Free Henry's End by Julie Richman

disappear – for so many reasons. Ignorance was bliss, that’s for sure.
    He was finally happy and now he’d never see Cody’s Husky-blue eyes across his pillow again. They wouldn’t be sharing summer. That thought had occurred to him while walking to the Hash House and seeing spring poppies and day lilies in baskets lining the front of shops along the street. No Sunday BBQ’s while dancing at The Hole, no sunsets at the pier.
    It was all just gone. Like that. Gone.
    “Why am I so sad about all of this when he lied to me about everything?”
    Cocking his head to the side, Edwin looked sad for his young friend. “Because it wasn’t a lie for you. It was the real thing.”

    The click in his door lock caused a jolt in his heart. It was Thursday evening and he was sitting at the dining room table filling out call reports for work. Hearing the keys jiggling, he got up to go look through the peephole.
    The anger was evident in Cody’s jaw as he realized the locks had been changed and he no longer had access to Henry’s apartment.
    Unlocking the door from the inside, a door they’d stumbled through together so many times, hungry to be wrapped up in one another’s embrace, Henry swung it open and stood there, mere inches from the married Marine.
    “You changed the locks?” Cody was clearly pissed.
    The best defense is an offense , Henry thought. He’s going to throw this on me. He’s acting pissed at me for changing the locks on him? Is he fucking kidding?
    With arms crossed over his chest, Henry stood in the threshold, blocking Cody from entering. “What’d you tell Shelby? That you were going out for milk?”
    Shaking his head and using his bulk to push past him and enter the apartment, “Don’t be a bitch, Henry.” He stood with his back to him for a moment, before slowly turning around. “And no, I didn’t tell Shelby anything. She and the kids are back in Georgia where they live.”
    “Right,” was all Henry said, nostrils flaring. “I don’t remember inviting you in.”
    “I don’t remember needing an invite.”
    “I don’t remember you telling me you had a wife and kids.”
    “I don’t remember you asking.”
    “So what’s your deal, Cody? You straight? You gay? You some kind of closet case.”
    The Marine was on him so fast, he had no time to defend himself. Shoving him backward by both shoulders, Henry lost footing, knocking into the pointy corner of an end table with his thigh and sending a lamp careening to the floor with a cringe-worthy crash.
    He’s a Marine. He could kill me with his bare hands, was the thought that made Henry check his own anger, knowing he needed to diffuse the situation and not throw gasoline on the fire.
    “Is that what you came here for, Cody? To hurt me? Because you’ve already hurt me enough. You won. So you can go knowing ‘mission accomplished’, OK. Just go.”
    Running a hand over his short hair, the agitation evident in every tight muscle, Cody shook his head. “I didn’t come here to hurt you, Henry.”
    “Then why did you come?”
    As Henry rose from the floor, Cody extended a hand, which he ignored.
    “I thought we needed to talk.”
    Ya think? I’ve been dying for four days while there’s been radio silence from you. “I’m listening.” Henry winced as he rubbed the spot on his thigh that had been stabbed by the table corner.
    “Can we sit?” Cody gave a small smile, a tease of the lone dimple barely making an appearance, as he sat down on the couch.
    Henry crossed to an armchair and sat down.
    “C’mon Henry, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m sorry about what just happened. Come sit here.”
    Sitting down next to him on the couch, Henry still kept his distance.
    Reaching out, Cody put a hand on Henry’s cheek. “I’ve missed you and I’m sorry about your friend and sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
    Henry longed to let his face rest in Cody’s big hand, but the past four days had been hell.
    “Why didn’t you tell