Chapter 21
Myles
Tonight, had felt oddly relaxing. It had been so long since we had all just kicked back. We didn’t have anywhere to run, and there was no burning emergency.
“This has been a treat, thank you all for entertaining me,” Mr. G said. He slowly stood. “With that said, it’s been a very long week, and I’m going to turn in early.”
A chorus of thank yous and goodnights rang out in a rambled mess. We wouldn’t do well as an acapella group.
Ren stood and walked over to Eddie to give him a hug. Vicky was up next, leaving quietly with her father. She had been chillier than normal and hadn’t said two words at dinner, which was fine by me.
“Do you guys want to hang out in the rec room,” Ren asked, and we all nodded and stood.
I stretched and then reached into my back pocket for my phone, but it wasn’t there. Shit. I’d been in such a rush after practice that I’d tossed everything into my backpack and must have stuffed my cell in there, too.
“I’ll be right there,” I said to Ren, kissing her cheek on my way up to the bedroom.
This place was a maze if you didn’t know where you were going. I preferred the back hallways and passages. Some habits died harder than others. Sneaking around had become second nature living with Owen and Devin.
“Papa, please tell me what Mama wanted the other night. I know she wanted something that didn’t have anything to do with me,” Vicky said, and I froze before I rounded the corner to the hallway.
“You shouldn’t concern yourself, sweetheart. What your mother and I discuss stays between us. She is your mother, and you love her. There is nothing wrong with that. Do not feel like you need to put yourself in the middle of our disagreements.”
I dared to peek around the corner just enough so that I could see Mr. G and Vicky.
Vicky was staring down at the ground with her arms crossed, and I’d never seen her look so…human. I wasn’t sure I liked that.
“But, Papa, it’s so hard not to. I hear things that she says, and…”
Mr. G touched Vicky under her chin. She stopped talking and looked up at him.
He shook his head at her.
“I understand what you’re trying to say, but I don’t want to hear a single word.
You shouldn’t worry about anything she says about me.
Just be our daughter. Love your mother, love me, but stay out of our fight.
You’re smart, you know what is real and what is fabricated for drama sake.
What your mother says doesn’t bother me, so don’t feel you have to defend me, I’m able to take care of myself. ”
She sniffed and wiped away a tear.
“I just wish she would try to get along. It makes everything so tense, and I can’t help but worry that when you look at me, you see her. I’m a constant reminder of this tragic story of how I became your stand-in daughter.”
“Victoria Genovese, have you ever known me to be so shallow?”
She shook her head.
“No, but—”
“There are no buts. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it however many times you need to hear it. You are my daughter, and I love you. No matter what happens between your mother and me that won’t change, and neither does your paternity.”
My throat clogged up when Vicky hugged her father, and a soft sob drifted down the hallway. I was turning into a big softy.
“I don’t want to go to her condo tomorrow. I just can’t this weekend,” Vicky said, stepping back and wiping her face.
“Then you stay here. You’re technically an adult and don’t have to stay with either of us.
But I’m happy that you feel comfortable and safe here, and you are welcome anytime.
If you don’t want to go to your mother’s penthouse suite…
you don’t have to. If you don’t want to talk to her tomorrow, I’ll take the call.
But just this once. I can’t always fight that battle for you. ”
He chuckled and then smiled.
“Thank you, Papa.”
Mr. G wrapped his arm around Vicky’s shoulders and squeezed her before she walked into her bedroom. He then casually sauntered along the hallway and turned at the far end.
I waited a few seconds longer, then stepped out of my hiding spot and walked to Ren’s bedroom.
The bedroom was dark, and I grabbed the first backpack on the floor and jammed my hand inside, fishing around for my phone.
I never wanted Lip to need me and not be able to reach me.
My fingers brushed over something plastic in the small, zippered compartment, and I pulled it out before thinking.
My heart sank when I saw the baggie of white powder with a little fairy on the front.
Taking a closer look at the black backpack confirmed what I already knew. It was Blake’s.
There was also no way this came from us. The last shipment I’d delivered was before Lawrence died, and we didn’t have fairies on our packaging.
“Fuck.”
Marching over to my pack, I opened it and found my phone in the front pocket. There were no new texts, so at least that was good news.
Fuck it, I wasn’t doing this again. I fucking loved Blake, and if he was using, then it needed to be dealt with now and as a group. No more secrets was our motto. It was a work in progress, but this was too big.
Stomping into the rec room, I hated to ruin this perfectly calm, drama-free evening. I walked around the large couch and chairs until I was standing in front of the television.
“What the hell are you doing? We can’t pick a movie with your ass in the way,” Nash grumbled as he held the remote like he was trying to get the infrared to bend around my body.
“Shut it off. We need to talk.”
Nash’s face went from happy with a dash of annoyed to serious, like a click of the remote. He shut off the television, and everyone stared at me.
“What’s wrong,” Ren asked, and I looked down as I collected my thoughts.
“Just spit it out,” Liam ordered.
“I just found this,” I said, and held up the little baggy.
Everyone looked at Blake, and he jumped up immediately.
“You went through my bag? Am I so untrustworthy that you felt the need to search my shit? Is this because of what happened at the hospital, because you said we were good?”
“What happened at the hospital,” Liam asked, but I ignored the question.
“I am fine with it, and naw, I didn’t go searchin’ yer bag on purpose. Ours were sittin’ together, and I grabbed yours in error, but that doesn’t change what I found in it.”
“Fuck…it is not what it looks like,” he said, and I tried not to scoff.
Blake stepped toward me and then spun around to face everyone else.
“Okay…technically, it is what it looks like. But the situation is not what you think. I didn’t take anything, and that isn’t mine, but it is cocaine”
He ran his hand through his hair and looked genuine, but he was so good at hiding his addiction that it was hard to tell.
“I realize, as I say that out loud, how lame and guilty that sounds, but it’s true,” Blake said, sounding desperate.
Theo stood, his body tense.
“Are you kidding me? After mom and dad…Blake, I just…I can’t deal with this. Consider that a fucking self-centered thing to say, but it’s the truth. I may look calm, but I’m barely holding myself together.”
Blake put his hands on his hips and stared at his brother.
“I swear it’s not mine and I didn’t use.”
“But Myles just said he found it in your bag,” Theo growled, his body shaking so much that Liam reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Yes, it was in my bag, but it’s not mine. Why are you automatically thinking the worst of me?”
“Because trust is really fucking hard to earn back, and we all know that things have been extremely stressful lately. I really wanted to believe we were past this.”
“We are…I’m not using again. Listen to me for a minute before accusing me,” Blake said, the frustration bleeding through his words.
“I just can’t believe this,” Theo growled and jerked away from Liam as he started to pace.
“You really think that I’d use again after all my hard work? After everything that has happened to our family. Do you really think I’d do that to myself? To everyone? Especially you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to believe,” Theo yelled. “I want to trust you, but…”
Blake crossed his arms.
“But you can’t,” he yelled back and shook his head.
“Theo, please give Blake a chance to explain,” Ren said, coming over to stand beside Blake and me.
“He doesn’t want me to explain. He just wants to make assumptions and act like I’m still the weak link, just like the rest of you. Don’t think for a second that I can’t see the judgment in your eyes,” Blake said.
“If you’re innocent, then why are you so defensive,” Theo asked.
“Because you’re my brother, and of everyone here, you are supposed to have my back. Instead, you are sitting on your fucking high horse and glaring down your nose at me like you always do. That’s why.”
Nash whistled, and we all looked at him as he removed his two fingers from his mouth.
“That’s enough, Theo. Sit down,” Nash ordered.
Theo walked around the couch and crossed his arms, quietly refusing to sit.
“I want to hear what Blake has to say,” Nash said, while watching Theo. “He says that the baggie isn’t his, fine, benefit of the doubt given. Ren is right, we need to hear Blake’s side of the story before flying off the handle.”
Nash gave Theo a sit-the-fuck-down glare, and he finally did. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather. Was this really happening? A year ago, it would’ve been Nash that we were trying to calm down.
Blake seemed just as stunned as he stared at Nash.
“You really want to know?”
“Yes. I believe you. But I want to know why you have it, because there is obviously an explanation. Just saying, it’s not mine, and expecting us to go along with that is not acceptable,” Nash said, and Blake’s entire body relaxed. “So, the floor is yours. Tell us what happened.”
“Thank you,” Blake said with a sigh and ran his hand through his hair.
“Let me start by saying that I planned to tell all of you this when it happened on Thursday, but Theo and I went to see my dad that night, and Nash was at Volatile until late. Then Theo was at the office right after school on Friday with Liam, and Myles had the game against Sacred Heart. This is the first time we’ve all been in the same room, privately. ”
I held the baggie out to Blake, but he shook his head.
“Give it to Nash.”
I did what he asked and then grabbed Ren’s hand. We sat down on the couch and let Blake have the floor for his story.
“When I got to my tutoring class on Thursday, there was a fight between one of my students, Camden, and this other kid. He’s a freshman, but he isn’t in tutoring. His name is Trent. I broke the fight up and sent everyone out, other than Camden.”
“I remember him, he was the one who spoke to us and had the right answer to my question,” Ren said, and I nodded.
“Yes, him. Camden told me that one of the girls in my class had issues with substance abuse before she came to Wayward. It’s probably the reason her parents sent her.
Anyway, she has been clean since she arrived and doesn’t want to relapse.
This Trent guy has somehow found out who the susceptible marks are and is pushing product to them.
Really selling it up. She caved and bought some, but then went to Camden.
She was upset and gave him the drugs. She didn’t want to use but didn’t trust herself near it. ”
Blake stopped and slowly shook his head, his eyes haunted.
“I know that feeling. I’ve resisted that feeling. Some days are easy and other days are a bitch, and I wish that I could just hide out in my room and lock the door so I can’t leave.”
Nash glanced up from his inspection of the drugs.
“These are the drugs she bought from that Trent guy? Camden gave them to you?”
“Yes. Trent followed her into class, and Camden lost it. He’s really protective of his friends and threatened to kill Trent.
I told him that I’d take care of it. We should talk to Trent, but I wanted you to see what was brought into the school, sold under our noses, and rivaling our sales.
” Blake shrugged. “That’s the truth. Believe what you want, but I’m not the same person I was a year ago, and I’m trying really hard to prove that to all of you.
It would be nice for you not to assume the worst of me. ”
Nash slowly stood and walked over to Blake. He shocked me further when he pulled him into a hug.
“I believe you, and I’m really fucking proud of you.”
Stepping back, Nash looked at Liam and tossed the baggie over.
“What do you want to do,” Liam asked.
Nash smirked.
“Assemble the team. I want to know whether Trent is the only dealer or if there are more, and who is running them. Most importantly, I want to know why we haven’t heard about it.
And then…we’re going to remind these fuckers who the kings of the school are and what happens when you break our rules,” Nash said, and a shiver of excitement raced down my spine.
“No one sells drugs on Wayward property, not ever.”
Nash clapped Blake on the shoulder.
“Good work.”
“I’m really feckin’ sorry that I jumped ta conclusions, it won’t happen again,” I said, and Blake nodded.
Theo stood and stepped up to Blake.
“I’m sorry, too. You’re right, I still treat you like you’re going to break, and I need to stop. Can you forgive me and be patient with me as I work through my own issues?”
Blake smirked and pulled Theo into a hug.
“Always. You’re my brother.”
Ren held out her hand as they stepped apart, and with a smile, Blake dropped down beside her again.
“Alright, let’s pick a movie already,” Nash said, turning the television back on.
If I hadn’t seen it with my eyes, I never would’ve believed that it was possible for Nash to be so…mature.
He glanced at me.
“Why the hell are you staring at me?”
“Cause yer so feckin’ sexy,” I teased, making everyone laugh as Nash rolled his eyes.
And just like that, we were back to normal.