Chapter 78
“Vito?” Henry asked, taking a step into the room.
Vito looked up. His face was stained with tears, and his eyes and the area around them were red. His nostrils were moist. In spite of this, Henry couldn’t help but think that Vito was still one of the most handsome men Henry had ever seen. Henry asked, “Why did you buzz me in?”
Vito sniffed and seemed to pull himself together a bit. He used his hands to gingerly brush the shards of shattered blue ceramic into a pile, then looked up at Henry again. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
Henry took a few steps closer and then knelt down on the floor in front of Vito. He forced Vito to look at him. “Because you wanted someone here? Because what you’re doing is one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to do, and maybe you didn’t want to be alone for it? You needed someone—”
Vito cut him off and grabbed one of Henry’s hands in his own. “No.”
“No?” Henry asked.
“No. I didn’t want someone. I wanted you.” Vito’s watery gaze scanned Sal’s room.