Chapter 12

"I will take good care of her"Blake thinks as he drives past the tall trees down the hill to the summer house. His jaw opens by itself as he reached his destination. In front of him is the mansion with lots of green. He steps down from the car for a better view. The sun rays hitting the glass reflects on his face. The house glimmers in the sun making the whole view seem like a day dream.

He walks closer and checks if Irye is around because he did not see her car. He passes through the trimmed grass wall and cocks his head to the left then to the right before getting to the door.

He presses the bell then waits for a response. For five minutes he's been frustratingly calling Irye's name and for like the thousandth time pressing the bell.

Irye is inside crying as she feels the objective memories she made with her mom. She decides not to mind even though she hears the bell. Blake keeps on calling her name asking if she is alright but because the house is sound proof, she does not hear him.

Blake now tired,sits on the door step and passes his hands through his already ruffled hair again.

"Irye, I know you are in there. Open up...please. Don't hurt yourself...we can talk about it."he says with ears alert hoping for a little sound from the room.

After waiting for some minutes,he stands pressing the doorbell and voices out in frustration"Please Irye, don't keep me waiting anxiously. Open up alright"

He puts his hands on the door followed by his forehead and closes his eyes.

"Please" he pleads again.

Back at the McVenus mansion,Abigail says goodbye to no one in particular and leaves. Grams and the cousins sit on the couch worrying something might happen to Irye. Evie keeps calling Blake but his phone is unfortunately in his car which makes the family even more worried because he is not picking up.

Mirabel,as if there is nothing going on sings gloriously in the kitchen. She does that to anger Grams and yeah, it's really working because she is up walking towards the stairs out of rage. The cousins follow which makes Mirabel laugh to herself.

Meanwhile at the summer house, Blake keeps pressing the bell and after Irye is tired of hearing it,she wipes her face and walks to the door.

Opening the door,she meets a worried face looking at her. She becomes startled on seeing Blake wondering what he is doing and how he gets to know there.

"Evie told me"Blake says with traces of tiredness in his voice as though he read her mind.

Irye gives an unhappy smile before realising her face is still sticky with tears. She covers her face out of embarrassment and Blake keeps looking at her.

"Are you okay now?"he asks entering. Irye follows after closing the door.

"Urm..how..w.. what.."she stutters.

"Evie told me you were not okay and it's obvious. What happened? Do you mind telling me?"Blake asks leaning on the couch.

Irye walks closer to him holding back her emotions from recalling what happened.

"Nothing really happened"she lies."Nothing major. Am just being too sensitive."she tries making sense.

Blake scans her for a while before speaking"Nothing major but you run from home with your pajamas on".

Realization strikes her and she looks at herself in the blue pants and flory shirt. She becomes embarrassed and looks away,walking but is pulled by Blake, almost clashing into him. They are now six inches apart.

"Tell me. I'll listen. It will only keep hurting you if you keep it in."Blake says looking down at Irye. She feels his breath on her neck because he is a little taller than her.

She looks up measuring the distance between them keeping eyes on his clear cut face features. She does not realize she is touching his chest until her eyes trail back down to her hand.

"Oh"she steps back a little and takes a deep breath. "Alright"finally giving in.

They sit on the floor legs folded in between.

"My mom visited.."Irye sighs."No,she didn't come for me. she was in the neighborhood so she stopped by."She fakes a smile.

"She left for eleven years without sending even a letter or visiting...or maybe passing on a message to me. But yesterday,...yesterday she popped up"she says gesturing her latter sentence.

She pauses, controlling her mix of emotions about to pour out. Blake notices and takes her hand in his.

"It's okay."he comforts her. Irye purses her lips.

"A lot of drama took place yesterday before you called"She chuckles a bit before continuing."At least you helped me forget my worries for a moment."

"But this morning, m..mom..."Irye pauses again finding it hard to continue."She told me she was leaving and told me the reason she left me back then too."

Blake rub the back of her hand gently with his thumb and looks at her sending a message that it's okay.

"She said I am a monster, a curse and that she regrets birthing me."A tear falls as she bit her lower lip closing her eyes to endure."As if that wasn't enough, I found out my mother...she left us for my Uncle."

She exhales and sniffles as her tears fall.

"Because of her selfishness, she left her five year old daughter and husband for another man"she heaves. "I was confused first because Grams and the others made face expressions at my mom's name and why my dad was addicted to alcohol but now I know and it hurts..."she inhales sharply.

"It hurts at how I think my mom destroyed our family." She forces herself to stop her uncontrollable tears but to no avail.

The pain she is feeling at that very moment hurts her every second she thinks of her mother.

"Where does that put me Blake, where?"she asks.

Seeing her cry, Blake can't help but feel the pain she is feeling. He hugs her, patting her head. Irye hugs him back tightly and so does he.

"Am right here"he says now rubbing her back slowly."Pour your sorrows on me and let go."

Irye shakes her head in disagreement."I can't forgive her.I thought I could but..but I just can't bring myself to after all this."

Blake pulls from the hug and wipes her tears.

"Don't let it trouble you. Move on. What really matters is that you still have a family that cares about you."Blake says gently caressing her face.

He hugs her again."You also have me."he tells her before breaking their hug.

"Go dress up and be the sassy Irye I've always known. I mean c'mon take a look at yourself in the mirror."he jokes and helps her stand.

He urges for her to go and she nods as she turns to go.