I Hate That I Love You
Chapter 3
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Carly's POV
I tried not to laugh as I watched Blair hit her older brother numerous times with her purse.
Blake had told us that on the way to their class, they had gotten into a little heated argument. I guess Aiden was joking about something but since Blake didn't have a single funny bone in his body, he had taken the joke seriously and snapped. He punched Aiden square in the face, causing him to fall back and hit his head on a nearby bench.
Blair and I had rushed over to St. Joseph Mercy hospital right when we got the phone call from Blake. Right when we saw him sitting in front of room 150, Blair stomped over to him in anger.
"You always do this to him!" Blair was yelling. "I don't even know how you two can be friends when all you do is fight." Blake just bowed his head in shame.
The door to Aiden's room suddenly opened and a nurse walked out. She was rather gorgeous and brightened the hall when she appeared. I saw Blair shift uneasily at the pretty nurse who was obviously taking care of her boyfriend.
"Hi, there. I'm Savannah, Aiden's nurse." she greeted with a smile.
"Is he alright?" Blair asked, ignoring the handshake the nurse tried to offer.
Savannah awkwardly dropped the hand but kept the smile. "He's fine. Aiden just bumped his head a little to hard on the bench, causing him to black out. Nothing severe, no injuries except for a bump. But he did have a bloody nose and a cut on his lip. But I don't think the bench did that." she pointed her smile at Blake.
Blair glared at her brother one more time before pushing past him and Savannah to enter the room.
"Well, he is allowed to leave right away." Savannah said to me.
"Thank you." I smiled at her. She nodded and left.
With both her and Blair gone, I was left alone in the hall with Blake. He had sat down on a nearby chair and I went and sat down next to him.
"So, what'd you guys fight about now?" I asked him.
These were the most words I've spoken to him for the past couple of days. I needed to stop ignoring him. We were going to have to talk to each other eventually.
"None of your business." he snapped. I hated it when he talked to me that way but I was used to it.
Blake Bradley was always angry. He was always serious and up tight. There would be rare occasions where I would catch his fun and charming personality then he'd remember that I was around and he'd close himself up.
It was a sad thought, really. How he was only sweet to everyone else but me. But then I guess I understood.
Blake Bradley had choices; from blonds, to brunettes, to redheads, to smart, to dumb, to rich, to poor, to Caucasian, to Asian, to Hispanic. He had them all lined up and all he had to was choose.
And I was the last one in line.
"I was just asking." I snapped back. I was tired of this.
For years now, I told myself that Blake was not good for me. I know what I deserve and it's not being treated like shit. I deserved someone who knows what he's got.
But I can't help it, I love him. I do. When you truly love someone, you would know it the first moment you lay your eyes on them.
I will never forget the day I walked in their apartment and I see the black-haired, hazel-eyed hunk of a man. At the first few months after meeting him, I saw his true personality. A big marshmallow.
Then I guess I had showed a little to much of my affection for him, unknowingly pushing him away, and I regretted it.
But that's just how I was. I spoke my mind, I wore my heart on my sleeve. I reacted to whatever I felt inside, and it had pushed him away.
That's what I do, I cause people to leave.
"Well, I don't even know what you're doing here." Blake said. He was angry. I can tell by the way his lips were tilted downwards and how his eyes were stone cold.
But I didn't know why he was mad. He was the one who punched Aiden, he was the reason why we were all in this stupid hospital. So what right did he have to take his anger out on me?
"I came to see if you were alright." I said honestly.
"I'm fine."
Suddenly, Aiden's door opened and out he came with Blair holding his arm. Aiden had a small black smudge under his left eye and a small visible cut on his lower lip.
"Shit. I really am sorry, man." Blake said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Aiden all but smiled at him. "You need to stop saying that. It's always been like this. If it's not you with a black eye, it's me. Happens all the time."
Blake smiled and I could sense his relief.
"Let's just all go home and have a nice dinner." Blair said, always the peace maker.
~
I kept my distance from Blake ever since then. Guess we were back to ignoring each other, I thought to myself. It's been three days and we still haven't talked.
Now, I'm at their apartment on a Friday morning, making breakfast with Blair.
You probably think I'm crazy for being in love with such a haunted soul like Blake.
It's just that I know who he really is. This serious, up tight, angry, ladies man is nothing more than a cover. I truly believe that he's something so much more.
You see, Robert Bradley, Blake and Blair's father, disappeared after a bombing in Iraq. His body was not found and they had stamped him as dead. What they didn't know was that their father had escaped and was stuck in a small community in Iraq. Years later, he was found and identified and had recently just returned to his family.
From what Blair told me, their father's absence had hit Blake hard. He had to grow up faster and act as Blair's father figure while he took care of both her and their mother.
I can see how that event can cause a person to change how they are. Blake has always been there for everyone he cared about. Now he just needs someone to be there for him.
And that someone will be me.
"Have you guys talked?" Blair asked me as we set the table.
I sighed. "Kind of, but not about the kiss or us."
"I'm sorry, Carly. I know Blake could be so hard headed sometimes."
"I can handle it."
A smile slowly appeared on her face. "I know you can, that's why I think you're good for him."
"Is breakfast ready yet?" Aiden appeared in the kitchen. He goes straight towards Blair and wraps his arms around her waist. "Hey, beautiful." he said as he kissed her cheek.
I felt the jealousy hit me and I had to tear my eyes from the happy couple to keep the tears from forming.
I wanted that. Specifically, I wanted Blake and I to be like that. If only he wasn't so stubborn to realize that we would be great together.
"We made pancakes." I told Aiden who was busy whispering in Blair's ear. I rolled my eyes. "Stop it, you two, or I'll throw up."
Laughing, the boy finally let her go and took a sit on the dining table. "Feed me, ladies." he said.
"I'll go get Blake." I told them and walked of to fetch him.
I knocked softly before entering. Blake was on the floor doing push ups in nothing but basketball shorts. I've seen Blake shirtless tons of times but it still took my breath away every single time.
Sweat glistened against his body and I couldn't take my eyes off the way his muscles tightened as he moved. His biceps flexed with every push. I wanted to trace his back muscles and feel how hard his body is against my fingers.
"What do you want?" Blake said, still continuing with his exercise.
"Breakfast's ready." I said when I found my voice.
I left right away, not wanting to drool right in front of him. When I got back in the dining room, Aiden and Blair were having a serious conversation.
"We should tell him soon, Blair. You know keeping things from someone till the last minuet isn't the right thing to do." Aiden was telling his girlfriend.
"Tell who, what?" I asked, butting in their conversation like I always do.
"What's going on?" Blake appeared behind me. At least now he has a shirt on.
"Can we have breakfast first?" Blair said nervously, sitting down next to her guy.
Blake and I followed her and took our own seats but didn't touch our food as we waited for whatever it was they were trying to say.
Aiden cleared his throat. "I got an apartment." he said.
We all stayed quiet and waited for him to go on. But I had an idea on where this was heading and I don't think Blake would be fond of it.
"And I'm going to move in with him." Blair finished.
More silence.
I could tell that the silence Blake was providing was killing the couple. He was, after all, the protective older brother.
"Okay." Blake finally said and I heard the loud thumps of our jaws hitting the floor.
"Okay?" Blair asked, not sure if she heard her brother right. "We were just at the hospital from you punching Aiden and all you say is okay?"
Blake just shrugged. "You're going to move in with him anyways and you're growing up, I don't have to take care of you anymore."
"Well, then. That was easier than I thought." Aiden said with a wide smile.
"There's one more thing..." Blair said, her brown eyes were shining mischievously. I was confused and by the look on Aiden's face, I could tell he didn't know what his girlfriend was talking about either.
"I want Carly to move in here with you Blake."
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