Page 55 of The Alpha's Triplets

“Yes, I’m sure,” Blake replied, sitting up with an effort. His head felt all muddy from too little sleep. “What time is it?”

“Fifteen minutes to noon, sir.” She glanced around the pool and turned back to him. “Can you tell me what happened? You don’t look too good…”

“I’m fine!” Blake snapped harder than he intended to. His posture softened immediately as Laura winced. “I’m sorry, Laura. I’m not having a good morning. But I’m fine, I had a bit of an… accident last night. But I’m all patched up. I promise.”

That seemed to appease her. “Alright then. Would you like me to get you anything?”

“Actually, coffee would be really great right now,” Blake said without thinking. Bring me a robe and a towel too. I think I will go for a swim.”

She nodded and left. Blake peeled off his wrecked clothes and dumped them in a heap beside the pool. And then he dived in, staying under for a full minute before he came up to the surface again.

He did consecutive laps down the length of the pool, throwing all his energy and concentration into the physically demanding activity. By his fifth lap, he felt in control of himself again.

At some point, Laura had brought out a tray with his coffee and the robe. He dried off, wrapped himself, and took his coffee into the kitchen. As he entered the house, he noticed that his discarded clothes had also been spirited away.

He found Laura making lunch in the kitchen, although he didn’t have much of an appetite. In all honesty, he was merely functioning, his mind still trying to deal with Eleanor’s absence.

As if she read his thoughts, Laura called from over her shoulder. “I noticed that your wife was not home this morning. Is she okay?”

Blake swallowed hard and looked away. “She is. She had some…. business to take care of. I’m sure she’s fine.”

Laura nodded and went back to her cooking. Blake could tell that she had something she wanted to say, but whatever it was, she chose not to say it.

He sipped his coffee quietly, and they spent the next half hour in an uncomfortable silence. Laura set down a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of Blake and turned to leave the kitchen.

“Thank you,” Blake said. The aroma from the steaming dish brought back his appetite. It’d been hours since he’d last had anything to eat. Then without thinking about it, he said, “Come and join me… uhm, please? If you’re not too busy, that is?”

Laura stopped at the doorway and turned to look at Blake. She smiled and shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

She set down her white napkin and dished herself a plate, taking the seat next to Blake. Blake could not think why he’d asked her, but deep down, he knew that he couldn’t stand to be alone.

It was pathetic, he knew, but he couldn’t stand it. As he and Laura ate silently, he remembered every meal he and Eleanor had shared. There was always something to talk about. Something amusing, some random topic that somehow became the most hilarious event in the world.

Blake looked up at Laura and found her smiling at him. He tilted his head in confusion and she just smiled at him. She forked some pasta into her mouth, chewed, swallow, drank some water, and said, “I don’t know what you’re waiting for. If I was you, I’d be out there searching for her right now.”

He gaped at her in shock, searching for the words to say. He realized that she was right and that there was no point in lying to himself. He couldn’t live here without Eleanor.Without Eleanor and our baby.

He wiped his mouth and threw down his napkin. He could hear Laura laughing as he darted out of the room. He rushed back into the kitchen, to her surprise, took her face in his hands, and kissed her forehead. “Thanks, Laura.”

“Don’t thank me, Alpha Blake. Go!” she said, blushing like a maid.

Blake dressed quickly, and picked a different set of keys as he bolted out the door. He got into a deep red Chevrolet truck, and sped out, wondering what had taken him so long in the first place.

There were two places in the world where Eleanor would retreat to for safety. He considered driving straight to Silver Spring, but he decided he had unfinished business to attend to first at Deepwood.

***

Blake was certain that Xander knew he was the one at the door. He could smell his best friend somewhere inside the stone mansion, his presence heavy like a wet blanket.

He pushed down his impatience and knocked again. If this was Xander punishing him, then it was a just punishment. He’d gone ahead and betrayed his best friend in the world, after all.

Blake also had no doubt that Eleanor had stopped by before leaving. He didn’t doubt that she’d also told him about his reaction to being pregnant. Deep down, he hoped that she was here, so he could talk directly to her, but he could only faintly sense her.

If she was here before, she was long gone now. Blake could only hope that he wasn’t too late. He took a deep breath and prepared to knock again, but the door clicked and swung inwards.

Xander stood in the doorway, a wicked scowl on his face. The look said,first you betray me, and then you turn around and betray my sister too.

Blake stood his ground and took the judgment. He knew he deserved it. There was no denying that. He couldn’t hide from it either. And he didn’t plan to.

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