“Blake,” I groan. Why are the lights so bright?
"Truly, please, open those eyes for me, beautiful." He sounds distressed, which has my eyes fluttering open.
“What's wrong, bear?” I ask as he slowly comes into sight. I have to blink a few times. When I see him in the black suit, everything comes flooding back to me. We’re not home; we’re at a charity event.
“How are you feeling?”
“My mother,” I croak out. "She's?—"
"Handled," he finishes for me.
“She tried to?—"
“Tell you lies.”
I stare up at him. "Yes." That was what she was doing. I reach up to touch Blake's cheek. “What happened?" The left side has a red mark. A slow, boyish smile takes over his handsome face, taking me back to younger days.
“You should see the other guy." I start to laugh but realize he’s not joking. That only becomes clearer when I hear sirens in the distance.
"What happened?" The last thing I remember is being in the bathroom, then the sound of a few voices. I know one was my father, but I didn't know the two others except that they were male.
"They tried to take you from me." Blake's expression grows intense, and I can see he's still fighting his anger. He's always been so good at hiding his emotions; now he's not so great at it. When it comes to me, at least.
"I would have come back," I reassure him. That makes him relax marginally.
"So you didn't believe whatever they tried to tell you?" he asks, but I don't get a chance to respond. Lauren is there, popping up behind him. I then realize that I am lying in the back of an SUV.
"We don't answer questions, got it?"
"Lauren." A lovely brunette smacks her shoulder. "Not the time for lawyer mode," the woman tells her.
"It's always time."
"What?" I ask Blake.
"The police. Lauren is telling us to not speak to the police, and her fiancée is scolding her because you're babbling."
"Why? We didn't do anything."
"Doesn't matter." Lauren's response is lightning fast.
"You're engaged?" That shouldn't be the question I have, but it is.
"Okay, this isn't the time either, but yes!" The brunette holds her hand up to show a ring.
"That's sweet," I say. "We should do lunch." The thought of food makes my stomach twist.
"Yeah, maybe we can have lunch after everything is cleaned up." She nods behind her, and Blake helps me to sit up.
That's when I see my mother standing back a good ten feet, her face white and not because of the alley light beaming downon her. If she knew she was standing in such bad lighting, she'd be moving her ass, so she must really be shocked.
Then I take note of my father groaning. Mother finally moves, rushing over to help him sit up. Blood drips from his nose and left eyebrow.
"You got into a fist fight with my father?" I ask, touching the mark on his face. The sounds of the sirens grow closer.
"Yes, but this isn't from him."
"My mother?" I gasp, in shock.
