Billion Reasons Why

Chapter 19

The apartment had a similar setting to ours. It was small—the living room at the entrance, open kitchen to the side, a hallway that had a room on one side and one to the other. The only bathroom in the apartment was down the hall, just like in ours.

Having money, though, really made a difference. The apartment was the same, sure, but Blaine’s place looked sleeker—elegant but simple.

“Here,” he said, handing me a key ring with several keys as soon as he closed the front door. “It’s for this apartment and the one in the city.”

I looked at him with wide eyes. I was definitely not expecting that. I thought that as soon as Blaine closed the door, the shouting would start.

“You need the password for the elevator, but the keys open several rooms,” he said, talking about his apartment in the city.

“We’re also not going to discuss this?” I asked, dangling the keys in front of my eyes.

“Did you think I would hurt you?” Blaine asked instead, going back to the conversation we’d been having in my room.

“No. I thought you were going to dump me,” I told him.

He took a step back, and narrowed his eyes. “Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know, Blaine. With you, I don’t know what to expect. Sometimes you are so sweet and lovely, I feel like I want to spend all day kissing you. Then you disappear or don’t text for an hour, and I have no idea what to think,” I said. I definitely hadn’t let go that he’d taken forever and a day to text back.

“I don’t want you to think like that,” Blaine said, frowning.

“Sure, because it’s that easy. Let me just tell myself that you said not to think like that, and I’ll turn off my thoughts.”

Blaine glared. “You could have told me he was here.”

“I just want you to keep in mind that both times I have seen Vitaly, he’s the one that looks me up.”

“I know that.”

“I guess you do, but you don’t seem to have it clear enough. I don’t look for him, Blaine. He comes to me. What am I supposed to do?”

“How about tell me that he’s here, and I can take care of it,” Blaine said, as if his solution was the easiest thing in the world.

“And then you and Vitaly start fighting because of me.”

“Vitaly shouldn’t be stalking you.”

“He is worried. I was worried about him too. I’m happy that he is doing fine.”

My words ticked Blaine off. That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. I didn’t know why he was still asking me about Vitaly if he knew what my answers would be.

“We are going to Justine’s dinner party this Saturday,” Blaine announced, abruptly.

“Umm….”

“Do you want to find a dress or would you like me to have someone find a dress for you?”

“Blaine…”

He kept doing that. We were jumping from topic to topic, and I wasn’t sure he was ever satisfied with my answers.

“Why are we talking about this right now?”

“Will you pick your dress or do you want me to have someone pick it for you?” he repeated, completely ignoring me.

“I thought you didn’t want to go,” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I had no idea how we went from talking about Vitaly, to dresses and Justine’s birthday party.