Page 84 of Hitting the Goal Line
I don’t know if my blood is boiling because I’m angry about it or sad.
Whatever it is, I try to push it down, at least until I get into my room.
Blake shouldn’t be home. The Knights won, he’s probably out celebrating with the guys. So I can go in and head straight to my room and just forget about tonight.
Taking a deep breath, for no other reason other than to compose myself, I slide my key into the key slot and open the door.
The apartment is dark, and for once I’m thankful for it.
I take off my shoes, and basically throw my keys and my bag onto the entryway table and start walking deeper into the place.
“Hey,” Blake’s voice sounds out as I pass by the kitchen and I jump slightly.
How did I miss the glow of the kitchen lights? And why the hell is the rest of the apartment dark? Blake is a turn-on-every-single-light-in-the whole-place type of guy.
“What are you doing home?” I ask, my voice shaking as I try to keep all the emotions flowing through my body controlled.
I’m partially glad that the lights are turned off everywhere but the kitchen, because if he fully sees my face right now, there is no doubt that he will know that something is wrong and will see how close I am to bursting into tears.
“It’s after midnight,” he answers giving me a weird look.
“What?” I ask because no way he’s right. The game finished around nine. No way it’s already the next day.
“It’s twelve fifteen or something. I grabbed a drink with the guys and then came home. What are you doing home? You said that you were staying at Elijah’s tonight.”
I take out my phone and sure enough, Blake is right. It is after midnight. Was I seriously wondering around the city for a whole two hours?
“Soph, you okay?” Blake asks, his voice sounding closer.
I look up and see that he is walking out of the kitchen and toward me. I take a step back.
If he comes anywhere near me, I’m going to burst and if I do, he’s automatically going to assume that Elijah did something and go hunt him down.
As much as I’m mad at Elijah for the way he put his hands on me, I don’t want Blake to go and fight him.
So I answer him.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say, closing my eyes for a second before opening them back up again and giving Blake a smile. “I was going to stay over at Elijah’s, but I started feeling funny, so I thought it was best for me to come home.”
I should tell him what happened. I should tell him how my arms ache and how there was more than a few minutes where I was scared of my boyfriend. But I can’t find the words.
It was just a one-time thing. It won’t happen again. There is no reason to worry Blake.
“Want me to make you soup or something? I think we still have that sopa de fideo that you mom froze when she was here a few weeks ago. I can heat that up for you,” he says, coming closer to me and placing the back of his hand on my forehead to check if I have a fever.
I love that he is being this sweet and caring, but I can’t take it right now.
“It’s okay. I’m just going to go to bed,” I say to him and I see his face fall a bit as I say the words. “But I will definitely take youup on the fideo tomorrow, if the offer still stands.” I try to give him a smile but I don’t know if he can even see it in the limited light.
“Always.”
“Thank you,” I say, going on my tiptoes and placing a kiss against his cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
“Okay,” he says, giving me a nod and a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
With another smile, I turn away from my best friend and make my way down the hallway and into my room.
The second that my door is closed and locked, I turn on the lights and quickly turn to face the mirror.
