Page 56 of The Alpha's Triplets

“Blake,” Xander said with a voice that dripped venom. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I know,” Blake said. “I am looking for Eleanor, but I was also hoping to talk to you. Is she around?”

“You know she’s not,” Xander replied coldly. “And even if she was, why would you think that I would let you anywhere near her? What makes you think she would even want to listen to you? You hurt her, Blake. You hurt her more than anything I’ve ever seen. And I don’t see how it’s ever going to be possible for me to forgive you.”

Blake took in a sharp breath but remained silent. He held Xander’s gaze, even though it burned straight through his soul. He stared at his friend and could see the pain clearly written in Xander’s eyes.

“Well?” Xander said. “Do you have nothing to say for yourself? What’s your defense going to, Blake? What could you possibly hope to say?” He was mad. He had every right to be.

“I don’t,” Blake replied honestly, his voice barely louder than a sigh. “I deserve everything you have said, and then some. I know I do. I came here with a perfectly rehearsed speech, but looking at you, I realized just how inadequate it would be.

“You deserve better than that. So instead, I will tell you the truth. I’m sorry I couldn’t control myself more around Eleanor. I could tell you that I tried my best, but it won’t be true all the way. I did try, but maybe I should have tried harder.

“But did I fall in love with your sister? I did. And she did too. She said it to me just before I panicked and bolted into the forest. I hurt her. I saw her heart break and every cell in my body wished to return, but I was so afraid. A child, Xander!

“If I could go back to that moment, I would do a lot of things differently. I’m quite certain about that. But I can’t go back in time, so that regret is mine to live with for the rest of my life.”

Blake looked away and quickly brushed a single tear drop from his eyes. He tried to control his breathing so he didn’t turn into a teary mess on his best friend’s doorstep.

Xander appeared to be lost for words. His face was a porcelain mask, revealing nothing underneath. But Blake was certain he could see cracks start to show on the perfectly smooth surface of Xander’s mask.

Blake turned to Xander again. “I can’t change the past, but I can sure as hell try to change the future. I can’t live without Eleanor. I don’t care where she is. I would chase her to the ends of the earth if I have to. I don’t care.

“I will find her, and she will listen to me. And if you can’t give me your blessings, then I guess I will learn to live with that too. But know this now, what I won’t live without is Eleanor and our child. I won’t. So you can tell me where she is, or you can choose not to. I will find her, and I will bring her home.”

Blake and Xander stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, neither man moving or blinking. Blake wondered what was going on behind Xander’s eyes.

He had no idea how to find Eleanor in Silver Spring. It was such a big town, he could search for months without catching a glimpse of her. He knew Carla, but he didn’t know her last name or where she worked. Where was he going to start—

“...15, Doherty Lane, just after Spring Mall,” Xander said suddenly.

Blake blinked rapidly, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. “I’m sorry?”

Xander broke into a smile. “I said, you will find her at Carla’s. That’s 15, Doherty Lane, just after Spring Mall. Do you need to write that down?”

Blake jumped forward and wrapped Xander in a bear hug. “Thank you. I… Thank you.” He didn’t know what to say. Or, maybe he did, but he couldn’t think clearly enough to form the words.

“Break it off, man,” Xander said kindly. “You better hurry, though. She did mention something about traveling to Europe, spending time near the ocean. Something like that. Would be a shame if you missed her by this much.” He held his thumb and index finger about an inch apart.

Blake nodded and was off without another word. Xander remained on his porch, smiling pleasantly with himself as Blake stepped on the gas and raced wildly towards Silver Spring.

***

Eleanor was a shell of her old self. The version that her friends had last seen was a party animal. A live fuse attached to napalm. That Eleanor was no more.

This one was a hot crying mess, and her friends had no idea what to do with her. Annie and Carla had spent the whole night comforting her, telling her everything would be fine, and trying their best to coax the entire story out of her.

Eleanor knew fully well that she couldn’t tell them everything that happened, so she stumbled around blindly, mixing up events and feeling even guiltier for it. Her only excuse was her sorrow, and she laughed bitterly at its usefulness.

She’d driven straight for Carla’s after she left Deepwood, and her friends had been waiting for her with open arms. She knew that she had been far from a good friend to them in months, but they didn’t care. They never even considered turning her away, and that hurt her even more.

By noon, Carla had grown tired of her mood. “Now, I won’t pressure you to tell me what happened with Blake, but whatever it is, I know it must have been devastating. You can stay here for as long as you need, but not another moment in this bed.”

“Huh?” Eleanor asked in confusion. “But I’m fine just here! Why can’t you just leave me alone in bed, in the dark?”

“Cos’ it’s not healthy.” Carla ripped the drapes open and bright light poured into the room, making Eleanor wince painfully. “Now. You’re going to get up, shower, eat, and sit in the living room with me. You could either do this freely, or watch me try to force you.”

Eleanor knew Carla enough to know that it was pointless to argue. So, she did as Carla asked, even though activity was the last thing she wanted. Why couldn’t Carla see that all she needed was to nurse her pain?

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