When the designated driver arrived, Reese was still drunk. Blake gently helped her into the car. She wasn’t heavy, but she clung to his neck a bit too tightly, mumbling softly.
With a slight frown, Blake secured her in the seat and buckled her up. The driver asked for their destination.
Blake hesitated for a moment, then turned to Reese. “Where do you live? I’ll take you there.”
“I… don’t want… to go home… No…” In her drunken state, Reese struggled to open her eyes and asked, “Who are you?”
“I’m Blake. I’m here to take you home. What’s your address?”
When Reese heard his name, she visibly relaxed. His calm, firm voice put her at ease, and she obediently gave him her address.
It took Blake a few tries to understand what she said clearly, but he finally got it and relayed the address to the driver.
Looking through the rearview mirror, the driver said, “Young man, your girlfriend seems really uncomfortable.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Blake replied flatly.
To him, Reese was just a colleague, maybe a friend at most. He could sense something in her stares toward him, but his own feelings were reserved for Bianca.
But it seemed like she didn’t care about him.
Blake’s words cut through Reese’s heart, leaving her feeling hurt and tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
They didn’t speak at all during the ride.
After driving through winding roads, it took nearly an hour to reach Reese’s neighborhood at midnight. Blake looked out the car window at the rundown area, which showed no signs of wealth. He frowned and turned to the driver, asking, “Is this it? Are we here?”
“According to the GPS, this is the spot,” the driver replied.
Blake was briefly speechless. He shook Reese awake. “Wake up. Is this your place?”
Reese’s eyelids were heavy as she struggled to open them just a little, squinting at her surroundings. She nodded but then quickly went back to sleep.
Blake pulled her out of the car, signaling to the driver not to leave yet, just in case he needed a ride later.
Following Reese’s sleepy directions, Blake led her to the basement door of a building.
The sight took him by surprise. He hadn’t expected Reese to live in such a rundown place, and it left him momentarily stunned.
The building looked old and worn, with its white edges tinged yellow and slightly crooked. It seemed unsafe. Instead of living on a normal floor, she called the basement her home.
When Blake opened the basement door, a wave of decay and dampness hit him hard. He had to turn away to keep from gagging; the smell was overpowering.
Inside, the walls were covered in mold, and the floor felt wet under his feet. Despite the poor conditions, the owner had tried to take care of the place. A few mismatched pieces of furniture were scattered around. There was no television, just small boxes on a makeshift stand with essentials like data cables and adhesive tape.
Seeing Reese’s living situation, which was so different from her always cheerful attitude at work, tugged at Blake’s heart.
After tidying up the bed, he carefully laid Reese down, took off her outer clothes and shoes, and covered her with a blanket.
As he turned to leave, he felt a deep sadness for her. He looked for a basin and got some water for her to freshen up.
The feeling of wetness on her face woke Reese up. When she opened her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with Blake, who was in the middle of washing her face.
When Blake realized she was awake, he felt unexpectedly embarrassed and cleared his throat. “You’re up. I noticed you seemed uncomfortable, so I thought a little face wash might help. Now that you’re awake, I’ll leave. Remember to drink some water.”
Just as he turned to go, Reese grabbed his cuff from behind.
In a soft voice, she confessed, “Blake, I really like you. I want to be your girlfriend. Can you give us a chance?”
Time seemed to freeze, and the air felt heavy with silence.
After a long pause, Blake finally said, “You’re under the influence of alcohol.”
Reese’s heart sank.
The courage to reveal her hidden feelings had come out because of the alcohol. The harsh reality of rejection hit her hard.
“Am I not enough?” she asked, feeling hurt.
“You’re more than enough, but we’re not a good fit,” he replied.
Not a good fit? That was the kind of excuse people used when they couldn’t feel affection for someone.
Reese glanced around at her rundown surroundings, struggling to hold back tears. With her long lashes drooping, she softly asked, “Is it because of my humble background, or am I just not good enough for you?”
“Neither,” Blake replied. “I’ve told you I have feelings for someone else. I can’t develop feelings for anyone else. I care about you, but you deserve someone better than me. It wouldn’t be fair to you when my heart belongs to someone else.”
The answer Reese had feared struck her heart. Tightening her grip on Blake’s cuff, she asked, “Is it Bianca? The one you care for, is it Bianca?”
Blake fell silent.
Seeing Blake’s silence made Reese realize everything.
She had always noticed how much Blake cared for Bianca. Deep down, Reese knew it but tried to ignore it, convincing herself it was okay since Bianca already had a boyfriend.
But when Blake finally told her how he felt about Bianca, Reese felt a heavy sadness and helplessness.
Bianca was nice to her, and Blake was the guy Reese liked.
Reese couldn’t bring herself to compete with Bianca for Blake’s love. She didn’t think she was good enough to do it. She knew all the great things about Bianca and how deeply Blake loved her.
But Reese couldn’t just let it go. Fighting back tears, she said, “But Bianca is already with someone. They look so happy together.”
Hearing Bianca’s boyfriend, Dave, made Blake lose his cool. “That guy doesn’t really love her! His behavior is terrible. He doesn’t deserve Bianca’s love!”
Reese was taken aback by his anger and opened her mouth in shock.
Blake continued, “Bianca is just caught up in him. When his true self comes out, she’ll see who he really is! Then, she’ll know who’s really right for her!”