Chapter 5 – Holy. Friggin’ .Matrimony.
Blake
“Dude, I just don’t know how you do it. You got girls fallin’ for you left and right! First, Charlotte, and now Holly. Like Holly has literally fallen on you!” Josh exclaimed gesturing to Holly.
Holly’s head lay on my lap; thankfully, she was breathing. She’d fainted; thanks a lot, Rick. I decided to take her back to the apartment because I didn’t want her in the care of alleged Dr. Johnson.
Unawares, I started gently stroking her cheek; I let my hand drop and shook my head in shame. I should really stop. I’m getting too close to her.
Her enthralling emerald eyes were unfortunately closed; they allowed me to understand what she was feeling, I could gaze into them for hours. Her skin was pale and cool to the touch; her full lips were pink and pulled up in a tranquil smile. She looked so peaceful. I swear, if Josh woke her up—
“Is Holly sleeping or like, in a passed-out state?”
“Definitely passed out.”
“Dude! This is an once-in-a-lifetime chance! Do it!”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, bewildered.
“Jeez, you aren’t as bright as I thought you were, Blake. LOOK. DOWN. HER. SHIRT. DUH.”
I said calmly, “Josh. If we weren’t in a cab, with the possible chance Holly could regain consciousness and be a witness, I would totally murder you, right now.”
Josh smartly changed the subject. “Is that Charlotte girl still in love with you?”
“Charlie? Um, I don’t really know.”
“Didn’t she visit the shop yesterday?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Dylan is her brother.”
“No way, man! Seriously? Poor girl. She’s too pretty to have that nasty monster of a creature as a relative. Are you sure that’s why she came?”
“Well, she screamed, ‘BLAKEY!’ the moment she set foot in the shop.”
“Oh.”
For the second time today, I sensed jealousy. “Josh?”
“Mm?”
“You like Charlie, don’t you?”
“Psh, I got Veronica. Just ’cause I’ve had a lot of girlfriends doesn’t mean I cheat on ‘em.”
I persisted, “Alright, alright. I mean, Charlie’s a really nice girl. Cute too—”
“GOTTA GIRLFRIEND! GOTTA GIRLFRIEND!” Josh blared like a siren.
“Okay, okay, I get it. You’ve got a girlfriend, can’t be eyeing other girls. So… where’d you meet Veronica?”
“At a bar.”
“WHOA! Hold up! You? At a bar? I’m not believin’ that.”
If you don’t know Josh really well, you would think the bar is his home, but Josh never drinks. Ever since the drunk-driving accident that caused his parents’ death… Josh would refuse to knowingly be within a mile radius of a bar.
“Lookin’ for a job.”
“Parents’ inheritance running low? Cabbie wages not enough?”
“Nah, it’s just that the boss was threatening to fire me if I kept slacking. So that’s why I’m taking your shift tomorrow, to make it up to you and the boss. I was looking for a back-up job just in case.”
“So you guys hit it off at the bar?”
“Well, she was a topless waitress, so of course I went after her. At first, she didn’t seem interested in me, but we talked. I think I was telling her how you were a good friend of mine when she decided to ask me out. I think she might be the one; I’ve already gotten her in bed—”
“STOP! I don’t need to know anymore. We’re here anyways.”
Josh opened the door for me as I stepped out of the car cautiously, making sure not to bonk Holly’s head on the top of the car doorway. Oh wait…
I needed to pay Josh! I definitely didn’t want him to reach into my back pocket for my wallet, because… if that wouldn’t look weird, then I don’t know what would. I didn’t want to hand Holly over to Josh either because being the perverted friend he is, he would probably look down her shirt. Josh hadn’t seem to notice the absence of his payment, for he stepped back into the cab. I guess I valued Holly’s privacy over my appearance.
“Wait! Josh! I need to pay you! My wallet is in my back pocket!”
He poked his head out the car doorway, “Um, that is not happening. People will think I’m scratching your butt or something. And you’re not paying me.”
“You gotta make a living, man.”
“Not from you! You need to save your money to bust Bailey out of that prison!”
Josh knew I was saving up money to “buy” Bailey. In fact, he had lived at the same orphanage; so he knew Bailey and what a terrible place the Institute for the Destitute was.
He shut the car door, turned the key in the ignition, and revved the engine.
“Josh?”
Josh rolled down the window. “Yeah?”
“You’re a good friend.”
He smiled smugly, “I know.”
Holly
My head throbbed achingly; it felt as if someone was beating my head like a drum. And they weren’t beating lightly.
Blake’s bleary face wavered in front of mine, “You okay?”
I moaned again, unable to respond. A finger was put to my lips, “Shh… shh….”
He lifted me, cradling me like a fragile baby, and he rocked me gently, occasionally mumbling, “It’s alright, you’re okay… you’re okay….”
I hugged him tightly, trying to ease my mind off the pain. He stiffened then relaxed hesitantly. It was so weird; sometimes Blake looked like he wanted to kiss me; other times, he seemed to want to run away.
“D-do you need some Tylenol?”
“Sure.”
He immediately put me down on the couch and escaped to the kitchen in search of Tylenol. Ugh, this was the worst headache I’ve ever had. What had happened? We were at the hospital… and Dr. Fathead was saying… oh no. No, no, no… this was not happening. Adrian will live.
Blake had come back with a Tylenol pill and a cup of water. “Here.”
“Thanks.” I swallowed the pill and downed it with a swig of water.
“Um, do you need anything else?”
“I don’t think so. So you’ve been acquainted with Adrian’s doctor?”
“Yeah, we were… friends. Back in the day,” Blake said cautiously.
“Oh. Cool.” I nodded.
“Well… I’m gonna go grocery shopping. Do you want to come?”
“My head still hurts.”
“Alright. Do you want anything in particular?”
I perked up. “Ice cream?”
He smiled cutely, “Flavor?”
“Chocolate chip cookie dough, please.”
“’Kay. I’ll be back in thirty minutes or so.”
“Thanks, Blake.”
“No prob.” And with that, he walked out the door.
Perfect.
I rose from the couch slowly, ignoring my pounding head; I made my way to the “forbidden room".
Blake
As I scoured through the grocery store, searching for this week’s worth of food, a thought popped into my head: I left Holly at home… alone… would she… would she find the photos? No, I’m sure she would have enough respect for my privacy not to go into Bailey’s room.
Holly
I poked my head through the doorway of the breathtaking room. I was still in complete amazement even though it was the second time I had entered. A few clay sculptures stood proud cluttered in one corner. Bailey had created a miniature horse, a baby piano, and the bust of a very pretty woman. She might’ve been an angel. I was about to turn back to go to the grand piano when I noticed a clay bedside table hiding in the corner. It seemed to shy away from my presence. I crept toward it and picked it up; it was astonishingly heavy. Wow… Bailey had fine craftsmanship skills…. It even had a little drawer that you could pull out—
Two pictures lay in the drawer.
The first one I grasped was of a man, a woman, a boy, and a baby girl. The man strongly resembled Blake and somehow, I knew this was Blake’s father; this must’ve been Blake and his family.
“Bailey,” I whispered in awe as I studied the baby’s face intently.
Bailey smiled slyly as if she knew something I didn’t. I then realized the bust of the woman was Blake’s mother. I picked up the life-sized statue of the head. Bailey had captured every detail of her mother right down to the smile crinkles around her eyes. Except the mother’s eyes… they looked… distorted.
I put the bust down and picked up the other picture in the drawer. It was of a beautiful woman; even more beautiful than Blake’s mother or Charlotte, with… Blake.
The lady was wearing the perfect wedding dress I had always imagined myself wearing and Blake was wearing a tuxedo.
No… that can’t be possible. He must be the best man or something.
But he was kissing the lady on the cheek.
And he was wearing a wedding band around his ring finger that matched the one on the woman’s ring finger.
I flipped the card and read the back.
Two names and one word were written in the middle of a heart.
Blake + Noël
Forever
Blake
I pushed the nearly-full shopping cart down the ice cream aisle.
Chocolate chip cookie dough… chocolate chip cookie dough….
I reached the end of the aisle. Are you frickin’ serious?
They had every single ice cream flavor imaginable to humankind, but they didn’t have chocolate chip cookie dough?
Ah well, it won’t matter if I go home without ice cream, right?
Holly’s overly-adorable hopeful face flashed in my mind.
I bit my lip.
And went in search of a grocer.
Holly
I felt a tear roll down my cheek.
I-I can’t believe him.
But this explained everything. Why he kept pulling away. Because he had a wife.
The tear left my face and buried itself in the clay surface of the bedside table. The picture detached itself from my fingers and fluttered into the drawer. I shut the drawer with so much force the whole table almost crumbled into little clay rocks. I set the table down and ran out of the room. I cried into Blake’s pillow that smelt so much like him.
I swore that once Adrian recovered, I would leave New York City and never, ever come back.
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Note from the Author:
Ooh, drama. ;) Sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. I'm slow like that. :) Anyways! Vote&Promote! I would love it if this story got to 1000 reads. Thanks! :D