Taming the Bad Boy (Completed)

Chapter 9

“Hello dear” she got up to hug Blake, and I smiled at the scene.

She turned to me “And who’s this pretty lady?”

I blushed “I’m Renee, nice to meet you Mrs Heyworth”

She gave me a smile, that I couldn’t help but notice was a sad but tired one “Call me Tracy hon, I stopped being Mrs Heyworth a while ago…” she trailed off.

“We’re just here to support you with Lou, we’ll be in my room” Blake dragged me out quickly and I said nothing whilst following him upstairs. His room was surprisingly neat, with a blue and grey theme. I noticed photos hanging everywhere, they were of amazing quality.

“These are amazing Blake” I breathed, studying a photo of a bird he’d captured mid-flight.

He scratched the back of his neck almost nervously “Their not that good…”

“Not that good?” I repeated astounded “Their amazing!”

He gave me a small smile before settling himself on the bed “Whose this?” I asked, looking at a picture of a girl who looked the splitting image of Blake.

His face softened “That’s my sister, Lou”

I remembered what he’d said to his mom in the kitchen “Is she coming?”

He nodded “Her social workers bringing her around for an assisted visit, she could be coming back home soon…hopefully” he looked angry, and I sat next to him on the bed as he scooted over.

“It’s alright…”

He sighed “I brought you here because…I just…I needed the support”

“I’ll stay” I assured him “Don’t worry”

“If it hadn’t been for that man” he growled suddenly “She wouldn’t be in there, all scared and alone”

I placed a hand on his arm gently “What happened?”

He said nothing for a few minutes, staring into the wall. I guessed he wasn’t about to speak.

“It was a perfect family” he murmured lowly enough for me to hear “My parents were happy, I was happy. I came home every day to a happy family, and I thought it would stay like that…”

“One day I came home to find my parents shouting at each other, yet they never fought. It turned out my dad had lost his job and we couldn’t afford to stay in our expensive house any longer, so we moved here. It was fine for me, because it meant we were still a family, but we really weren’t” I entwined our fingers and squeezed, sensing his pain.

“My dad started drinking, he would drink constantly, and I don’t remember a time when he was sober. And then the abuse began. He’d hit my mother constantly whilst she would try and cover it up, pretending she was okay, but I knew she wasn’t. I stepped in one day to protect her and I ended up breaking my hand…”

“I thought he’d stop at me and my mom but he went to Lou” he growled “She was only 8 Renee! 8!”

I squeezed his hand tighter, a lump growing in my throat “So I got into fighting, and gangs and everything I shouldn’t have gotten involved in…I decided to teach my dad a lesson, but one day I came back home and it was too late” he stopped talking, shaking slightly.

“He’d stabbed him” he choked out “My dad had stabbed my twin brother” I couldn’t contain the gasp, and I couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down my cheek.

“You…you had a brother?”

He nodded slightly “Brandon”

“But…why?”

“He was drunk again he lashed out, only he stabbed him in the neck”

“That’s…”

“Evil?” Blake filled in, laughing humourlessly “I know”

“He’s serving manslaughter” Blake finished “13 years”

“I’m so sorry” I sighed wiping my eyes “I don’t know what to say”

“Don’t say anything” he advised

“What about Lou?” I asked in a hushed tone “Was she okay?”

He nodded “A few bruises, but they wouldn’t allow her to stay with my mom because they claimed she was in emotional distress…but that’s understandable isn’t it Renee? She’d just lost her son!”

 “It’s okay Blake” I soothed “It’s okay”

“But it’s not okay!” he cried his voice breaking, the bad boy exterior crumbling “If I got home on time instead of going to the flipping park with my so called friends…” he spat the last word.

“It’s not your fault Blake! Please don’t blame yourself”

“But…”

“Blake, it’s not your fault” I’d said it so firmly he nodded hesitantly. The doorbell rang, and I didn’t let go of his hand “We’re going to go down there and see your sister okay?”

Slowly his signature smirk came back “Okay, sugarplum” I couldn’t help but return his smile and together we made our way downstairs, and I felt things had changed between us, forever.

“Renee, come dress her up with me!” Lou shouted giving me a toothy grin. For a 9 year old, she sure was stress. We’d been playing for an hour now, and the social worker sat smiling, satisfied. Blake had a genuine smile on his face, helping his sister bake brownies and dress up dolls. We sat there all afternoon, sneaking smiles at each other and entertaining Lou. I’d learnt she had learning difficulties, and hadn’t yet outgrown anything like dolls and dress up.

“How does this look RenRen?”

I smiled at her “It looks amazing”

She grinned at me and then sidled into Blake’s lap “Blake?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you going to make RenRen your princess?” he glanced up at me smirking, while I tried to hide my blush.

“Will it make you happy?” he asked his sister.

She nodded enthusiastically “Very”

He grinned “Then sure I’ll make Renee my princess”

I laughed and she turned to me “What about you RenRen, do you take my big brother as your prince?”

“Sure I will”

She narrowed her eyes “Why?”

Blake laughed at the interrogation and I continued brushing a dolls hair “Why because He’s very handsome, don’t you think Lou?”

She giggled “He is isn’t he?”

Blake smiled at her tickling her sides; he looked up at me and whispered lowly “We’d totally make a great Prince and Princess”

I smiled “We would wouldn’t we?”

Lou broke our moment by shouting suddenly “Renee! Barbie needs a haircut!”