Chapter Twenty-Nine

Aiden

 

I paced the floors back and forth, peeking out the front window every few minutes. I’d called Luke over an hour ago. What in the hell was taking him so long?

Finally, his truck whipped into my driveway. I rushed to the front door, flinging it open; I called out to him to hurry up.

“Where’s the damn fire?” Luke scoffed, working to get out of the truck.

My heart was racing as he finally made it to the front porch. I ushered him inside, closing the door behind him and checking out the window as if I feared he was followed. I knew I looked crazy, the expression on Luke’s face told me that. I felt crazy.

“I’ve got to talk to you,” I exclaimed.

“No shit, you told me that several times and rushed me over here. What about?” he questioned.

I took a deep breath, sat down on the couch, and stared up at Luke, who looked anxious, possibly irritated.

“Blake told me she loved me, that she’s loved me for years, years,” I gasped.

Luke chuckled, his eyes narrowed, and he took the seat across from me.

“Wow. I guess an ‘I told ya so’ is in order,” he laughed.

I shook my head, unable to focus on his sarcasm. I needed answers, and for whatever reason, he was the only one I thought might have them.

“I’m just in shock,” I sighed, leaning back into the couch cushion.

It felt good to get the news off my chest, to unload it onto someone else, someone who might know what to do.

“So, what’s the problem?” Luke asked.

“I don’t know what to do next: that’s the problem,” I griped.

“Oh wow. Are you telling me you didn’t tell her you loved her, too?” he bellowed.

I shook my head. His eyes rolled.

“It wasn’t like that. She didn’t give me a chance. She told me, and then she ran me off, telling me she needed more time,” I explained.

“Fuck, Aiden. That was the perfect opportunity to tell her,” Luke groaned.

I knew it was; I felt it last night, that moment, that chance. I let it slip away.

“Now what?” I asked, feeling helpless.

“Now, I guess you have to tell her,” Luke said sternly.

“I can’t just blurt it out,” I replied.

“No, maybe like your abuela said, a grand gesture,” Luke suggested.

I’d already sent every flower in Del Rio to her brother’s house, chocolate, and a beauty basket. Wasn’t that grand enough?

“How did I not know?” I questioned.

Luke’s head tilted to the side like Holly’s puppy when it heard a strange noise.

“Maybe because you were too busy trying to hide the fact that you loved her,” he laughed.

“But for years?” I gasped.

“Yeah, so that means she had a crush on you when you were kids,” Luke sounded irritated as he spoke.

I knew I was acting foolish, but I was so shocked that I missed the signs. I was in love with Blake too, since she started high school, but I was afraid to ever say anything for fear that Liam would come unglued.

“I could get her a puppy. She loves Holly’s puppy, and you mentioned it at the barbeque,” I noted.

“Sure. But, just handing her a puppy isn’t big enough,” Luke pondered.

“A scavenger hunt,” I exclaimed, excited by the idea.

Luke’s eyes widened, and he seemed to be as excited as I was about the playful game.

“Okay, that could work,” Luke smiled,

“She’s smart, and she loves puzzles,” I added with a grin.

We went to work, brainstorming on what to do and how to do it. We agreed that three clues was the perfect number. It wasn’t dragging it out too long, and it gave enough mystery to the game to keep her intrigued.

“What if she doesn’t do it?” I asked.

“She’s in love with you. Do you really think she won’t?” Luke smirked.

“I’ve been a real ass,” I admitted.

“Yeah, she, after all that, she still told you she was in love with you,” Luke pointed out.

I wrote out the first clue that would lead her to the lake, and handed it to Luke. He promised to drop it off to Liam’s, sneaking it into the mailbox without being caught as he left my house.

My house.

I needed to make the place more like our house. I wanted it to be ready when she came home.

The clue included my phone number and a request that she text when she was ready to play, if she chose to do so. I knew I’d have to wait to find out if she was willing, but like Luke said, she loved me. There was no reason why she wouldn’t want to at least play along and see where it led her.

I had the second and third cards ready to be placed, so I shoved them into the kitchen drawer. I walked through the house, noticing that Blake didn’t leave a very heavy footprint on it while there, and I was determined to change that.

The office, where I’d hoped she’d feel comfortable enough to work, had barely been used. The desk was too small for her to really spread out, and the chair, now that I really looked at it, wasn’t comfortable at all. I pulled the furniture out, setting it on the curb for either the trash or someone in need, with a sign that read free.

Online, I found a beautiful corner desk, large enough to allow her the freedom to work, and a chair that claimed to be ergonomically engineered for maximum comfort. I clicked the order button and then headed to the local hardware store to buy paint for the room—light gray, so I could add in the soft blues that she loved so much.

“How’s married life?” Norm, the old man at the hardware store, asked as I entered.

“Great,” I smiled, relieved that at least everyone hadn’t heard about all the recent chaos.

I selected the paint, and then brought it to the counter. While Norm mixed the paint, I noticed a porch swing made of cedar hanging from the rafter a few aisles away.

“How much for the swing?” I asked.

Norm looked up, grunted, and then turned to me. “For you, two hundred,” he replied.

“I’ll take it,” I smiled.

I remembered Liam and Blake’s house had a porch swing when we were younger. It was long gone now, but it was the first place that I remembered feeling the flutter of butterflies in my stomach for Blake. She sat there, sketching a picture of the street, and when I sat beside her, a sweet sigh escaped her lips. I didn’t know why, but the noise caught my attention in a way she had never done before. From then on, I looked at young Blake differently. She was no longer just my best friend’s little sister, but a beautiful girl that made my heart flutter. I’d never admit it until now, but I knew I loved her then.

It felt good to get things done around the house, turning it into a home. It also helped keep my mind off the fact that Blake hadn’t texted. I knew enough time had gone by that Luke had delivered the card and that someone had gotten it.

Maybe Blake was still working, at the library, or in one of the little cafés or diners. Maybe she hadn’t seen the clue yet.

I finished installing the porch swing and sat down, rocking back and forth in my memory of Blake, when my phone dinged.

I scrimmaged for it in my pocket, pulling it out so quickly, so clumsily, I nearly dropped it on the hard, concrete porch. It was her.

Blake:I’ll start looking for the clue first thing in the morning.

I was elated. She was in. She would search for the clues, realize I love her too, that I’ve always loved her, and be back home in no time. I quickly created a response and hit send.

Me: Good luck!

As soon as I sent it, I realized it was too quick, too eager. I was eager though, borderline desperate at this point. I missed Blake, my wife, and I wanted her home.