Page 123 of When Fate Breaks
“Just forget it, Evangeline,” Blake says, turning away. “Please…just go.”
A sharp pain shoots through my chest. “Blake, please–” I reach out to touch his shoulder, but he shrugs me off, whipping around to face me.
“I can’t do this with you anymore, Evangeline,” he growls, the scent of whiskey fanning my face.
“Do what?”
“This.” Blake motions between the two of us with his finger. “With you. Whatever it is. Or isn’t. I can’t do it anymore. It’s too damn painful.”
“What?” I blink.
Blake blows a breath out, looking away for a second before turning back to me. “I can’t sit here waiting for you while you put every single other thing in your life before me. Before us.”
My ears ring, my vision blurring. How could he possibly say that? Every single thing I’ve been doing, been working so hard for, it’s all been to get me to a place where we can be together. Where we can be ready. I wanted a degree and I wanted a job in marketing in New York City, but there’s nothing I want more than Blake. How does he not see that?
Maybe because you’ve never told him.
Oh my God.
Have I never told him?
I want to tell him now, but I’m not sure I’m capable of getting the words out.
“Blake that–that’s not true. All I want–”
“Please, Evangeline,” Blake stops me. “I really just want you to leave.”
“Blake–”
“Evangeline,” Blake hisses, glowering at me. “Please, just leave and let me mourn my dad alone like I planned on doing in the first place before you reached out and convinced me to come here.”
“But I want to–”
“Please just leave and go back to your perfect life.” I instantly freeze, Blake pushing on, his tone becoming more frustrated by the second. “Your perfect life with your perfect plan and perfect job and perfect family that obviously doesn’t include me–”
“Stop.” I barely whisper it, my blood having run cold.
“Not all of us have that privilege. Not all of us have a perfect family with two parents to welcome us home and support us and tell us what the hell we’re supposed to do in life–”
“Blake,stop,” I grit my teeth, tears spilling over.
He has absolutely no idea.
“I need you to leave,” Blake chokes.
“Blake–”
Blake walks forward, forcing me to stumble backwards towards the door. “Right now, Evangeline.”
“Why?” I cry, my back hitting the door.
Blake stops in front of me. “Because, right now, when I look at you…” he swallows hard, pressing his lips together firmly and leaning closer to me. “I see this city. Boston. Ramer. Lake Placid. The baseball fields. My backyard. I seemy dad.” A single tear falls from each of our eyes at the same moment, and I’m sure I feel my heart shatter in my chest. “And then I remember,” Blake continues, “that today is about him. And then I realize that instead of crying over losing him…I’m crying over losing you.”
All of the air leaves my lungs, my throat and chest aching with a pain I’ve never felt before. I didn’t want this. This day is about Kyle. It was always supposed to be about that. I can’t believe what I’ve done. What I’ve done to this boy that I…that I…
I slowly raise my shaking hands, cupping Blake’s face. He flinches when my skin meets his, standing up straight and making me rise onto my tip-toes to continue stroking his cheeks. “You don’t have to,” I whimper. “Lose me.”
Blake’s eyes meet mine, one of his dark curls hanging in his line of sight. He places his hands over mine, the warmth making me shiver. He leans forward steadily. I feel an ounce of warmth return to my body for the first time in over an hour the moment his lips press against my forehead. My bottom lip trembles as he slowly pulls away, a millimeter at a time, my eyes falling shut. When I open them again, Blake’s gaze is boring into mine. I open my mouth to say something. Anything. But Blake beats me to it.
