Blake's Twisted Fate (A Completed Steamy, Romance)

Apologies

Blake stands there in total confusion. "Here? Ryan Harrison was here in London?" She asks.

"Yes, standing at our doorstep, with fucking roses none the less!" He paces.

"What did he say?"

"He wanted to know where you were, and the bastard thought he could just sweep in here and take my bloody wife away. I told him you were busy doing things wives do and to go home. I can't believe the nerve!"

"Wait! You told him what? And why are you all pissed?" She sat her purse and bags down.

"Because, this is our home. We are married, and he just shows up with roses! Plus, I was worried about you on top of it. You should at least tell me where you're going." He puts his hands on his hips.

"Henry, you can't be serious right now! I sit home every night by myself, and do you realize this is the first time I've seen you in three days? You have no right to judge where I go and what I do!"

He knows very well where he's been for days. He's avoiding a relationship with his wife, but it's driving him insane. He thinks about her night and day.

"You're my wife!" He yells.

"You're my husband! What does that matter? We agreed to separate lives. That's what you want, remember?"

"I don't know what the bloody hell I want!" He yells.

"Then you better figure it out before you judge me and how I spend my time. I had no idea Ryan was in London. I have no desire to even see him! That shouldn't matter anyways. You're never here, and for all I know you're out fucking whatever blonde you can find!"

"I'm not fucking anyone! I'm trying to protect you!" He screams.

"Protect me? From what, myself?"

"You know very well what I'm trying to protect you from." He calms down a tad.

"From some conspiracy theory?" She shakes her head.

"Me! Me, Blake, I'm protecting you from me! You deserve someone that can commit to you!"

She laughs. "You've been with nobody, but you don't think you can't commit? I'm exhausted Henry, and I'm heading to bed. This is just too much." She walks away and he lets her go.

Henry has a few drinks of scotch and heads to bed. Neither one slept well that night, both tossing and turning.

The next day at work was torture. He wanted to go home and set things right with Blake, but he doesn't know how to handle it. What he wants is to to go home and make love to his wife and live happily ever after, but he knows that isn't an option.

"I've been dealing with your shitty attitude for weeks, and to be frank with you, it's getting old." Alexander sits down on the couch in Henry's office. "You still haven't bedded that lovely wife of yours, have you?"

Henry rubs his temples willing his headache away.

"Yes, I did, but it was all wrong. A drunken fuck in her car outside a club."

"Wow, that's fucked up. I would have at least taken her for a nice dinner and to my bed, but hey, whatever works for you I guess."

Henry is already frustrated.

"It was an accident."

Alexander laughs. "Don't ever tell anyone you shagged that gorgeous woman by mistake. So, you've done it right since then, I hope."

"No, I've been avoiding her because it's hard to keep my hands off her, and you know all I'll do is hurt the girl."

"Okay, so who's taken her place? I'm sure you're not going cold turkey." Alexander knows Henry is a man whore.

"Nobody. I can't, I tried after the wedding and it doesn't work."

Alexander laughs like Henry has never heard. "You're in love with your wife, Chap!"

"Yeah, and that's a problem. This can't turn out good."

"Why? You're in love with her, and you can't touch another woman. Problem solved. You're making yourself and her miserable for no good reason. Just do it, and I promise you'll never go astray. You're in love, and that's different than what you had with Juliette. Anyways, do what you want, but I think you're acting like a fool." Alexander gets up to walk out and shuts the door behind him.

Henry sits back and thinks about what it felt like that night with Blake. It's time to do something he never thought he would do. He grabs his jacket and keys, and goes home to his wife.

He arrives home in the early afternoon with flowers in hand, but there's no sign of Blake.

"Edith, do you know where Dr. Chapman may have gone off to?"  He asked.

"I believe Nigel dropped her at Servatti's not too long ago, sir." 

Servatti's is a local Italian restaurant.  Maybe she went there to meet Cindy.  Henry walked straight out the door to look for his wife.  He was excited about his decision, and he couldn't wait to see Blake. 

He walked into Servatti's and when he saw her he approached her table, but when her table came into view he saw none other than Ryan sitting across from his wife.  Feeling like an idiot standing there with flowers in hand, they made eye contact, and she could see he was pissed. 

He turned and left, but not before throwing her flowers into the trash.

Blake wasn't only shocked that he showed up at the restaurant, she was shocked that he was pissed. Yeah, being angry last night she could almost understand, because the man showed up at their home like he was about to claim her with no respect for their marriage, but meeting him in public shouldn't cause this reaction.  If she was disrespecting her husband, she surely wouldn't meet the man in public. 

They finished their dinner, but of course Henry was on her mind, so as soon as Ryan paid the bill, she was out the door and on her way home.  A knot built up in her stomach.  She already dealt with an angry Henry last night, but two nights in a row was too much, and she is exhausted.

The more she thinks about Henry's behavior, she becomes angry.  She has sacrificed everything, and he has sacrificed nothing.  For what?  Yeah, he helped her out of a jam, but she gave up her career, home, and family to stay here, so he could have his own success. 

She was glad to see his car in the driveway, because she's ready to end whatever behavior has started since that night at the club.  She gave herself to him, and he acts repulsed by the sight of her.

She storms into the mansion, only to find Henry in the den with a drink in his hand.

"What is your problem?"  She stood there with her hands on her hips. 

He ignored her and stared out the window. 

"I'm done with your games, Henry!  Avoiding me and yelling at me when my ex-husband shows up at our doorstep!  I didn't invite him, and you storm out of that restaurant for no apparent reason!  If you would have asked me, I would have told you why I met him, but you don't even give me that courtesy!"  She screams.  "I saw the flowers, so I'm guessing you yourself had a date?"

She walks to the bar and pours herself a drink.  "He was here on business and made time to meet with me so I could sign off on the sale of our home.  He's getting married, Henry.  She's pregnant and didn't want to live in the home we built together. I had to sign off on the sale, so to avoid pissing you off further, I met him in public instead of in our home."  She is so frustrated, she throws back her drink and pours another.

He turns and looks at her, but doesn't say a word. 

"What?"  She asks.

"I didn't like seeing you with him.  The thought infuriates me.  I'm sorry." 

Did Henry Bradford Chapman just apologize?