60. Chapter 59
Chapter 59
AJ
T he next morning, Blake insisted on making breakfast. The sight of her, in one of my t-shirts and not much else, cooking in my kitchen, made my head spin, my heart flutter, and other parts of my anatomy stand at attention.
Unable to resist the temptation to make her scream my name again, meant we were extra hungry for the bacon and eggs we had to reheat in the microwave.
Neither of us minded.
While we ate, John called to tell me the PD had released the house. Blake could go home.
“I’ll see if Jocelyn can meet me there instead of the office.”
Jocelyn agreed, so I drove Blake to her father’s house.
Before parking, I pulled alongside Dean’s car. “We’re expecting Blake’s attorney, Jocelyn…” I turned to Blake and raised an eyebrow.
“Robbins.”
“Robbins at eleven. Call me when she gets here?”
“Will do,” Dean answered.
“Thanks, man.”
Blake looked shell-shocked as she walked from room to room. It looked like a hurricane had ripped through half the house. Her father’s office and the library fared the worst, but the FBI left no room untouched. They’d searched anywhere they thought secrets could be hidden—which was everywhere.
I offered my quiet support, knowing there wasn’t much else I could do.
“I’m afraid to go upstairs.” Her bottom lip trembled.
This was her family home, one she believed was filled with love, honesty and support. The ransacked mess served as a brutal reminder of the lies and deception lurking below the surface.
I pulled her close and whispered, “You don’t have to do this.”
“I want to know how bad it is.” She pulled away and took my hand before heading for the sweeping staircase.
Under different circumstances, I would’ve been in awe of the grandeur of her home. I’d only seen houses this big, this majestic, in the movies or on TV, but my concern for Blake made it impossible to enjoy.
They’d searched all eight bedrooms, but weren’t nearly as disruptive as they were in the common rooms downstairs. Except her father’s bedroom . It was still too much for Blake; she walked through her room in a daze before collapsing on her bed. A bed I assumed was made, but was now a tangled mess.
She picked up a big white teddy bear and hugged it to her chest. “I feel so violated.”
I sat next to her and rubbed her back. “I’m sorry.”
Her only response was a nod as she continued to look around with wide, sad eyes.
Blake’s bedroom was bigger than my entire living space, and she had her own bathroom suite. Her walk-in closet is probably bigger than my bedroom. She’d decorated the room in pale earth tones with soft pink, feminine accents. Being in her room, which had clearly been her sanctuary here at home, felt intimate.
I helped Blake pack her clothes and personal items while we waited for Jocelyn. After introductions, I lugged Blake’s stuff to my truck, and then kept Dean company while I waited for the meeting to end.
She looks exhausted . Even from here, I could see the toll the meeting had taken on her.
Jocelyn extended her hand when I met them at the bottom of the porch steps. “It was nice meeting you, AJ.”
She has a firm grip. “Likewise.”
I put my arm around Blake and walked her back in side. “You okay?”
“Not really. I just want this mess to be over with.”
I couldn’t make it be over any faster, but I could help her move her stuff. “What else do you want to take?”
“I’m taking the things my father listed as mine in his will. It’s not much, just a few pieces of art that had belonged to my mom. They don’t have a lot of resale value, but they mean a lot to me.”
Sadness hung like a cloud over her head as Blake led me through the house, trailing her fingers along furniture as she pointed out the items she wanted to take today. Occasionally she'd stop, her eyes glossing over as items brought back memories.
"I've lived here my whole life…"
Having few good memories of my childhood, and bolting from my home as soon as I could, I couldn't empathize. But I could sympathize.