Page 60 of State of Grace

“You’re really pretty.”

“Umm, thank you.” Her hands gripped tighter on the steering wheel as she tried to keep her eyes on the road and not on Blake. Alexis’s heart was pounding in her ears, and she found herself having to remind herself to take a breath. They were basically dating; there was no reason for Alexis to be so nervous. But she knew better than anyone how quickly someone could spiral when they began to freak out.

Blake did something to her that no one else ever could, and it had less to do with the fact Blake was a famous actress and more to do with the fact Alexis felt like they’d known each other in a past life. She’d felt that way since the moment she’d seen Blake across the bar, and it had only gotten stronger since then.

“I’m getting old.”

“You are not.” Alexis scoffed at the statement. “You’re barely 30, and, if I remember correctly, you were named one of the fifty sexiest actresses alive last year.”

“At number forty-three!” Like a child, she turned her body away from Alexis and looked out the window, pouting. Alexis couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the dramatics as she turned onto her street. “And,” Blake’s voice was higher pitched than Alexis had ever heard it, “I was sent a script today for a mom character.”

“And is that a bad thing?” The hair on the back of her neck stood on edge at Blake’s comment. She whipped the car into the parking spot for the apartment and put the car into park. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she turned to face Blake the best she could in the small car. “I would think it would be a compliment that you’re being sent different roles. Doesn’t that mean you’re a versatile actress?”

“It means I’m getting old, and they see me less as the main character and more of the main character’s mother.”

“What’s so repulsive about being a mother? I mean, we were talking yesterday about how you wanted to be a mom one day and,” Alexis couldn’t hide the sarcasm in her voice even if she wanted to, and she did not, “I’m a mother. So I’m a little offended that you seem repulsed by that.”

“And I still can’t believe you’re a mom.” Blake shifted in her seat, so she was face to face with Alexis. She put her head on the headrest and sighed deeply. “You’re way too pretty to be a mom.”

“And you are way too drunk right now.”

“No, I’m not.” Unbuckling her seatbelt, Blake leaned across the center console, inching her face closer to Alexis’s. Alexis held out a hand to stop her and pulled back from her.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was barely a whisper. Blake’s breath was warm on her cheeks, and Alexis could smell the lingering liquor. Images from a night Alexis had pushed so far in the back of her mind came flooding back to her. Reaching behind her, she opened the car door and scrambled out of the car. “Come on; let’s go inside.”

“Fine,” Blake got out of the car and followed Alexis to the door. Alexis punched in the code to the door before spinning around and looking at Blake. She yanked open the door, holding it open for Blake, who stumbled up the stairs as Alexis walked as close behind her as she could to ensure she didn’t fall back down the stairs. Alexis moved past her at the top of the stairs and opened the unlocked door; Blake followed her inside.

“I don’t have a guest room, but you’re welcome to sleep on the couch if you want.”

“The couch is fine.”

“Super.”

“Where’s the bathroom?”

“Down the hall to the right. There’s an extra toothbrush under the sink if you want it.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Alexis set her bag down on the bench by the front door and walked over to the small closet as Blake disappeared down the hall. She took down a few blankets off the top shelf and took them over to the couch, making a place for Blake to sleep. It was surreal to think that they were making out on that very couch two nights prior. Turning on the electric fireplace, Alexis turned out the rest of the apartment’s lights and waited for Blake to come back out.

She begged her mind not to get lost in the thoughts that had tried to plague her mind since they were in the car. Thoughts of the night that ended up bringing Harper into her life. Thoughts of a man whose face she’d never seen and yet saw vividly in her nightmares. Alexis covered her face with her hands as she focused on her breathing. When she heard soft footsteps down the hall, she turned to face Blake.

“You ok?”

“Yeah, are you?”

“Yeah, I’m ok.” Alexis forced a smile. Blake had sobered up enough to have dropped the attitude she’d had before. “I got some blankets set up on the couch, and I turned the fireplace on because I didn’t know if you liked to sleep with it warm or cold.”

“Either’s fine. Thanks for letting me crash here.”

“No problem.” As Blake sat on the couch, Alexis took a few steps backward to the door. “I’m going to go across the hall and pick Harper up from Sophia’s, and I’ll be back. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you, Alexis.”

“Yeah.” Heading out the front door, Alexis pulled it closed behind her as she braced herself for entering Sophia’s apartment. She knew her best friend would know something was wrong, so she had to keep a brave face. “Hello?”

“Shhh.” Sophia was sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the room with Harper fast asleep in her arms. She had a book in one hand with reading glasses perched on her nose. “She’s been asleep for about an hour already.”

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