CHAPTER 11 #2
— It doesn't matter, you're amazing, Blake.
And you shouldn't demote yourself to try to make it seem like it's not true just because not everyone has that brain of yours — Rila used her index finger to tap her friend's temple twice — Never dim your brightness because someone said it hurts their eyes.
Whoever really likes you will put on a pair of sunglasses and stay by your side.
— Wow, this was very deep and mature — Jessie raised her eyebrows — Should I be worried about you reading self-development books?
Rila laughed and saw a real smile spread across Blake's lips before she hid it with her glass. She hated seeing people diminishing themselves just to fit in somewhere. No one should ever lose pieces of themselves.
— No, but you have Aunt Alex to thank for all this wisdom — Rila pointed the beer towards her friend and she gently tapped her glass on the bottle.
— So girls, who's gonna sing with her? — Mark showed up behind the counter and moved his chin towards the blonde.
— What’s he talking about? — Blake widened her eyes and raised her eyebrows.
— It's a bar rule, everyone has to sing the first time they come here, and, if someone invites you, they have to join in — Jessie explained while stirring the ice cubes in her drink with the colorful straw.
— Sorry, Mark, I'll have to scare away your clientele today.
Rila wasn't joking when she said that, she couldn't pretend how out of tune she was.
— Damn, I was hoping that the invitation had been made by Jessie — the owner of The Secret grimaced and Rila reached across the bar to lightly punch him in the shoulder.
— You can't have everything in this life, it would be too much for mere mortals if I also knew how to sing — she sighed heavily, and the man laughed from across the bar.
—Is this really necessary? — the blonde moaned.
Rila understood the feeling, she went through the same thing on her first time there.
Thankfully, she didn't care what a bunch of strangers thought and performed her best — and only — show that night.
Someone probably had to go to the hospital a few blocks away with a punctured eardrum, but whatever, she had fun.
— Yes, it is, there is no way to escape it. Pick a song and we'll be on that stage at nine o’clock sharp — Rila patted her on the shoulder twice before downing the rest of the beer.
And of course she chose Taylor Swift, because apparently Blake was the type of person who would spend the night reading romance novels while drinking wine and listening to the blonde full of ex-boyfriends’ songs.
However, as soon as Rila finished singing — or rather ruining — the first verse, Blake started her part, and the emergency doctor’s mouth almost hit the floor. Because it wasn't enough to be beautiful and intelligent, her friend could also sing.
Except she wasn't just saying the words, she was living the music. With her eyes closed, her soft voice filled the silent bar. The people who had turned their faces away from Rila's singing were now fixated on the stage.
“High infidelityPut on your records and regret meI bent the truth too far tonightI was dancing around, dancing around it”
Rila didn't even need to sing again because Blake kept going. She was immensely relieved by that, but at the same time, her heart sank when she saw the sad expression that took over her friend's angelic face.
“Storm coming, good husband, bad omenDragged my feet right down the aisleAt the house lonely, good moneyI'd pay if you'd just know meSeemed like the right thing at the time”
She knew Blake had a past that disturbed her in some way because she let little bits about it slip out in conversations.
But with the way she was singing and how the words seemed to be hurting her, Rila wanted to know more so she could help.
She wanted Blake to share this pain, just as she had been sharing some of her confusion.
“Oh, there's many different ways that you can kill the one you loveAnd it's never enoughIt's never enough”
The song came to an end a few seconds later, and the bar remained silent for two heartbeats before erupting into applause and whistles.
And, as if she had come out of a state of hypnosis, the blonde blinked repeatedly, opened an embarrassed smile and walked off the stage with Rila close behind her.
— Do you wanna tell us who hurt you like that? — Rila asked as soon as they returned to the barstools, where Jessie was staring at them with her eyebrows raised and the straw of her traditional Tequila Sunrise between her lips.
This time, Blake didn't divert the topic, nor did hesitate before speaking.
— My ex-husband.
Oh, she was divorced. Rila wasn't expecting that.
— Well, give me the name and I'll break him in two — the emergency doctor closed her hands into fists and raised them to her face in a fighting movement.
— I'll help — Jessica spoke quickly, slamming her hand against the counter.
— We can make it look like an accident — Rila added.
— Thanks for the offer, girls, but I came to Boston to put this behind me and that's what I'm doing. I'm building a new life — Blake gave a tense smile, making it clear that she didn't want to continue talking about it — Can we talk about what you're gonna wear for your date in two days?
— Ugh, I don't know, I'll decide on Sunday before I go to the hospital.
— Come on, you've been waiting for this date for a week, you probably already have everything thought out, so spill it, please — the blonde sat up straight on the stool, excited to receive the details that Rila didn't have.
— Jessie is the planner, she is the one who likes to do everything and consider all scenarios. I'm more the type to let it go and wait to see what happens — she explained and her oldest friend nodded in agreement — Improvisation is more my type.
— I would be a nervous wreck if I were in your shoes and had to wait all these days for a date — Blake rubbed her forehead, exasperated by the thought.
— This isn't the first time Kieran and I have had to wait for something — she laughed humorlessly and the memory hit the surface.
Like every day of every year she was in Vancouver, there was a lot of snow around and the day was incredibly cold, even with the sun shining in the blue sky.
Rila arrived late last night, the tiredness of the trip made her pass out in bed after a hot shower and she woke up a little after ten in the morning.
Knowing what awaited her in the lake behind the house, she hurried to eat a pancake with more syrup than was considered healthy — and that would normally make her mother scrunch her nose — and burrow inside three layers of clothing.
She found Kieran skating with his hockey stick and puck on the frozen lake as soon as she walked out the kitchen door. He was bigger than last year, both in height and body composition, but he was still as fast as lighting on the ice.
It wasn't long before Rila was sliding with him, swirling around him to hamper his movements. Of course she wasn't very successful, but at least she managed to make the corners of his mouth turn up in a tiny smile.
— How was your year? — he asked as they stopped near the shore and were less than a step away from each other.
— The usual — she shrugged — I went to countless events full of snobbish people, disappointed my mother in every way possible, and kept my academic life impeccable. What about you, college boy?
Kieran got a sports scholarship and was in his first year of entrepreneurship in British Columbia.
The university team would be his getaway to the NHL, so he had to choose a course, even if he didn't intend to pursue the career.
But, according to him, with this degree he could be useful and help his father manage the carpentry shop.
— My subjects are a bit boring, the parties are amazing, and the team is great — he took off his black hat, ran his fingers through the brown hair, and Rila's stomach twisted — This next championship is ours.
— I know, just like I know I'm gonna watch you play in the NHL one day.
— Better yet, you'll see me win the Stanley Cup.
She smiled with his determination. Kieran lived for hockey and was actually very good at it, she had no doubt whatsoever that he would play for a great team straight out of college.
And he would win the championship one day too, because when he put his mind into something, Kieran wouldn't stop until he got it.
One time, he spent almost an hour in a stuffed toy machine just because she dared him to get the beaver that was practically at the bottom of the machine.
— So — Rila kept her eyes locked on his and crossed her arms, feeling like she needed to hold her heart in place as it was beating so hard — Are you dating someone?
He hasn't posted anything with any girls on Instagram, but who knows? And she had to admit, the thought of him being with someone else made her want to vomit.
— No. You?
She kissed some guys at parties she attended hidden from her mother, but that was it, nothing serious. And yes, it was cool, except none of them were Kieran. No one would ever be like him.
Last year, their mouths were tangled with each other every time they were alone. And every time she felt like she needed him to keep breathing. No one else could make her feel that way. So how could she date someone when she spent all her time thinking about the Canadian with the crystal blue eyes?