Taking Chances (Blackrock Book 2) (8 page)

“No
we are not done, Bailey. I am not letting this break us up, so I will
go home and give you a few days to chill out,” I say looking
down at her. I see the spark in her eye and I know I am in for a
fight but I welcome it.

“Yeah
we are. If it were Max and Paige, you bet your boots he would have
beat that guy’s ass for touching her but not you.” She
rams her finger into my chest. “You blame your girlfriend, then
insult her on top of that.” She opens the bedroom door and
points down the stairs.

Shaking
my head I walk past her. “We’re not done,” I say,
storming down the stairs with her right behind me when I reach the
front door. I want to grab her and kiss her but she pulls it open for
me. Stepping outside I turn to her calming down a bit. “I’m
sorry darlin’, I still love you.”

She
makes a humpf sound. “You know what they say about apologies,”
she snaps at me and I shake my head no. “They are better said
with chocolate!” she shouts, slamming the door in my face.

I
hear the alarm being armed so I know I can’t get back in
because she never gave me the code. I smile at her last comment and
her attitude but pull myself up short, hoping she didn’t mean
we are over.

The
next morning I wake up feeling like crap. My heart hurts as I
remember telling Knox we were done. Ugh! Why did I say that? I am
such an idiot. I decide to spend the day in my pajamas and not bother
leaving the house.

Making
my breakfast of coffee and headache tablets, I sit on the window seat
in the kitchen and look out at the lake for a while. After four hours
of lazing around I get dressed and head into town. I guess staying at
home all day wasn’t going to work out for me after all. Passing
the bar, I see a big dumpster outside and pull over. I need to get
this groveling over and done with. Walking to the bar, I see George
step outside. I am just about to turn around when he see’s me.

“Hey
you.” He points at me storming up to my face. “You stay
away from my bar and my nephew. Did you see the damage you caused in
there?” He waves his arm around and I look at him,

“My
name is Bailey and I did not cause the damage”

I
am sure if my parents could see me now being rude to an adult, they
would both be disgusted with me, but I will not let him berate me on
the street.

“You
are trouble young lady, and you will pay for the damage.” He
grabs my arm and pulls me into the bar showing me the damage. The
florescent lights are illuminating the damage even more than last
night and I cringe at the mess of the bar.

“I
didn’t cause it, George,” I say to him, trying to be
polite but his eyes bore into me.

“You
will pay five thousand dollars for the damage or I will see you in
court. Now get out of my bar and don’t come back!” he
shouts at me.

I
run out of the doors crying and straight in Knox who drops his pizza.

”Hey
darlin’, what’s going on?” He holds my elbow but I
just push him off walking to my car. He chases me down and pins me at
the door. “What is going on?” he demands.

“Never
mind, I am done with you and your family. I came here to get away
from bullshit but since I met you, it seems to find me everywhere.”
I swipe the tears from my eyes and open the car door.

Knox
takes a step back and watches me pull off. Why the hell did I ever
get involved with him? I don’t know why but I find myself at
the hospital standing outside Max’s room. I pace the hallway
wiping my tears away.

Nurses
ask if I am okay and I just nod. Finally after ten minutes, I push
his door open to find him watching TV.

“Hey
Bailey.” He smiles but it disappears as soon as I get closer to
him.

I
really want Knox but Max will have to do. He pats the bed beside him
and I climb up as the tears fall again. He wraps his arms around me
letting me cry on him.

“I
know about the fight, Bailey. I got a two AM visit from Knox.”

I
nod, wiping my eyes with my shirt collar,

“Yeah I know he tells you
everything.” I smile sitting up.

“He
loves you.”

Nodding
I frown. “Yeah I know. Sorry I didn’t mean to barge in
and put this on you but I don’t know anyone else.”

“Come
on sis, I am all ears. Tell me what my idiot twin did now.” He
smiles.

“It
wasn’t him.” I shake my head. “It was your uncle.”

Max
looks at me for a minute then wipes my tears. “Tell me,”
he says just the way Knox does when he wants you to talk.

I
tell him what just happened and shrug. “I think it’s for
the best if I stay away from you guys, so I really came here to see
you one last time.”

Max
shakes is head. “No way, Bailey. I love you too; not like Knox
does, but I like you in my life. We get along great and I’m not
loosing my sis.” He winks at me.

“Okay,”
I whisper feeling drained. “I need to go do homework. I’ll
see you soon.” I give him a hug and kiss on the cheek then
leave. On my way out I pass Mr. Porter he looks at me confused, so I
swiftly move out of his way and continue down the hall.

Max

I
see my dad eye up Bailey on his way in but she takes off in that
Bailey manner of fleeing the scene just like when I first met her
last year.

“Hey
Max,” my dad says approaching the bed while pointing behind him
in Bailey’s direction. “Isn’t that your brother’s
girlfriend?” he looks confused.

I
nod. “Yeah, she is a bit upset.” Taking a seat, he
questions me with his eyebrows raised. “There was a brawl at
the bar last night,” I sigh and my dad shoots forward in the
chair.

“Is
Knox okay?” he asks urgently making me chuckle.

“Yeah, he is fine I
suppose.”

But
really I don’t know what is going on with either him or Bailey.
They are good together but somehow always seem to set each other off,
like two time bombs set to go off a few seconds apart.

“So any other news?”
my dad asks relaxing again.

“Yeah,
I had a scan and should get the casts off soon but this thing has to
stay longer.” I point to the scaffolding I have protruding from
my hips and abdomen. This thing is holding my pelvis together until
it heals enough for me to walk, which hopefully will be soon.

“I
was thinking of having you and Knox over for dinner when you get out
of here; we have a lot to talk about.” I look at him for a
minute not really sure I heard him correctly but he just gives me a
half smile.

“I
don’t know, dad. Have you talked to him at all in the last few
days?”

He
shakes his head flipping through his phone.

“I
will go to the bar now. If there was a fight there last night, I have
no doubt George is making him clean up.” I don’t miss the
way my dad says my uncle’s name, leading me to believe that
they really do not like each other.

“Okay,
then call me and let me know what is going on. I can only guess,”
I say and he nods then leaves the room.

I
am back to vegging out and watching TV, just lying here bored, when
my phone rings. Picking it up, I see Paige is calling me. My heart
beats a little faster as I see her name on the screen. God, it’s
been ages since I talked to her. I don’t know what to think
about her calling me now. Is it a good sign? A bad sign? Fuck, I
don’t know. Taking a deep breath, I slide my finger across the
screen.

“Hello.”

“Hey
Max, it’s me, Paige. How are you?” Her voice sounds a
little hesitant and a few octaves lower than usual.

“Hey Angel, it’s good
to hear your voice.”

I
hear what sounds like a sob but I wait until she speaks again.

“I
was wondering if I could come see you?” she asks as if she
needs too,

“Of
course you can, angel. You don’t need to ask. Just get down
here, I miss you.”

I
hear another muffled sound, then she whispers into the phone, “Okay,
I’ll be there in a while.”

“Okay, see you soon angel.”

She
hangs up the phone. Closing my eyes, I rest my head back against the
pillow sighing in relief that finally I will get a chance to see her
and find out if I am going to be a father.

Knox

Bailey
pulls out onto the street like I am a murderer chasing her. I don’t
understand what the hell happened. Walking into the bar, I see my
uncle looking just as pissed off as a pitbull sucking on a lemon.

“Why
was Bailey just here?” I ask, putting my pizza on the bar no
doubt its fucked now,

“Yeah
she was but she is banned for life, so I don’t want to see her
in here again.”

I
scoff at him, “What do you mean banned for life. That’s
bullshit, George. She is my girlfriend.”

Now
I am getting pissed off, standing there looking at the male version
of my mom only he is much harder and less forgiving as her.

“Then
you need to get a better class of girl. You’re twenty-one,
there will be plenty of girls.”

I
stare at him shocked. “Are you serious? I don’t need
anyone else. I have her. What the hell did you say to her?”

He
swipes his keys from the bar as he walks around it.

“I
am going home clean this shit up.” He points at the floor. “And
don’t let me see her face in here again.” He swings
through the beads and I chase after him fuming now.

“I’m
the fucking manager here, and I say who gets banned. That is what you
pay me for. You are retired so stay that way. If it wasn’t for
Max and me this place would have been closed down years ago!” I
shout at his retreating back but he just ignores me and pushes
through the emergency exit letting it slam behind him.

Fuck!
I storm back into the bar, eyeing the mess when the front door opens.

“We’re
closed!” I shout at whoever is walking inside.

“I
know.” Looking over I see my dad standing just inside the door,
surveying the destruction on the dance floor with his hands on his
hips. He rolls up the sleeves of his shirt and looks over at me.
“Looks like you need a hand.”

I
can’t take any more shit today. Sitting on the stool, I just
shake my head.

“Dad,
I am not in the mood today, okay?”

He
walks over to me. Looking at my face, he puts his hand on my shoulder
and squeezes. “I know, son. Let’s just clean up this mess
before George gets here.”

I
snort and laugh sarcastically. “You just missed him.”

My
dad frowns, then sighs. “Put on some music and let’s get
to work.”

I
look at him for a minute then turn on the house music. I know he
likes country so I pick that channel and he starts singing away.

“You
know you can’t sing,” I tell him but he just laughs and
nods.

“Yeah,
that’s what mom always told me.”

We
work in silence for about an hour; sweeping, lifting and generally
kicking broken furniture around. Well that is just me, taking my
frustration out on the stools. Dad doesn’t say anything.

I
change the music because I can’t it anymore and pull out two
beers from the fridge. Popping them open, I hand him one.

“Thanks.”

We
sit at the bar drinking.

“So
how did it happen?” he asks, nodding at the dance floor.

I
frown, looking in the mirror behind the bar at him. “Some
asshole grabbed Bailey then his friends started an all out brawl.”
I shrug but my dad eyes me suspiciously.

“Is
that all?”

I
groan at him. “Dad, what is this about? I am sure you didn’t
come here to help me clean up.”

He
spreads his hands out in front of him.

“I
did come here to help you clean the place and to talk, so if you want
to…” he trails off looking at me.

I
am searching his face to see any hint of lies, but all I see is my
dad watching me just like he used to before Lindsey. I can feel
myself wavier and I cough to clear the lump in my throat. If I am
being honest, I miss having him in my life and I miss living at home
in the house I grew up in with my mom. All this shit with Bailey is
pulling me down. I love her but I don’t know if we should be
together. Maybe we are too much alike to make this work.

“I
don’t know what to do, dad,” I say, feeling a little like
Judas betraying the person he loves.

“You
know son, your mom and I had a few heated arguments before you kids
were born.”

I
look at him not really believing him because I never remember them
fighting when I was growing up.

“We
were young when we got together. I remember the first time I saw her
in college. It was my birthday and I was walking across campus,
heading out for the night with my roommate and some friends. She cut
right in front of me and I was about to tell her off, then she looked
up at me and that was it; I was a goner.” He smiles at me.

“I
invited her to come out with us and she did, but after about ten
minutes of begging. We talked all night and we stuck together. About
two years later, we had our first bad fight. Her ex-boyfriend came
back into town and made a play to win her back, but I had already
bought a ring and there was no way I was letting him near her. I
ended up getting into a fist fight with him in a bar.” He
laughs and looks around the place. “It ended up looking like
this place and your mom broke up with me.” He shrugs and I gape
at him.

“Really
she dumped your ass?” I ask laughing.

“Yeah,
she did because she thought I started the fight, but that guy pulled
a knife on me and my roommate, so we took care of him. It took me
about a month to win her back and then I proposed.”

I
didn’t even know they broke up ever. My mom never told us any
of that stuff about her past; she made it out that when they met it
was love at first sight.

“So
you think I should try to win Bailey back?”

He
shrugs at me “Did you split up?” he asks, looking at me
with questions in his eyes.