She sat still while he pulled the covers down for her. Then he gently scooped her up again and laid her down at the head of the bed. She winced at the pain but lay on her left side and curled up, holding her stomach. She was beginning to feel nauseated now.
She felt the side of the bed give way as Blake sat down. “Shit! I’m so sorry, Ember,” he whispered. “I hate myself for this. I should have listened to Ridge.” Ember tried to sit up, and he jumped, taking her shoulders in his hands, gently pushing her back down. “Don’t. I can’t believe they sent you home like this, in this much pain.” The frustration was evident in his voice.
“I’m not broken, Blake, just bruised. I can heal here. I just have to take it easy. Please don’t blame yourself.” Her voice broke off as she started to cry. “This really isn’t your fault.” She turned her face into the pillow since she didn’t have the energy to fight the tears.
“Ember, look at me, please. Damn it! Don’t cry.”
She felt the bed move again as he stood up, and she quickly turned her face to look at him, “Please don’t leave.”
“I’m not leaving.” He kneeled beside the bed where he could look her straight in the eyes. He wiped her tears away as he stared into her eyes. “I wish I could make you understand how hard this is for me to see you like this. Not just because I didn’t prevent it from happening, but seeing you hurt…” Even though the room was dark, Ember could see the glossiness of his eyes as his voice trailed off. “I want to fix this, and I can't.”
Ember noticed Ridge standing in the doorway. She couldn’t see his expression, but she knew he probably felt like Blake was.
Blake saw where her gaze had gone, glanced over his shoulder, and sighed as he looked back at her.
Ridge walked in slowly, “Ember?”
“I’ll be okay, Bubba. I promise. I’m just sore.” She wasn’t sure that her explanation would be enough, but it was the best she could do. She just hoped he wouldn’t realize she was crying.
“I’ll be in the other room if you need me.” Then he left. Ember realized he wasn’t just telling her; he was warning Blake.
“Well, that went better than I expected.” Blake ran his hand across his face and into his hair.
Ember smiled slightly, knowing what he meant.
He looked in her eyes again and wiped another tear from her cheek just as she heard Ridge calling Kaylen from the hall, but it didn’t stop her from running into the room. She stopped beside Blake, who was watching her curiously. Ember could tell Kaylen had been crying, and all she wanted was to wrap her up in her arms and hold her. Kaylen began trying to climb the bed, so Blake stood up.
“Just a second, little one.” Kaylen, with one arm still on the mattress, looked up at Blake with her big green eyes, and he glanced at Ember like he had forgotten what he was going to say. He looked back at Kaylen just in time to see she had given up on waiting and was trying to climb again. Finally, speaking to Kaylen, he said, “I’ll put you up there with your mom, but you have to be careful, okay? See her wrist?” He pointed at the splint on her arm. Kaylen’s eyes grew wide. “Her side hurts here too.” He pointed to Ember’s right side, but Kaylen’s expression didn’t change.
Ember didn’t want to frighten her, but she also knew that Kaylen could play a little rough. She wanted to make sure Kaylen knew to be careful around her for now. So she reached across with her splinted hand and grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt with her fingertips. She winced, and Blake grabbed her hand to stop her when he realized what she was doing, but she looked up at him with determination. Still clasping Ember’s hand in his, he slowly slid her shirt up her side. Even with just the light from the hallway, the bruise may as well have been a neon sign. Kaylen’s eyes got bigger still, and this time, Blake’s did too.
“Ember…” His voice was choked, and he dropped to his knees again.
Her voice barely above a whisper, she said, “Can you help Kaylen up here, please?”
He continuing to stare at the bruise while he stood, and finally, he looked over at Kaylen, “Be careful, okay?”
Kaylen nodded at him as he lifted her onto the bed. He sat her beside Ember where she could lie down beside her without having to move much. Once she lay down facing Ember, he covered her and even tucked her in. Ember smiled as a tear escaped on the side of her face into the pillow.
As Blake turned to leave Kaylen called out, “Hey!” Blake looked back at Kaylen, who was sitting up next to Ember and staring at him. “What’s your name?”
“Blake. What’s your name?”
“Kaylen.” She sat looking at him for a minute, and Ember thought he looked confused. She guessed he was trying to decide if he could leave now or not. Finally, Kaylen said, “Thank you for helping my momma, Blake.”
“You’re welcome, Kaylen. Now it’s your turn.” He smiled at her and turned to leave.
Ember hadn’t noticed until then that Ridge was still standing in the hallway.
As Kaylen snuggled in beside her, she wrapped her arm around her, and they both drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 22
A lot had happened in the two weeks since Ember came home from the hospital. The biggest change was that after a week the splint on her wrist was removed, and a cast was put on in its place. She was able to get around much better, and she didn't have to take as many pain meds, but she still didn’t remember anything about the accident or the events leading up to it. Jenna would tell her over and over about the karaoke bar, and she would look at the photo of her and Blake from that night, but so far it hadn’t jogged any memories. She was beginning to think that she would never remember.
Reece had been sending her text messages and trying to call, but she was no longer responding to either. She knew he was still mad. He insisted that they needed to finish talking. Ember, on the other hand, had decided that the time for talking was over. The look on his face when he left the hospital had scared her, and she wasn’t about to let him near Kaylen. She told him that the first time he called, but he was so adamant about it, Ember hung up on him and has been ignoring his attempts at contact ever since.
She hadn't seen Blake since the day he carried her into her room. She wasn't sure if that was Ridge's doing or if Blake preferred it that way, but tonight Ridge had invited Jenna, Blake, their cousin Lance, and his girlfriend, Brooke, over for dinner. Ember had been growing bored sitting around the apartment, so she was excited to have company coming.
Hunter had been begging to have Kaylen stay the weekend, so Jade picked her up from school.
Lance had agreed to go to Africa for Ridge since he was still helping take care of Kaylen for Ember. Of course, Ember probably could have made other arrangements, but she knew how much Ridge didn’t want to go, so she didn’t push the issue. Lance didn’t like to travel, but he didn’t mind as much as Ridge. They could both do the job, so, in the end, it sounded like it had worked out.
Ember was glad that Ridge had invited Jenna. He used the excuse that he thought Ember would like to have her here, but she couldn’t help thinking he wanted to see her again too. She had been spending more time with Jenna, and she really liked her. She hoped that eventually Ridge would come around, but for now he still insisted that the two of them would be best to remain friends.
Ember made arrangements for Jenna to come over early to help her with dinner after talking Ridge into letting her cook. She wanted him just to enjoy hanging out with the guys. Ember felt sorry for having to ask for any help, but since she only had one arm to work with, she didn’t have much choice. She could tell that Jenna was more than willing to do it, though, and sounded just as excited about it as she did.
Jenna showed up a few hours early to pick her up so they could shop for the ingredients, and Ember couldn’t have been happier. She was ready to get out of the apartment, even if it was just for a little bit.
When they got back with the groceries, Ridge helped them bring everything up.
“So, what’s for dinner, or is it a surpris
e?”
Ember beamed. “Roasted pork loin with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans and a garden salad. We got pinot noir to go with it too.”
He set the groceries on the table and raised an eyebrow at Ember. “I don’t drink red wine, remember?”
“I know; that’s for us. You can have Bud Light.” Jenna stopped putting food in the fridge long enough to glance at her curiously, and Ember blushed.
“Great, where is it?”
“The store. I was so excited about everything else I forgot it, sorry.” Jenna laughed, as he stood staring blankly at Ember. Then he chuckled, shaking his head he walked back toward the door.
“Are you going to the store?”
“Not unless I have to. I’m going to try to raid Blake’s stash first.”
Ember and Jenna looked at each other and laughed.
****
In less than an hour, there was a knock at the door, and Ridge went to answer it. Jenna and Ember were getting close to putting the finishing touch on dinner, so the timing was perfect. She heard her cousin’s deep voice and smiled. He had been as close as a brother to her before he and Ridge left for school. He was Ridge’s best friend growing up and was always around, and since she had pretty much tagged along everywhere Ridge went, they grew very close. She was just finishing the potatoes when Lance popped his head into the kitchen.
“Hey, cuz! When were you going to come and see me? I heard you were at the tower taking naps and everything, but you couldn’t stop one floor down for me?”
She exclaimed, “Oh my word! Which one of them told you about that?” as she walked over to give him a hug. Her face was burning from the embarrassment, which was worse when she realized that Blake had perched himself on the barstool watching her. “Did you tell him that?” She was trying to act mad at him, but she just ended up getting more embarrassed.
He just smirked at her and shrugged. “I think we may have both said something. It was some of the best entertainment we’ve had at the tower in a while.”
Ember groaned as she walked back into the kitchen. All the guys and Jenna laughed.
Lance leaned casually against the bar while Ridge went to the fridge and grabbed them all drinks. “Ridge told me you grew up, but I didn’t believe him. Guess it’s true. Where’s your rug rat?”
Ember smiled at him. “She’s with Jade. Hunter has been begging all week for her to stay this weekend, so I couldn’t say no.”
“That's a shame. Maybe we can all get together for a trip to the zoo or something when I get back.”
“Well, you’ll have to plan that trip without me.” Ember hadn’t even noticed the woman, who must have been Brooke, sitting next to Blake at the bar. Ember had to admit she looked like the type of woman one would expect on the arm of someone like Lance, or Blake for that matter. Her blond hair fell perfectly down to the middle of her back, and her blue eyes sparkled against her golden brown complexion. Ember was sure she didn’t have to wear make-up, but she did, and she wore it flawlessly. She was sitting at the bar, so Ember didn’t get to see much of the rest of her, but it was evident she was perfect. She made Ember feel inadequate in her blue jeans and mint colored tank top with her hair pulled in a ponytail.
Lance looked a lot like Ridge with his blond hair and the Tatum steel-blue eyes. His hair was a little longer, though, and it had a beautiful curl to it. All three men were built like they were grown in a gym and he was about the same height as Blake, both them just a few inches shorter than Ridge.
Ember was still trying to decide how to respond to her remark when Blake said, “Count me in.” Everyone was staring at him, so he clarified, “Come on, it’s the zoo. Who doesn’t like the zoo?” He looked at the woman sitting next to him like he was waiting for her to answer.
“Apparently Brooke doesn’t like the zoo, but that’s okay. We can still have fun.” Lance looked at Ember and winked.
Ember thought the guys had all gone to the living area, but when she looked up, Blake was still sitting at the bar watching her. She almost dropped the bowl of mashed potatoes she had been holding. It was hard enough to carry them with one arm. He walked over and took it from her, never taking his eyes off hers.
“There, on the counter please,” she whispered blushing again, as she nodded to the place she intended to set them. Finally, he broke eye contact to take the bowl over to the counter.
Ridge walked in to get another drink and saw Blake standing in the kitchen. “Are you trying to make me look bad? You can’t be in here helping while I’m sitting around.” Ember noticed that there was a change in the way Ridge spoke to Blake, unlike the last time she had seen them together. It was lighter this time and not filled with the bitterness as before.
Blake smirked. “Just trying to keep our potatoes off the floor.” He winked at Ember, and she blushed but smiled. He’s such a flirt, she thought.
Jenna pulled the meat out, and Ember called Lance and Brooke to the table.
“Ember’s sticking to tradition, huh? I remember the family dinners at your parents’ house.” Lance grinned at Ridge.
Ridge rolled his eyes mockingly and sighed. “Yeah, I’m stuck eating at the table every night. It’s torture listening to Ember talk about watching paint dry, but Kaylen, she’s got some stories to tell.”
Ember threw a dishtowel at him, and they all laughed. Well, everyone laughed if you didn’t include Brooke as part of everyone.
They ate, talked, and laughed and ignored Brooke, who appeared content with being ignored. After dinner when everyone sat in the living area, Ember thought maybe it was her imagination at first, but as the night went on she was pretty sure Brooke was getting a little too friendly with Blake. Brooke went to refill her wine once and brought Lance and Blake both beers back, and when she sat on the couch between them, she sat closer to Blake than Lance. Ember thought Lance had to know what was going on, and Blake didn’t look comfortable at all, so she decided she had to do something, but subtly, of course, to avoid causing a scene.
Walking into the kitchen, Ember poured herself another glass of wine, but before she could even come up with a plan she looked up to see Blake standing there.
Surprising her with his concern, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Me? You’re the one practically being accosted by my cousin’s girlfriend. Are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m pretty good at escaping when I need to. I’m more worried about you. You’re not hurting, are you?” He was standing in front of her and placed one hand on the counter beside her.
She shook her head slightly. It didn’t hurt anymore, but if she moved it too fast, she would get a little dizzy. “I’m a lot better now. I still can’t remember anything from that night, but I may just have to accept that I won’t.”
“Can I try something? I just want to see if it works, but you have to agree with it.”
Ember looked at him, confused. “Why would I have to agree with it? What do you want to do?” Her voice was soft and breathy. It was hard for her not to be affected by his proximity and smell.
“Kiss me.”
CHAPTER 23
Shock took the place of the confusion. “Kiss you? What do you mean you want to see if that works?” Ember’s face flushed, and she felt her hands begin to tremble as her heart sped up.
“I want to see if it will help you remember.”
“I don’t understand; how will that help me remember anything?” She had to look away.
Tilting her chin up he looked her in the eyes, “I’m hoping it will help you remember the kiss from that night.”
“We kissed?” She realized by the look on his face he must have thought she had forgotten the first time as well. “I mean, again?” Her voice was a whisper now.
Everyone in the apartment was quiet, and Ridge was standing next to the bar. “What’s going on?” Ember wasn’t sure of his emotion at the moment.
Blake straightened and turned towards Ridge; he said, “I kissed her before IHOP, and I j
ust wanted to see if another kiss would help shake her memory."
Okay, that was anger on Ridge's face now, but as Ember watched him, she noticed it changed. He was looking at Blake with pity. Blake was evidently struggling with this, and she thought now Ridge was aware of how much.
"If she doesn’t want to, I’m not going to force her to try.” Blake started to walk away.
Ember grabbed his arm. “I do want to try! I was just surprised, that’s all. You never mentioned we kissed, Blake. Why?”
He looked at her with a pained expression. Shaking his head, he said, “Do you have any idea how hard it is to think of that night and how much fun it was, knowing that it’s like it never happened. What difference would it have made to tell you we kissed? You don’t remember it. You don’t remember singing karaoke or dancing with me.”
“There’s only one way to know if it'll work.” She stepped forward and wrapped her good arm around his neck as he leaned down to meet her. She stood on her tiptoes, but before he reached her lips he asked, “Are you sure?”
“Shut up and kiss me,” she whispered.
Ember wasn’t sure if she would be able to remember anything or not from the kiss, but she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to find out. Even if she didn’t get her memory back, she wanted to feel him close.
He grinned just as their lips met. When he slowly pulled away from her, he watched her eyes as they began to fill with tears and she shook her head.
He nodded and with a shrug said, “Was worth a shot, right?”
Ember hadn’t realized that everyone was watching until Blake turned to leave. He clasped Ridge on the shoulder then shook Lance’s hand. She couldn’t hear what was said, but she was sure he was telling Lance to have a safe trip or something like it. She didn’t miss the smug look on Brooke’s face as Blake headed for the door. Ember’s heart ached to watch him leave; he really did look sad that she couldn’t remember her time with him.
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