MAD WOMAN.

“We’ll have the results before you know it,” He assured, trying his best to stay calm. Inside he was freaking the fuck out, though. Who wouldn’t be? They couldn’t raise a baby together, at least not right now since she wanted to kick his ass. It’d be a bad environment for everyone. But he always wanted a kid with Blake, the timing just never seemed right. Maybe it wasn’t about the timing to begin with. “No matter what, I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” Wes wasn’t sure if that’s what she wanted to hear, but it’s all he could tell her right now. 

When the timer went off, he went to look at the test. “Two lines.” He wasn’t sure what she wanted him to do or say. In any other situation, he’d be jumping for joy. But right now, he didn’t want to react in a way that would either anger her or scare her. “You okay?”

Blake wished that the circumstances were different and that this was something that they planned instead of it happening by accident.  She’d always dreamed of starting a family with him someday but not quite like this when she could barely stand the sight of him without wanting to cry.  She wasn’t even sure if she was ready to do this.  What if the test was positive?  What was she going to do?  She didn’t want to raise a baby by herself, but she sure as hell wasn’t ready to move passed the marriage just yet.  Her mind went over the possibilities over and over again without any conclusion.  She nodded her head in response as he spoke as she tapped her index finger against her thigh, trying to remain as patient as possible.

She couldn’t deny that she was scared and it was evident in the look in her eyes when the timer went off.  She couldn’t even look at the test on the counter and allowed Wes to read the test, closing her eyes shut tight before he spoke.  Two lines.  It was the result that her best friend craved yet Blake feared so deeply.  But, Blake was pregnant.  Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at Wes as tears welled in her eyes.  “We’re... gonna have a baby,” she said in disbelief as tears spilled down her cheeks.

The neurosurgeon wishes she could Blake with everything she’s currently enduring after learning about Wes’s marriage. The past few months looked promising for the couple like they were on the path their happily ever after. But any lie in a relationship, whether it would be platonic or romantic, can cause heartbreak and shock your entire world. So she can sympathize in that situation but with the drinking, knowing about her friend’s sobriety immediately concerns her. Was it worth giving up the months she has? If she could read into Blake’s mind then she’ll know what the other is thinking. All she can do is build upon the scenarios in her conscience even though this is far from healthy, hoping the other will inform her. Yet, the response from the other is the opposite of such. Not sort of an explanation as Teagan stands there blindsided, knowing she wants to be there for Blake in the heartbreak but also be rational about her sudden decisions. “Blake,” she sternly speaks up, hazel hues latched onto the other. “Do you think that’s smart?” Typically, she bites her tongue and lets it go but if she doesn’t say something then what kind of person she is? “I care about you. I just want you to know that.” Leaning over to the other, a gentle hand rests upon her shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze, more so reassuring that she’s here and not going anywhere. “Stop it, you never have to worry about showing up uninvited, okay? I’m glad to felt safe enough to come here.” 

Teagan can tell it’s bothering Blake about her unexpected arrival, but she can only remind the other that it’s okay. After all, it’s not like anything exhilarating has been happening from her behalf other than cuddling time with Trixie ─ who happens to be invested in her toy. “Listen, sometimes you just need to have extras because fuck knows I have no desire to cook every single day,” she laughs. After all, her workdays are unpredictable. Certain surgeries sometimes, but rarely, go over their scheduled time and by the time she gets home, she’s sluggish and on her way to bed. She’s glad for the moments where she can actually cook and enjoy the sky grow dark. Lifting her fork to her mouth, she used the moment to chew on the food before even responding. It makes sense it’s a dealbreaker. If this was Teagan in the other’s positions, she wouldn’t quite know how to react. “He should’ve told you before you put a label on your relationship again.” The words are laid out flat, making it simple as that. “Just take this day by day. If you don’t want to talk to him, don’t. If you do, then do. I just want you to think about yourself.” 

More than anything, Blake was upset that he’d lied to her and that, as a result, she’d made a fool of herself.  She should have noticed the red flags right away considering it wasn’t the first thing that he lied to her about since he came back into her life.  First, it was that he was renting from a little old lady when in reality he was sleeping on a bench.  Second, it was that he didn’t go to rehab and instead went on a year long bender.  Third, it was the marriage.  She shouldn’t be surprised; she had anticipated that he’d gotten himself into trouble when he was gone, but she never could have anticipated this.  Blake’s fingers tightened around the mug of wine in her hands and, though she knew it wasn’t the smartest idea, it was one of the only things bringing her comfort aside from Teagan.  When the neurosurgeon spoke, Blake couldn’t help but hang her hand in disappointment, giving the slightest shake of her head.  “I don’t know what else to do,” the mechanic’s voice was quiet as she spoke, glancing up at Teagan once again.  “What am I supposed to do, T?”  She asked, almost rhetorically, and brought the mug to her lips again to take a small sip.  The small amount of wine she’d consumed was enough to cause her cheeks to turn a light shade of pink and it wouldn’t take much more for the mechanic to fall asleep on Teagan’s couch, but she was passed the point of caring considering her whole world had been ripped from beneath her feet.  “Thank you,” she said quietly and placed her hand over Teagan’s on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.  “I appreciate this, T.  More than you’ll ever know.”

It wasn’t very often that Blake found herself in this position and she was glad that it brought her here, knowing that she would’ve just spent the night getting shit faced and crying at home by herself.  Though, she found comfort in Teagan’s company more than anything.   As Teagan spoke, she’d brought a mouthful of pasta to her lips again and gave a nod of her head.  “You’re tellin’ me,” Blake said after she swallowed her food.  “Skip The Dishes is too temptin’ sometimes.”  Blake’s hours were nothing compared to Teagan’s as she was lucky to have stable hours.  She couldn’t imagine working the hours that Teag did, but she was making the world a better place and saving people’s lives.  When the conversation came back to Wes, she couldn’t help the shift in her facial expression.  She couldn’t deny how upset she was about it anymore.  It had been enough to drive her back to the bottle.  “I don’t know what to do, T.”  She said, placing the plate of food on the counter beside her.  “I feel like such a fuckin’ idiot, I wanted this so bad.”  Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she mustered up the strength to prevent them from falling.  “And now I jus’... don’t know what to do.  How am I supposed to come back from this?”  She asked, bringing the mug of wine to her lips and finishing off what remained.

Married. The word was echoing in Sutton’s brain like an alarm bell. Jesus. If Maddox had dropped a bomb like that when they were dating she would’ve imploded. So the fact that Blake was at least outwardly holding it together was impressive to the engineer. “I don’t blame you. That’s a…pretty big thing to leave out of conversation,” Sutton said, grabbing plates from her cabinet. “Subject change then,” She agreed. Knowing that Blake wouldn’t want to dwell, she grinned at the comment about Eliza. “Oh we’ve been good. Eliza’s learning how to run now which has been interesting. Maddox has had to chase her away from open doors more times than I’d like to admit.”

Despite how well Blake seemed to be holding it together, she had neglected to inform Sutton about her relapse at Teagan’s the other night.  She wanted to tell her and be honest, but she couldn’t handle the disappointment that would come along with it.  Instead, she decided to keep it to herself.  She hadn’t had another drink since then, though, she had been tempted to multiple times.  She nodded her head in agreement as Sutton spoke, but decided to leave it at that as she didn’t want to get any further into it as Blake was still having a difficult time wrapping her head around the whole thing.  “I miss the lil munchkin.  We’ll have to go on over to the Preserve one of these days and make a whole day of it.”

“Yeah, of course,” He’d follow her wherever she wanted to go. It was better than talking about this in public. Besides, who knew this test was even going to positive or if it was for her to begin with. He couldn’t jump to any conclusions yet. Instead, he shoved the shit he was supposed to be buying and put it onto a random shelf next to him. 

Following her out, he hopped on his bike and followed her home. He knew the way to her house like the back of his hand. She looked hot riding in front of him, any chick that could ride a bike like that was hot in his mind. 

A part of him wanted to be sarcastic with her, it wasn’t like he was going to leave right now, not after literally having to put his shit back at the store. “I’m right here,” He assured, “I ain’t goin’ nowhere.” He so badly wanted to hold her hand, but he couldn’t do that. He didn’t fucking deserve do that. “Let’s go in, let’s take that test,” He suggested heading for the door. “I won’t even look while you’re peein’, I promise.” 

There were very few occasions where Blake actually felt an ounce of fear.  She has had guns pointed at her head and threats against her life but she never batted an eyelash.  She’d always walked away relatively unscathed; maybe a black eye or a slice to the arm, but nothing serious ever came from that.  This, however, was something that she’d never thought she’d have or deserved.  She’d done a lot of terrible things in her life and the last thing she felt as though she deserved was some type of happy ending.  She knew that she’d never have the life that Andy and Rowan had, but it was always something she’d wanted.  But, she’d wanted it under normal circumstances not after finding out about Wes’ secret marriage.  It was the one thing in the world that she always wanted to do right considering her life had always be unconventional, but even that choice had been taken from her.

It was hard for her to hear him being so kind to her especially after everything that happened, but this wasn’t something she would be able to do alone.  “Thank you,” she said as she made her way toward the downstairs bathroom.  She didn’t know what she was going to do if it were positive as she hadn’t really thought that far ahead, but it was a reality she may have to face.  She opened the bathroom door and pulled the test from the cardboard packaging before pulling her pants down and taking a seat on the toilet, trying not to make eye contact with Wes.

After she finished taking the test, she quickly cleaned herself up and pulled her jeans back up around her waist before putting the cover back on the end of the test.  She pulled her phone out and set a timer for five minutes before glancing up at him again, resisting the urge to reach out and grab his hand or wrap her arms around him.  “Now, we wait.”  For what she was sure to be the longest five minutes of her life.

He knew that she had every right to hate him, every right to be mad. It just wasn’t how he was expecting them to end. They had literally gone through so much and to throw it away cause he fucked up just didn’t sit right with him. He was going to make things right. He listened to the anger in her voice. She was pissed, just as pissed as she was when she found out. 

Then the box fell and his eyes immediately went upon it. 

Should he bring it up? Should he not? Even if she was fucking someone else now, there was no way she’d be taking a test that quickly with them. Nah, this was all of his business. But he didn’t want to make a scene, not here. So he quickly walked up to her, “You alright?” He asked as he looked down at the box, keeping his voice low, “I ain’t stupid, I know what kinda test that is.” 

Blake was angry and she could have kept at this all day.  This wasn’t something that they were going to fight over for a week and then brush under the rug as if it didn’t happen.  He’d lied to her on multiple occasions since they’ve given it another chance.  First, when he told her that he was renting a place from some old lady but in reality was sleeping on a fucking bench.  Second, when he’d told her that he didn’t actually attend rehab.  And third, was the bombshell about his marriage.  So, god forbid that Blake wasn’t exactly willing to hear what kind of bullshit excuses that he would come up with.

But the entire direction of the conversation changed when he noticed the pregnancy test.  You alright?  A bark of laughter escaped her lips though tears threatened to fall from her eyes.  The simple answer was no.  She wasn’t alright.  Blake had always wanted to have kids especially with Wes, but not like this.  Not when she wanted nothing to do with him and couldn’t even stand the sight of him.  She wanted something about their relationship to be normal.  “No, m’not.”  She finally said, quietly.

As she looked at him, it was evident that she was not okay and it was because she was scared.  She didn’t want to do this alone, even though she still couldn’t stand the sight of him.  In any other situation, she would’ve called Rowan but not with this.  “I never said you were stupid.  I jus’... don’t wanna do this here.”  Instead of abandoning the test like she had originally intended, she decided to go through the self check-out as quickly as she could and made her way outside, not even bothering to take the receipt.  “Can you jus’... follow me home?”

Blake didn’t wait for a response as she got onto her bike and pulled her helmet on before kicking the stand down as the engine turned over.  She made her way out of the parking lot and toward her house, as the full weight of the situation at hand began to settle on her shoulders.  The drive to her house didn’t take very long.  It was no longer than five minutes before she pulled into her driveway and brought her bike to a halt, kicking the stand down and getting off her bike.  She was surprised that Wes pulled up alongside her and that he didn’t make a run for it.

It wasn’t that the two of them never talked about children, but neither of them could have expected it in this circumstance.  Despite the rage that Blake felt, she still loved Wes and there was no one else she’d rather do this with even if she didn’t want to be with him anymore.  “Surprised you didn’t make a run for it,” she commented as she made her way to her front door, trying to make it sound like a joke because she knew she would’ve.  As she entered her house, she abandoned her helmet on the nearest surface before pulling the pregnancy test from her bag.  “I, uh...” she paused.  “I don’t wanna do this alone, Wes.”

He could see she was hiding something, noting the color of the package. Even if he couldn’t see the words, he was curious enough to look it up later now. “Watch your mouth, there could be kids in the store,” Or people in general. And he wasn’t about to make a big scene here. “Very funny,” He almost let out a fake laugh just to entertain her idea of a joke, but he figured it was still a bit too fresh to do that. At least he knew she was still around here, and didn’t run the fuck away. “I told you I was sorry ‘bout that.” 

How could he not care? He still loved her, whatever she was hiding. “Cause you’re hidin’ something like it’s a fucking mini bottle of Vodka,” He insisted, following her as she began to walk away from him. They weren’t done with this conversation. “Are you drinking again?” He didn’t want to be the reason she relapsed, no fucking way. 

“I don’t care,” she snapped over her shoulder as she continued to move through the store, trying to find somewhere to abandon the box, so she could leave the super market.  She didn’t want to have this conversation in the first place, let alone in the Olympus Super Market.  The roll of her eyes went unnoticed by him as she still had her back to him as he spoke.  She wanted this to be over.  She was humiliated enough and the last thing she needed was for him to follow her through the super market right now.  I told you I was sorry ‘bout that.  She was practically seeing red as he continued to speak at her back and it took every ounce of strength she could muster not to turn on her heels and scream in his face.  Instead, she settled on saying, “As if sorry is goin’ to fuckin’ fix that.”

The almost accusatory tone of his voice caused her to come to a halt and turn on her heels to face him, losing her handle on the pregnancy box in her hand.  “That’s none of your ––”  Before she could finish her sentence, the box slipped from her fingers and fell on the floor between them.  Immediately, Blake crouched down to retrieve the box from the floor, hoping that he didn’t notice what it was, tucking it behind her again.  “Fuckin’ business.”  She finished as she stood, trying to gauge his reaction.

Eliza was fast asleep. Which was most likely going to remain the entire evening. She’s been sleeping through the night recently. However she did have a tiny meltdown that Maddox wasn’t the one reading to her tonight, and Sutton had a feeling her daughter would remind her of that sooner or later. But for now she was peaceful. And that’s what mattered. Because now she could focus on dinner and her friend who seemed to be carrying herself in a completely different way than the last time they talked. She seemed weighed down by something. Opening the oven to check on the food, Sutton almost fell in when Blake spoke. “Wait what?” 

Straightening up, Sutton shut the oven and leaned her elbows on the island’s countertop. While the news was shocking to her, the engineer couldn’t imagine how shocking it was to Blake. “Fucking married? What the fuck, that’s absolutely awful. Blake I’m so sorry…I know you guys were getting back together.” Reaching out she put a hand on top of Blake’s “You deserve better than to be lied to.”

Blake was still having difficulty coping with the whole ordeal, though, Sutton’s reaction reassured her that she wasn’t overreacting considering Wes had tried to act like it wasn’t as big of a deal as it was.  Her brows raise as she gave a nod of her head as Sutton approached her and she couldn’t help the sight of defeat that escaped her lips.  She didn’t want her entire life to be focused on this, but it was a big deal and she still wasn’t sure how to cope with the whole thing.  There was a part of Blake that had always craved Wes, but with this newfound information, Blake wasn’t so sure if that would be the case anymore.  The mechanic knew that she wasn’t perfect and that she’d been with others since they had originally split up, but she could never have fathomed saying yes to another person at an altar regardless of how much alcohol was involved.  The whole thing had left her feeling betrayed and by the one person she ever really loved no less.  “Married,” she repeated.  Wes had always been a private person and she was sure she would receive some type of backlash from him for sharing his secret with Sutton, but she wasn’t going to sit here and lie to her.  “I hope so,” she said as she forced a chuckle from her lips.  “It was a lot to take in, to be honest, but... we’re not together anymore.  Not after that.”  Blake continued.  “But, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.  How are you doing?  I’ve missed you and that beautiful baby of yours.”

Starter for: @blakecastillo​

He’d gotten to Blake’s right after his shift at the Dive. It was an earlier shift so he ordered a pizza to pick up on the way over and a case of beer which was for him since last he checked, Blake stopped drinking. Now he was set on her couch and ready to spend the night hanging out with a friend. To say he was sick of the clubhouse would be a lie since he hadn’t spent much time there, even though most of his stuff was there. Instead, he’d been playing musical couches and guest rooms, making sure not to stay more than a day or two. Regardless of what they told him, he didn’t like the idea of putting someone out for too long. If he wasn’t so close with Ro and Andy, he would have never stayed with them so long. Not like he had a choice in the matter, anyways.

“Thanks for letting me hang, B. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a place of my own soon enough, just need to find the right house.” He said, opening the pizza box and taking a slice. “Hope you’re okay with pepperoni and sausage. It’s the best one.” Finn was all about all meat but the ham at the place he went to was out, so he opted for just two toppings. “Is it cool that I drink?” He asked as he opened one of the cans and took a drink. Finn wasn’t the best at waiting for almost anything. She saw him walk in with it, so he figured she didn’t mind too much.

To say that Blake had been laying low since Wes had broken the news to her would have been an understatement.  She was fucking humiliated by the fact that she’d made a fool of herself to end up being lied to in the end.  She had mostly been spending her nights at home and attempting to avoid the temptation to go down the corner store to buy the cheapest bottle of wine.  Aside from the night she’d gone to Teagan’s, she had been doing well, though, her stomach hadn’t agreed with the sudden reintroduction to alcohol.  The passed few days she’d felt perpetually hungover as she’d woken up only to find herself with her head in the toilet.  She didn’t think much of it, but she was starting to question it.  When Finn arrived with a pizza in hand and a case of beer in the other, it was hard for her to turn him away.  She knew that his apartment received the worst of the storm and this was probably his way of asking for a place to crash.  She didn’t mind as Finn was starting to grow on her.   She glanced over at him as he spoke and gave a shrug of her shoulders before saying, “I don’t mind.  You’re good company, anyway.  You’re always welcome here, Finn.”  Blake reached over to grab a slice of pizza for herself and took a bite.  “Free pizza is the best pizza,” she said with a chuckle before taking another bite.  Against her best interest, Blake gave a nod of her head when he asked if he could drink.  “Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind.”  She said almost dismissively, though she feared the smell would tempt her, and watched as he cracked it and took a sip.  “What have you been up to, anyway?”

There weren’t many times that Wes went to the supermarket. But he wanted to contribute his fair share at the Thane household since they were nice enough to take him in. The least he could do was get some snacks without them asking. After getting what he thought Maddie would especially like, he made his way to the front of the store to check out. 

He was ready to approach her, ready to ask why she had seemingly told people. It wasn’t her business anymore, now that they weren’t together. He wouldn’t go and blab about her personal life to anyone, so he expected the same in return. “Trust me, I’m just as pissed that I gotta see you,” His eyes immediately went to whatever she was hiding behind her back. Maybe it was condoms and she didn’t want him to know she was having sex with others. But whoever couldn’t buy their own was a god damn pussy. “Whatchu hidin’ back there? Your new boyfriend?” He wasted no time calling her out. 

She knew she should tell him the reason for her visit to the super market today, but she didn’t want to just yet.  Mostly because Blake wasn’t sure if what she was experiencing was exactly what she had thought it was.  A few mornings spent on the bathroom floor didn’t necessarily mean she was pregnant; it could still be the sudden recurrence of alcohol, though, she was still gunning for the sudden allergy.  The mere sight of Wes standing in front of her had ignited a sense of anger within her and all she wanted was to leave the super market and abandon her plan to even take the test.  It’s not like she had intentions of bringing a child into the world when her life was this much of a mess.  When he spoke, she couldn’t help but give a roll of her eyes.  “Fuck you,” she said as she turned to face him, trying to keep the pregnancy test from his line of vision.  “What do you have to be fuckin’ mad about?”  She snapped in a hushed tone, trying to avoid causing a scene in the super market.  The cocky attitude that Wes portrayed enraged her further and Blake wanted nothing more than to punch the smug look right off his face.  “No, actually, just my secret fuckin’ husband.”  Her tone was sharp as she spoke before a scoff escaped her lips along with the roll of emerald hues, fingers gripping tightly around the box in her hand.  Despite the anger she felt deep within her bones, tears threatened to spill from her eyes and it took all the strength she could muster to prevent them as she stared at Wes standing before her.  “Why do you even fuckin’ care?”  She asked almost rhetorically as she turned on her heels and tried to walk away from him.

The passed two weeks had gone by in a blur of mornings spent on the bathroom floor with her head in the toilet and a weird feeling in her gut that she couldn’t explain.  It had initially started a few days after Wes had told her about the marriage and she had attributed it to the fact that she had reintroduced alcohol to her system after a lengthy shot at sobriety, but when the nausea refused to relent, she knew it was something more.  Blake wanted to believe it was a sudden allergy to gluten or that she had food poisoning.  She was willing to believe anything that disputed the thought itching at the back of her mind because it just couldn’t be possible.  She knew that her and Wes weren’t exactly careful, but she never thought that this would be something she’d have to worry about.  This happened to careless teenagers; not a thirty-five year old woman.

Blake had dismissed the idea until curiosity got the best of her which was what brought her to the supermarket.  She needed to prove a point, if only to herself.  She made her way into the supermarket and glanced around to see if she could spot anyone she knew.  The last thing she needed was for this to end up in the Olympus Rumour Mill.  She wandered around other aisles before finding herself looking at pregnancy tests.  She grabbed the first one she could find and made her way toward the front of the store.  The last person that she had expected, or wanted for that matter, to run into today was Wesley fucking Evans.  Yet, here he was, standing before her as she tucked the pregnancy test behind her back before he could see it.  “Seriously,” she grumbled as she looked at him, trying to move passed him.  “Can I go anywhere without seeing you?”

“They were with my parents,” Rowan supplies easily, shoulders lifting in a short shrug. Both her kids take after her, uneasy when it comes to storms. Usually she and Andy will help Maddie build a blanket fort in the toy room and wait it out the four of them cuddled up, except in extreme cases like the other day. “Maddie said they had fun. Acted like they were campin’ or something.” For all of their faults, Addie and Henry are great grandparents and Rowan hadn’t had any worries about whether or not her kids were going to be well taken care of and that they’d feel secure during the whole ordeal. She nods when Blake explains the damage that had been done, glad it’s mostly contained to the backyard rather than the house itself. “M’sure the townships gonna be busy the next few weeks with tree removal. Seems like for every tree left standin’ there’s two that got wrecked.” Which is maybe dramatic, seeing as she hasn’t seen the damage of the entire town but almost everyone she’s spoken to sees to have some sort of tree damange, which makes sense given the circumstances. Her eyes roll when Blake mentions Wes, though with her back to the brunette as she ruffles through the cabinets for mugs it goes unseen. It isn’t that she doesn’t want them to be together — she does. She thinks there is probably a reason that they keep coming back to each other every time, she just isn’t sure that now is the right time for all of that. Of course, she hadn’t mentioned any of that to Blake, instead having had that conversation with Wes. “We should be alright,” she reassures, pouring boiled water into both mugs before adding tea bags. “Ryder and Andy’ll probably have it cleared out before I even have a chance to get annoyed at what a fuckin’ mess it is.” She turns to move to the table, setting one of the mugs in front of Blake and taking a seat in one of the free chairs. “At least we’re both relatively unscathed.” Looking at Blake, it’s clear that she’s upset about something but Rowan’s not really sure what, their signals having been crossed for the last little bit, both distracted with their own lives. “You doin’ okay?”

It would be a lie if Blake said that she didn’t despise Rowan’s parents for what they had put their daughter through considering the mechanic had witnessed firsthand what it had done to her.  Considering their feelings toward the club, Blake had always assumed that her parents shared the same feelings toward her, but she couldn’t be bothered to care as she had already written them off in her head.  However, Blake could appreciate the fact that they finally swallowed their pride for their grandchildren because Maddie and Benny deserved the world and they would have gotten it, with or without Addie and Henry Fisher.  “That’s sweet,” she said with a chuckle.  “M’sure they loved it.”  Blake can’t help but smile to herself at the thought of another Thane baby added to the bunch and tried to contain herself, unsure if Rowan knew that Andy had informed her of the fertility treatments.  “The town looks pretty rough, honestly.  Have you heard from Teag?  Her grandma’s shop is... pretty bad.  I figured she got enough people blowin’ up her phone.”  She knew she shouldn’t have driven around town today, but she couldn’t help but wonder about the state of the town and wanted to make sure her loved ones were okay.  She knew that Rowan didn’t necessarily approve of her and Wes rekindling their relationship right now, but it made her happy for the time being.  “Yeah, m’gonna get Wes and see if Finn’s around to help me take a crack at our backyard and pray that we can get most of it cleaned up.”  She said as Rowan made her way over to the table, taking the mug that was offered to her.  “Yeah, m’glad you guys are alright.”  Blake replied as she bounced the teabag around in her mug.  “Jus’... miss you is all.  Feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

Andy isn’t sure what to make of all of this – It’s hard to wrap his head around, finding himself more confused than anything. Wes hadn’t gone to rehab, he’d just used it as a guise and spent the last year getting fucked up and apparently marrying strangers. It explains how nonchalant he’d been about his ‘relapse’, causing Andy to question everything his friend had said to him since his return home. He can only imagine how Blake feels, and with both her and Wes dealing with their own personal issues as well as this whirlwind romance they’ve fallen into – Andy’s sure the result of this is going to be messy. “Jesus, B.” He replies with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. Everything’s all fucked up. “Apparently. What else do you know?” He finds himself ask, though he’s sure Blake doesn’t have any more answers beyond that. Knowing her, she wouldn’t have listened to any explanation Wes came up with. 

Blake didn’t necessarily want to go around telling people about Wes’ year long bender, but she knew that she could trust Andy more than anyone else in Olympus.  Plus, she also knew that he wasn’t the gossiping type and that the furtherest that this information would go between them is Rowan.  Though, she had ended up at Teagan’s the night prior to avoid adding any undue stress on Rowan’s shoulders, so she had hoped that Andy wouldn’t inform her of all of this right away but knew it was unlikely.  When he spoke, her brows raised in response as she gave a nod of her head.  “Honestly?  Not much,” she admitted.  “He told me he didn’t go to rehab a few weeks ago and only came home because he knew he couldn’t have stayed away much longer without causin’ some suspicion within the club.  But, he said he wanted to get back on the straight and narrow when he got home,” she said with a shrug, glancing over at Andy.  “He only told me about the fuckin’ marriage yesterday.  Said it meant nothin’ and he’s sorry but that doesn’t make up for the fact he lied to me for the last two months.”

@blakecastillo​​

He found solace in the quiet of a not yet busy shop. Getting there earlier than the other mechanics, and just messing around with the car he had at his station. It helped clear Jeremiah’s head. Messing around with a faulty motor, the sargent allowed his mind to clear of everything weighing him down - concerns about his family, what he and Teagan discussed earlier - and just focused on the movement of his hands. The plan worked almost too well, considering he didn’t realize that he had company until the other person was standing directly next to him. “Jesus,” the shop owner gasped as he dropped his screwdriver on the ground, turning to see who had just arrived. Blake. “Damn, you out here trying to give me a heart attack?” He asked, crouching down to grab the screw driver again. “Been a minute, how’ve you been, Blake?”

Punctuality had always been something that was important to Blake so it was no surprise when she had showed up for her 8 AM shift twenty minutes early with a coffee in hand.  She pushed the door open and made her way in, expecting to see Delphine behind her desk but instead found it empty.  She figured that Jeremiah had to be around somewhere or else the door wouldn’t have been open.  As she ventured further into Thane Auto, she heard the sound of tools coming from, what she could only assume was, Jeremiah’s station.  She made her way across the floor and went to greet Jeremiah as he gasped with a clang of his screwdriver.  A chuckle passed through Blake’s lips at his reaction.  “Not intentionally,” she teased.  “But you should know by now I’m almost always the first one here.”  She said as she brought her coffee to her lips, taking a small sip as Jeremiah crouched down to grab the screw driver he’d lost.  “Been better, been worse.”  She said with a shrug, not providing much more of an explanation behind her response and instead turned the conversation back on him.  “What about you?  How’re you doin’?”  She wanted to make a comment about Teagan being back in town, but she figured she should hold off on the topic of romantic connections to avoid the dreaded Wes conversation.

@blakecastillo​

“So what’s been new with you?” Sutton asked, pushing the baking sheet back into the oven. The baby was in bed, Maddox was out getting beers with some of the guys - work had been stressful for both of them that week, but Maddox was actually out there dealing with everything hands on. He deserved a break. So Sutton sent him on his way and invited Blake over for dinner. One of those monthly meal kit things that Alice got the couple a subscription to for their anniversary. It hadn’t hit the younger woman just how long it had been since she saw Blake - and she really didn’t trust the passage of time much right now anyway, the storm felt like it took years instead of hours - until she opened the door to usher her inside before Goose got out. 

There was something in the air; something Sutton couldn’t place. And as she poured herself another glass of water and peeked at the video baby monitor, the former ballerina finally decided she couldn’t take the suspense anymore. “Is somethin’ going on, Blake? You seem upset.”

Blake had been relieved when Sutton had invited her over for dinner.  It had been too long since the pair had gotten together and, quite frankly, Blake had missed her.  Her friendship with Sutton was one of the few normal things in her life that she could cling to and she needed that now more than ever considering everything that had been going on with Wes.  So, with that being said, Blake pulled herself off of her couch and put on a pair of worn-out jeans and a t-shirt that surely didn’t belong to her before making her way over to the Hart household.  When Sutton opened the door and appeared before her, she plastered on a smile as best as she could and ushered the dog inside as she made her way in.  “Hey, babe.”  She said as she pulled her coat from her shoulders, hanging it up near the door before making her way toward the kitchen.  The mechanic followed the engineer’s gaze toward the baby monitor before she glanced back at Sutton, the facade almost melting off her face.  She wanted to lie and tell Sutton that everything was fine, that work was just stressful or that she was upset about James leaving again, but she couldn’t bring herself to anymore.  She was exhausted.  “I’ll be honest, Sut, it’s been a rough week.”  She admitted before continuing.  “Me n’ Wes... I dunno, we tried to make it work and do it right but it jus’... didn’t work.  I, uh... found out that he’s married and didn’t tell me.”

He’s not what he expects her to say. The answer to his question could be anything, really – Blake’s life isn’t exactly drama free these days. And with Wes back in the picture and the two entering this hot and cold, up and down with each other, Andy’s not sure what’s coming his way. A brow raises as she speaks, still not sure where she’s headed with this. The look on his face makes his makes the shock and confusion clear. Wes is married. Wes is… married? Who the fuck could be married to? He spent the last year finding himself and get sober, how did he fucking get married? There’s a about a million questions running through Andy’s head, but he refrains from firing them at Blake. It’s clear that she’s got plenty on her mind now, and he can’t blame her – While he may not know exactly what’s going on between her and Wes, they still have history and to find something like that out out of nowhere would hurt anyone. “He’s married?” Andy questions, finding the words on his tongue to sound foreign and unsure. “When did you find out?” He asks, trying to paint a clearer picture. 

The mixed look of shock and confusion on Andy’s face is enough to pull a sad chuckle from her lips, giving a shake of her head before taking a long drag of her cigarette.  “Should’a seen my face,” Blake said with an exhale of smoke from her chest.  She knew Andy probably didn’t want to get too wrapped up in what was going on with her and Wes, as she knew that he preferred to keep to himself, but Andy was one of the few people in this world she trusted.  And frankly, she needed him.  “Mhm,” she nodded with a hum.  “Guess he didn’t go to rehab and went on a year long bender and didn’t tell no one.  Jus’ happened to get married to some random woman in Vegas or somethin’,” she scoffed with a look of disgust as she took another drag.  “Yesterday,” she said with a raise of her brow for added effect.  She desperately wished that she could stand here in front of Andy and tell him that it was all stupid and meant nothing, but that was simply not true.  The news of Wes’ marriage had ripped the metaphorical rug that was her life from under her feet and left her reeling.  “Everythin’s all fucked up, man.”

There’s no denying that Teagan’s confused but nonetheless, she follows through with her friend’s requests and knows Blake will speak when she’s ready. Now, maneuvering around the spacious kitchen to finish off her dinner, in her peripheral vision she sees the other opening up cabinets in search of a mug. Instantly, one thing alerts the petite brunette is the potential witness of seeing Blake break her sobriety in front of her eyes. “You’re drinking?” A question is rapid to fall from her mouth, turning to send the other a vaulted brow. She isn’t the type to judge but considering she knows about the others sobriety ─ it’s a baffling sight. “It’s fine. You caught me at a good time. I had an early day today,” she reassures kindly. In the opposite room of her home, the neurosurgeon can hear Trixie growling at her new beloved chew-toy, a squeezable Chicken, expecting it to bark back or fight with her because the pup’s too young to understand it’s an inanimate object. Still, while she listens briefly to the dog, a nod indicates Teagan had been listening to Blake’s worries about Rowan. She understands and respects the other’s decision but doesn’t verbalize it because the growl in her stomach fills her concern again. It’s been a long day ─ hell, long couple of days, and now, something is going on with Blake. Perhaps, she’ll get to the bottom of it. Or, the other will help take the steps forward in knowing. Either or, the petite brunette will be there.  

“There’s plenty. I always make way too much… like I’m having a dinner party.” A laugh slips off her mouth. Putting two-spoon of chicken alfredo on the plate, right after handing it off to her friend. It doesn’t take Teagan long to know the other has a sorrowful demeanor upon her feature. The truth is, half of the time, she has no idea what’s happening in her friend’s life. It’s always a mystery around Blake. Mostly because the neurosurgeon minds her business, respecting other’s decisions to come over and share whenever they feel like it’s the right time instead of being forced to do so. He’s married to another woman ─ at the same time Teagan was about to take a bite of her dinner, she had to set the plate down as a sigh heaved through. Now everything makes sense about Blake’s sudden appearance at her front door and feeling the need to explain everything herself. “Wes is married?” A puzzled look intensifies upon her features, knowing no matter how long you spent with someone a surprise is always around the corner. Resting a hand upon Blake’s shoulder, the moment of quietude and her hazel optics searching for the right words focus elsewhere in the kitchen. “Blake,” she softly begins, the words finally making way, “Marriage is unexpected, but there’s always divorce. Do you think this is a dealbreaker forever for you?” No one is perfect, but finding out your partner is married is an unexpected curveball. 

Of all people in the world, Blake understood the consequences for what she was about to do.  She was throwing away long months of sobriety based solely on the fact that she couldn’t handle the emotional turmoil she was dealing with.  Her sobriety had always been a slippery slope and who knew what would come from one bottle of wine.  Would it cause a heart broken induced bender?  Or would it be a one and done kind of thing?  It was hard to tell, but as of right now, all she wanted was the comfort that came from the warmth of a stomach full of wine.  When Teagan asked the question, Blake made a face as she shrugged her shoulders, followed by a sigh of defeat as she stared at the mug in her hands.  She couldn’t shake the feeling of regret she had for taking that first sip, but man, did it taste good.  “Yeah,” she said finally with a sigh, not providing much more of an explanation for her actions.  She wasn’t in any position to try to excuse her actions nor was she going to try to justify her behaviour because she fully understood the consequences and she had come to terms with it.  “I jus’... feel bad, I know it was out of nowhere.  But, like I said, i jus’... didn’t know where else to go.”  And I didn’t want to be alone, she wanted to add but chose not to.

“Trust me, I know what that’s like.”  Blake laughed at the neurosurgeon’s words and reached out to grab the plate that was offered to her.  She knew better to refuse food and that it wasn’t a good idea to eat on an empty stomach to begin with.  Though Teagan insisted she didn’t have a problem with Blake showing up, she knew that her arrival had been unexpected and she couldn’t help but feel that Teagan had more exciting things to do than partake in Blake’s relapse.  She took a mouthful of pasta before glancing over Teagan with an almost empty look in her eyes as the neurosurgeon spoke.  She glanced down at the mug again as the weight of what was happening began to really settle on her shoulders, tears threatening to spill from emerald hues.  “Yeah,” she nodded her head.  The marriage had been unexpected, however, Blake was hurt more so by the fact that she had made a fool of herself and he had been lying the whole time.  “As of right now, it’s a deal breaker.”  She admitted, though she couldn’t imagine the rest of her life without Wesley Evans in it.  “He was lying the whole time, T.”

Truthfully, Andy’s not sure what’s going on with Blake, or her relationship with Wes anymore. If there’s another he’d learned in the last thirty-four years, it was to keep himself out of other people’s business. Instead, he let his wife keep him up to date on all of the gossip around town, and he assumed no one knew anything. Frankly, he’s found over the years that he doesn’t want to know about most of the drama happening in peoples lives – So it’s a system that works. Especially considering the last time he had assumed someone was on the same page as him, he had accidentally told Blake about the fertility treatments. Though that had gone over well, he still had put his foot in his mouth. It’s clear that something is going on with her, brows furrowing as she seems to struggle through the day. Truthfully, she looks hungover – But he doesn’t want to jump to that conclusion just yet, knowing she’d worked hard on her sobriety in the last five months. He approaches her slowly, watching as she hunches against the wall. “What the fuck happened?” He questions, ripping the bandaid right off. Andy has no interest in sugar coating, or coddling her – It’s clear something’s going on, and he wants to get to the bottom of it. “You look like shit.”

Blake, of all people, knew that Andy meant well but the sight of him is enough to make her want to break down.  He was one of the only people in the entire town she truly trusted and while, Rowan was relatively left in the dark about what was going on in her life right now, she couldn’t help the need to confide in Andy.  But, as much as she wanted to pour her heart out to her brother, she couldn’t bring herself to as she knew that the Thane’s had enough on their plate as of late with fertility treatments and trying to expand their family and the last thing they needed was to deal with her and Wesley’s drama.  Blake glanced over at him and despite her attempt to hide the hurt she was feeling, she knew Andy would see right through her because he knew her better than that.  She wanted to lie and just say she was coming down with the flu or something because she didn’t want to admit that the minute things had gone sour with Wes that she had relapsed; she didn’t want to admit to him, of all people, that she had failed.  “I fucked up,” she admitted as if she was a dog with her tail between her legs.  “Everythin’s all fucked up, man.”  She shook her head and tried to muster up the strength to stop the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.  “Wes is married,” she said sadly as she pulled her cigarette pack from her back pocket, pulling one from the pack and lighting it quickly to take a long drag.  “We were... I dunno, tryin’ to do it right, I guess, and he was fuckin’ lyin’ this whole time.”