Run Away With Me

20

I woke up on the couch next to my mom and Blake. Last night we came home after a long day of shopping and me and mom decided to stay in and watch tv, we ordered pizza and had popcorn and candy. Blake came in around ten thirty-ish and joined us. Now it was nine in the morning and I slowly removed myself from the couch towards the kitchen to make breakfast.

"Morning honey." I turned around to see my mom leaning against the island. "Hey mom, sleep good?" I asked. "Yeah. I was so tired last night, I just dozed off." "Yeah, me too. I just finished making breakfast, grab a plate and sere yourself." I said. She grabbed a plate and I did as well and we both served ourselves. "Does he sleep a lot?" she asked. "Yeah. He usually wakes up when I leave the bed though. Since I left his side he should be waking up soon." I said. "Aww." I smiled at my mom. "This is really good!" my mom said. "Thanks." I said with a laugh. I turned my head once I saw movement from the couch to see Blake slowly sitting up. "Hey babe. I made breakfast!" I called out. Blake rubbed his eyes and turned his head to me. "Thanks." He said as he slowly stood up and made his way to the kitchen. He joined us eventually and my mom started talking. "So what did you have planned for today?" We both looked at Blake who shoved eggs in his mouth. I just laughed and rolled my eyes and answered for him. "Well we had dinner reservations tonight, then we were gonna go see Hamilton. But before all of that we were gonna go to the Empire State Building." "Oh that sounds wonderful!" My mom said. "Yeah, so why don't we get ready for the day and leave around twelve." "Sounds good." Blake said. I nodded and went to the kitchen to put the plates away and went to my room and got dressed.

We left around twelve fifteen, got in the car and made our way to the Empire State Building. After that we realized we had a few hours before our dinner reservations so we walked around fifth avenue, did a little bit of shopping and eventually made our way to the restaurant. "Wow this place is so nice." my mom said as she looked around. "Yeah, we used to come here a lot." Blake said. "We?" My mom wondered. "My dad, mom, and I." "Oh, is your mom with your dad on business?" She asked. "No, she's in Red Pine. They've separated actually." "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to ask about them." "It's fine, you didn't know." He said as his eyes scanned the menu. I followed his lead and looked through the menu as well and I saw my mom from the corner of my eye do the same. 

"So Blake do you have a job?" My mom asked. "Technically I do. My dad's business will be mine, once he retires or passes." "So it's planned then." She said. "Yes, I occasionally go on meeting with him to get gist of it all. It's easy you just need to  learn the lingo." Blake said. "Well that's nice. I guess." my mom said. "Yeah, I'm pretty fortunate I guess." I could sense the awkward tension so I diverted the topic, "I can't wait to see Hamilton. People keep raving about it." "Yeah, I am so excited!" My mom chimed. "Oh, before you leave tomorrow is there anything you wanted to do? Go somewhere, see something?" I asked. "No, I just came to see you honey." she said with a smile and I returned one back. "What time were you planning on leaving?" I asked. "Nine or ten. Depends on your father. He said he had some work he had to do, so I had to pick up the girls at a certain time." "Oh, well just know that you are welcome back any time." "Thank you sweetie." She turned her attention to Blake, "So when would I meet your dad?" My eyes grew big. "Mom, I don't think y-" "Well I don't really know. Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know when he's coming back from where ever he's at. We don't really talk much." "But you talk when you need things right?" I sensed an attitude from her tone. "Well, there's more than you know Mrs. Johnson." He said. "I'm just trying to know you. You are my daughter's boyfriend and I feel like I should who you are." "By meeting my father?" He asked. "Of course, he raised you, he made you the man you are today. Am I wrong?" "Mother." I looked at her with a look that told her to stop. Blake then answered, "You are wrong. From what you are implying if I were to meet you I understand everything about Lexie, which from our interaction is wrong, therefore to understand me and know who I am you would ask me about myself not meet my family members who haven't been a part of my life much." "For someone who hasn't been a part of your life much you do seem to be asking a lot from him. An apartment, a job for my daughter, a job after your father dies. Lexie and I are close and she has yet to ask me for a car." "Mother stop it!" I said. "Like I said, you don't know everything." Blake said. "And I guess I never will, right?" "Mother!" She turned her attention towards me and I stared at her with anger filled in my eyes. "Stop it!" I demanded. "I just want to know about him!" She said. "Well then ask what his favorite color is or if he is a dog or cat person! Not interrogate him on his father and what he asks of him!" "I feel like the questions I'm asking are fair." She looked back to Blake, "Why do you ask so much of your father?" Blake sighed with anger. "I don't want to talk about it." He said. "Why not? Ashamed? Guilty?" she asked. Blake stood up took his wallet out and gave me the tickets and his credit card. "I'll see you at home." He bent down and kissed my cheek and left. 

I looked at my mom with anger, "What the hell was that?! We were fine! All of a sudden you just ask him these inappropriate questions about him and his father!" "Calm down Lexie, I was just wanting to know about him." "His father left his mom once he found she was sick! Blake found him in New York and basically yelled at him and called him every name in the book! His father felt bad and he is giving him all of this so he doesn't lose his son! He has realized he's done wrong and he is repaying him for all the days he wasn't there for him! Him and his dad don't get a long a lot, Blake's mom doesn't remember him! He has no family to show! Quit asking about it!" I stood up and left the restaurant to chase after Blake. I stood at the trance looking at into the bustling people of New York hoping to see Blake's head but I couldn't find him. I tried calling him but no answer. I decided I was just gonna head home and wait for him there. 

In the car I left him a couple of messages apologizing for my mothers actions but he had yet to respond, text or do anything in terms of communicating with me. I said on the couch of our apartment patiently waiting for him. I would check my phone to see if there had been any messages or calls but I was just given an empty screen with nothing by the time. 9:45. i ran my hands through my hair and my head quickly jolted to the door once I heard it open. My mother. She walked in with guilt flooding her body. I couldn't stand to look at her at the moment. She was so rude to Blake, it hurt me.  I sat there on the couch watching as she looked at me with sadness in her eyes. 

"Lexie." She whispered as she walked towards me. I stood up and walked away from her, "Don't." I said as I was shaking me head. "I wanted to say tha-" She continued. "I don't want to talk to you."I said. "Just listen. Please." she pleaded. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest. "I didn't mean to ask those questions in that tone. There's a part of me that sees him as the villain. He took you away from me." "NO! You're husband PUSHED me away! I found Blake and we left together! I am not kidnapped, I ran away from you guys! You are the villain! You come here and you treat Blake the way you did as if he wronged you. What did he do to you? Did he hurt you? Is he paying you to stay away from me? Has he threatened you?" I asked. "No, I just saw him and I saw a guy that won your heart and I wasn't ready for that. You're eighteen and in love with this guy who you met on the streets. You live here and he gives you things! I think it's weird and odd how everything is being played out." "You know what I find weird? How you have the audacity to treat a human being the way you did." I said. "I didn't know that about him, okay? I didn't know his dad did what he did, and his mom is the way she is. I'm sorry." She said. "You didn't ask! You sat there and assumed he's some rich, spoiled rotten kid who get's whatever the hell he wants! You assume he disrespects his father and expects money from him, yet you don't even know a single thing about him! He is hurt, his father left him and his mother is sick right now! She is sick and she doesn't even realize it! His father created this company and one day Blake saw him in the newspaper and he tracked him down. He found him yelled at him, cursed at him, he was angry! He didn't go to him expecting all the money he had, he expected a father. The only way his father knows how to love is by giving him money and Blake is only taking it because this is how him and his father communicate!" I yelled at her. I was mad and hurt that she thought so little of Blake, who cared for her. "I'm sorry Lexie!" "Oh! And you come here and you use all of his things, let him pay for those clothes you found at those stores, you ate the food that he payed for, everything here is his money and you come here and assume this is dirty money! How dare you? How dare you come in here and do this! I don't know where he is! He is somewhere in New York he could be hurt for all I know! But he is gone because of you! He is sad or hurt because of you!" I angrily spat at her. "I didn't mean for this to happen. "That what did you mean to happen?" I asked. "I wanted to know about him and his family." "Then ask simple questions! How would you like it if he came in and asked about dad huh? Let's say he came in and was like, 'Oh how's your cheating husband? What about your best friends who only wanted you for your man? Does he love you? Does he really love you?' Not so nice huh? But oh, I just wanted to know about your husband." I stared at her as the tears strolled down her face. "I'm leaving. I can't believe you talked to me that way, Lexie. I'm really disappointed." She said. "No! You don't get to sit there and get after me when all I did was impersonate you! You messed up and it hurt to see that I did to you what you did to Blake." "Good bye." she left the room to go gather her things and in an instant she had left the apartment. 

I called Blake again but I still had no answer. I grabbed my coat and head downstairs, I walked across the street and entered Central Park. I walked around until I saw a figure similar to Blake's sitting on a bench. I made my way over and sat next to him. He looked at me and smiled and I laid my head down on his shoulder.