Close To Me

Chapter 15

Chris leaned against the wall as he watched Blake bouncing on her heels as she waited by the door of the gallery.. He looked over at Karla as she watched her daughter before looking over at Chris and shaking her head. He wasn't coming. The reception at the gallery had come and gone that evening and it was almost time for the gallery to close. Only the Evans family, Blake's mom and a few of the gallery workers were left but Blake kept insisting her dad was coming. Chris pushed himself off the wall before walking over towards the waiting girl.

"Blakey, he's not coming." He sighed as she shook her head.

"He's probably stuck in traffic." She said as she kept looking at the parking lot. "You know how Boston traffic is."

"Blakey." Chris sighed as Blake looked at him. "I'm sorry."

"My dad is gonna come." She snapped as she looked back at Chris. "He said he would come so he's gonna come."

Chris watched as Blake turned back towards the parking lot before she sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just he said he was going to be here, so he's gonna come, right?"

"Baby, he's not coming." Chris said as she looked back at him. "I'm so sorry, Blakey."

"I just," Blake put her head down as she shook her head, trying to make her tears disappear. "he said he was going to be here."

Chris let out a heavy sigh before pulling Blake securely against his chest, letting her bury her face into his neck as he stroked her hair, "I know he did, babe."

"He knew how important it was to me. He said he'd come," Her tears betrayed her and started slipping out from her dark eyes.

Chris hated how many times he'd been in this position with Blake before. It was nothing new but it hurt Blake every single time he made one of those hollow promises and because it hurt her, it hurt Chris. He reminded himself of Carly's words though and kept his mouth shut and just comforted her.

"Sweetheart," Karla came over to put a hand on her daughter's back, making her lift her head from Chris' neck. "I'm so sorry your dad didn't come but I'm so proud of you. You're an amazing photographer and you deserve to have all of your photos in this gallery."

"It really is amazing, Blakey," Shanna encouraged, looking around at her photographs.

"You should be so proud of yourself honey," Lisa said. "We all are so proud."

"Thank you all for coming. I don't know what I'd do without you guys," She gave them all a warm smile but Chris knew she still was hurting.

They lingered at the gallery a while longer, Blake hoping that somehow her dad would pull up but like always... he never came. Eventually when the gallery closed, Chris ushered her into his car and instead of taking Blake back to her apartment, he decided to take her back to his house. He knew seeing Dodger would cheer her up and also didn't want her to be alone.

Blake was silent the entire ride back to the house. Even when Chris tried to strike up conversation, she would just shrug or nod in response. Eventually he gave up and just reached over, slipping his large hand into her slender one and Blake held his hand back tightly, as if that was the only thing securing her.

When Chris pulled into the garage, Blake just quietly got out and headed right to the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea. Chris asked her if she wanted to talk but he just saw her wiping the tears from her eyes as she shook her head no and he decided to leave it alone for now. He knew her stubbornness would prevent her from opening up until she was ready.

He went to the living room and plopped on the couch, grabbing a rope to play tug of war with Dodger until Blake silently walked in the room. He expected her to come and sit by him quietly, watch a movie or read a book for a while until she was ready to talk but that wasn't what happened.

She came over and climbed in his lap without a word, wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest as she began to cry. Chris' muscular arms came around her and held her tight as he slender frame began to wrack with heavy sobs. Everything Blake had been feeling for so long and had been bottling up came bursting out and she couldn't stop it.

She crumbled in his arms, knowing she was safe with him. Chris hated to see her this torn up but he just stroked her hair, rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, letting her know she was loved and safe. After she had released some of her emotions through her tears, she lifted her head from Chris' chest and looked into his blue eyes. He wiped her tears with his thumbs and kissed each of her cheeks while she ran a hand through his thick hair.

"Chris, you've been right all along about my dad. He is a flake and he doesn't ever intend to come and I'm not important in his life," She finally accepted it. "I just realized that you've always been the steady man in my life. You've always been there for me. I can depend and rely on you.... Maybe that's some of the reason I'm so completely helplessly in love with you."

She didn't even give him a chance to express his own loving sentiments about her because she crashed her lips to his. Blake passionately kissed him and it didn't take long for Chris to pull her tight against him and return her fervent kiss.

When they had to part for air, Blake wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and rested her forehead against his, gently pecking at his lips before she breathlessly told him, "Chris, make love to me."

"Blakey, not tonight, baby," He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I want our first time to be really special and I want you to be sure, not just when you're emotional."

"I love you Chris and this has only made me see that even more," Blake stopped to press another loving kiss to his lips. "I'm so in love with you Christopher. I want this."

"Are you sure?" He asked her.

"I've never been more sure," She stared straight into his blue eyes, knowing with every fiber of herself that she could put all her trust and love in him and it wouldn't be misplaced. "Please."

Chris couldn't help but let a wide smile break out on his face as he picked her up as he said, "Don't have to ask me twice."