Page 91 of When Fate Breaks
He takes a step closer. “You want to know what I’m thinking?” he pushes, an edge to his voice, the whiskey on his breath fanning my face.
“Yes,” I breathe, not entirely sure I actually do want to know anymore.
Blake’s tongue darts out, wetting his bottom lip. His eyes have seemed to come back to life all at one, fire burning within the depths of their ocean hue. “I guess I’m just wondering how this fits into your master plan,” he says.
My spine steels. “What?”
“Your master plan,” Blake continues, taking a step closer. My reflex is to step back, but I hold my ground. “The one where you have every step of your life planned out and control what happens and when it happens at every moment along the way. How would you fitthisinto your perfect picture?” Blake growls, motioning his hand around us.
I feel tears burning the backs of my eyes but I don’t let them through. “Blake…” my voice cracks. “It’s okay. I know you’re upset–”
“Upset?” Blake cuts me off.
I shake my head. “Distraught. Devastated. I know how sad you must be–”
“Sad?” Blake interrupts me again, an incredulous look on his face. “Evangeline, I’m notsad.”
My brows raise in question. He runs an exasperated hand through his hair before turning his burning gaze back on me.
“I’mpissed.”
“Wha…” I stutter. “Pissed?”
“Yes, Evangeline.Pissed,” Blake confirms. “I mean, the audacity of these people.”
“What people?”
“Person after person that barely knew my dad standing up there and calling him ahero.” The last word comes out with acid in his tone.
A pain pinches deep within my chest. “Blake… Your dad– hewasa hero. People say he acted without a second thought.”
Blake scoffs, shaking his head as he stares at the floor. “And that’s my point exactly.”
I don’t understand what Blake is saying. I attempt to reach out a comforting hand but he shrugs it off.
“Maybe hethoughthe was a hero. But, I mean, what kind of hero leaves behind his wife?” Blake slurs. I wonder how many of those flasks he’s had today. “He left mymombehind, Evangeline… He left me behind.Without a second thought.”
My lips part, the tears breaking through my reservoir and clouding my vision.
“And forwhat? A few thousand dollars that definitely would have been covered by the bank’s insurance?”
“There werepeople, Blake,” I whisper.
“Yeah, people,” he huffs. “People clearly more important to him than his own family.” Blake turns his head, picking up a framed photo of him and his parents from the bookshelf.
“You know that’s not true,” I breathe.
“Well, I guess we’ll never know,” he says looking from the picture back to me. “But, either way, screw us, right?”
Before I can respond I’m startled by Blake smashing the frame into the ground.
“Blake!” I cry.
No wonder he’s been acting so strange all day. This is what he was he was keeping bottled in.
And I just unleashed it.
This isn’t him. I know it isn’t. But he’s just lost the closest person to him in the most sudden and traumatic way. I can’t blame him for breaking down. There’s no telling what I would be doing in this situation.
