Chapter Seventeen
I blinked.I was officially Mrs. Whitlock?About damn time.
And Cara’s mother?Just have to sign on the dotted line.
I flung my arms around Tate, the papers he had just handed me flying around us. He laughed and wrapped me in a hug.
“Wow, I don’t know why I was so nervous. I thought you’d be mad I went behind your back and got the paperwork around. Are you sure this is okay?” he asked. I nodded, pressing my lips together tightly so as not to start sobbing.
“I’m so honored. I know I said I would adopt her, but to really do it, I’m… excited.”
A loud knock on the door caused us to pull apart and turn our eyes towards the other side of the room. The knock came again and Tate stood, going to the door. He peered through the hole and then opened the door quickly. He stepped away as my baby brother Blue fell through the door.
I leapt up and hurried over as Tate attempted to catch him. He reeked of alcohol.
“Blue! What are you doing here? Are you drunk?” I asked. He nodded as Tate pulled him across the room towards a chair. He dumped him onto it and Blue lifted his head up towards us.
“Little bit. I just need a place to sleep it off. Told my ride to drop me off here.”
“Okay, but why didn’t you just go home?” I crossed my arms. This wasn’t like my younger brother. Dallas, sure. Blue Andrews? Never.
“Can’t. Don’t want to be alone.”
Sadness washed over me. Too often, Blue was the odd one out in our family. He was much quieter than Dallas and me. Music wasn’t his passion, and he kind of stuck out. We were all too wrapped up in our own lives to check up on him.
I sat down across from him on the couch and Tate mumbled something about going to get him some water. I thanked him and let him go to the kitchen while I spoke with my brother.
“I can call Rocky if you want. Wait, you guys weren’t together?” I realized that suddenly. That was odd too. Rocky and Blue were as close as real brothers. I knew that Blue had been busy with Evan’s House, but I doubted their relationship had drifted too much. Blue’s sapphire eyes grew large and he shook his head furiously.
“No. Don’t. I can’t right now.”
“Blue, what is going on?” I asked. He grew silent for a moment. He slumped down further into the seat. I took him in, slower this time.
He was wearing a blue suit, but it was rumpled. He must have worked today and then gone off for a drink somewhere. Alone?
His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were red and puffy, as if he’d been crying. Had he?
“Lola.” He looked up at me with miserable eyes. I stiffened.
“Lola? Is she okay? What happened?” I reached for my phone sitting on the coffee table almost instantly. Before I could wait for him to respond I was clicking on her number to call. Blue had closed his eyes and sighed so deeply his entire body almost deflated.
“Hello?” A familiar female voice that wasn’t Lola answered. Rosa.
“Rosa? Where’s Lola?”
Tate had returned with a bottle of water and some aspirin. He nudged Blue but he didn’t react.
“Hey! What’s up! Lola is currently sobbing in my room. She’ll get over it.”
“Maybe, it was pretty embarrassing.” I heard Ben say in the background.
“Your room? You guys are all at your place?” I was more and more confused with each question and answer.
“Yeah, after Blue told her off and left the party we came back here and now she locked herself in my room.”
“There was a party?”
“Yeah, her birthday. You were invited.”
