the TV. By the time the credits rolled, they were both ready to sleep.

Elisha reached for the remote and turned off the TV. Just as they were about to settle down, both of their phones suddenly buzzed at the same time on the nightstand.

They exchanged a quick look before reaching for their phones.

The messages were from their mothers. Elisha opened his first.

Come home tomorrow, son. Your father has made a decision. Since Henry is the one you’ve chosen, he wants you both to come home so we can discuss your marriage with him.

Elisha stared at the screen, reading the message twice.

Beside him, Henry opened the message from his own mother.

Come home tomorrow, Henry. Your father has made his decision. He wants us to discuss your marriage and decide what happens next.

Henry’s eyes widened as he looked at Elisha, clearly just as shocked.

"How are we supposed to be discussing marriage?" Henry blurted out. "We haven’t even started dating yet!"

Elisha reached up to cup Henry’s cheek. "What else is there to wait for, pretty? We’ve been best friends since childhood. We know everything about each other, and we’ve already crossed that line more than a few times." He paused, his expression becoming more serious. "Besides, maybe getting married will save us from all this unnecessary family drama. Honestly? I think we should just get married."

Henry opened his mouth, completely speechless. He wanted to argue against the idea of getting married when they hadn’t even officially started dating yet.

Before he could say anything, Elisha gently cut him off. "Let’s just go there tomorrow, face them together, and hear what they actually have to say."

Henry looked at him for a moment, still unsure what to make of the situation. But Elisha’s calmness helped ease some of his worry. After a quiet sigh, he nodded.

"Alright," Henry whispered.

With that settled, Henry rested against Elisha’s chest again. He lay quietly for a while, his mind still on the idea of marriage. He wanted Elisha, but marriage without even having a proper courtship first was a lot to take in. He thought about it for a while...

⚠️ A Small Warning ❤️

Please enjoy Elisha and Henry’s sweetness while it lasts. Their story will take some unexpected and much more intense turns in the future, especially after their wedding. I’m warning you now because I already know some of you are going to come for me later. 😂❤️

Author is toxic, yes. Thank you. 🤣🤣