How Can I Blame You When It's Me I Can't Forgive?
Chapter 4
I woke up once again next to Milan, his arms wrapped comfortably around my waist and my body draped over his. Zdeno had left to give us some privacy. I glanced up at Milan, who was still sleeping peacefully. I snuggled into him and rested gently against him. I refused to allow myself to fall asleep. I pulled slowly out of his arms and slipped into his kitchen. His apartment was cold! I shivered a little as I rummaged around his refrigerator in search of food. It was damn near empty! How did these two survive? I shivered again and jumped as a pair of arms wound their way around my waist. I glanced up and held back a squeal of excitement. The guy holding me laughed.
“Blake!” I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Good to see you again, Chelsea!” Blake said, hugging me back lightly.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I live here with Z and Milan now,” He responded.
“Are you and Amanda still together or did I miss a ton when I was away?”
“We broke it off about a month ago. That’s why I’m living here with Milan and Z.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I know you loved her a lot. What happened?”
“I caught her cheating on me.” I stared at him.
“Do you know who it was she was cheating on you with?” He nodded.
“It was Mathieu,” He responded. I felt numb inside. “Turns out they’ve been doing it for a while. He was cheating on you with her when you two were going out. I’m so sorry, Chelsea,” He held me against him and I pressed my face into his chest. Milan chose that time to walk in on us.
“Blake, why did you make her cry?” He asked, pulling me out of Blake’s arms and into his own. My shoulders shook with my silent tears and Milan cradled me gently against him. I felt Blake’s hand on my head.
“Chelsea, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” He said almost pleadingly. I pulled my face out of Milan’s chest and smiled weakly at Blake.
“Its okay, Blake, I know you didn’t mean to,” I said. He still looked fairly upset with himself, so I reached out a hand and squeezed his arm gently. He smiled a little. We went back to the living room and plopped onto the couch. “You guys have no food in this house! I’m surprised you all survive here!” I exclaimed, suddenly remembering why I had gone into the kitchen in the first place. Blake and Milan laughed with each other.
“That’s where Z went, to the grocery store,” Blake explained when they stopped laughing.
“Oh! I see!” I said. Milan and Blake laughed again as Zdeno walked into the apartment.
“Hey Z, you need some help?” Blake called as we all stood up. He shook his head with a small smile.
“No, I’m fine,” He said. We shook our heads and went outside to help anyway. He had at least $200 worth of groceries in the back of his car. We were picking up the last bags when a dark haired girl ran over toward us.
“Hey Blake, hey Milan! Is Z home?” She asked. Blake smiled and nodded.
“Yup, he just got back from grocery shopping, as a matter of fact. Come on up!” He said, motioning for her to follow us. I closed the back of Zdeno’s car and we went up to their apartment. The dark haired girl looked back and smiled at me.
“Hi there! I don’t think I’ve ever met you before. My name’s Joanna,” She said, holding out a hand. I smiled and shook it. “I’m Zdeno’s girlfriend.”
“My name’s Chelsea. I guess you can say I’m Milan’s girlfriend,” I said. Her face brightened considerably.
“He’s talked about you before! He said you two had broken up over something, but he didn’t know why. I’m so glad you two are together again!” She said. I smiled and felt my face heat up with embarrassment. He’s talked about me? I was excited about that. Joanna helped us to put away the groceries and we all sat on the couch in the living room. Joanna sat on Zdeno’s lap and I was squeezed in between Milan and Blake. I smiled up at Milan and he pulled me toward him. We snuggled into each other. “So, what do we want to do?” Joanna asked.
“NHL 09 tournament?” Blake suggested. Joanna and I rolled our eyes. “Movie?” Joanna and I grinned at each other.
“10 Things I Hate About You!” We shouted at the same time. We laughed as the boys groaned. “Please?” Joanna asked.
“Anything but that!” Blake whined. Joanna gave him the puppy dog eyes. I knew he couldn’t resist those. I’d seen Amanda do that to him many times before. He groaned. “Fine, fine,” He said.
“Yay! Let’s pop it in, Chelsea!” Joanna said. I helped her locate it at the bottom of the movie pile and we settled in to watch it. I rested my head on Milan’s shoulder and Joanna cuddled up with Zdeno. There was a shy knock on the door halfway through the movie. Blake got up to answer it.
“Oh, hey, come in!” He said to whoever it was. A short Asian looking girl with short brown hair walked in behind him. “Guys, this is Sunee, my new girlfriend,” He said.
“Blake!” I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Good to see you again, Chelsea!” Blake said, hugging me back lightly.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I live here with Z and Milan now,” He responded.
“Are you and Amanda still together or did I miss a ton when I was away?”
“We broke it off about a month ago. That’s why I’m living here with Milan and Z.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I know you loved her a lot. What happened?”
“I caught her cheating on me.” I stared at him.
“Do you know who it was she was cheating on you with?” He nodded.
“It was Mathieu,” He responded. I felt numb inside. “Turns out they’ve been doing it for a while. He was cheating on you with her when you two were going out. I’m so sorry, Chelsea,” He held me against him and I pressed my face into his chest. Milan chose that time to walk in on us.
“Blake, why did you make her cry?” He asked, pulling me out of Blake’s arms and into his own. My shoulders shook with my silent tears and Milan cradled me gently against him. I felt Blake’s hand on my head.
“Chelsea, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” He said almost pleadingly. I pulled my face out of Milan’s chest and smiled weakly at Blake.
“Its okay, Blake, I know you didn’t mean to,” I said. He still looked fairly upset with himself, so I reached out a hand and squeezed his arm gently. He smiled a little. We went back to the living room and plopped onto the couch. “You guys have no food in this house! I’m surprised you all survive here!” I exclaimed, suddenly remembering why I had gone into the kitchen in the first place. Blake and Milan laughed with each other.
“That’s where Z went, to the grocery store,” Blake explained when they stopped laughing.
“Oh! I see!” I said. Milan and Blake laughed again as Zdeno walked into the apartment.
“Hey Z, you need some help?” Blake called as we all stood up. He shook his head with a small smile.
“No, I’m fine,” He said. We shook our heads and went outside to help anyway. He had at least $200 worth of groceries in the back of his car. We were picking up the last bags when a dark haired girl ran over toward us.
“Hey Blake, hey Milan! Is Z home?” She asked. Blake smiled and nodded.
“Yup, he just got back from grocery shopping, as a matter of fact. Come on up!” He said, motioning for her to follow us. I closed the back of Zdeno’s car and we went up to their apartment. The dark haired girl looked back and smiled at me.
“Hi there! I don’t think I’ve ever met you before. My name’s Joanna,” She said, holding out a hand. I smiled and shook it. “I’m Zdeno’s girlfriend.”
“My name’s Chelsea. I guess you can say I’m Milan’s girlfriend,” I said. Her face brightened considerably.
“He’s talked about you before! He said you two had broken up over something, but he didn’t know why. I’m so glad you two are together again!” She said. I smiled and felt my face heat up with embarrassment. He’s talked about me? I was excited about that. Joanna helped us to put away the groceries and we all sat on the couch in the living room. Joanna sat on Zdeno’s lap and I was squeezed in between Milan and Blake. I smiled up at Milan and he pulled me toward him. We snuggled into each other. “So, what do we want to do?” Joanna asked.
“NHL 09 tournament?” Blake suggested. Joanna and I rolled our eyes. “Movie?” Joanna and I grinned at each other.
“10 Things I Hate About You!” We shouted at the same time. We laughed as the boys groaned. “Please?” Joanna asked.
“Anything but that!” Blake whined. Joanna gave him the puppy dog eyes. I knew he couldn’t resist those. I’d seen Amanda do that to him many times before. He groaned. “Fine, fine,” He said.
“Yay! Let’s pop it in, Chelsea!” Joanna said. I helped her locate it at the bottom of the movie pile and we settled in to watch it. I rested my head on Milan’s shoulder and Joanna cuddled up with Zdeno. There was a shy knock on the door halfway through the movie. Blake got up to answer it.
“Oh, hey, come in!” He said to whoever it was. A short Asian looking girl with short brown hair walked in behind him. “Guys, this is Sunee, my new girlfriend,” He said.
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Once more dedicated to Joanna, who makes an appearance in this chapter and will most likely be in the rest of the story as Z's girlfriend/whatever else I decide to make her. Thanks much, my friend! Without you, I'd probably never update this!!