Blake (Season One: The Ninth Inning #2) (13 page)

“TANNER, IF YOU moan one more time, I swear I will never let you into this room again,” I growl at him.

“Sofia, I can’t help it. You have the hands—”

“Of a God. Yes, you’ve told me. Now, you’re done.” I wash my hands and he rolls off the table and heads out.

I haven’t been in a good mood since this morning. The Angels’ practice is over, and I don’t want to talk to Blake right now, so I’m rushing to get out of here before he comes in. We’re getting ready to head out for some road games, and I need to pack.

When I went to Blake’s house, I wanted to help. Now, I give up. I know he was hungover, but he’s the one who called me to come over. I care about him, but if he is going to treat me like that, then I need to leave him alone. He scared me this morning. He’s never done that before.

I pack up everything from the office that I’ll need for the road and head home without seeing Blake. I leave a voicemail for Harmony to meet me at the steakhouse. I should go home and pack my clothes, but I need to vent off some of this anger and eat a steak.

The hostess seats me right away, and I order a large glass of wine. I’m glad I’m near the window and I look out at the city skyline. I love looking at the city, even though I hate the humidity, it’s still beautiful. I wonder what Blake sees when he looks at the skyline.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Harmony kisses my cheek and sits down. “Oh no, tell me all about it.”

“How did you know?”

“I’m your sister and best friend. Tell me.”

I take two large gulps of the wine and tell her everything that happened from Blake’s phone call until I left the Angels' stadium. I can feel the anger, hurt, and tears as I convey it all. My sister sits there and says nothing as I keep talking. We keep waving the waiter away unless he’s bringing more wine.

“I don’t know what else I can do.” I wipe the tears away.

“Okay, normally, I’m Team Sofia, but I think you need to look at Blake’s point of view right now.”

“Huh? You think Blake was right to yell at me?” I blink in shock.

“Wait. Calm down and listen to me. I said
look
at his point of view. He was embarrassed in front of his girlfriend’s parents and his father bought his girlfriend for the night. You said he was all beat up and drunk, right?” I nod. “Well, more than likely his dad doesn’t look peachy today either. I bet everything I have that he felt like shit this morning and it wasn’t just because he was hungover either.”

I shake my head. “He yelled at me.”

“He’s pissed off, and I’m sure you were nagging the shit out of him.”

“I wa—” I can’t even finish it because I had been. “I’m trying to help him.”

“I know.” She gives me a sad smile. “Why don’t you let him come to you? Let him cool off a bit and then he’ll come around.”

“And if he doesn't?”

Harmony shrugs. “Technically, you’re not boyfriend and girlfriend, so you don’t need to worry about breaking up. Plus, you have done the best you can. You can’t help everyone, Sofia. I know you want to, but you can’t. Maybe Blake can’t be saved.” Her expression is a bit sad.

I look down at another empty glass of wine. What if Harmony is right? What if Blake can’t be saved?

GRUMPY IS AN understatement. I don’t know what to do with myself. While we were away on road games, I kept to myself, not speaking unless I had to, earbuds nearly always in my ears. I haven’t heard from Sofia, and I’m not surprised in the least.

I scared her.

It was the last thing I wanted to do, yet I did anyway. Inviting her over had been a bad idea. If I had been thinking, I wouldn’t have, because I would’ve thought about how bad the following morning would be for me. Hell, I should have been thinking that morning, but I was too lost in my thoughts. Between the fight with Jack, him paying a hundred grand for a date with Sofia, and his overall behavior, I felt defeated and embarrassed for myself and my mother.

What I’ve been trying to figure out is if this means I have finally turned into him. I know I scared her, and I hate that I did, but is that enough reason for her to walk away? Should I walk away? As far as I know, Sofia already has. Either way, I want to see her, to apologize at least. The guilt is eating me alive and I can barely stand it.

While I cook myself dinner, I call my mother. Maybe she can provide insight.

“Blake, how are you doing? I haven’t heard from you since the banquet and I’ve been worried.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m fine. How are you?”

“I’m okay. I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that there was a mistake in the silent auction and turns out he wasn’t the highest bidder.”

Thank you, Art.
“Thanks for letting me know. Can I ask you something, Mom?”

“Of course, son.”

I clear my throat. “Be honest, okay? Do you ever worry that I might be like him? I mean, it would make sense if I was because I grew up around it constantly. There had to be a lasting impact and a chance I could turn into him.”

“What’s this about, Blake?” Her avoiding my question doesn’t go unnoticed.

Sighing, I tell her what happened. “Sofia came over after I left your house. I had been drinking, and she got me settled into bed. The following morning, she was being her usual nice self, but when she asked if we were going to talk about it and pushed me, I yelled and scared the hell out of her. We haven’t spoken since.”

Mom is quiet for a few seconds before speaking. “Do you love me?”

My brows pull together in confusion as I turn the burner off and set the pot aside. “Of course I do, Mom.”

“Do you do everything you can to take care of me and help me when I need you?”

“I try.” I’m not sure I always succeed. She is still living with Jack, after all.

“How a man treats his mother speaks volumes about his character, Blake. You’re a good man. The biggest difference between you and your father is that if you hurt someone, it isn’t intentional. Stop worrying so much and talk to the girl. You’ve already walked away from one girl you loved because of this mess, don’t make the same mistake again. You’re not him and you’re not going to become him. I promise.”

I’m shocked for all of two seconds. “How did you know I was the one who walked away? And I’m not in love with Sofia.”

“I knew because I know my son. Maybe you don’t love her yet, but you care about her and that’s all that matters.”

“Honey, I’m home!” I hear Hector holler from my front door.

“Thanks, Mom. I gotta go. Love you.”

“Love you too, Blake.”

I hang up just as Hector walks into the kitchen. “Just in time for dinner,” he smiles.

“What are you doing here? What if I had company?”

He opens the fridge to grab a drink. “No other cars in the driveway and you’ve been Grumpy which means Sofia must not be around much.” He grabs us both a plate, handing me one. We take turns spooning the pasta and then grabbing a fork before taking a seat at the bar. “So, what’s going on?” His voice is oddly serious for Hector.

Suddenly, I wonder if I can trust Mom’s judgment. Wouldn’t she be biased because I’m her son? She could be telling me what I want to hear and what she wants to believe. Hector is my closest friend. Before I can change my mind, I ask, “You know about my dad, don’t you?” He’s only one who’s never asked me about him, never brings him up, and doesn’t add to the conversation if someone else does.

“If you’re asking if I think he’s abusive to you and your mom, then yeah, I think he is. I’ve heard rumors and I know how to observe. Is that what this is about? Whatever’s going on with you and Sof?”

“Sort of.” I once again recount what happened, watching him closely for any telling signs. “I’d think out of everyone I know, you’d be the most unbiased.” Then I tell him about my conversation with my mom. “So what do you think?”

“I think you need to listen to your mom, Grumpy. You’re a good guy. Just talk to Sof and either she’ll come around or she won’t.” He shrugs like it wouldn’t matter if she doesn’t. “How much have you actually told her about Jack?”

“Not a lot.”

“Maybe it’s time you do. Or at least, give her more insight so she can understand why you’re a dumb ass and taking so long to talk to her. I’d bet the rumors aren’t as bad as the truth?” I nod, having heard some of the rumors myself. They’re a walk in the park compared to what he’s put us through. “If she likes you and is trying to help, she needs to know what she’s dealing with, don’t you think? Otherwise, she won’t ever know when it’s better to leave you alone to be grumpy all by yourself.”

“I guess you have a point.”

Hector grins. “I’m a smart man, Blake. Don’t let the pretty face fool you.”

I laugh. “I’d have to see a pretty face first.”

He slaps my shoulder. “Sounds like you should call Sofia then.” He stands, takes his empty plate and places it in the dishwasher, adding, “I’m going to go. Thanks for dinner and good luck.”

“Stop coming over to eat,” I shout as he heads for the door. “Just go grocery shopping already!” I’ve learned that he always comes when he’s avoiding the grocery store. Can’t say I blame him because I don’t like to go either. The difference is I order take out then, not show up unannounced at a friend’s house for dinner.

I finish what’s on my plate before placing it in the dishwasher as well. I plop onto my couch, taking what feels like my first relaxing breath in weeks. My phone is sitting on the coffee table, directly in my line of vision. I can’t help seeing it, wondering why I haven’t picked it up yet.

Sighing, I reach for it and make the call. The ringing seems to last forever. I wonder if she’s with Harmony, debating if she should answer. Would Harmony tell her yes or no?

“Hello?”

“Hey,” I breathe.

“Hey,” she says.

“Are you busy? I was hoping we could talk.”

“About what?”

“About what happened and anything else you want to know.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “Do you want to talk on the phone or come over?”

“I rather not do it on the phone, if that’s okay.” Who knows, maybe I’ve scared her so much she doesn’t want to be near me.

“Sure. Do you want to talk at your place or mine?”

“Whichever you want.”

“Well, I’m out running errands. I can be there in about five minutes. Okay?”

“Thanks.”

We hang up and I lean back on the couch. My stomach is in knots because I don’t know how this will go. Her coming over could be a good sign. I want things to be good between us, I want to apologize, and maybe if I share some history, she’ll understand more.

The moment I hear the knock on the door, I jump up, nearly jogging to the door. I open it and give Sofia a small smile. I was starting to worry she wouldn’t show.

“Come in.” I step back for her to enter and we sit down on the couch in the living room.

“What do you want to talk about, Blakey?” she asks, getting straight to the point.

I take a deep breath, searching her eyes for clues as to how this will turn out. “I’m sorry for scaring you, Sofia. I never wanted to do that, and I hate that I did. I got into it with Jack and with everything that happened, I just needed some space. It’s not a good reason, but I’m sorry.”

“I should apologize, too,” she says. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. I’m trying to be your friend and it got complicated. We’re not in a relationship, and I shouldn’t act as if we are. I’m twenty-eight, but I’m acting like some teenager with her first crush. I know you need your space and I’m glad for the time we had together.” She bumps my shoulder with a small smile. “You were a great kisser.”

“You don’t need to apologize. It was all my fault.” My heart constricts as I realize what she said. “So, that’s it? We’re going to be past-tense? You don’t want me to tell you all that you’ve wanted me to tell you?”

“I...I don’t want to be past-tense. I know this is going to sound like a crazy-stalker, but I’m very drawn to you. It’s not because your hot ass body, either. I want more for us. I’d like to see where this goes. And if you want to talk to me about everything and anything, then I’ll be right here, listening to every word.”

“Do you want to do this now or later, then?” I immediately ask.

“You know I can’t answer that because you’re the one who knows when the time is right. However, if you want me to answer, then I will say now is a good time.”

“Okay.” God, am I really about to do this? Am I going to tell Sofia all my family’s dirty secrets? They are secrets that have been hidden since long before I was born. I know I have to. It’s the only way for us to work and for Sofia to understand what she’s getting herself into with me. I take another deep breath.

“Jack has been abusive to Mom even before I was born. I don’t know how bad it was for her then compared to now because she rarely talks about it. She wasn’t free from it during her pregnancy either. Jack told me once that she almost lost me because of him and when I asked her if it was true, she wouldn’t answer, which means it was.

“Once I started playing baseball, he started in on me, too. He was still playing then, but he made sure whenever he was home, he took advantage of it. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. He wanted his name around after he retired, and I was supposed to do that. It didn’t take long for me to hate him even more than I already did. When I started getting serious about the game and our coaches were trying to figure out which position we played best, I asked to be anything but a pitcher.