Parking in front of the porch, I decide to get the box of food. Bart always seems to know when I'm here with dinner so I'm hoping to surprise them all this time. It's heavy but I manage to get up the porch steps and fumble, trying to knock on the door without dropping the box. Maybe Bart has been my lifesaver carrying it for me all this time. As the door opens, my smile spreads.
"Surprise!" I stand here staring, blinking rapidly.
"Hi!"
I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to keep my mouth from dropping open. Before me stands – Barbie. Like, a real life Barbie. I mean, a woman who could double as Barbie. Long blonde hair, perfectly styled. Red lipstick covering large perfectly pouty lips. Black mascara coating the longest, most perfect lashes I've ever seen, her large baby blue eyes outlined with black liner. She's got that perfect hour glass figure, adorned in a black dress. The top, above her very busty bust, and wide waistband, is black lace, her unblemished perfect skin showing through, with no sleeves. The same black lace covers black satin over her large breasts as well as the skirt stopping high on her thighs, and the hem, a wide strip of sheer black lace below stopping above her knees. She's – perfect.
"I'm sorry. We didn't order any food." I watch her mouth move but can't believe what she said.
"I'm here to see Nash," I say, changing my stance, gripping the box rather tightly.
"Oh! He didn't tell me we were having company." We? "I'm Blair Valentine." Of course you are. Who? "I'm Nash's girlfriend." She lays her left hand over her heart, showing me the biggest and flashiest diamond ring. I swallow hard. What? "And you are?"
"I'm...." I feel sick. Not the kind of sick I just got over but the end result could be in the front bushes very quickly.
"Blair? Who is it?" I stiffen when I hear Nash's voice, sounding from in the kitchen. "Dinner's gettin' cold."
"I'll be right there, darlin'." She looks at me with those wide made up eyes and bats her black long lashes. Seriously! She batted her eyes at me! "Who may I say is here?"
I cock my hip, nearly dropping the box but slapping my hands on it quickly and standing straight again. She smiles, clearly trying not to laugh. Reminds me of those wicked girls at school that used to make fun of me. Whenever they got a chance. Which was often. "I've known Nash for several months now. He's never mentioned a girlfriend." I raise my eyebrow.
She waves her perfectly painted long false fingernails. "Oh! He's so funny that way." She fake laughs. She cocks her left hip, placing her perfectly manicured hand there, the light from the porch making that diamond ring sparkle. Did I mention it's on her left hand? The finger women wear an engagement or wedding ring on? "I've known Nash since college. We lived together. I'm so surprised he never mentioned that. We were to be married."
"Oh?" My voice squeaks. No Minnie Mouse voice! Not now! I clear my throat. "Strange how something that important never came up. You'd think he would tell me about that when we were in – bed." Her eyes squint then widen. "And he's been here all this time, without you."
She smiles, showing her perfect straight, perfectly brilliant white teeth, then gives me a sorrowful look. "Oh. I'm so sorry, dear. He didn't tell you?" I try not to shake my head. "You poor thing!" She reaches out with that ringed fingered hand and touches my hand, still gripping the very heavy box. "He called me just the other day, told me he couldn't stand another minute without me. He'd broken up with me but...." She smiles. "He saw the error of his ways. So, of course, I came as soon as I could. The minute I walked into this door, he knelt down and gave me our engagement ring back, the one he'd given me in college when we were livin' together. Put it on my finger himself." She raises her hand, showing me the ring better. It's glistening from the light. She lets out a big dreamy sigh. "Of course, I shed tears of joy. I was back in my fiancé's arms."
"But – I … .," I can't get any more words out. I don't know what to say.
"He made love to me immediately and it was so much more than I'd remembered. Those large muscles and that dear, sweet handsome face."
"Yes, well...." I start stammering, not knowing what to do.
"I feel so bad for you, dear. I can tell you have the biggest crush on him. I must speak to him about not telling his friends about us."
"Blair? Are you okay?" Nash's voice makes me blink rapidly and take a step back.
"I think – I'd better – go." I start to turn around when she reaches out her hands.
"Here. Let me take that." I release the box as she takes it. "Smells yummy." I nod, numbly, and run down the steps. "I'll be sure and tell Nash you stopped by," she yells as I round my car and open the door. "Hey! What was your name?"
I get into the car, slamming the door closed, fasten the seatbelt then put it in drive. I try not to look back at his house but my eyes shift that way just as the door closes. I can't seem to tear my eyes away when I see Nash walk up to Barbie – I mean, Blair, through the window beside the front door, taking the box from her. She leans up and kisses him. He shifts the box under one arm and puts his other arm around her. My hands grip the steering wheel tighter as I watch him remove his arm from her, pushing back some of her long hair over her shoulder then pulling her into his side as they walk out of sight.
Tears fill my eyes as I stomp on the gas pedal. Anger, frustration, and my once happy heart breaks into a million pieces as I speed down the long drive. My tires screech when I turn onto the gravel road, making my SUV fishtail but I need to get far away and as fast as possible. How could he do this? What would he have benefited from it? It's not like I have money, hell, he has his own. Was I just a substitute fuck while his Barbie girlfriend and he were broken up? Had he always known they would get back together so he just used me until then? Tears stream down my face as I make my way into town. I pull behind the shop, turn off my car, and grab the keys, getting out and running into the alley and up the stairs. I already had a duffle bag of clothes and some of my bathroom things in the back seat of my car, my apartment all but packed. I started filling another duffle bag from my closet, throwing in more of my clothes and rummaging in my bathroom, leaving drawers open as I pack my small makeup case. I have to leave. I can't stay here now. Not after....
It takes three trips to my car to load it with as much as I could. I tried to take everything that meant something to me, leaving behind things I won't need where I'm going. My phone's been blowing up ever since I got here but I refuse to even look at it. The back seat is full by the time I get in the car. I start to back up, looking at the back of the shop as I pull out. How can I just leave? Leave Sadie, Shiloh, Prie? How can I stay? I can't bear to see his face, hear his voice. My heart is already broken. There'd be nothing left of me if I stayed.
Chapter Seventeen
Nash
"Blair. Come here." I wrap my arm around her shoulders as I carry the box I took from her. She lays her head on my shoulder and we walk toward the kitchen.
Couldn't believe she just showed up at my door a few hours ago. She was shaking, cryin', pretty much a mess. Then I found out why. Her pa had passed away. I'd known him and her for most of my life. Since he and my pa became friends in college, Blair and I had basically grown up together. He was not only a good friend to Pa but to me as well. It hurt me to learn of his passin'. She'd flown here from Texas and rented a car. Pretty much broke down as soon as she told me what happened. Much like my pa, he'd been ill for several years. She was still livin' at home, takin' care of him, somethin' I would have never imagined she could do. She's just not the type. I guess when it's family, and even though her brother was there too, she stepped up.
After I calmed her down we sat and talked in the livin' room while the guys cooked dinner. After a while, I went in to help get things finished, gettin' pretty hungry myself. The whole time I was thinkin' I needed to call Tina, let her know about Blair. We're supposed to move her into my house in the mornin'. I don't want her to get the wrong impression. She needs to understand that it's been over with Blair for years, that she doesn't mean anythin' to me. I hope she'll understand. I need her to. But I just couldn't turn Blair away. She needed comfort and people around her that knew her pa.
"Who was that at the door and what's in the box?" We walk into the kitchen and I set the box down on the breakfast bar.
"Oh." She waves her hand. "Some girl. She said she brought dinner. How nice was that? I didn't know they delivered way out here." Bart walks up and opens the box and starts taking out familiar containers. He looks up at me, his eyes wide.