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If it were up to Blake, he'd stay here forever...
But he begins to feel the steam from the bathtub clouding his eyes to the point where it's impossible for him to see. He won't be forced into darkness. He can take himself there all by himself. Blake reaches out and turns off the water, leaning back in the tub and shutting his eyes.
After what seems like several more hours of sitting in silence, listening to drops of water leak from the shower faucet, he hears the thundering sound of a doorbell buzzer.
Blake goes on autopilot, climbing out the shower and drying himself off. He slides on one of the white Emerald Plaza bathrobes and stumbles toward the door. Still in a daze, Blake fights his hardest to keep everything together.
Aaron was long gone by the time Blake awakened, and even if he were there, he wouldn't be ringing the doorbell. It has to be someone else coming to the suite... room service, probably. Answering the door will keep them out of his hair, keep them from coming in and finding... finding out what Aaron did to him.
He's too embarrassed to have anyone know. He's too ashamed.
The doorbell buzzes again just as Blake opens the door and finds a large tray of food sitting outside in the hallway. But what's even more surprising is that standing beside the tray is the last person Blake expected to see this morning...
"Room service was dropping this off for you," Darren says, tapping his fingers alongside the tray. "So I guess the rumors are true... you've been having an affair with Aaron Maddock."
Farrah relaxes momentarily, creeped out by Kane's admission, but thankful that he hasn't violated her in the same unimaginable ways that her father once had.
"Trust me," Kane says, patting his crotch. "You'd know if we had sex last night. You'd still feel it."
Farrah slaps Kane across the face. "You're disgusting. Why did you..."
"Because you wouldn't do what I told you to do!" Kane snaps. "I wanted you to do that film with me. That's why Tyler came to town, so we could film another flick, make enough money, and I could skip town!"
"You drugged me so I'd do that damn porno?"
"Well, you skipped out before the bachelor party ended," Kane says. "I doubt you're going to be getting paid."
"Dammit!" Farrah cries. She is hit with a fervor of emotion as she realizes the significance of the money she's just lost. She won't be able to afford to skip town with Alec. She will be stuck in this dead end town for the rest of her life. "Dammit! Do you have any idea what you just did?!"
She lunges at Kane, beating his chest with her fists. He laughs off her attacks, pulling her closer to him and into a sloppy, wet kiss. She bites his lip, drawing blood before kneeing him in the groin and shoving him to the floor.
"Do you have any idea what you did?" Farrah repeats, in completely hysterics as she storms out the bedroom and slams the door shut.
EMERALD PLAZA HOTEL
THE EVENT SUITE
"Darren... this isn't what it..." Blake can barely even speak up for himself as Darren's angry eyes seem to tear into him. "God, just go away."
Blake turns and goes back into the hotel suite. But Darren catches the door, pushing the tray inside as he follows Blake. "Come on, Blake. Tell me. How long have you and Aaron been screwing each other?"
"I told you to leave me alone, Darren," Blake says, fighting back to urge to break into tears. He doesn't want Darren to see him like this. To know that Aaron's violation of him is the direct result of him inviting Aaron into his bed countless times over in the past.
"You think I'm leaving?" Darren demands. "This is not over."
Darren marches over to Blake, spinning him around and glaring at him. His contempt seems to be strong enough to make Blake explode if he continues to stare at him like this.
"I didn't have sex with Aaron," Blake gasps. "He... he..."
"How stupid do you think I am?"
"Darren, I'm trying..."
"You've been lying to me for months about this," Darren says, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Probably longer!"
"No," Blake says, unable to take it any more. "You're wrong! I didn't... it hasn't been for months. I first started things with Aaron over two years ago, but it hasn't been... I haven't..."
"On his goddamn wedding day!" Darren shouts. "What kind of a cheap whore have you turned into?"
"Darren..."
"I'm so over this," Darren says, backing away toward the door. "If you were looking for a way to get me out of your life permanently, then congratulations."
Blake remains numb, silent as Darren storms out the door. The deafening silence swirls around him, threatening to bring Blake to his knees. He lunges toward the tray of food, picking up the large platter of food and hurling it against the wall.
As Blake finally falls to the floor in tears, the door to the hotel suite slides back open. He glances up at the new visitor, who he at first assumes will be a friendlier face, but then he remembers that they are very much at odds with one another now.
Vincent Moore frowns, joining Blake in his acceptance of silence. A silence that speaks volumes.
