Blake

WHY DID THIS FEEL FAMILIAR? I was in this heavy groggy state that prevented me from opening my eyes like I was willing them to. Something was sticking to my finger and stabbing pain in my stomach confused me. What in the hell was going on? I heard voices and I tried to focus on them instead.

“I’m glad you came.”

It was Molly. Who was she talking to?

“Yeah, no problem.”

Dad?

“I didn’t know who else to call. The hospital said they had you on record for a point of contact. I found your number in Blake’s phone.”

Okay, no really, what the fuck is going on? Hospital?

Dad grunted. “He and I, we, uh—we don’t talk much.”

No kidding. Please go away. I don’t want you talking to her.

I could picture Molly’s saddened face.

“It’s okay.”

There was silence. I wondered if they’d left, until I heard one of them shuffling their feet.

“Did the doctor tell you what’s going on with him?”

“No. Just asked what room number was his at the nurse’s desk,” Dad replied.

“Would you like me to tell you what I know, or do you want to wait for him to wake up? They won’t give me many details because I’m not family.”

“If you were with him, I’m sure you know him better than I do. So go ahead.”

The very sound of his voice is agitating me.

There was another pause.

“We were in an accident on Highway 101 coming back from Victoria Island. A drunk driver crossed the road and nearly hit us head-on. Blake managed to swerve away from it, but the wet conditions caused us to slide down a steep muddy hill. I guess the back of the car clipped a tree and we rolled twice before stopping.”

Oh my God, that’s right. I tried to avoid the oncoming car. It was a drunk fucking driver? How perfect. Go ahead and tell her how much you drink, Dad. Do it.

“Blake had a collapsed lung, dislocated his hip, and a broken collarbone.”

Jesus. Oh my God, Molly. She may be talking, but is she okay? Why am I just now thinking of this? Did I have brain trauma?

“So why is he asleep?”

I’m not. I just can’t open my damn eyes. Or maybe I can, but I’ll wait till you’re gone.

“They gave him some morphine. That’s about all I know.”

“Seem to know a lot.” More silence. “You’re a little banged up.”

“I’m okay. My arm’s broken and the airbag hit my face, but I’m fine. Saved my life. I’m in better shape than he is, and he’s who I’m worried about right now.”

Silence.

“You been seeing my boy for a while?”

“Kind of. He started working on my house a little over two months ago. I live across the street.”

“Well, that’s convenient. You in that shit hole?”

I didn’t like his tone with her.

“I guess so. The house isn’t so bad.”

She was being kind. She shouldn’t be.

“Ever since his mother, Blake’s been out of touch with the family and ostracized himself.”

Are you kidding me, old man? Molly, I hope to God you don’t believe him. That is the biggest damn lie I’ve ever heard come out of his mouth.

“From my understanding, you all placed blame on him for how she died, when it wasn’t his fault at all.” Her voice became defensive.

Wait, she knows? How did she find out?

“Then you heard wrong.”

“No, I don’t think so, Mr. Whitmore.”

Silence.

“Did he also tell you he stole my company out from under me?”

“No, he didn’t. But considering that I smell whiskey on your breath right now, and you appear to be slightly inebriated, I don’t think he stole anything from you as much as you were losing it on your own.”

“You’ve got a mouth on you, girl.”

Don’t fucking talk to her that way, old man. Rage was rolling through me and the beeping next to me had gotten a little faster. This whole thing was fucked up.

“I do when I deem it necessary. But I’m not going to let you come in here and accuse him of something he didn’t do nor has he done. I’m very sorry about your wife, I truly am. I’ve lost my mother and I know how deep that pain goes. But to blame your kid is plain crazy.”

“If the shoe fits.”

I heard her sigh. “Listen, Mr. Whitmore.”

“It’s Tom.”

“Okay… Tom. I called you here because you are the only family near that could come and support him. He’s lying in a hospital bed with injuries and I’m certain he could use your love and compassion right now.”

All he wants to do is get out of here so he can find his next drink. Stop trying, Molly.

“Blake and I, we are long past any form of relationship. I don’t expect you to understand that. You didn’t know us when his mother was alive. She was driving him to his game and he was late. As always, Blake was running late. If he’d been on time, it would have never happened and his mom would be sitting here next to him.”

I felt like I was being strangled to death. He was right. I was notorious for being late. It was something I beat myself up over for years. There was a lump in my throat that had formed and I was doing my best not to let tears fall. I wouldn’t do it. Not in front of him. And I’d never let Molly see me like that.

“Tom, I think you need to leave.”

“Probably right.”

“If you’d do me a favor. An act of kindness toward your son if you will. Stop at the nurse’s station on your way out and sign something that states the doctors can speak to me about Blake’s condition. At least someone can be here for him while he heals.”

I heard nothing after that. It was such a long pause I wondered if both of them had walked out of the room to go talk to someone. But then I felt Molly’s small hand touch mine.

She sniffled. “I’m sorry. That was a huge mistake. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah,” I croaked. My throat felt like there was a fireball in it. “It really was.”

“Blake?”

I winced at the bright lights in my eyes, but I slowly opened them.

“You heard?”

“Water,” I said.

Molly moved to the sink and got me a small Styrofoam cup filled with water and came back. I took a small sip and nearly groaned at the feeling as it wet my throat.

She reached forward to touch my face, but I leaned back. Seeing my reaction, she dropped her hand. “Blake, what’s the matter?”

I put the cup down on the rolling table beside me. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”

“I didn’t think it was important.”

I glowered. “You didn’t think it was important for you to mention that you went digging for information about me? What, did you read it on the Internet?”

She shook her head. “What? No, I didn’t go digging for anything. They were talking about it at the coffee shop and I overheard.”

That pissed me off even more. “You’re saying some random people were talking about an accident that took place eighteen years ago, right in front of you, and you happened to hear the conversation?”

Her brows scrunched together. The movement made her suck in a breath. She had the start of a black eye, and seeing her casted arm made me want to pull her to me and comfort her. I wanted nothing more than to be away from this place and inspect every inch of her so I could ensure for myself that she was in fact okay. But my anger was trumping those emotions.

“It was your little friend, Lauren. She was speaking to an old classmate of yours. I had no idea they were going to start talking about it in front of me. In fact, I think she did it on purpose. Blake, I didn’t go searching for information about you. You told me your mom had passed away and I didn’t ask anything else. I even asked Sandra if she thought it was a good idea that I talk to you about what I heard. She said to leave it alone. You’d come to me in your own time.”

That had my blood boiling. “Great! So Sandra knows too?”

“Blake,” she protested. “It wasn’t like that at all.”

I brought my hand up to stop her. My shoulder that didn’t have some weird contraption on it prevented me from moving my other arm. “No, Molly. I don’t want to hear it. I’ve been with you this entire weekend and not once did you bring it up. How long have you known?”

She looked down at the floor. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. “The day after you left for your trip.”

“Perfect,” I mocked. “Even better. You know what? For my entire adult life, I’ve dealt with people who’ve blamed me for something that could have been avoided. I lost the most important person in my life, and I had no support to help me deal with my own grief. I waded through those waters by my fucking self.” I was seething the more I spoke. “When you came along, you were a breath of fresh air. You gave me honesty when everyone else whispered behind my back. Except you picked this one thing to hold back on because why? You wanted me to be the one to tell you? Well, let me tell you.”

The tears were now freely flowing down her red cheeks. “Blake, please.”

“My mother was severed. The car we were in rolled and it was split down the side she was sitting on. She was in pieces while I lived. She didn’t have a fighting chance. She didn’t get to watch me graduate and walk across the stage. She didn’t get to hug me when my dad gave me majority of the company. She was put into an infirmary and burned her body and now her ashes sit somewhere on my dad’s mantle like she can watch over fucking Christmases and birthdays.”

“I’m sorry, Blake. I really am. I had no idea it was so bad.”

I frowned. “That’s because you didn’t bother to ask. I’m sick and tired of people tiptoeing around me when all I want is to confront it head-on. Not one person has bothered to ask me how I’ve dealt with everything. Not even you.”

Molly wiped at her eyes and tried to reach out to me again. I shifted away from her, and winced in pain

“I’d like you to leave.”

“Blake, you’re overreacting. If you had just given me a chance to find the right time… I could have spoken to you.”

“The right time was when you overheard. The right time would have been opening your mouth and letting words out the second you saw me. The right time would have been trusting me enough to share such a colossal mishap in my life and giving me the opportunity to tell someone for a change.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

I looked her dead in the eyes and made my demand again. “Leave, Molly.”

Her lower lip quivered. I nearly cracked. I was hurting her. Once that rock started rolling down the hill, it picked up too much speed and I couldn’t stop it. She didn’t bother grabbing anything on her way out. She was gone.

This was now exactly as it had been eighteen years ago. I was alone in a hospital room, and alone to deal with my grief and pain.