Blake
Blake took a deep breath as she opened the door to her mom's.
My house. I lived here for eighteen years, and she's gone. It's my house, too.
Stepping into her house, Blake immediately tensed up.
She knew it was better to have an empty space where no one could hear her to do her shows in, but she didn't like being so away from anyone. Even if she didn't always like people, she liked knowing they were around.
Locking the door behind her, Blake set down her bag with her laptop and all her equipment, and dug out her phone and an earbud. They were expensive, but had proven invaluable when camming.
And when talking with Liam.
She called her boyfriend, smiling just at the thought of him, and slipped in the earbud just as he picked up.
"Hey."
"Hey, I'm here. At my--at the old house."
"And you still don't like it."
"Not one bit."
One thing would make her feel a bit better, though.
"Are you in your room yet?" Liam asked.
"Nope, walking around to make sure all the doors and windows are locked first," she said, "And turn some lights on."
"They didn't cut off the utilities?"
"Nope. They're just in my grandparents' names now. So I'm only gonna turn a few lights on. And try to bully them into letting me pay them back."
Liam laughed, "Have you ever been successful?"
Blake sighed, but smiled, "Not yet."
As Blake walked through the house, going to the garage and the back door just to make sure those were closed, and doing the same with the larger, ground-floor windows, she came across a few of her dad's old things.
Why did she keep them like this?
Blake knew the question was stupid. They weren't her dad's old things, just the power tools he'd used whenever anything needed fixing, or the cleaning supplies that he mostly used because that was just what he'd done.
"Blake? You alright?"
Realizing she'd been completely silent for the past few minutes, Blake bit her lip, "Yeah. Just a lot of old memories. I haven't really been here since..."
She trailed off, stomach clenching, "I was here once for a few days over the summer, but I spent that mostly at my grandparents, since they were the ones I came back to see. Before that...maybe this time last year?"
"Wow, really? Not even spring break? Didn't they kick you out of your dorm?"
"Yep," Blake said, "I stayed at Chloe's for the week. It was really nice, since I'd just met her. I'd just..."
Blake swallowed. She couldn't tell Liam everything. Not just yet. Not while she was so far away from him. But she wanted to tell him more.
"I'd just found out that my parents didn't have the money to pay for my tuition anymore, and so I justified it by the cost of the flights. A few hundred dollars can go a long way, and Chloe wouldn't let me pay for anything other than food."
"She seems like a really good friend."
Blake smiled, making her way toward the garage, "She is. I don't have a lot of those, but I'm really glad for the ones I do have."
"Should I be concerned that as far as I know, Chloe and I are the only ones who fit that bill, and you've had sex with both of us?"
"Not really. I only fucked Chloe, never dated her. Neither of us were interested in that. Plus, she likes you. She's probably tie me up or put a chastity belt on me or something and send me back to you if I tried anything with her now."
"How would that be fun for me?"
Blake bit her lip at the carousel of images that ran through her head at Liam's question.
"You know how I like it when you tease me?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't know if I'd actually want to buy and wear one of those, but you could probably make me melt into a--"
Blake cut off as she opened the door to the garage, not realizing what she'd done until it was open.
There were a lot of boxes. Plastic storage containers, cardboard boxes, and even some big plastic bags with duct tape labels on them.
Her mom's car sat in here, too. Empty, cold and dark.
When she looked to the far wall, her chest grew tight.
Her bike--the one she'd used to see her ex when they'd been together, then used to ride to her grandparents when she couldn't stand to be here--leaned against the wall, helmet hanging from the right handlebar. Above it and slightly to the right hung her dad's toolbelt. On the bottom rung of his pegboard with all the larger tools he had. The weedwhacker and hedge trimmers and other yardwork tools they'd used together were arranged beneath them, and next to her dad's worn leather toolbelt, was her bright red one. The one he'd bought her and had her wear whenever he'd shown her how to use the tools he'd handled every day at his job. A job he'd still be working at if her mom hadn't been such a bitch to him.
If he just hadn't gone out...or maybe if I'd been home--
"Blake?"
Blake drew in a sharp breath at Liam's voice, stepping back into the main part of the house and slamming the door. She barely hesitated long enough to lock it before walking fast--yet not running--up to her room, snatching up her bags along the way.
"Blake, everything okay?"
Blake's heart hurt at the concern in his voice. Her eyes were hot, but she kept in the tears and shoved down the accompanying emotions with a deep breath.
Once she was in her room, the door locked behind her, she let her bag fall to the floor and slumped down against the door beside it.
"Blake? I'm getting a little worried now."
Blake sniffed, Liam's voice making the corner of her mouth twitch up in a half-smile. She hugged an arm around herself.
"Don't be. I just--I don't think I was ready for all the emotions being home would bring up."
"I wish I could be there to give you a hug or something, at least."
Blake smiled, "So do I. You're the best."
Taking a deep breath, Blake pulled out her phone and looked at the time.
"I've got to get all set up and everything for my show. I'll call you before it starts if I have time, okay?"
"Okay. If you need anything, got it?"
Liam's words made Blake's heart feel too big for her chest. Like it would explode if he didn't magically appear and wrap his arms around her.
"Thank you, Liam. I know this probably isn't how you expected calls with your girlfriend to go."
"Everyone has tough shit in their lives, Blake. I know you'll do the same for me if I ever need it."
Blake smiled, suddenly feeling very protective of Liam, though she couldn't seeing the same emotions this place made her feel in his beautiful, kind eyes.
"Of course."
"I'll talk to you later, Blake. I miss you."
"I miss you, too, Liam."
A/N: So...thoughts about what happened in Blake's past? I hope you're enjoying these less steamy, more character-driven scenes!
Remember, if you want early access, other stories with these characters, or just to support me and my writing, you can do so at my Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/taylorstorms)