Paper Parachute | Celebrity Romance

42.

"Blair?" Blake called as he stepped into her apartment, slipping the key she'd given him back into his pocket.

"Blair?" He tried again when his first call went unanswered.

"Hey, Sorry." Blair replied as she walked towards him from down the hall. "I was laying down in my room."

"You feeling okay?" He asked. Her face was pale, off from her usual coloring, and her eyes seemed dimmed. He knew something was bothering her but he'd asked at least a million times to no avail. That was his girl, stubborn as a mule.

"I'll be fine. Sorry, I know I've been a mess."

"Don't apologize, B. I just want to help, I hope you'll tell me about whatever is bothering you when you're ready." He said, hoping she'd take him up on the offer sooner rather than later.

"You heard from Alex?" He tried, hoping she'd open up to him if he started with a less threatening topic.

"Um, he just asked if I would come in in the morning to get to work on the music video for Cool Kids."

"That should be good..." He trailed off, not sure what to say next. "Do you, do you want me to stay at mine tonight?" He asked finally, hoping she wouldn't agree to his return to his lonely apartment.

"No, no. Blake, I want you to stay." She said quickly, releasing the tightening in his chest.

"Okay, I just don't know what to do, B. Something's bothering you and I don't know how to make it better. If you would just tell me-" he started.

"I told you it's nothing, Blake. I-" She cut him off before she herself was stopped by the noise of her ringing cell phone. "It's Mr. Files." She said sullenly while continuing to stare at the lit screen.

"B, just answer it. He's probably just calling to tell you the suit has been dropped." Blake said softly. His fingers gripped lightly on her elbow as he encouraged her hand up towards her ear.

"Hello, Blair Andrews speaking." she said, her mouth suddenly, annoyingly dry.

"Put it on speaker." Blake mouthed as he caught her attention. She listened and Mr. Files voice quickly filled the space.

"Hi, Blair. Unfortunately it seems you were right about your parents not being ones to go quietly."

Her stomach sank as she lifted her eyes to meek Blake's.

"So, I'm assuming the lawsuit has not been dropped then." She asked, though she suppsoed she already knew the answer.

"No, I'm afraid not." Mr. Files responded. "It seems your parents had done their research. They're having the case brought in front of Judge Michaels, he's probably the only judge in the whole country who would be sympathetic to their case. He's got a nasty vendetta against his son which worries me about his ability to be impartial."

"Shouldn't we be able to have him removed from the case then?" Blake asked, speaking up for the first time since the call had begun.

"Hi, Blake. Um, the short answer is yes, the problem then is that we then have to find another judge both parties can agree upon. Knowing Blair's parents I fear they may drag out that process and hinder us from moving forward with the case in a timely manner. The longer this drags out the longer it holds back Blair's career. I fear if we do not consent to Judge Michaels, Blair's parents may drag this out so long that Blair loses her opportunity with Tidal. Blake, you of all people know how fleeting an opportunity like what Blair has in front of her can be. I think our best chance is to face this judge and see how it goes. Worst case scenario we lose and appeal to a higher court. I know this is a bit much to think about but why don't you two talk about how you want to proceed and we can talk again tomorrow? Right now the court date is set for June twenty-second. That's before you head out right, Blake?"

"Yeah, we leave out for tour July sixth. We'll give you a call tomorrow." Blake answered.

"Sounds good. I'm sorry I didn't have better news. I'll keep working on making sure we have the strongest case possible. Judge Michaels may be partial to a disgruntled parent but he's still a man of the law and I still believe that the law is on our side. I'll talk to you all tomorrow, have a good evening."

Blair pressed the end call button in a daze. She couldn't believe the words she'd just heard. This insane case her parents had against her might actually have a chance. She felt defeated and overwhelmed. The burn of hot tears on her cheeks stung as Blake pulled her against his chest and walked them towards the couch. She fell against him, finally allowing all of her emotions from the past few days to spill out.

Blake didn't say anything, just continued pressing soft kisses against her hair and rubbing small circles in her back as he shushed her and she tried to regain control of her emotions.

Blake felt useless. She was a mess, she'd been a mess all day and he was no closer to knowing what was wrong with her or being able to fix it than he had been that morning. He hated not being able to fix her problems. Typically, that was the one thing he was good at. He always had been able to distinguish what was wrong for her before and he was frustrated by the fact that her most recent challenges were still a mystery to him.

Her sniffles subsided as her light snores filled the silence. He knew her day had been long and trying so he carried her to her room, determined not to wake her. When she was situated, free of her days clothes with his t-shirt adorning her petite frame, he busied himself with his nightly routine, deciding that maybe today was just not their day and that it would be best to simply try again tomorrow. He tugged off his shorts, leaving him in only his boxers as he padded in to the bathroom. He unpacked his new toothbrush he'd brought to leave at her place and tossed the wrapping towards the trash. He groaned as he watched the paper miss the basket, bending down to retrieve it. He tossed it in the bin, his eyes landing on a pale pink box sticking out from the bottom of the otherwise empty can.

He frowned as he picked the box up, his breath stopping as he read the front of the box.

Well that would certainly explain a lot.

He didn't know what to feel. His eyes scanned the bathroom, looking for the actual test. He checked all the cabinets and crevices of the room but his efforts were futile. His eyes darted back to the sleeping girl in the bed only feet away. He had so many questions but he couldn't wake her, not when she was clearly struggling so and in need of the rest. He'd have to wait for the morning to get his answers.

He carried the box to bed with him, tucking it between the bed frame and the side table as he slipped under the sheets beside her. She shifted in her sleep and curled against him as he wondered if he were about to become a father.

AN: What do you think about the law suit situation?

What about the pregnancy scare? Is she or isn't she? We find out next chapter!

How do you think they react in each situation?

Vote and Comment!

ILY

Sav