Page 88 of Discerning Blake

I laugh. “I’ll keep an eye out and put in a good word for you when I find one.”

Amelia

It’s the end of my week with Chase. I’m not picking him up from school today, and I don’t know what to do with myself.

I walk to the real estate agency, taking the long way around so that I don’t walk by the elementary school. The only thing that could make the pain in my chest worse is seeing Ethan and Charlotte picking up Chase from school.

There are no houses that match my criteria within my price range currently for sale in Dogwood Grove itself. But Lindsey, the realtor, makes sure to remind me to stop by her yoga class on Thursday.

I leave feeling even more dejected than before. My walk home takes me in front of the Den, and I stand outside, hesitating.

Through the window, I see Bryce and Kayla. It’s doubtful that Blake is also working. I walk around the building to the back alley.

The door opens when I pull it. I walk up the rickety stairs, my heart suddenly beating faster.

What am I going to say?

I stand in front of his door, frozen.

I want to tell him that it’s rude to not answer messages. I want to ask why he hit Ethan. I want to end things between us before he does and I get dumped again.

But I can’t think of doing any of those things without yelling, without criticizing, without ruining our friendship. And that’s not what we’d agreed to in the beginning. Wasn’t I the one asking him to do me a favor? So why do I want to scream at him?

I think how to phrase my feelings without blaming, carefully picking out the exact words, but I’m interrupted when the door to the back alley opens, making me want to run down the stairs guiltily.

“Amelia.” Blake stands at the threshold looking up at me with so much emotion in his eyes I feel like I’m drowning just looking at him. “The key is on top of the door.”

Alright. I guess he wants me to get it.

I reach above the door and feel around until my fingers touch metal. I grab the key and turn it in the lock as I hear his footsteps coming up the stairs behind me.

I open the door and stand there, uncertain.

“Come in,” he says, his hand pressing gently against the small of my back.

My body reacts to his touch by flooding with heat and awakening every sensitive nerve ending.

Shit. That’s not what I came here for.

“You didn’t answer my text,” I blurt out before I can succumb to my body’s wishes and climb on him.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’ve been… No. I don’t want to make excuses. I should have realized that my silence would upset you. I’m sorry, Amelia. I won’t ever do that again.”

I’m rendered speechless. I’ve thought about what he would say over and over in my head and not once did he just apologize and promise a future between us.

“Okay.”

Blake grabs my hands. His are warm and sure.

The butterflies flapping in my belly want me to lean forward, to go up on my toes and kiss him.

But that’s not what I came here for.

I talk quickly. “You hit Ethan.”

“Yes.” His gaze moves away from me for an instant, as if he were ashamed, but returns quickly to look me in the eyes.

“Why?”