Chapter 14: 13- Was It Worth It?

A shoutout to FrancesBL because she wanted one :)

13

It was around eight in the evening when I started talking to Blake. And the clock now read a quarter passed ten. I didn’t realize how time passed us by fast. It didn’t feel like we already wasted hours talking to each other on the phone. I was glad that we were currently on phone talk basis and not video chat because I had my hair up in a bun with some green colored facial mask on my face right now that made me look like a monster that escaped a three year old’s bed.

We were talking about the how dogs are better than squirrels. I don’t know how we got there but we got there. I was on the dog side (of course I am, I am a certified dog lover), with him on the squirrel side (don’t ask how or why for even I couldn’t comprehend the reason behind it).

“No, dogs are cute. You can annoy the hell out of them and they would still be happy.” I pointed out as I lightly poked Skittles randomly on his sides. “Squirrels on the other hand can plot your death without you knowing and can bite your fingers off when you annoy them.”

“Yeah but squirrels can climb trees, dogs can’t.”

“Why would you want a dog to climb a tree?”

“Why would you want to annoy someone?” he countered and I could hear his smirk growing. Touché.

I sat up, using my elbows for support. “Because it’s fun?”

“It’s not.” Blake snorted.

“Have you tried annoying someone?”

“Every day.”

I grinned knowing of my victory. “See? Even you do it. I told you it’s fun.”

“You don’t seem to enjoy when Dani annoys you.”

“Ugh.” I groaned falling back down on my bed with a soft thud. My face slowly heated up at the memory of what had happened earlier today. It was like the talk that was supposed to but never happened with Reese when I was much younger happened. “Please don’t bring her up. Hearing her name gives me a headache already.”

“Aw come on Bethany.” He says sweetly with a hint of mischief. Now he was just teasing me. “Dani isn’t that bad.”

“You sound just like my sister.” I uttered. “Dani is like the female version of Marcus and he is an expert in annoying me. He’s been doing it for years now. They’re both annoying.”

“I like them.”

“Because you find my reaction amusing when they tease me.” I rolled my eyes knowing he couldn’t see me.

“Hey, I’m not that mean.”

“I never said you were.”

So we talked for a few more hours when my phone suddenly died on me. I had no idea the battery life could stand for hours while on the phone. It was around half past one when my phone had given up on me. It should’ve said something before giving up on me.

When I finally plugged my charger in, I sent a quick short text to Blake apologizing for my phone suddenly dying and ending our five hour phone conversation.

I couldn’t sleep that night. A stupid smile was stuck on my face as I grasped the phone tight around my fingers. I had this weird butterfly feeling in my stomach and for the first time I actually like it. I like how Blake can have this effect on me when he was a few miles away from me; how only listening to his voice, talking to him makes my heart beat faster.

I brushed the pads of my fingers over the screen of my smart phone, like doing so would make my phone buzz with Blake’s call on the line.

Maybe Reese was right.

Perhaps it was time for me to open up an old book again.

Maybe Blake won’t hurt me.

Perhaps he won’t leave me.

I slept with the thought of Blake that night.

It was a bright Tuesday morning when I felt Skittles licking my now slobbery face. I could also smell barbecue. Who grills on a Tuesday morning and not invite me?

Neighbors these days.

I shoved away Skittles and heard a soft high pitched laughter coming from my right side and there I found my culprit.

Liam was standing beside me still in his SpongeBob pajamas holding a half filled bottle of barbeque sauce with a sheepish grin. That kid skillfully poured sauce all over my face.

Oh boy, this is going to be a long week.

I threw my favorite purple covers away from my body revealing me in my tank top and sweat pants and tackled Liam only he was smart and fast to run away from me.

“Liam why?!” I cried out and checked my bed and sheets if any of the sauce dripped. I just had washed them.

Honestly, I didn’t know how a four year old could dispense sauce all over someone’s face and not get it on to the sheets. That probably takes skill and skill in emptying liquid all over someone Liam had.

Sighing, I plopped down on my bed just beside Bruce who was smiling at me. “How?” I asked, uttering the word out of my mouth and he just barked at me in response. “Yeah I love you too but I can’t understand you.”

“Beth can I have what Skittles is having?” Liam voice rang through the entire house.

I nodded my head, thinking he could see me and then I bolted right up and sprinted downstairs where Liam was when it occurred to me he was talking about dog food that was in the dogs’ food bowls.

“What?! No! Don’t eat that.”

I came just in time to pull down Liam’s handful of dog food that he was about to toss in his mouth like it was candy.

“Eh?” Liam stared at me confused. “Why not eat?”

“It’s for dogs.”

“But I like dogs!” said Liam trying to pull my dog food filled hand back to his mouth. “I want to taste!”

I pursed my lips at him. Why are children so hard to take care of?

“You’ll get a tummy ache.” I uttered as I poured back the tiny brown pellets back in the bowl. “I’ve tried them before and my tummy hurt bad.”

He looked at me with wide eyes. “Was it worth it?”

I burst out laughing. I had expected him to ask me if I was okay like a normal person would, like a normal child would but apparently Liam wasn’t normal.

“It doesn’t taste good bud.” I picked him up from the floor and carried him to the bar stool. “Tastes weird, and bitter.”

“Can I try one?” he looked at me with his puppy dog eyes.

As much as I love Liam, I am his designated babysitter and I do not know how to take care of a sick child.

So I decided to crush his dog food tasting dream.

“No.”

He frowned at me but said nothing else more about it.

“You want pancakes or Fruit Loops?

His eyes twinkled at the mention of the fruit flavored cereal.

“I thought so too.” I smirked as I pulled out a box of the delicious goodness of Fruit Loops from the fridge and a carton of milk. “Just don’t try to eat random food, kay?”

Liam nodded his head vigorously, his eyes glued to the ceramic bowl in front of him.

The sound of my phone buzzing interrupted me, my spoon was in mid air when I decided to place it back down. Sliding my phone unlock, I saw it was a text message from Blake stating he couldn’t drop by today by the store because he was on call at work and asked if it was fine if he could drop Allie by because the local daycare was still closed and his neighbors were still asleep.

Disappointment surged throughout my system but it left quickly as it entered when I remembered he would come over to drop his daughter off.

I quickly sent him a short reply which consisted with ‘Okay.’

After cleaning up the dishes, the doorbell buzzed and I immediately knew who it was. I wanted to answer it but my hands were all soapy.

“Liam can you get that?” I called out.

“I don’t want to.” Liam whined but still pushed himself off his seat.

I sighed. “It’s Blake and Allie.”

I heard the sounds of fast footsteps and I knew that when Liam heard their names, he too knew what it meant.

“Al-ee!”

I turned the tap off and dried my hands with the kitchen towel.

“Bethany?”

“In the kitchen.” I replied turning around where I saw Blake in his usual work outfit with a small pink Barbie bag in his hands.

I wanted to laugh but he looked so sweet.

“Hi.” I smiled as I made my way towards him.

“Hi Bethany.” He set the bag on the counter. “Are you sure you won’t mind? I could call someone else if this is too much of a bother...”

“It’s perfectly fine Blake.” I assured him with a smile. “It’s nothing I’ve never done before.”

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t know they would call me in this early. I’m probably being a burden with this. I should call someone else-”

“Blake,” I cut him off, giving him a look. He burst into the adorable shade of very light pink which I love. “It’s absolutely alright.” I said securely, giving him a warm smile. “I guarantee it.”

“Are you a hundred percent sure about this being okay?” he bit his lower lip, shifting his weight from one foot to the other giving me the impression he was embarrassed.

“Hey.” I placed my hand over his muscled arm. “It’s fine. And if things go wrong I could just leave the both of them in the middle of nowhere.”

That got me a death glare from Blake.

“I’m just kidding around Blake.” I laughed. I was glad to see how much he loves Allie. “You should get going though. Aren’t you on call?”

His eyes widened for a split second as he glanced at his wristwatch.

“You’re right.”

I scoffed. “I’m always right.”

Blake narrowed his eyes at me, slowly shaking his head no. “You’re not.”

“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. I clamped my hands over his broad shoulder, pushing him forward. “Now go, shoo.”

Unfortunately he was taller and stronger than me so my efforts all turned to dust.

“Have you got no strength?” Blake teased, planting his feet solidly on the ground.

“I have!” I poked his back. “You’re just too fatty and heavy.”

In a blink of an eye, I found myself in the air. Blake was holding on to my waist, lifting me up a good feet or two, just enough so that we were now the same height. He was smirking at me while I just shrieked, kicking my legs in the air.

“Oh my god Blake!” I braced my hands on his upper arms for support just in case he might decide to be mean and just drop me. “What are you doing? Put me down!”

“This is all muscle, not a single fat.”

“Stop lying to yourself.” I snorted. “Now put me down.”

“Hmm.” He feigned a thinking face. “No.”

He lifted me up higher, as far as his arms could reach and threw me up and caught me just in time before I fell like what a father would do to his baby girl.

“Fine it’s all muscle, just please put me down.” I closed my eyes at this point, refusing to see anything else. “Please put me down.”

When I felt my feet touch the hard ground, a sighed out a breath of relief. “You’re so evil, and so late for work.”

“Oh shit.” He cursed under his breath loud enough for only both of us to hear.

“Don’t swear when any of the kids around.” I scolded. A blush immediately crawled up my face when I repeated my statement again in my head.

Don’t swear when any of the kids around.

It sounded like I was talking about our kids.

Our kids…will I get that close with him? Will I reach that far?

“They didn’t hear me.”

I glared at him.

“Sorry.” He sighed, scratching the base of his neck. “Got to go now.”

I was about to bid him goodbye when he wrapped his arms around my waist and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I was now bushing, bad, and not just the light pink blush. I was sporting the deep red blush like the tomato red and my face was burning from the heat.

“I love how you refer to them as our kids Bethany.” He whispered before he made a quick sprint out of my house.

_____________________

As promised :)

College is stressing me out. I have graphics class which is fun and all but tiring, then I have two math class (Yes, two)- trigonometry and algebra and they just turned high school trig and algebra into a whole new level.

I might not be able to follow my update schedule of every Saturday once a week but I will try my best and no, I'm never going to just stop writing :D

Tell me what you guys think in the comments below and can I just say how much happy you guys make me with the last chapter? Sugar Rush is slowly getting more and more votes! I owe it to all of you guys