บท 43: Blake
Shopping with crutches was not an easy task. While Rylee has the intention of grabbing a few supplies and heading home afterward, it seemed daunting in retrospective. Driving had been difficult as it was, maneuvering into the car and getting the dang crutches in after her—once she was settled she drive, so at least that wasn't an issue—but then there was the challenge of getting around the store and actually getting what she needed. If she used a cart, she would look stupid trying to push the dang thing, and when she used the basket, it made it twice as hard to hold the crutches.
'I should have asked Evan to come along,' she thought miserably. Her ego had taken a hit again. Sometimes she just wanted to be able to handle things herself without needing to be rescued.
"Seems like you have your hands full," a voice unexpectedly spoke behind her. It was a voice she had hoped to never hear again, and it made every vessel in her body feel cold.
"I'm managing just fine," she retorted. She wondered if he could feel the venom in her words.
"You really haven't changed much over the years, have you? Still stubbornly trying to do everything yourself."
"What do you want, Blake?"
Rylee finally faced him. It was impossible to stop a rush of anxiety from coursing through her when she did. He looked like she remembered him: stocky, unshaven, with a full build and those oil stained hands she once admired. His eyes were still so unnaturally bright against his tanned face, his brown hair wild in what she once thought was a handsome way. This was the man she once thought she was going to marry. As much as she wanted to pretend, the deep pain in her heart still appeared seeing him in front of her.
"How have you been?"
The pain swirled inside her, turning to rage. How had she been? She thought of the funeral, she thought of THAT woman. Her grip tightened on her basket, but she forced a mocking smile. "Well obviously I'm enjoying the challenge of shopping like this. It was too easy to find things so I needed the excitement."
"I can give you a hand—"
"Don't come near me!" The snarl surprised both of them. She was alarmed at the rage she felt. She lifted her head in defiance. He hurt her once, she would never let him do that again! The best thing to do was remind him he had no right to ever come near her.
'We were best friends,' she tried to ignore the pain she felt. When her family moved and she stayed behind, he was the one person she could turn to. During college, her memories were still full of him. Why did things turn out like this, so they could only be strangers? Why hadn't he broken up instead of going behind her back like a coward? There were so many ways they could have had a healthier breakup. In the end, this messy destruction was all his fault.
The aisle was awkward, and Blake finally lowered his head. While she had raised herself higher, like a cat tying to appear as big as possible, he recoiled, pretending to be small. If only he was truly so helpless and innocent! What a coward. "Listen, I am actually glad I ran into you," he continued. "There's something I wanted to tell you, but you blocked me online and it's a bit hard to reach you now."
"And you didn't get the hint so you had to keep trying?" Rylee scoffed. She could have sworn there was a flash of irritation in his expression before he covered it.
"Listen, what happened is over. I just wanted to tell you that grandpa left something for you. It's at my moms house; if you want to go, fine. If not, it isn't my problem anymore."
Rylee was finally forced to listen, her face softening with what he said. "Grandpa left something?" She wanted to ask why it took so long to tell her, but she already knew the answer. She did everything in her power to erase this man from her life. Even now, he managed to crawl back to her.
"Just come by sometime, I can help you get it. Mom already finished dividing the rest of his estate."
Rylee felt her guard dropping as she registered what he was saying. This truly was a calculated move on his part. Blake knew how much his grandpa meant to her. After all, that was the only reason she stayed around the family after their break up. She swallowed her anger and frowned. "I can contact your mom and deal with it. You don't need to involve yourself."
"She's pretty busy, the stuff could get thrown out soon. Why don't we drive over now?" He offered.
Every alarm went off in her head. She gripped the basket tighter, studying him. Blake was good at pretending. He managed to fool her for so long, coming up with many reasons to put her at ease while secretly cheating on her. Now, he was obviously baiting her, but the risk of losing a keepsake was too harsh to consider. They were both aware this was the one time she would have no excuse to avoid him. She was sickened that he would once again take advantage of his family for his own purposes.
"Give me a moment." Rylee picked up her phone and texted two people. Blake said nothing while he waited. He already knew her answer just by the look on her face. It made Rylee feel more annoyed. This snake!
'Tara, Blake has something of Grandpas. I need to get it before anything happens to it. Just heads up, I'll be careful.'
The second text she sent to Evan, 'Can I come over tonight?' There was no use saying more, she could explain once she saw him. Rylee also knew she would need his support. Her heart was already hurting from just this interaction.
"I'll drive myself," Rylee finally said. She started toward the checkout counter without looking back.
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