Chapter 9: Chapter 9

ANNABELLE

The room fell into a hush after Blake’s confession. I couldn’t help but feel a bit foolish for not recognizing him sooner.

I’d been covering the Stone Financial story for the past few months, digging into the company’s history as I tried to uncover the truth. It had been one of the most challenging stories I’d ever covered as an investigative journalist.

The more I discovered about the firm’s downfall, the less and less about it made sense. Something was missing from the company’s official statement, and I was starting to doubt if any of it was ever Blake’s fault.

“The fire is dying,” Blake said, pulling me back to reality.

I let him go and rose, piling some logs onto the embers and watching as they caught fire. We sat in silence for a while, neither of us really knowing how to move past what had just been said.

~Should I tell him I know all about the story? Should I admit that I have been covering it for the last few months? That something about it bothers me, and that was why I was out climbing on my own the day we met?~

“You should probably get some rest,” I said as I stood, moving the chair back over by the table. “I’ll join you in a minute.”

“You’re probably right,” Blake agreed. “Good night, Annabelle.”

His voice was soft, and the way he said my name felt different, as if he savored each syllable.

“Good night, Blake,” I replied.

I listened as he settled down, waiting for the slow and steady sound of his breathing before I climbed in on the other side, carefully draping the extra blanket over us. My mind whirled as I thought about Blake and Stone Financial for a long time before sleep eventually claimed me.

***

A soft hiss of pain woke me. My eyes flew open to find Blake standing up.

“Blake, what are you doing?” I asked, my voice thick with sleep.

I jumped out of bed and hurried over to him, offering my support.

“I’m just getting some wood for the fire,” he said. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s fine. I can get it. Get back in bed. You should be resting,” I said.

“I’m fine. I just couldn’t sleep,” he said, avoiding my gaze as I helped him lie down.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked gently.

He looked up at me and offered a small smile.

“No. It’s nothing important,” he said dismissively.

His words made me frown. If it was keeping him awake, it had to be important, but I didn’t push. He’d talk about it when he was ready.

“I’ll stay up with you until you fall asleep,” I said, adding more logs to the fire before climbing in beside him.

“You don’t have to,” he said, sounding surprised.

“But I want to,” I replied.

He shook his head. “Annabelle, you need your rest.”

“So do you, Blake,” I retorted, stifling a yawn. “I’ll only sleep if you do.”

“You’re a very stubborn woman, you know that,” he said, resting his head on my shoulder.

I jumped, my eyes widening. His weight was a pleasant warmth against me, and I resisted the urge to snuggle into him.

“Would you play with my hair?” he asked quietly. “It helps me fall asleep.”

“Okay.”

I reached up, fingers sliding through his thick, brunette locks. He sighed contentedly, his body relaxing into mine. I tried to ignore the flush of heat that rushed through me.

~This is nice~, I thought as I stroked his hair.

We sat in silence for a long time, just enjoying one another’s company. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so comfortable around someone. Blake was hurting emotionally, and it made me happy that I could do something to help him feel better.

“I’ve always enjoyed this,” Blake said, his voice dreamy. “Wish I had more of it actually.”

“Did your mom used to do this for you, or…your girlfriend?” I asked, hesitating before the last word.

My heart twinged at the thought of him having someone else. I knew it was ridiculous. We barely knew each other, but suddenly the thought of him with another woman made me upset.

“When I was a kid, my mom would stroke my hair to help me fall asleep, especially after a rough day at school,” he said, his voice filled with nostalgia.

“Why did she stop?” I murmured, my fingers still tangled in his hair.

“I grew up,” he said, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice. “When I turned fourteen, everything changed. My mom and I drifted apart. Suddenly, I was too old to be babied like that. I had to ‘be a man,’ according to my dad.”

“That’s terrible,” I said, my heart breaking for him. “Were you an only child?”

“No, I have an older sister,” he replied, catching me off guard. “Her name is Aleah.”

The Stones were a prominent family, but nothing had ever mentioned a daughter. Even I had thought Blake was an only child.

“Oh, were you two close?”

I hoped I didn’t sound like a nosy reporter digging for dirt. It was just such a relief to have him open up to me, and I knew talking about things could be helpful. Blake was silent for a while.

“You don’t have to—” I started, but he cut me off.

“My sister and I weren’t close. I hardly ever saw her. My parents sent her to boarding school when she was young, and then to a different city for college. She studied interior design and still lives there, I think.”

He sighed, shifting so that he leaned more into me.

“My parents wanted a son to inherit the family business, but they had a daughter first. Once I was born, they focused all their attention on me. We didn’t see much of each other growing up. They kept her busy with piano lessons and sports,” he explained, sadness in his voice.

I froze. His words made my heart ache. How could any parent disregard one of their children like that?

“I’m really sorry, Blake,” I whispered.

I hadn’t realized I’d stopped stroking his hair until he reached up and placed my hand back on his head. I smiled and resumed the motion.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” he said softly, tilting so that he could look at me. “I just wish I knew her better. My father kept me so busy with the company that I never got the chance to connect with her. She probably hates me.”

The firelight cast a soft glow on his face, highlighting the strong line of his jaw and cheekbones.

“What about your girlfriend?” I asked, trying to swallow the lump forming in my throat. “Isn’t she worried about you?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said, his eyes locked on mine. “Haven’t had one in over three years. The last one tried to force me into marriage for my money.”

“I’m sorry about that, too,” I said, holding his gaze, the intensity in his face starting to overwhelm me.

“You have a boyfriend, right? Isn’t he worried about you?”

“I told you I don’t have a boyfriend,” I replied. “It’s been a while since the last one actually.”

“Impossible,” he said, frowning.

“Why is that impossible?” I asked, unsure whether to feel offended or pleased. “What about you? There must be plenty of beautiful, wealthy women out there who’d love to be with you.”

“None of them appeal to me,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Impossible,” I echoed his words, watching as a smile creased his handsome face.

“Why do you say that?” he asked.

“You didn’t give me a reason, so why should I? That wouldn’t be fair,” I teased, giving him a cheeky grin.

“No. I suppose not,” he said, his breath warm on my face.

I suddenly realized how close we were.

~When did he lean in? Had I been the one to do that first?~

My heart fluttered in my chest, and I pulled away, starting to climb off the bed. Blake frowned.

“I’m just going to bank the fire. Then you should get some sleep,” I said quickly, turning to leave.

Blake grabbed my wrist.

“Stay here…with me,” he said, his gaze steady.

“Blake…,” I began.

“Please?” he asked, his voice quiet, revealing his vulnerability.

I looked into his eyes and felt my resolve crumble. With a sigh, I agreed.

“Okay,” I said softly. “But let me tend to the fire first. We don’t want to freeze.”

Blake nodded and released my wrist. I added another large log, banking the fire before returning to the bed and climbing in.

Blake pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me as his body pressed into mine, causing me to gasp in surprise. Before I could protest, he shushed me and started humming a tune I didn’t recognize. My eyes grew heavy, the warmth lulling me into a deep, peaceful sleep.