Taking the Leap (River Rain 3)

“Invite him in, Cassandra,” Dad ordered.

Shit!

Cassandra disappeared.

“What’s going on?” Blake demanded.

Rix looked to me.

I sat back down.

His head tipped to the side to say, No help from you? Really?

I wanted to help. Really.

But I was at a loss of how to do that.

“Oh, wow, babe, hey. You’re here. A surprise.”

Chad was in the room.

He was rushing to Blake, ignoring her stiff body, kissing her cheek, and acting so completely guilty of something, it would have been hilarious if this whole thing wasn’t so terrifying.

“Uh, Mr. Sharp,” he greeted Dad.

Okay, it was then I realized that I’d known Chad a while. Chad had been dating Blake a while. Chad (maybe?) was marrying Blake in three days. And Dad had invited Rix to call him Ned.

But Chad still called him Mr. Sharp.

Suddenly, I had to fight smiling.

Dad didn’t mess about.

“Chad, what brings you here to see Rix?”

Chad spoke like a little boy would clasp his hands behind him, look at his feet and swing his body, telling tales giving no eye contact.

“Well, uh…I just thought, us guys, you know…”

Like that did it, he trailed off and spoke no more.

Since it didn’t do it, Dad remarked, “No, I don’t know.”

Suddenly, I worried Chad had swallowed down the wrong pipe, because he looked like he was silently choking.

“Maybe Rix and Chad and Blake and I could go to another room,” I suggested.

“Maybe you couldn’t,” Dad contradicted.

I gave big eyes to Rix.

Rix now had his arms crossed on his chest and was simply watching Chad.

Chad gulped and abruptly turned to Blake.

“Okay, babe, you know I love you, but…”

His eyes darted to Rix.

“But what?” Dad demanded.

“Yes,” Blake said suspiciously. “But what?”

Chad turned back to Blake. “Can we talk privately?”

Blake was looking uncertain.

“Sure,” she said.

“No. Here. Right here. Now. Right now,” Dad declared.

“Sir—” Chad started.

“What the fuck is going on, Chad?” Dad bit out.

“Can I please talk to Blake—?”

“Rix?” Dad pushed.

“His to own up to,” Rix grunted.

This was true.

But maybe not the right thing to say to Dad.

“What?” Blake asked.

“You little fucking slither of slime,” Dad said quietly to Chad.

That right there was why what Rix said wasn’t right.

Dad might not have been an attentive father.

But he was far from stupid.

“Sir—” Chad.

“Dad!” Blake.

“Tell her.” Dad.

“Please.” Chad.

“What…is…happening?” Blake.

Dad’s voice was ice cold, and his eyes were shards as they gazed at Chad. “Stand in my home and tell my daughter who you are.”

Chad swung to Blake. “She didn’t mean anything, I swear to God.”

Blake’s eyes got huge.

The room existed in suspended animation for long, tense moments.

Then she jumped Chad.

I jumped up from my chair to race around the table.

But Rix caught her with two arms, one at her chest, one at her ribs, and pulled her back.

“You motherfucker!” she shrieked, striking out with fingers set to claws.

“Blakey, baby,” Chad whined.

Blake went stiff as a board and screamed, “Pencil-dick motherfucker!”

I knew I was right about his manhood.

“Leave now, Chad,” Dad ordered.

“But, Mr. Sha—”

“Leave!”

Chad went ramrod straight, turned stiffly to Blake, and said, “We’ll talk, honey. We will. We’ll talk. We’ll sort this out.”

And then he quickly took his leave.

Rix held on to Blake long enough for Chad to get a head start that she couldn’t possibly catch up to him on her heels, and then he let her go.

She whirled on him instantly. “And how did you know this?”

Rix didn’t sugarcoat it, and it was bad (for Blake) but good, because she needed to understand what was happening.

“I walked in on him when he was inside her.”

Blake blanched and whispered, “At our cocktail party?”

Ugh.

I felt sorry for her.

Then I stopped doing that when she turned to me and accused, “You knew this and didn’t tell me?”

“Hup.” Rix used that sound to call her attention, which he got. “Remember? We don’t blame your sister for shit that’s your problem?”

Blake’s face scrunched in anger.

“I’ll call your mother and tell her to cancel the brunch,” Dad murmured.

“Don’t you do that, Dad,” Blake snapped.

Dad stilled. “Why not?”

“We’re not canceling the brunch,” Blake decreed.

“Have you lost your mind?” Dad asked.

“I can’t…I have to think. Let me think!” she screeched.

Dad didn’t let her think. “You cannot possibly be entertaining the notion you’ll carry on with this wedding.”

“I should talk to Chad,” she told the table.

“Blake, look at me,” Dad demanded.

Her eyes coasted to him.

“You are not marrying that pathetic, worthless pile of shit,” Dad proclaimed. “I’ve never liked him. You know this. I’ve told you often enough. I’d say he hasn’t had a single original thought, but I’m not even certain he’s actually even had a single thought.”

“We’ve been together for years,” she returned.

“Who fucking cares?” Dad asked. “He was inside another woman just last night.”

“Oh my God! Everyone stop saying that!” Blake yelled.

“I am not paying another dime on this wedding, Blake Charlotte. And the final bills have not come in,” Dad warned.

Blake lifted her chin. “I have to talk to Chad.”