Page 121 of When Fate Breaks
“There’s been a lot going on,” Blake cuts off my stammering once again, an edge of grit to his voice. “But it’s okay.” It doesn’t sound like it’s okay at all by the way he says it. And it definitelyisn’tokay. “We’re here now. It’s so– God, it’s great to see you, Brett.”
“Boy, it’s been so long. I haven’t seen you since…since the…”
The funeral.
Dad doesn’t say it. But we both know.
“Yeah,” Blake says, clearing his throat. Blake looks over my dad’s shoulder and then glances from him to me for a moment too long. Panic clawing at my stomach, I interject.
“Dad,” I blurt, my hand shooting out to grab his arm. “I was going to get you something from the bar. How about you just come, though? I’ll give you a tour of the venue on the way.”
“Oh, um, sure, Annie-bell,” Dad replies hesitantly.
“Great!” I say, pulling him my way.
“Where’s Miss Heidi?”
I freeze at Blake’s voice. My eyes flick to my Dad, praying his hard of hearing has worked to our advantage at this moment and that we can just continue on our way.
No such luck.
Dad’s spine has steeled, one brow raising.
“Dad, c’mon. We can catch up later. There’s no line at the bar right now–”
“Miss Heidi?” Dad asks, ignoring me and spinning back to Blake.
I feel razor blades scratching at my throat and my heart falling into my stomach.
“Yeah. Is she still on her way? Did she have to stay to close up the store or something?” Blake asks.
“Dad–” I plead, but it’s barely audible.
“Blake,” Dad says, his head shaking. “Heidi left.”
“Left?” Blake questions.
Dad looks back at me before returning his gaze to Blake. “You didn’t know?”
“Left to where? When was she here?”
“Blake,” Dad sighs, “She leftme. She…she divorced me.”
My vision is so cloudy that I can barely see the dumbfounded, incredulous wave of expressions making their way across Blake’s face.
“What–”
“Apple Jacks!” Remy appears behind me, cutting Blake off as he claps his hands on my shoulders. “They’re ready for toasts.”
“I– Okay,” I squeak out. Blake eyes stay glued to me as Remy reaches for my hand and pulls me towards the front of the room to stand by Chuck and Lori Beth. The only way I manage not to stumble on the way up there is my gaze staying trained on my feet the whole way. I blow out a deep breath before looking up. When I do, my eyes land straight on Blake, standing completely still no more than fifteen feet from me at the front of the forming crowd, his gaze hard and jaw set but not a hair out of place otherwise, as if he simply teleported across the room.
Remy’s arm goes around me, pulling me to his side, and Chuck clinks a knife against his beer bottle to signal everyone to pay attention. “Hey, everyone,” Chucks calls out. “I don’t want to keep you from the party for too long, but there are just a few things I’d like to say, if that's okay.”
I peel my eyes from Blake, resting them on Chuck’s face as I begin to chew on my bottom lip. I don’t have any idea what he’s about to say. There’s a strong chance Lori Beth had this little speech included in the itinerary and told me all about it, but, if that’s the case, I must not have been listening.
“I think it’s safe to say that I know Remy better than I know anyone. I’ve watched him grow up and turn into a man and have watched Annie grow up right along next to him. It’s not often that two people with so much shared history find their way into each other's arms later in life.”
I do everything in my power not to look, but fail, glancing at Blake. His stance widens and his arms cross. His jaw ticks right as I force my eyes away, heat rushing to the back of my neck.
