“Not him. Don’t let it be him,” Blake murmured.
He looked back at his table. The rest of the fellas were preoccupied with whatever tale the birthday boy was telling. Laughter burst out, merging with the sound of voices and the soft strains of a guitar being played on the small stage deep inside the room.
Neela was now standing with her back to the bar, her hands shoved into the front pockets of her jacket, her head down. But her eyes were trained on the stranger. Whatever relationship there was between Neela and the man walking towards her, Blake knew one thing for certain: there was no joy in this reunion.
Blake scanned his table quickly. “I’m going back for another round. Anyone?”
Two of the lads nodded. He moved swiftly through the crowd, thankful that people were giving him and the team some breathing space. It was one of the reasons that this was a favorite place for professional athletes such as himself: there was an unspoken rule among the patrons to keep to themselves.
Still, there were always gawkers, and it wasn’t unusual for him to spot a phone here and there being raised for a quick photo. The never-ending attention was just part of being a member of the country’s most famous sports team. He was used to it by now and had arrived wearing a cap that effectively shielded part of his face. The distinctive tattoo on his arm, always on display at matches, was hidden under a light cotton Henley.
He nodded at a young woman who was trying to catch his eye. On a different night, he might have smiled and stopped to make conversation, but tonight, his focus was on the scene at the bar.
When he reached the bar, he hesitated. He didn’t actually know what he should do. Neela wasn’t asking for help. Maybe she wasn’t scared. And was it even really her? It had been more than a decade. Still, his instincts were screaming that this wasn’t a good situation.
A space at the bar suddenly opened up behind Neela. Blake squeezed in before he could think twice.
Her back was still to him. He didn’t think she knew he was there. He was just another body angling for attention from the bartender on a busy Saturday night.
He could just hear her voice.
“Please leave me alone, Kyle. We both need to move on from the past, from each other.”
“I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for months.”
“We’ve said all we have to say to each other. I’ve told you I don’t want to see you again.”
“I deserve to know where you are. You owe me that, at least.”
“I don’t owe you anything!”
“You owe me five grand, Neela Smyth,” Kyle threatened.
“You stalking me is about money?”
“I’m not stalking. I’m just coming for what’s mine. After you left, there was never going to be anything between us again. I don’t live with quitters. I just want what’s owed to me.”
“I never asked you to help pay for my training! You said it was a gift! That you believed in me!” Neela hissed.
“A gift? What kind of people are you hanging out with these days, Miss National Team Player? No one I know would put that kind of money into me,” Kyle growled. “You were an investment. You’re famous now. You should be rolling in it. I want my money back...with interest.”
“I don’t have money like that! I’m not on the National Team! It’s women’s rugby, Kyle!”
“With all the publicity you’re getting, I don’t believe you! I read the papers. You’re up for a contract, aren’t you? You’ve got money coming in!”
“Kyle, let go of my arm.”
“Not until we talk.”
“Please let go. You’re hurting me!”
It was nothing more than a whisper, but Blake recognized the fear in it. That was all he needed to hear. A rush of anger blocked out everything else in the room.
He didn’t realize he had moved until he felt the stranger’s muscled arm in his own firm grip.
“She asked you to let go,” he said quietly.
Years of learning to move at a moment’s notice helped him escape the full impact of a clenched fist, but he couldn’t wholly avoid contact. Fierce pain moved instantly from his jaw through his body. He continued to hold on to the arm that was still keeping a tight grip on Neela’s arm as he met the eyes of the person who had hit him. He expected to see fury but only saw cold indifference.
The sounds of multiple chairs scraping against the wooden floor brought all conversation in the pub to a stop. Blake didn’t need to turn to know that his teammates were probably all standing in anticipation of a word or a sign from him. He had help if he needed it.
Kyle took a quick look past Blake. He must have noticed Blake’s teammates behind him, but he didn’t seem intimidated by the sight of six professional rugby players ready to move. Instead, he returned his attention to Blake, his eyes now assessing. “Who the hell are you?”
Blake felt Kyle’s arm move under his grasp, and Neela’s gasp suggested Kyle was tightening his hold on her. Blake responded similarly, adding pressure to his grip on Kyle’s forearm. He kept his gaze firmly on Kyle’s face, unintimidated. “I’m a friend of the family. Let go of her.”
“Make me,” Kyle dared.
“You don’t want me to do that. Let go of her, mate.”
Kyle sneered, his eyes now lighting up in recognition. “I know you. You’re that rugby player. You get into a fight, and won’t you be done with the National Team? Only the perfect play for our country, don’t they?”
His free hand was now clenched. Kyle was looking for a fight and apparently didn’t care if the odds were against him. He glanced at Blake’s teammates again and his lips curled, almost in amusement. “Your pretty boyfriends over there don’t scare me, either. You blokes just look tough on the pitch.”
Before Blake could respond, a calm voice coming from behind the bar said, “The police will be here in two minutes. Break this up, now.”
Neither man moved. Blake prepared himself for another strike. He was a quick learner and never forgot a mistake, especially a painful one. His sixth sense also told him that his teammates would make sure he didn’t get hurt again, that they would handle Kyle. At the very least, they would give Blake the time to get Neela away from this madman.
But as soon as he felt Kyle’s muscles relax a fraction, Blake let go of Kyle’s arm. His priority was to keep Neela safe, and he couldn’t do that if he were fighting. From the corner of his eye, he saw her pull her arm close to her body, using her other hand to massage the tender spot. Blake moved in front of Neela, his arms now crossed.
Kyle ignored Blake and stared at her. “We still have some unfinished business, Neela.” He didn’t wait for a response and purposefully pushed past Blake as he walked out of the pub.
Blake released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He didn’t want a fight. The bastard was right: a public brawl would mean an automatic fine and possible suspension from both the club and the National teams. He would take whatever reprimand came from keeping Neela out of harm’s way. But he didn’t want his rugby brothers to suffer. He knew at least one of the fellas counted on every paycheck.
He turned to look at his teammates and nodded. They returned his nod before they sat back down, signaling to the rest of the pub that all the excitement was over. Slowly, the noise generally associated with a busy night returned.
Blake returned his attention to Neela and inhaled sharply. Vacant eyes stared back but didn’t see him. A pale pallor had spread through her bronzed skin, and her breathing was shallow. Trembling hands were clasping and unclasping.
“Neela? Hey? Remember me? Blake Stanton? It’s been a few years, eh? We were in school together when we were kids.” He pushed back the instinct to put his arms around her.
“Blake Stanton?” she repeated. She kept her face away from him, and her voice was small and distant.
“Yeah, that’s right,” he encouraged.
“You live with Mano.” She was looking at him now.
He nodded. “I do. Ma
ybe we should give him a call. Let him know...”
“No!”
He cursed silently as she stepped backward automatically. She frowned. Her eyes darted back and forth as if trying to understand the environment she was in, to process the noise, the lights, her feelings.
Dark brown eyes, wild with emotions he wasn’t sure he understood, eventually settled back on him.
“No, no. Don’t call Mano,” she said faintly. “He’ll be so disappointed if he knew I met him...”
Blake rushed his hand through his hair. “Let me take you home. Please? I think you’ve had a bit of a scare. Or I can drive you home if you show me where your car is. I can take a taxi back here.”
Neela only shook her head and started for the exit.
Blake turned quickly to the bartender and pulled out his wallet. “Sorry about that, mate. Let me shout the drinks for the fellas over there. If I’m short, here’s the number at my club. Leave a message with the amount I still owe you. I’ll swing by tomorrow to settle up.”
“No worries,” the bartender replied. “This should be more than enough. Good luck with your lady friend, Blake. Never seen that bloke before, but he’s bad business if you ask me.”
Blake turned and bumped straight into Jason.
“You all right? What was going on?” Jason asked.
“It’s all good. I’ve got to go. Will you let the others know?” Blake looked past his friend. The front door was just closing.
Jason nodded. “We got it. See you back in Christchurch?”
“Yeah.” Blake clasped Jason’s arm and quickly returned his hug. It was the same as it was on the pitch. Jason would be there to help when he was needed. No questions asked, no answers required.
A rush of cool air greeted Blake when he left the pub. Different from the high energy inside, the front gardens were filled with a more varied age group of patrons. The large number of heating lamps plus an unusually warm August evening no doubt contributed to more people being outdoors than usual. He noticed a phone pointed at him. A few more faces smiled in his direction. He started to move. The last thing he wanted tonight was more attention.
“Hey! Watch it!”
Blake followed the sharp voice and caught sight of Neela holding her hands up in silent apology to a large man shielding his still-full glass of a rich amber liquid.
She moved away briskly, head down.
He ran towards her and was by her side in a few seconds. Her hand was still massaging the spot Kyle had grabbed.
He kept up with her hurried pace. “Hey, are you all right?”
His hand was slapped away, and her face grew horrified at what must have been an unplanned reaction to his touch. She exhaled loudly, then met his gaze. She started to speak, then stopped herself. He recognized her attempts to regain control of the situation, but the pulsating vein in her neck suggested it wouldn’t happen quickly.
Blake shoved his hands into his pockets. He wanted to draw her close, to comfort her physically, but this was Neela. Neela, who never needed anything or anyone. He suddenly felt as if he were in primary school again, unsure of how to behave in front of a girl he practically worshipped, worried that the wrong word, the wrong move, would send her away.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her dark eyes studying him. “Blake Stanton.”
He shrugged. “Yeah. Do you remember me from school?”
“Yeah. A bit. I know of you better now, of course.”
Blake gave her half a smile. “Bet you didn’t think the kid you protected on the field would end up winning a world championship, eh?”
“Well, my cousin saved your ass a couple of times at last week’s game against Australia. Still lost, though.”
Blake laughed. “He did, and we did. I owe him a few favors. How about I repay one by taking you home?”
She turned her head again, her eyes returning to the brightly lit garden now behind them. “I can pick up a taxi.”
“You might have to wait a while. It’s a busy night. My car’s not too far from here. Do you want to go straight home, or can I take you somewhere?”
She whispered, but her words shook him. “I think he knows where I live.”
Think, Blake, think. Keep her safe. “Uh...how about a friend’s place?”
“I don’t want him to know about anyone else in my life, Blake. He mustn’t know more than he does already.”
Unexpected anger welled up within him. Who was that bastard? He made an impulsive decision, knowing his best friend wouldn’t mind. “I’m staying with Tim Molloy this weekend. You know him too, right? It wouldn’t be like you’re staying in some strange place or anything. There’s an extra room there.”
“No, I can’t.”
“Neela, that fella in there, the one who laid his hands on you? You’re telling me he knows where you live. And it doesn’t sound like it’s something you want him to know,” he said gently. “He left here angry.”
He didn’t expect her false bravado to crumble so instantly.
His eyes widened. Oh, shit. Neela was crying? Neela Smyth never cried. He remembered her falling out of a tree when they were ten. She had dusted herself off and strolled casually to her mother, telling her she thought she’d broken “a couple of bones.” At the same school picnic, twenty minutes earlier, he’d had to stop himself from wailing out loud in front of his friends because he had a splinter in his finger.
Blake gave in to his instincts this time. He put his arm around her and drew her close.
Hiding her face in her hands, she didn’t resist his attempts of comfort. Her body shook as she sobbed quietly.
He wasn’t sure how long they stood in that position. He only knew he would hold her as long as she needed him to.
He moved them deeper into the shadows of the shrubs, away from any prying eyes and snap-happy fans. When he could no longer hear her soft cries, he said, “I’ll take you back to the Meriton. It has one of the best views of the city, I promise you.”
Neela nodded, but her shoulders slumped as she walked out of Blake’s arms and wiped her tears. He hadn’t expected the urge to pull her back into his arms, to keep her safe.
She now stood apart from him, eyes red and swollen. The pulse in her neck returning to the volatile pace he had witnessed earlier. “Where did you park?” she asked.
As they walked to the car, Blake sent a quick to message to Tim, asking him to get the room he was staying in ready for Neela. He offered to sleep on the sofa. He sighed with relief when Tim responded immediately.
Tim: She can stay in the mstr. Call when U arrive. I’ll be up.
He didn’t try to strike up a conversation with Neela, hoping instead that music would ease the awkwardness that naturally came when a vulnerable moment was shared between strangers.
And they were that. Despite their shared past and a number of mutual acquaintances, they didn’t know each other.
Strains of an aria flooded the small confines of his older brother’s car. He glanced over, expecting the usual reaction at his preferred choice of music, but Neela didn’t move an inch. Her sad, vacant eyes stared straight ahead.
Just as he was getting used to the silence, she spoke unexpectedly. “Who’s this?”
“Maria Callas.”
“It’s nice.”
He drove into the garage of the exclusive condominium complex just under an hour later. When they arrived at the unit, Tim was standing at the doorway. He went straight to Neela to give her a hug. Blake met Tim’s eyes and recognized the questions in them. He shrugged, then shook his head. He didn’t know how she was doing, either.
“You poor little sausage,” Tim said as he led them into the condo.
Neela gave a small laugh. “It’s been a while since anyone’s called me that.” She looked around the condo before turning to face Tim and Blake. “Good to see you again, Tim. It’s been quite a night of reunions for me.”
“How long has it been, Neela?” Tim asked.
“A few years, at least. I sti
ll remember your choice words to the ref in the Test against England. Very colorful for a scientist.”
Tim smiled. “We talked about getting together one day, but even moving in with your cousin hasn’t increased my chances of seeing you.”
“Life has been busy. And I haven’t lived on the South Island for almost ten years now. But I do keep up with the news. Congratulations on the Shorland Medal.”
“How did you learn about that?”
“Hey, when one of Canterbury’s own makes it big in any field, we all know. Even the nerds.”
“I was part of a team.” Tim smiled, but his voice turned serious. “You all right?”
Neela’s lower lip began to quiver, and she bit on it before nodding quickly. “I just need a good night’s sleep. I hadn’t expected Kyle to be so aggressive in public. He never was before. I thought it’d be safe to see him in a public place.”
Tim glanced sharply at Blake. They both heard what she didn’t say.
Blake asked cautiously. “Has he ever been ... rough ...with you in private?”
She turned her head slightly at the question, but she avoided looking at Blake directly. Her eyes were distant when she looked up again, acknowledging but not seeing the two men in the room. “I should go to bed. It’s been a long night. I’m sorry to impose, but...thanks. I can sleep on the sofa.”
Tim shook his head. “No chance and no apologies. We’re glad you’re here. Just head down the hall.”
Blake watched Neela make her way to the master bedroom, her back straight, her head up.
When they heard the door shut, Tim turned to Blake. “What the hell happened at the pub? Your message of ‘Neela. Need room 4 her. I sleep on sofa. Fight.’ could have meant a million things. And your jaw looks like it’s swelling up, mate. You’d better get some ice on it.”
Blake automatically touched his face. He had forgotten about the punch until then. He went to the kitchen for an icepack. “Honestly, I don’t really know what was going on between her and that fella. It’s the first time I’ve seen her in years. For a minute, I wasn’t even sure it was her. She just looked scared when she walked into the pub. ”
Always You Page 2