All three accounted for, Frankie realized with a gulp, and all three also seemed to have heard everything she said.
It took a dreadful amount of time before anyone thought to move, and the first one who was able to do so…had to be Thornton.
Naturally, Blake found herself thinking, even though she wasn’t quite sure what was so natural about it. His ability to respond first, wherever she was concerned? But if that were true, then that meant he really did care for her…which was impossible.
Her heart was racing against her will, so, so fast it made everything around her move in seeming slow motion. And that included Thornton, who was heading…straight…for her.
Thornton could feel his entire face harden when Blake suddenly ran past him like he didn’t exist.
“Elizabeth, it’s been so long!”
Elizabeth suddenly found herself engulfed in a desperately tight hug. “Y-Yeah.” Like…fifteen hours too long?
The noise inside the cafe rocketed sky high in the next second. Everyone was talking a little too loudly and laughing a little too much. It was like one big joke, a pointless conspiracy where everyone was keen to have Thornton forget the way Blake had ghosted him.
In person.
Ethan quickly threw an arm around Thornton’s shoulder when he saw his brother’s face starting to harden.
“What do you want to drink?” Aidan asked while making sure to block Thornton’s view of the girls.
“Did you hear her?” Thornton gritted out under his breath.
“Hear what?” Ethan asked cautiously.
“Exactly,” Thornton said between clenched teeth as they swung back up on the stools by the counters. “Frankie talked about a third party—” He grabbed the whiskey bottle and poured himself a shot. “And she…” His fingers reflexively tightened its grip around the shotglass. “Didn’t. Fucking. Say. Anything.”
“I’m so sorry about that,” Frankie was apologizing under her breath as she and Elizabeth rushed Blake towards one of the corner tables. The further away from Thornton, the better.
“It’s fine.” Blake’s tone was wobbly. She had seen the look on Thornton’s face when Frankie uttered those ugly hateful words, and it had nearly killed her. The pain…looked almost real. Almost made her want to forget she knew the truth and just pretend.
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Arden crank the music up as they took their seats. They might end up deaf in a couple of minutes, but at least she could be sure that whatever was spoken among them…stayed among them.
Tuning back to her friends’ conversation, Elizabeth heard Blake asking Frankie if there even was a party to begin with, and she knew it was her turn to confess.
“That’s my doing,” she admitted apologetically. “I’m sorry, B. There is a party, but it’s at six, not five, and I just couldn’t say no to Mr. Blackwood. He just looked so…” Miserable, she almost said, but it suddenly didn’t feel the right word to say, with Blake looking just as heartbroken.
“Is it true, though?” Frankie couldn’t help asking uneasily. “I heard Mr. Blackwood and Mayor O talking, and he says…”
I’ve tried everything, Oliver. But she doesn’t even want to talk, and she can’t even seem to bear looking at me. It’s almost like she fucking hates the sight of me—
Blake bit her lip hard at the look on her friend’s face. Frankie usually loved anything that had to do with Thornton’s suffering, but this time…
“What did he say, Frankie?” she asked tremulously.
Frankie took a deep breath. “He—”
An explosive sound cut her off, and all three girls jumped in their seats. Elizabeth was the only one of them facing the counter, and Blake couldn’t help stiffening when she saw the girl’s jaw drop. “What is it?”
“I think…Thornton accidentally crushed a glass into pieces with his hand?”
Blake didn’t even realize she had started to stand up until Frankie’s fingers wrapped around her wrist, and her friend hissed, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Oh.
She fell back into her seat. “I was…”
“Concerned for your boyfriend,” Elizabeth said softly.
“Ex.” It hurt to say this, but she felt the need to force this word out.
Elizabeth’s heart squeezed at the way Blake’s lips started trembling in an effort not to cry. “Oh, B.”
“Don’t you think it’s time for you to talk about what happened?” Frankie urged. “You’re clearly not doing fine, and he’s not doing fine either.”
“Are you sure about that?” Blake’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Why are you acting like this?” Elizabeth asked worriedly.
“I know I’ve been against him from the start,” Frankie said at the same time, “but when you guys are together…”
“He doesn’t love me.”
Elizabeth bit her lip when she heard the sudden catch in her friend’s voice. “Are you really sure about that?”
Blake slowly nodded.
“But when he was drunk…”
“Exactly,” Blake said painfully. “He was drunk.”
“Did he cheat on you?” Frankie finally asked. “Is that why you’re so sure—” Her voice trailed off when Blake shook her head. “Then…did you cheat on him?”