Blake nodded. “Thanks.”
“Hey, baby, are you almost done?” I heard called from my back.
Both Blake and I turned to see the male half of the relationship, Brandon Bowers, at our backs.
Brandon was the school resource officer for the area. From what I’d heard, he and Janet had been dating for some time before they’d finally tied the knot. Which also meant that they couldn’t work anywhere near each other. Hence, why the former detective moved departments.
“Oh, hey! I haven’t seen you in forever, Blake!” Brandon said, patting her shoulder.
He probably would’ve gone in for a hug, but Blake plastered herself to my side.
“Brandon,” she nodded her head at him.
Brandon frowned at her, and pulled back. “How’s it going?”
“Oh, not too bad. But we have to be going. Thank you for your help, Detective Bowers,” Blake said hurriedly at my side, bending down to scribble her name on the paper in front of her.
“Oh,” Janet said. “You changed your name back. I didn’t realize.”
Blake smiled sadly. “No, I’m sure you didn’t.”
With that, she took off, moving hurriedly through the room and out the door.
The last thing I saw before she rushed out the door was the tears in her eyes.
“What was that all about?” Brandon asked, sounding a little hurt.
I didn’t bother to answer, following my charge as I hurried out the door behind Blake.
I found her leaning against my truck, her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.
Something started to ache in my chest as I saw her distress.
“Blake,” I rumbled softly once I reached her.
Placing both hands on either side of her head, I leaned down until I could hear what she was trying to say.
“They left me,” she whispered, brokenly, through her sobs.
“Left you?” I asked, confused.
She nodded, turning around allowing me to see her face.
She nodded, gesturing towards the police station. “Those two. Hell, there’re more. David screwed me over, and not one of them was there when I needed a friend the most. That’s got to be what hurt the worst. David, I could deal with. But everyone left me, choosing him over me. They all knew what he was doing. Every single one of them. I could see it on their faces the moment they realized that I knew. Pity. Sadness. Awareness. They apologized, but the damage was done. And not one of them helped me.”
I pulled her into my arms, not able to stand the tears anymore. “It’s okay, girly girl. They’re not worth your time. If they’re not there when you need them, they were never there to begin with. And I could tell you now that I know about eight men on the SWAT team that would willingly kick David’s ass for you.”
She giggled through her tears and wrapped her arms around my chest, relieving the ache that’d taken up a permanent home since I’d been with her.
“Thank you, Foster. You’re a really great person. And I like your kinetic blade,” she said softly.
“That sounds…dirty.”Chapter 10I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. But it’s not my fault you’re stupid.
-Fact of life
Blake
“I hear you went out with a SWAT member. I thought you said you’d never date another cop as long as you lived,” my mother said during lunch the next day. “Your father wants to meet him.”
I’d talked her into going out, rather than her cooking something at their house.
I love my mom, but if I went to her house, then I’d be expected to stay longer than I really wanted to.
I knew she meant well, but I just couldn’t handle her shit right now.
Especially when she got on the whole debate over David.
My mother was old fashioned.
She had that whole ‘stand by your man’ motto.
I, on the other hand, didn’t have the ‘stand by your man, even when he cheats’ motto.
Something she couldn’t fathom.
She was still upset that I’d left David.
She was raised to believe that women were made to please their man, and if they strayed, you were to turn a blind eye. Something I was never able to do.
She was really worried now that I’d be going to hell, too. Something that she made sure to mention.
“I didn’t go out on a date. He helped me. That’s all,” I said around a mouthful of food.
My mother gave me a reproachful look. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
I raised my hands, chewed, and swallowed before I spoke next. “Sorry.”
“You can bring him to dinner this Saturday. Your uncle and aunt will be there,” she said, taking a bite of her own salad.
Yay. Sounded like an uber amount of fun.
Not.
I loved my mother and all, but there were times that the woman drove me batshit crazy.
My dad was probably insane just by having to listen to us go at it so often.
“We’ll see,” I said before taking another bite. “He works, you know. And he’s not my boyfriend; he has no obligation to come.”
“Uh-huh. I saw David shopping with his fiancé this morning. You didn’t tell me they were expecting a baby,” my mother admonished.
The salad started to turn to acid in my stomach as I thought about, yet again, how much David had screwed me over. Even my own mother liked him better. Which I guess was okay since David’s father liked me better. It was only fair.
Only David’s father was dead, and my mother was still very much alive. And still loved David like he was her own.
I ignored her, hoping she’d give it up, but she didn’t. She never could leave well enough alone.
She was the match to my gasoline. She knew how to light me up better than anybody, and she proved it with her next comment.
“I can’t wait to see if it’s a boy or a girl. I’ve been waiting so long for a grandchild,” she whispered happily.
I froze with the salad halfway to my mouth, looking at her incredulity. “You’re fucking kidding me right now, aren’t you?”
She tilted her head slightly. “Kidding you about what?”
“You can’t wait to have a fucking grandchild?” I whispered deceptively calm.