Chapter 35: My person
Ellie's POV
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My mouth hung open as I processed what Blake had just dumped on me. I was shocked, with no clue on what to say or how to react. Kyla was my friend, and what Blake had just told me was huge.
I knew that there was no way I could ever tell her what he had just shared with me. It was not my place to do so. But she deserved to know. Nobody should have their past hidden, especially not someone like Kyla.
"No, that's not fair Blake," I told him as I slightly scooted away from him with a shake of the head. "You can't just throw something like that at me. You can't."
Blake was my boyfriend, but Kyla had become one of my closest friends. I had no idea how I was supposed to keep looking her in the eye knowing that I was holding a secret like that from her. I had never understood why people decided not to tell somebody they were adopted.
Of course, I was never in that situation, but I still never found it fair. Kyla deserved to know the truth, and I hated having to keep all of that away from her.
Blake sighed as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. His eyes were begging, and I could tell that he was afraid.
"Of course I won't tell her," I told him as relief washed over him. "But only because I want you to. I can't be a part of this Blake, I'm sorry. Kyla is my friend, and I can't keep something so big from her. You know I hate lying. You saw how destroyed I was after I had to lie to my parents. Why would you dump that on me?"
I knew that Blake never meant for any harm, but I was furious. He did not stop to think of how that would have affected me.
"I'm so sorry Ellie, I wasn't thinking. I just hated having to keep secrets from you," he said, reaching for my hand.
I pulled my hand as if instinctively, dropping my gaze to my lap. It was unfair from my part, but I could not even get myself to look at him. I had so many things to worry about, and Blake dropped that bomb on me. Normally, I would never call other people's secrets a burden on me. I loved to help, no matter what was going on in my life, but what Blake had told me was too much.
I hated the fact that I was going to have to be around Kyla, knowing that she thinks that her mother was the one who gave birth to her, when in reality she was not. Kyla and Blake's mother was one of the sweetest people I had ever met, and I was glad that she was the one who adopted her. Kyla's family constantly went out of their way to protect her, and I knew that they thought they were doing so by keeping all of that a secret, but it did not remove the fact that she was missing out on knowing about where she came from.
Everybody deserved to know the truth about their past, and Kyla was not an exception. I knew that if I had been adopted, I would have wanted to know the truth.
"I know, I messed up," he whispered, the sadness etched in his voice making me look up at him. "But I couldn't keep it in anymore, Ellie. You don't think it's hard for me to lie to my sister everyday? My parents didn't want her to know because they thought she would ask too many questions that they couldn't answer, and break her heart. Now, they won't tell her because she's older and they're afraid she would take it even worse."
"So you're just going to lie to her for the rest of her life?" I asked him, my heart aching for Kyla.
"What else can I do?" Blake asked, looking utterly defeated.
I felt terrible for him. I knew that he didn't want to lie to her, much like how I didn't. The situation was a tough one, and Blake was still a kid. He did not have to carry that burden with him his entire life, and even if I was mad that he told me, I could tell that he really needed to tell someone.
"Blake, if Kyla ever finds out from somebody else, she's going to be devastated. She's grown up now, she's not a baby anymore, and you guys can't keep treating her like one," I said, not knowing where I was even going with my advice.
If I were in Blake's position, I would not have known what to do either. It was already so hard for me keeping the secret from Kyla, let along for Blake who was her brother. I could see how much he cared about her, and I knew that it was all probably breaking him inside.
"I can't Ellie, I just can't," he said, his voice breaking slightly.
My chest tightened as I put my arms around him, pulling him in for a tight embrace. There was nothing else that I could say or do to help him in the situation, and being there was the only thing I knew how to do during moments like that.
I cared about Blake a lot, and I could not stand the thought that he was going through all of those things. It was already enough for him to have to deal with his father and protecting Kyla from getting hurt by people. Knowing that he had to keep that secret from her must have been the cherry on top. He did not deserve any of that.
But then again, neither did Kyla.
I hated how conflicted that entire situation made me feel. I could not betray Blake by telling Kyla, especially since it was not my place to. It was her family who needed to tell her the truth, I had no right to intervene. But I hated knowing that she was being tricked into believing something which was not the truth. Not betraying Blake, in a way, meant betraying Kyla, and I could not stand the thought of that.
"Have I ever told you that I love your hugs?" Blake asked me as his arms tightened around me.
I chuckled, shaking my head at him before I gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Aww," we heard, making us quickly pull away from each other, only to see the kids staring at us.
"Your girlfriend is pretty, Blake. Do you think I can have a pretty girlfriend when I grow up?" A boy who went by the name of Jack asked Blake as he ran up to him, quickly getting on his lap.
"Of course you will buddy. Girls will be lining up to be with you," Blake told him, causing a huge grin to form on Jake's face.
"I really like her, Blake. Do you think you can bring her here more often?" Bella asked him, making my heat tighten with happiness.
"If she wants me to," Blake answered her as he looked at me with raised brows.
"Of course I'd love to come see you more," I told her before she ran up to hug me.
The feeling I got the moment I wrapped my arms around her tiny body was indescribable. I was the youngest in my family, and had never had a younger sister to give advice to. Bella was around the same age as Ethan's kids, who I barely saw ever since him and his wife Kelsey moved ages away to be closer to her job.
I loved children, and getting to have the chance to have an impact in their lives was one of the most fulfilling things ever.
"Okay kids, it's time for you all to go to bed. I think we've taken enough of Blake and Ellie's time today," Marie said, making the kids groan.
"Come on guys, Marie is right. You need your sleep, otherwise you'll be too tired to create new things," Blake said as he stood up from the bench.
"Will you sing us a new song when you come back?" Ben asked him, his eyes looking like those of a cute little puppy.
"Don't I always?" Blake winked, making Ben smile.
Begrudgingly the children all filed inside, ready to go to bed before sending a wave our way.
"Thank you guys so much for being here, it really meant a lot to them," Maria said as she turned to us with a smile.
"It meant a lot to us too," Blake told her as he took her hands in his and clutched them tightly. "It always does."
Maria nodded before waving goodbye to us as we made our way out. I could not help but feel slightly upset that the night was already over. Being in there with the kids made me forget about everything, and the moment we stepped out of the building, it all came rushing back to me.
I could not believe that everything was going to be changing the next day.
Blake and I silently went in his car, neither one of us breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen upon us. I knew that we were not going to be the same after James would introduce me to my fake boyfriend, no matter how many times we had said that we will not let it effect us.
"Only you could think of bringing me here on our first date," I told him with a small laugh as I turned to look at him.
Blake looked at me questioningly as panic started rising in his eyes. I smiled at him, not wanting him to take what I was saying in the wrong way.
"And that's why I'm so crazy about you," I told him as I took his hands in mine and intertwined our fingers together.
Blake smiled at me, his hand gently caressing my cheek as his eyes remained glued on mine.
"I can't believe I'm going to have to start sharing you after tomorrow," he sighed, looking defeated. "I'll just have to stand there seeing you walk around with some other guy, knowing that there's nothing I can do about it."
I did not want us to end the night talking about everything that was going to go down the next day. I did not want to think about the guy who I had to pretend to like, and I certainly did not want to think about how I would start needing to act in public. All that mattered to me in that moment was the sweet boy who had just taken me on one of the best dates I had ever been in.
Blake was one of a kind, and I could not help but thank the lucky stars that he crossed my path.
I knew that Blake was starting to feel insecure about the whole boyfriend thing, and I hated that he had to feel that way. I cared about him, and I wanted him to know that.
That was all I tried to communicate with him the minute my lips moulded with his. I wanted him to forget about everything that was supposed to happen the next day and focus on what was happening right there and then.
Electricity jolted through my body as his hands made contact with the bare skin on my stomach. I could feel his heart beating in the same speed as mine, and I had no doubt of the fact that he felt the same way I did.
Blake was my person, and I was his. James did not want to accept that, but as long as Blake and I had, he didn't have to.
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A/N: Hello jellybeans!
I hope you loved this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!
For today's chapter I wanted to introduce you all to Ellie's fake boyfriend, but then decided that I wanted to give Ellie and Blake a bit more time with one another. I wanted to build on the feelings that the two of them had for one another.
It's clear that Blake cares a lot for Ellie, and honestly that's one of the sweetest things ever!
What did you guys think about their conversation about Kyla? Who do you agree with, Ellie or Blake?
Do you think that it was unfair that Blake dumped it all on Ellie knowing that Kyla was her best friend?
What did you think about the sweet ending?
I'd love to hear your thoughts about this chapter and how you feel about Ellie and Blake's relationship, because after next week's chapter we're going to be delving into management's plan to make the world believe that there is nothing between Blake and Ellie.
But until then,
Stay safe,
Stay perfect,
Love,
~M