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The peaceful look on Blake Thomas' sleeping face tells Aaron all he needs to know about last night. It was beautiful. And just what Aaron needed to get through today. What was going to be the worst day of his life is now going to be wonderfully affected by the knowledge that Blake is still in love with him.
Blake needs him just as much as Aaron needs Blake.
Drawn from his moment of contemplation by his continuously ringing phone, Aaron groans and rises to his feet. He slides the phone from the pocket of his pants, laying adjacent to the couch. Checking the Caller ID, he can see that it's Simon Holden.
"Simon buddy, what's up?" Aaron asks, walking toward the window while keeping a close watch on Blake.
"It's your wedding day wake-up call," Simon says from the other end of the phone. "Time for you to get your ass out of that hotel suite, otherwise I'm coming to get you."
"No," Aaron says quickly. "Don't do that... I can meet you at the mansion."
"Can't do that, Rebecca is there. And it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."
"That's just superstitious nonsense," Aaron insists.
"Yeah, that's what Valerie told me when she saw me the morning of our wedding," Simon answers.
Aaron soaks that in. "Right. I will meet you directly at the church."
He hangs up the phone and hurries to get dressed. Once he's adequately clothed, Aaron kisses Blake on the forehead and goes out the door.
"What in the hell is..."
"Morning, sunshine," Kane Li says, entering the bedroom with a tray of fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice. "I brought you some breakfast."
"Breakfast? Where the hell am I?" Farrah demands.
She tosses the blanket from her body, realizing she has been changed from her clothing into a nightgown. She hurriedly jumps out of the bed, pointing an accusatory finger at Kane.
"Is this... is this your room?"
"Yes, it is," Kane answers nonchalantly.
"Did you... oh my God, you drugged me!" Farrah cries. "You brought me to this room and you raped me!"
"Oh please," Kane says, rolling his eyes.
Farrah charges at Kane, slapping him across the face. She tries to hit him again, but he grabs her arm and pulls her closer.
"I didn't rape you, you stupid idiot," Kane snaps.
"Then you tell me what you did to me!" Farrah cries. "You tell me what you did!"
BALE HOME
Darren Reynolds is jostled awake at the sound of loud singing coming from the kitchen. It takes him a few moments to realize that he is lying on the couch in his uncle's living room. It takes only a few seconds longer to realize that the "singing" is coming from Akilah Moore, currently his uncle's most irritating house guest.
"Akilah..." Darren croaks, attempting to catch her attention.
His attempts seem futile, however. He climbs to his feet and staggers toward the kitchen, loosening his tie and laying it across the couch arm as he exits the living room. When he finds Akilah in the kitchen, cooking up a storm of breakfast cereal, he calls out her name again.
Akilah nearly drops her cereal box. "Darren! You're awake!"
"Yeah... long night," Darren says.
"I can't believe you went to Aaron's bachelor party," Akilah continues. "That guy... gives me the creeps."
"That makes two of us. I didn't know I was going to his party," Darren answers. "And I certainly didn't know..."
"Know what?"
Darren shakes his head. "Nothing."
"That you'd get in a fight with Blake?" Akilah asks. "I was eavesdropping when Robert put you on the couch."
"Oh, great. Now the entire town will know."
Akilah laughs uncomfortably, knowing full well he's mocking her. "Yeah, probably. But you know what? I don't get why you'd even want to be around Blake or Aaron after what they did."
"After what?" Darren demands.
"They've been having sex, duh," Akilah says, taking the slightest pleasure in twisting this knife after Darren's rude comment.
"You're lying."
"I saw them making out at the hospital," Akilah insists. "Back when there was a hospital."
The color drains from Darren's face as he backs away from Akilah, completely floored. "I have to... I have to go."
As Darren storms out the kitchen, Akilah's plans to return to her cereal are cut short as her brother Vince enters with a disappointed look on his face. "You never told me about Blake and Aaron."
"Why do you care?" Akilah demands in a huff. "You're not even friends anymore."
Vince folds his arms in disdain. "You know, Akilah, you can be a real bitch sometimes."
EMERALD PLAZA HOTEL
THE EVENT SUITE
The pain is more than Blake Thomas can endure. Not on top of the shame and the humiliation he feels from being violated... taken advantage of... brutalized... raped.
Rape.
Is that the word for what just happened to him only a few hours ago? Is that what happens when a man you were once formerly involved with takes it upon himself to reignite that relationship by force?
There was a time when Blake would have jumped at the chance to have sex with Aaron Maddock. It seemed dangerous, illicit, and incredibly hot. An older man taking interest in him was just what Blake needed to get through the sexual exploration phase of his burgeoning undergraduate career.
But when he started to have feelings for Darren again... started to date Eric... he realized that the relationship he had with Aaron wasn't a real relationship. It was an affair. And affairs have to end. They're not healthy for anyone involved.
Is that was this was? A brief encounter? An affair? Something Blake can forget about and move on from? No...
As Blake staggers into the hotel suite's bathroom and stares at himself in the mirror, he knows this is something that he will never forget. It will remain with him forever.
This affair... this encounter... this rape.
Letting out a loud, bloodcurdling scream, Blake balls his hands into fists and slams them against the mirror. He continues hitting the mirror until it shatters into what seems like a million broken pieces.
Broken.
Just like Blake.
