The Boyfriend

The Boyfriend Part LIII: You Didn't Invite Me?

Blake

Blake usually prided herself on her ability to do research and make something of it. It was what had helped her become more successful as a cam model, had allowed her to even help Chloe give herself a boost, and it was what had led her to getting so many beta testers for her CRM software that she was building in her limited free time.

Doing research on the house, and what to do with it, however, was not going nearly as well as she had hoped. Blake wasn't sure if it was the loneliness and all the emotion associated with the house, her stupid disappointment that she couldn't be with Liam tonight, or the guilt that she knew she should probably be taking advantage of people staying up late tonight, and putting on a show. She probably could have done a show while just doing research, sitting there naked on cam, maybe with a vibrator inside her.

Blake sneezed, turning away from her computer just in time to sneeze into her elbow instead of blasting the screen with her snot.

Bleh. Stupid allergies.

Even just sitting on cam, took a little bit more energy than she had tonight, and with her nose being like this--she'd blown it so many times it was getting a little raw--she decided not to do a show.

A yawn overtook her, and she sat back in her chair, stretching as her jaw nearly unhinged, when her phone started vibrating.

As soon as the yawn was through with her, Blake smiled at Liam's picture on her phone, and grabbed it, picking up.

"Hey."

"Hey, I'm not too late, right? We've still got a few minutes to midnight?"

Blake smiled, immediately feeling better at the sound of Liam's voice, even though she could tell that he'd obviously gone with the spirit of the holiday and had been drinking a little bit.

"You're not too late," she said, smiling and spinning around in her chair, turning away from her computer, "though you sound a little toasted.

"I'm not

that

bad," Liam protested. He wasn't, but Blake felt like giving him a little shit, "I just didn't realize until everyone was already here that this was essentially going to be a 'Roast Liam' night where everybody has fun exchanging embarrassing stories about me. Had to take the edge off just a little bit."

Blake laughed, "Ugh, and you didn't invite me?"

"I thought it might be a bit far for you to drive."

Blake laughed. Then she sobered a little, "You're all staying there tonight though, right? No one's driving home?"

"God, no," Liam said, "driving on New Year's Eve or 4th of July anywhere around LA is not a good idea, even if we were all dead sober."

Blake cut off the train of thought that tried to form at Liam's words before it sent her spiraling. She forced a smile as he continued.

"We're at my uncle's, and there are enough beds and couches that everybody will be comfy."

"Good. No cuddling with Tasha, though. I trust both of you, but there's only so much I can keep my mind from going bad places when I'm so far away from you for so long."

"So, cuddling with Kiki is fine."

Blake tried not to smile at Liam's joke, and tried to make her voice as annoyed as possible As she rose from her chair and sat down on her bed, "Happy New Year, I'm hanging up."

"Oh, come on. You know I'm joking. Kiki is going to be cuddling with Tasha, and I'm sure whatever mischief Tasha has planned is going to keep Kiki bright red all the way until tomorrow night. Plus, I've gotta get back off of Tasha's shit list before she'd even entertain cuddling while watching a movie or anything like that again."

Blake arched an eyebrow, "What did you do?"

"Why do you assume it was me?"

"Call it a hunch."

Liam was silent for a moment, then sighed, and Blake giggled.

"Fine. While we were in the jacuzzi, somehow, the story of me asking Tasha for some sex advice, and the following conversation with her and Kiki and Sara where they found out how big I am came up, and Tasha was about to tell everybody about it, so I panicked and splashed her."

Blake gaped, "Oh, Liam... rookie mistake. She had makeup on, and her hair done, didn't she? Also, fuck you for spending New Year's Eve relaxing in a jacuzzi."

Liam snorted, "Not the first time I've heard that. And yeah, she did. She was not happy."

"And by not happy, you mean...?"

"She and Kiki threw me in the pool. They're freakishly strong, especially together."

Blake laughed, "How cold was it?"

"Fucking freezing. Tasha was smart enough not to try and help me out, but Kiki wasn't, and I pulled her in with me."

Blake gasped, "You didn't."

"Yep. I was exiled from the jacuzzi after that. Had to hold myself up by my elbows on the rim. With the rest of me in the pool."

"Serves you right."

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!"

"There are rules, Liam you don't splash a girl unless she's already fully wet and has dunked her hair and everything."

"Well, joke was on them, because when they got out to dry off, the air was very cold, and they were not at all prepared for it. I barely even needed to pat off because I was already used to the cold."

"You're such a dork," Blake laughed.

"A dork you very much enjoy having sex with."

Blake smiled, "Guilty. It sounds like a lot of fun. I wish I could be there with you guys. I want to meet all your friends and family and get to know them."

"Ugh, please no. Before tonight I would have agreed with you, but right now, they don't deserve it. They're giving me way too much shit about having a new girlfriend, and Tasha and Kiki definitely didn't help. Even Matt is ganging up on me."

Blake just laughed at him.

"They don't get to meet you until they start behaving better."

"Well then tell them to get back to that soon," Blake said.

Her phone started buzzing then, as the alarm she'd set for midnight went off, and she stopped it, then bit her lip, "Happy New Year, Liam. I really miss you a lot."

"Happy new year, Blake. I miss you too. I love being home, but... It would be so much better if you were here. And not just for the fun parts. Just... I miss just being with you."

Blake swallowed the lump in her throat. Her heart hurt, and her eyes were getting misty.

"I miss you so much. Go get back to your friends though, and have fun. I'll make sure you're sick of me within a week when we get back."

Liam laughed, "I doubt you could ever do that. Goodnight Blake."

"Goodnight, Liam."

The second Liam hung up, Blake let out a half grown, half screen, and threw her phone down on her bed before flopping on her back.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why didn't you just fucking tell him?

Blake took a deep breath, then let it out. She had to do that a few more times before she was even remotely more calm, but it did work.

She knew that tonight, while he was with his friends, and while she was alone and already feeling shitty, and while they were so fucking far apart, was not the right time to tell him that she loved him so much it hurts sometimes, especially...

Clenched her fists and growled, pushing away any of those possibilities.

Well, definitely still going to have stuff to work on with my therapist.

Blake rose from her bed, just in time for a massive sneeze to knock her back on her ass, and cover her arm in a gross mess of snot.

"Fuck!"

With a groan, Blake went to get some tissues, then decided to go make herself some tea before she finally went to bed.

A/N: Do you think she's right to want to wait until they're together? Or should she have told him?