The Heartthrob Won't Leave

Chapter Thirty-Four (New Chapters)

She felt nervous, walking up to Stacy in the living room.

"You want to go out with your friends?" Stacy asked and Blake nodded, looking away slightly. She didn't know whether to be excited or dreading this entire situation.

"Why don't you guys go to the park down the street? So that you aren't far away" Blake raised her head, nodding in approval. Hopefully, they would think it was too cheesy and just go home. It was just starting to snow as Blake pulled on her winter coat. Soon it would be so chilly that one coat wouldn't have been enough. A knock at the door and Blake was quick to open, sighting the two bodies waiting in the doorway. She felt herself swallow, glancing at the excitable Stella and Lucian, whose eyes stayed firmly trained on her. Why on earth did he make me come along?! Doesn't he hate me now? I wanted to ask, but I felt it wasn't the kind of conversation we could have around Stella. Definitely not Stella.

"I can only go to the park at the end of the street" Blake claimed weakly. Stella started to whine, and was clearly about to object before Lucian stepped in.

"Sounds good" he claimed calmly. Blake's eyes just lifted to look at him, the look on his face, and trying to ignore the intrigued eyes of Stella about what he had just done. They left down the street, walking through the cold. Blake could feel the temperature taking its toll on her ears, no doubt they were turning as red as beets. Blake and Stella walked by side, with Lucian behind them, she could feel his stare on the back of her neck.

"How long are you living in that place?" Stella asked

"They said a couple of weeks" Blake responded, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her winter coat

"That sucks, I bet Karl misses you" she retorted. Blake glanced at her friend from the corner of her eye, knowing that saying something like that wasn't her usual behavior by a heartbeat. She would have chastised Blake for doing dumb things, even though she didn't think Stella even knew what happened or why she was sent to the group home, hell, she didn't even know if Stella knew it was a group home at all. Is she playing nice because he's here? It wasn't so out of the realm of possibility that she was acting nice and understanding because she was trying to impress Lucian with her kindness and compassion. They made it to the park and Blake was quick to snag a swing, letting herself be guided by the hand of the wind gusts.

"I want hot chocolate" Stella suddenly spoke beside her. Blake didn't think much of it at the moment, even suggesting the gas station that was just the next block over. That was, until she realized what she was doing, snapping her head up to Stella's retreat.

"Wait!" Stella stopped, turning to look back at them. If you leave, Lucian and I will be here alone! ALONE!. "We could get it later!" Blake insisted, getting up from the swing.

"Nah, I'm good-" Stella waved it off "Besides, I'll be like ten minutes" Not soon enough. All she could think of was panic, turning her head just the slightest to look at him a few feet away. Soon Stella was gone, and Blake was alone, settling in defeat back into her swing, cold on her butt. She watched from the edge of her vision as he moved closer, settling in the other swing next to hers. She felt compelled to say something, but she didn't know what. Anything! Literally anything! Just open your damn mouth!

"I'm s-sorry" she spoke suddenly, the words basically tumbling out of her teeth. He turned to look at her "I mean, for intruding on your guys' t-time"

"You're not intruding" he responded simply. Blake started to pump her legs gently, moving the swing to shift gently. "Is that why you had that black eye?" she turned her head at his words 

"Because you were in that place?" she nodded

"One of the g-girls punched me in the f-face" Blake responded