Chapter 63

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Thanks to a flash of lightning outside, I saw clearly—it was Henry Smith standing there, looking completely wasted, leaning heavily on a woman I didn't recognize. The woman looked startled too, noticing me. She asked softly, “Wait, this isn’t his room?” I guess she thought my room was his since that’s where he was headed. I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t interested in why Henry was back from Japan, or who she was. Still wearing my slippers, I walked to the door and pointed to the room diagonally across. “He stays over there.” I just wanted them gone so I could go back to sleep. But no sooner had I said that than Henry suddenly collapsed like a rock. The smell of alcohol hit me hard, and his whole body burned like a furnace. I got pinned underneath him and had to use all my strength to push him off. I’d never seen him this drunk before—completely out of it. The woman called his name a few times, but he didn’t even blink. Instead, he wrapped an arm