He Was Naughty But Now He'll Be Nice
Hi everyone!
Thanks to those who read and reviewed He Adores That Shade of Crimson. Glad you liked it, so now I`ll write something with sexy goth dude Henry Bolet. LOL.
Because he said something hilarious after Nancy confronts him about selling stuff. He said "I was naughty. But from now on I`ll be nice, I promise." Or something like that. Seriously, I LOL-ed at that for a good two minutes.
BTW, JasmineXiao, thank you for your input! :D Much appreciated.
This one has a little NancyxNed drama, so yeah. This one's much longer, and has slightly more mature themes, and a little cursing from Henry. Hope I managed to write it out okay, and that I didn`t push the PG-13/T rating too much.
Anyway, without further ado, I bring to you another lengthily-titled story, He Was Naughty But Now He`ll Be Nice. Enjoy.
-
The rain had yet to cease.
Not that Nancy had problems with rain. It was rather refreshing, actually, since the two weeks she spent in River Heights was drenched in ridiculous heat. She loved the feeling of rain pouring down on her. Liberation from stress she felt was always a welcome break.
Ever since she'd arrived at the Bolet Mansion, the weather had worsened and worsened to the point that cab service was rendered unavailable in the area. Henry was gracious enough to offer her to spend the night there, but where exactly, Nancy didn't know. The only beds she'd seen were enough for Henry and Renee to sleep separately.
Who knew. Maybe there were more somewhere. Henry mentioned that there were.
She didn't even know why Ned had sent her there alone. Bess only decided to come because of the shopping opportunities that awaited. Ned was a caring guy and all, but for him not to personally check on Henry was weird. After all, she and Henry had never been introduced. And heck, she even had a grand entrance coming in, getting knocked out like that. It was weird, but Nancy shrugged it off.
She wondered how Bess was doing. Probably the empty trunk she brought was at least three-quarters of the way filled. Maybe she was resting now after that whole day shopping and her sneaking into Zeke's back room for her. She had a hunch that Henry had sold a box of things there, and that it could be vital to her investigation. She didn't need to try asking to know that he wouldn't admit unless she had hard evidence. Unless she could find a weak point and force the answer out of him.
She was seated on the stairs of the secret passage she had opened up earlier, thinking over everything she'd discovered that night. She needed that glass eye. Henry didn't want to give it either. She sighed, frustrated.
As if opportunity couldn't come at a better time, she heard Henry talking.
He sounded frustrated. He was probably talking to his girlfriend. That was the kind of tone most men used when they were frustrated with a significant other.
"Summer, please. What? Are you kidding me? I don't have that kind of money. Well, not now, but I will. Soon. I promise. Okay, bye." She heard a long sigh. "Oh man. How am I going to pull this one off?"
Nancy smirked. Perfect.
-
Nancy walked into the library. Fortunately, she'd thought ahead and brought a change of clothes. Renee had offered to do her laundry since she was going to do hers and Henry's anyway, so why not just include Nancy's? She was a guest, after all.
The warmth of the fireplace was welcoming, but Nancy decided that it could wait. Right now, she had some business to take care of.
She cleared her throat. Somehow, that got Henry's attention.
"Yes?" he said. "I'm sure you've got another question."
He said it with a tone that didn't imply annoyance, which was odd.
"You've been a bad boy, Henry. I don't think I could just let you loose, now that I've found out you've been selling off some of your uncle's things."
Henry paled for a moment. As if he weren't pale enough. But he composed himself quickly.
"I told you, I didn't!"
"Then who's Summer, and how're you getting money to pay for what she's asking you?"
Henry blinked.
A moment of silence passed.
"How did you know about her?"
"Henry, I'm not stupid. I told you, playing detective is a hobby of mine. And I can find out things." she said. "And when I find out those things, I can use them against you and make a lot of trouble for you. So you'd better tell me before I start making hell here."
She heard Henry mutter some profanity under his breath as he contemplated on telling Nancy. But then again, he didn't really have much of a choice.
"Okay, you win." he said, sighing. "I sold the box for three hundred bucks. Was there anything valuable in there?"
"I have reason to believe so."
"Damnit." mumbled Henry. "Lucky day for that whack job Lamont then. Anyway." He sighed.
"She's this... girl I'm in love with. Or at least, I think I am. I dunno. But then I'm just getting overwhelmed. No, more than overwhelmed; I'm getting frustrated because I'm going to go bankrupt if she keeps this up."
"Keeps what up?"
"Asking for stuff." he said. "It's like this. It started with her being all obnoxious that I had to leave. She didn't want to come down here either because it was cold and rainy, so I bought her a bunch of CDs, so that she could keep busy or something with them, or do dancing, or Pilates with it, or whatever you girls do with music. When I got here, she calls up telling me that her stereo broke, so how was she supposed to play the CDs? Now, she's asking me for a flat screen television to go with it."
"Why can't you just tell her you can't, or that it's too much?"
"I'm afraid..." he said, trailing off, wondering if he should actually tell this girl he just met his worst fear.
"Afraid of what?"
He looked at Nancy. For some reason, he found that tone somehow reassuring, that everything was actually going to turn out okay. For once in his life. He sighed.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I'm just afraid she'll dump me." he shook his head. "And I wouldn't be able to take that. I've lost... way too many people that actually mattered to me in my life, and if she dumps me, the only girl I've ever loved and has ever loved me back will be gone. She'll probably be the only one that would. Without her, I don't know. I don't have anything else to live for."
For once, Nancy didn't know what to say.
She was still a girl, and after hearing what Henry said, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She didn't really know what it was like to lose a close relative; her mother died when she was barely able to talk. Her grandparents too. She heard that her maternal grandparents died in a car crash when she was six, and her paternal grandparents died of old age.
"I'm sorry, Henry. I... didn't mean to touch on a sensitive topic." she said, finally, after what felt like an hour.
"It's all right... I think I really needed to let it out. I mean, I haven't really got anyone to talk to." he said. "I can't stand Renee sometimes, and as you know, I don't exactly have friends. So, yeah. Thanks, I guess."
Nancy eyed the glass eye. She still had to figure out a way to get it off his hands. She needed it for the glass eye cabinet.
Henry felt her eyes on the glass eye. She still wanted it.
"Sorry for lying. I just... didn't want anyone to know. I didn't want trouble. I was naughty, but from now on I'll be nice, I promise." he said.
Nancy laughed.
"Do you still want it?" he said.
"Want what?"
"The glass eye." said Henry. "Do you still need it?"
Nancy nodded.
"Here." he said, standing up from the chair, and placing the glass eye in Nancy's hand. Their hands touched briefly for a while, and Henry swore he felt something there. It lingered for a moment, and disappeared.
"Thanks." said Nancy, quickly walking out of the library.
Whatever that was, he was sure Nancy felt it too.
-
She placed the glass eye inside her bag, and took a breath. Being that close, in terms of proximity, to Henry Bolet was intoxicating. Worse, she didn't know why she felt that way. She had a boyfriend. She was certain she was in love with Ned. Ned.
Then it hit her.
Did Ned figure out that it wasn't going to work out between them? Had the past couple of months away taken its toll on their relationship? Did he send her here for some time away? (As if they hadn't spent enough time away already.) Was he seeing someone else? And if so, who?
Nancy shook her head. Maybe she was just imagining things. Ned asked her to come by to check on Henry. And she got herself a mystery, just what she wanted.
Just for her peace of mind's sake, she sent Ned a text message.
Nancy Drew: We're okay, right?
She leaned on the wall, waiting for a response. The phone buzzed, and she looked at the display.
Ned Nickerson: What are you talking about?
Nancy Drew: Us.
Nancy Drew: Are we still okay?
One minute.
Two minutes.
It didn't take a detective to figure out contemplation. She already knew the answer. But a confirmation of the answer, she was afraid, would drive her crazy.
Ned Nickerson: I honestly don't know. I still love you, Nancy, but honestly, it's just not feeling the same.
Ned Nickerson: I think I should talk to you when you come back. By then, I'll probably have figured this out.
Nancy gripped her phone.
Ned was right. It didn't feel the same. When they kissed, it never left the same warmth like it did before. It didn't make her heart flutter like it always did when she'd come back to River Heights and see him again. But one thing that didn't change was Ned's voice. It always calmed her, made her think of everything else that made her happy.
She didn't know how long she stood there, listening to the constant tick-tick of the grandfather clock. Maybe it had been quite a while, because Henry came out of the library, looking like he was headed for bed. He yawned, then paused in the doorway when he saw Nancy, looking like death.
"Nancy? You okay?" he said. "Did that skeleton dude appear again?" he said, attempting to lighten up the mood.
She laughed a little. "I wish." she said. "Then I could've found out who he was, then."
"I think you need some rest. You can take my bed... I'll go sleep on my couch." he said. "I was just going to check if I'd put out the candles already, but Renee can take care of that. Come on." he said, leading her back into the library. There was another door there, and it led to Henry's not-much-used childhood room. The bed was covered with immaculately clean white sheets, and was big enough for four of Nancy to sleep in.
"Damn." he said, as he poked at the couch. Nancy saw a visible leak from the ceiling.
"Uh, you should sleep on the bed, Henry." said Nancy. "It's big enough for the two of us."
Nancy bit her lip. That came out as more suggestive than declarative. Fortunately, Henry didn't seem to notice. Or so she thought.
He shrugged.
"Do you have any idea how bad that'd look?" said Henry. "But, I don't mind."
Nancy turned away. She hadn't replied to Ned. She couldn't think of what to say.
"Let me guess. Relationship problems too."
She sighed. "Yeah." she admitted. "Wait. Why're you being so nice all of a sudden?"
"I promised to be nice, right?" Henry said. Nancy forced a smile.
Women were really difficult. Just a few hours ago, Nancy seemed to have herself in full control of everything, and then now, after whatever it was that happened to her, she was unsure, weak, and lost, even. He didn't exactly have experience with women, but he knew enough to know that they were awfully emotional. And for some reason, he wanted to know what was bothering Nancy, and if he could do anything to fix it.
"It's nothing." she said. "Maybe I just got a little too emotional over Ned. I guess I just miss him. Look, I really need to rest. It's been a long night."
He nodded.
"Do you mind if I changed?" said Nancy.
"No, go ahead." he said. "I'll wait outside."
"It's okay, there's a changing screen here."
Are you seriously trying to be a temptation, Nancy? If you are, it's working very well. he thought, as he decided to go change as well. He took a loose-fitting t-shirt and baggy workout sweats and changed in the corner. He dressed quickly, not wanting any awkward exposure. Not to forget, Nancy was still a stranger. They were sleeping in the same bed, sure, but they weren't going to sleep with each other. Were they? Henry slapped himself.
Henry sat back on the bed, and looked to the changing screen, and he felt his face flush when he saw Nancy's shadow moving behind the screen. He saw the silhouette of a slender, curvy body that, even in her exhaust, moved with fluidity and purposefulness. He tried averting his eyes, but due to either his stress or lack of romance and sex, he found himself feeling something down below, and he knew that he needed to do something about that.
He lay down under the covers, snatching a pillow to cover his face with. Last thing Nancy would want was to see even more awkwardness than what already existed.
To his sheer shock and secret pleasure, Nancy came out in a short, lacy red nightdress which did no wonders for his friend down there.
"It's all I've got. Hope it's not too distracting."
Profanities filled his thoughts as he tried to form a coherent sentence that did not involve wanting, sex, and attraction. Distract my ass! he thought.
"No, no. Summer wears shorter things." he said, nonchalantly, to prove that he really didn't mind. And that he wasn't perved by her. He shook his head. Ned would so kill him. Yeah, but she's nowhere near as hot as you.
Nancy lay down on the opposite side of the bed.
"Good night Henry." she said, after a few moments.
"Good night." he replied.
-
Somehow, Henry couldn't find himself to fall asleep. The loss of Great Uncle Bruno hit him hard just then, because he didn't know if he had any more relatives left. Most likely he didn't. Thanks to the death of his parents, he'd lost all hope of living a normal life. It was too late for him now.
And God, help him. Summer left him another text message telling him she needed some cash. He wondered if she in fact, did love him like she always said.
He'd met her fall of last year, in the senior year of high school. She was a new student, and with him being somewhat of a loner and outcast, she approached him first. And things happened, and Henry fell in love. He always wondered why she'd come to him, because she was kind of his opposite. Tanned, blonde, outgoing... they were quite balanced when they were together. He sighed.
It surprised him how much time passed whenever he thought hard. His thoughts had been going for at least two hours already, and he couldn't sleep. He knew he looked like hell and that in the morning, it would only worsen, but he didn't really care.
Somehow, somewhere in the night, Nancy found her way into his arms.
He stiffened at first. This was kind of the problem when someone else slept in one's bed with them. Awkwardness. But it somehow felt right. Even if it was completely wrong.
But at least now, he could feel his eyes drooping. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
-
Nancy awoke, startled to find herself in a most compromising position with Henry. She blushed, and gently, but quickly stepped onto the floor, wondering what happened and how scandalous it could have been had anyone entered the room. Thankfully, she found the door locked, and she draped a robe over herself before quietly making her way out of the room.
-
Nancy resumed her investigation following a warm bath. There was a slight drizzle outside, but it was a welcome break from the heavy rainfall the previous evening. Bess had neither called nor left any messages for her in the night, but for Bess' sanity's sake, she sent her a message, telling her that she was making great progress and should be back at the hotel when she would finish.
She stepped outside, and almost ran into Henry.
"Oh, you're awake." she said. They were standing awfully close to each other.
"Good morning to you too." he said, flashing her the first hint of a smile that she'd seen since she'd gotten there.
"Can't help it." he said. "Rare when I get to actually see the sun and appreciate it."
"Well, that's nice." said Nancy.
"I'll see you at breakfast, Miss Drew." he said, giving her shoulder an affectionate pat, and went back inside.
How could he be... so... like that, after whatever it was last night? Nancy shook her head. She should probably do the same. Last night was nothing.
-
It was evening already, and Nancy was content to have found more eyeballs. Today, she'd managed to solve the cemetery puzzle. Quite clever for Bruno to have been able to find a name that would answer his puzzle. Very clever indeed. The only thing harder than solving a puzzle was making one. She'd already gone through the graveyard enough times to draw a detailed map about it. Renee left for the market. Why she went in the evening, Nancy
didn't know, but Renee was weird in her own way. Nancy was rather happy. Today was incredibly satisfying. If she finished soon, there would be nothing she would like better than to explore for secret passages, both in and out of the graveyard.
That, and one other thing.
She wanted someone.
She had just placed her hand on the door knob, and was about to push it when she heard Henry talking on the phone.
"Summer, I said no." he said. "I cannot have you living off luxuries I can only afford through cash I save. Don't give me that. No. You have work, I have work, we all have work. Heck, we're only starting college, so how do you expect me to buy you another cell phone? Yeah, I'm rich, whatever. Believe what you want to, but if I have the money, I'd rather save it up than impulsively spend on things I don't need. Enough! For the record... for the fucking record, we're done, okay. We're done." he said, snapping his phone shut. She heard him take a deep sigh.
"Nancy, I know you're out there." she heard him say. "Get in here, please, before I destroy something."
Nancy obliged, pushing open the door to the library.
Henry sat on the couch, one foot placed on top of his other knee.
"I did the unthinkable. I think you know what I mean." he said.
"Why?" asked Nancy.
"You know, Nancy, it took you to help me realize that we were headed for the rocks. If I continued this, then, maybe, I'd be unhappy much longer than anyone deserves to be unhappy. All my life, I've always kept to myself, thought I had nothing in the world for me, and it took eighteen years until I realized that I'd wasted eighteen of the best years I can ever get in my life. And it's kind of too late for me, but late is better than never." he said. "I don't know you, Nancy, but whatever it is you're doing to me... it's changing me. And... I don't know what happened last night, if we did anything... but to me, it meant something. And--"
He was cut off by Nancy kissing him on the lips. Oh God.
His leg went down, as he found Nancy sitting astride him. He found his hands running up her body, faster than his mind could tell him to stop, because he already knew where this was headed. It didn't take a fool to realize that.
"Nancy..." he said, his voice husky, out of breath. "Whatever it was... last night... now... I want to... remember it."
And when two people manage to stumble into a bedroom, you know exactly what happens.