With The Labels

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

Two weeks pass and I still haven't spoken to Blake. Every day James drives me to and from school. I am sure he is sick of it by now, but he doesn't complain. It is like clockwork. Get up, survive the day, get home, do homework, ride Penny, then go to bed. The time passes slowly and I don't know the last time that I smiled. It is really depressing and I am just stuck in a hole right now. The only thing keeping me going is knowing that eventually, life will figure itself out and I'll get better.

And I know it's bad and I shouldn't think this but I do.

I miss Blake.

I miss hanging out with him and walking to classes with him and driving to school with him. I miss our conversations and his lips against mine and watching him in football games. But every time I think that maybe I can forgive him and things can go back to normal, I think of the party where he kissed Mandy. And then suddenly I don't miss him as much.

In the crowded hallway after the final bell rings, I close my locker, prepared to go and wait for James to pick me up. But there he is, studying me from across the hall. Watching me through the crowds of students.

I turn the other direction and start to walk away when I hear footsteps run up next to me. It is Blake, and he has an anxious look in his eyes. "Just please let me drive you home. We don't have to talk but your brother doesn't have to drive you to school and home when I am going to the same place."

I seriously contemplate storming away from him, but I decide to give him a chance. One more chance or he is out. This isn't baseball, you are only allowed one major screw up in my book. "Fine." Blake looks surprised when I say that and although he doesn't smile, he seems a bit happier. I text James and tell him he doesn't have to worry about me and school anymore, that I figured it out, at least for now. One brick comes down from the wall.

~

We both sit at the stop sign on the empty backroad leading to my house in silence. When he stopped the car I didn't question it and I wasn't saying anything. We were good at the silent game.

Blake bites his lip, slamming his fist on the wheel. "Screw it!"

He turns towards me and slams his lips into mine. I am taken aback at first, but have forgotten how good his lips felt. How they melted against my own when they touched. In that moment I was able to forget about how badly he messed up because I really wanted him.

Blake tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. His hands are secured tightly on my hips, as if he believed letting me go meant I would fly away. 

It is nice when it lasts, but then my thoughts wander back to the party and the kiss, I pull away from Blake. He stares deeply into my eyes, a sad look on his face. I slide back into the passenger seat and Blake adjusts his shirt.

We sit in silence at the stop sign for a moment. "It takes time." I eventually say, "And I am working on it."

Blake scoffs, "Here you are trying to make things better when I should be the one begging on my knees."

"Everyone deserves a second chance."

"Not me." He states blankly.

"Yeah, you do." I add, "Just don't mess up again."

Blake nods feverishly at my comment and shifts the car back into drive, going down the dusty backroad. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

~

I climb out of Blake's truck in silence. No goodbye, no see you tomorrow, no nothing.

"Wait, Caroline!" Blake calls me over. I turn around and walk over to the drivers side. Window rolled down, he says, "Get back in the car."

I raise an eyebrow, questioning him. "Why?" It was a Wednesday night and I had homework to do and a horse to ride.

"Let's just drive somewhere. I don't want to leave you so soon." Studying me, I let out a sigh. Why does he make it so hard to not give in. I climb quietly back to the passenger seat and slide in.

"Where to?" I ask, curiously.

Blake shrugs. "Somewhere. Anywhere. Let's just drive." So we do just that. We drive for what seems like hours on the long dusty roads, windows rolled down and country music turned up high. I rest my head on my arms and watch the rows of corn and pastures as we drive past. The warm early fall breeze feels nice on my skin and in my hair.

There is a clearing between the miles of fields and Blake pulls his truck off to the side of the road. By now the sun has set and the moon is high in the sky.

We both climb out of the truck and he pulls the tailgate down. He walks back to the truck and shuffles around in the back seat, pulling out two big blankets. Blake brings them back to me and I help him spread them down in the bed. We both climb into the back of the trunk. He sits criss crossed several feet away from me, obviously not wanting to cross any boundaries I wasn't ready for again yet. I scooch closer to him and lay down on my back, staring up at the night sky.

Patting the area next to me, I make eye contact with Blake. "Come on, lay down." He smiles to himself and slides next to me, laying down. Placing an arm around my shoulders, he pulls me in closer until our sides are touching.

The sky is so dark, almost black, sprinkled with endless stars. "You know, where I grew up we had stars, but nothing this incredible." I don't necessarily say this to Blake, I just say it to say it. My whole life I lived in the suburbs, and never in the country like this. It was a totally different environment to grow up in. We had plenty of stars where I used to live, and we certainly had more than the cities did, but this was just breathtaking. There was no light pollution. It really puts your life into perspective at how incredibly small we are compared to the universe around us. The problems and struggles surrounding my life feel silly and pointless all of a sudden.

I lean my head against Blake's and he lets out a sigh, "It's lonely sometimes. Seeing all of these stars." He pauses, "I don't know, it's stupid saying that out loud."

"No, it's not stupid." I say, studying the different constellations in the sky. "Now you have someone to share them with."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yay Blake and Care are happy again.

So some of you might say that she shouldn't have let him in or it happened to quickly. My response to that: It is my book, so therefore, I can do whatever I want with it. Also, if I made each chapter realistic, we would continue with endless updates and I would get bored. So my point is don't question it and just be happy that they are happy.

Thanks for reading :)