Page 127 of Hitting the Goal Line
“Definitely better than Montana,” he says to her and I’m sure he meant it as a dig.
“I’m glad,” Patty answers, actually sounding sincere even if her ex like he is doing the opposite.
From the corner of my eye, I see that Eliana starts to get up from where she is sitting on the couch next to me, and asmuch as I want to slap a hand against her thigh to stop her from getting up, I don’t. This isn’t something that she should have to sit through, especially since she doesn’t know any of the history that comes with the people in the room.
She gives me a small smile and she walks out of the room just in time to meet Christian and the other men as they walk into the living room behind Selena.
Christian and Eliana quickly say goodbye to everyone in the room, with Christian telling Blake to call him later, and they excuse themselves.
Once they’re gone, the awkwardness shifts into tension and given the look that I get from my mom, Selena, and Patty, I’m not the only one feeling it.
Something in me is telling that this day is about to get a hell of a lot more emotional.
I keep my eyes on Blake as he walks in and as looks over at his father. His jaw is set tight and I can see the uneasiness in his eyes. I want to go over to him and wrap my arms around him to comfort but I don’t. Instead, I study his face.
He’s a lot more bruised up than he was last night. If he hadn’t spent the majority of yesterday in a jail cell, I would have iced every single bruise and cleaned up the cuts.
Something I should have done to my cheek too, like I know I should have and was instructed at the hospital to do. Maybe then I wouldn’t have had to hold back tears when I saw how my parents reacted when they saw it. My mom had tears of her own and my dad’s eyes burned with so much anger, I thought that he was going to storm out of the house and go find Elijah to finish the job that Blake started.
All thoughts of mine and Blake’s bruised faces go out the door when Roy stands up from the couch and walks over to his second son.
“Look at you,” Roy says with a slight snarl, grabbing Blake by the chin and moving his head in all directions to check the damage on his face. Almost as if Blake is a little boy and fell face first on the ice for the first time, and he’s checking him out. Something that I’m sure Roy never did.
Blake swats his dad’s hand away and takes a step back.
“Dad, what are you doing here?” Hunter asks, stepping in front of Blake just a smidge. Like he’s protecting his little brother from their dad.
“Why do you think? I’m here to check on my son,” Roy answers Hunter, but looking over at Blake.
“I’m fine,” Blake answers, letting out a sigh and crossing his arms.
“Like hell you are. What the hell were you thinking getting yourself arrested? Do you have any idea what you did by doing that? You can kiss your damn career goodbye. Are you proud of your damn self?” Roy asks, his face getting red as his voice grows louder with each word.
“How did you even know that I was here?” Blake asks.
“You got arrested in San Francisco. It didn’t take a whole lot to figure out that you were going to go running to your brother to help get you out of this.”
“I didn’t go running to anyone for help.” Blake says and even if I can see a fraction of his eyes, I know he threw an eye roll in his dad’s direction. “If anything, he came running to me. I was perfectly fine taking care of things on my own.”
“Yeah and look at where that got you. In a damn jail cell with my last name smeared all over the news.”
Everyone in the living room watches as Roy steps closer to the two brothers, waiting to see what he’s going to do.
“Roy,” Patty starts, getting up from her place on the couch and walking over to stand by her sons.
“Can we not do this right now? I don’t want to deal with a lecture from you,” Blake says, shaking his head all the while crossing his arms across his chest and meeting his dad’s glare straight on.
“We will do this right now. This is fucking serious Blake. What the hell were you thinking?” Roy yells out, stepping close enough that Hunter has to push him back.
“Dad.” Hunter interjects, his own face starting to get just as red.
“Don’t get in the middle of this,” Roy throws at his eldest son, almost shoving him out of the way. “Your brother is throwing his life away. Someone has to knock some sense into him and you and your mother sure aren’t going to do it.”
“I’m not throwing my life away,” Blake throws out, and this time I’m able to catch an eye roll.
“Like hell you aren’t. This stupid stunt is going to follow you forever.”
“Then fucking let it!” Blake yells out. “I couldn’t give two shits about losing my career. I would do what I did yesterday all over again if I had to.”
