RIDING AWAY

CHAPTER 29 - Unexpected revelations...

The weekend ended up being a success as Riley and I finished first again that afternoon and Shawn placed first at the Las Vegas Bowl Jam the following day. Last but not least, Lincoln seemed to have a permanent smile on his face.

We'd just had dinner with Merlin, Jeremiah and their mother – yeah I know, I was as surprised as you are when Shawn told me the good news! – and once we'd moved on from the awkwardness of what had happened with Noah, we actually had a great time. Not once, did I see what the boys had meant by "different" when they'd referred to their mother. She was clearly a free spirit but she loved all her sons with a fierce love. I couldn't help feeling slightly jealous of the complicity mother and sons shared. She'd hugged me tightly when the moment came to say goodbye.

"Thanks for opening Noah's heart, Blake." She'd whispered. "I know you got hurt in the process, and I'm really sorry it didn't work out between you two this time." She'd then added, awakening my fresh wounds. "But Riley is what you need, right now, girl..." She'd gone on excitedly before moving on to say her goodbyes to Shawn, leaving me more bewildered than ever.

"Don't be a stranger..." Merlin had whispered after hugging me tightly too and I'd heard myself promising him I'd keep in touch, which had brought a big smile on his beautiful face.

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When Uncle Mickey approached me in the airport lounge later that night, I instinctively reached for Riley's arm. I still hadn't heard anything from his lunch with my Dad on Tuesday and looking at his stiff demeanor, I had a feeling I wouldn't like what he'd report.

"Can I talk to you, Blake?" He said when he reached the sofa where the five of us had been sprawled on.

"C-can you do it here?" I blurted out and he sent a discreet glance Lincoln's way. "It's ok..." I muttered.

"The reason why I had trouble locating your Dad was because he's currently staying at a special clinic..."

A special clinic? I frowned.

"A clinic were famous people go when they don't want people to ever learn that they are feeling down..." He explained.

"Like a detox center?" I questioned, wondering whether my father had somehow taken some bad habits.

"No, no! He's feeling down as in depressed and there's a bunch of nurses and psychiatrists that keep good care of him..." He quickly answered to reassure me.

"B-but why is he feeling so down?" I couldn't help but exclaim, my eyes pooling with unshed tears.

His face fell.

"For many reasons, the main one being that he's convinced to have lost his daughter..."

"What the hell?!" Riley mumbled next to me, and what the hell, indeed?! I meant, hadn't I been the one sent to live at the beach house because I was an inconvenience to his new wife?!

"He told me that you hadn't answered his calls or messages since the Mount Rock debacle and how you'd sent back every gift he'd sent to you..."

"What are you talking about, Dad?! Has the Dude lost his mind?" Shawn interrupted him.

"I really thought he had at first... But when I changed the subject and asked him how Jessica was doing, something occurred to me..." He paused. "Remember how she told you she was pregnant before New Year, Blake?" I nodded. "Well, it appears your Dad didn't take the news too kindly..." Ah! I knew he couldn't have changed his mind! I felt so relieved right then. "Because the baby couldn't possibly be his since after what happened with your Mom, he's had a surgery to make sure that he'd never be a dad again..."