24

CHAPTER 24

HENRY’S POV

I sat at my desk, staring at the computer screen but not really seeing anything. My mind was elsewhere, lost in a maze of thoughts and doubts. What had I done last night, and how had it affected Sophia? It was a question that had been nagging at me since the moment I'd walked into my office that morning.

The sound of my ringing phone snapped me out of my reverie. I glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Layla. A mixture of relief and guilt washed over me. I hadn't called or texted her after our date last night, and now she was calling me. I quickly picked up the phone.

"Hey, Layla," I greeted, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Hey, Henry," she replied in an equally casual tone. "I was just wondering how Sophia's doing. You left our date pretty abruptly last night."

Her words hit me like a gentle reprimand, and I felt even worse. "I'm sorry about that, Layla. Sophia... well, she had a bit of a rough night, and I needed to make sure she was okay."

Ther