Chapter 221: A bit of talking

Alexander’s face looked coldly bitter.

"You truly are twisted."

Blake scratched the back of his head, not saying anything.

For a moment, he simply stared at Alexander.

’Huh... why?’

He genuinely didn’t understand.

Alexander walked toward him and, before Blake could react, Alexander reached out and took the DVD case straight from his hand.

His fingers loosened automatically, letting him take it.

A heavy feeling settled over his shoulders.

His eyes dropped toward the floor, mouth pressed into a thin line.

He didn’t argue or ask for it back, as it didn’t even belong to him, anyway.

He simply stood there for a moment, his arms hanging loosely by his sides.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Blake swallowed.

He finally turned away.

"Excuse me..."

His voice was quieter than before, as he started walking toward the door.

Then Alexander spoke again.

"What did I even expect, from someone like you."

Blake stopped.

His heart seemed to explode inside his chest.

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe.

Cold sweat slid down his back.

Slowly, he turned around.

"That’s enough."

Alexander stiffened.

Blake’s expression had become unusually serious.

"I don’t know what you’re angry about."

Alexander’s eyes narrowed.

"You shouldn’t have an ounce of audacity left in you."

Blake pressed his lips together.

He didn’t know what to say he wasn’t even aware of what exactly had happened between them.

He knew he was an illegitimate child and, most probably, his existence had caused problems.

He knew there were things this family clearly blamed him for.

But what exactly?

What had he done?

Blake took a slow breath.

"Whatever you’re so angry about..."

He looked directly at Alexander.

"Now is the time to say it."

Alexander’s expression twitched.

"Any bad blood between us has to disappear eventually."

His voice remained steady, even though his chest was beginning to hurt again.

"You’re going to be an adult soon, in a year, you can’t keep behaving this way forever."

Alexander gritted his teeth. Then, he walked toward him, fast. And before he could react, he was grabbed by the collar.

Blake’s feet almost left the floor as Alexander pulled him upward slightly.

"What you’re saying is absolute bullshit!"

Blake frowned, his hand immediately going to his wrist, pushing him away.

’I didn’t take all that training to stay put like this!’

Alexander stumbled back a step, as Blake straightened his collar.

"Physical threats are what I find the most vile. Do you really think doing this will be satisfying forever?"

"Out of all people..."

His voice rose.

"You’re the one who says that?!"

Blake groaned slightly.

"Yeah."

He looked down at his wrinkled collar.

"I’m the one saying it."

He fixed it as best he could.

"No matter how you look at it, a legitimate son attacking some useless mistake like me is nothing."

Alexander froze.

Blake looked at him.

"Who knows? You could kill me and nobody would probably bat an eye."

Alexander’s expression changed.

"But you can’t think like this forever."

Blake sighed.

"You’re going to grow up."

He scratched his cheek.

"You’ll have responsibilities, a life, people around you, considering you’ll have to succeed your father. You can’t spend your entire life hating me, holding such a huge grudge."

Alexander’s breathing became heavier.

"Someone like you... someone like you only ruins everything!"

His voice became shaky.

"Do you not feel sorry?"

Blake stared.

He didn’t know what Alexander was referring to. Not enough to understand why the boy looked like he wanted to tear something apart.

But the answer came before he could stop himself.

"No."

He hadn’t even thought about it, the word had simply left his mouth.

"No, I don’t feel sorry."

Alexander’s face went completely still.

Blake’s own expression slowly changed.

He looked at Alexander properly, and something inside him went numb.

The anger in Alexander’s face wasn’t ordinary irritation.

Blake’s shoulders lowered as he slowly stepped backward.

His fingers curled slightly.

He didn’t say anything else.

Then he turned, and walked out of the room.

His face crumbled slightly the moment Alexander was no longer looking at him.

He walked down the hallway.

Then speed-walked.

Then he ran.

His footsteps echoed through the corridor.

He simply wanted to get away as fast as possible.

’I shouldn’t have gone out and explored. Why did I do that?!’

He grabbed his head, frustrated.

Fortunately, he reached his room. He opened the door, slipped inside, and immediately closed it behind him.

His back rested against the door, sighing heavily.

The breath came out shakily.

"...Wow."

He rubbed his face.

’Quite the stressful first day, huh? This time it’s all my fault basically.’

He remained there for a few seconds.

Then laughed bitterly under his breath.

’Anyway... that conversation was something.’

Blake pushed himself away from the door.

He walked toward the bed and sat down, his not stopping.

’Did he do something very wrong to them?’

He stared at the floor.

’But was it really that wrong?’

Alexander had looked genuinely furious, almost devastated.

Blake couldn’t understand it.

’What is a powerless boy like this even able to do, anyway?’

He looked down at his hands.

’No money, no authority... I can’t think of anything.’

He sighed.

’This is an illegitimate child we’re talking about.’

He leaned backward.

Alexander was probably referring to that.

His birth.

Maybe he really had ruined something.

Maybe his arrival had broken apart his parents’ relationship.

Maybe his father had loved Alexander’s mother, and then Blake’s birth had changed everything.

It was the only explanation that made sense.

At least, it was the only one Blake could think of.

He laid down, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

’Still. Why does he hate him that much? He’s talking as if Blake forced his mother and father to have sexual intercourse or something.’

His phone was lying beside him.

Blake reached for it, and stared at the screen.

’Should I?’

His thumb hovered over Myles’ name.

He hesitated, then pressed call.

"Blake?"

Myles answered immediately.

Blake’s lips pressed together.

"Hey..."

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"You called me."

Blake rolled onto his side.

"Yeah, my first day, no, my first few hours here did not go that well...I had an argument."

"With whom?"

"My half-brother."

Myles became silent.

Blake could practically imagine his expression.

"Why? Where you alone with him?"

"Eh, I don’t know why. I kinda got into some kind of playroom here, on the last floor. I thought nobody would care, so I just looked around a little and watched a video."

Blake stares at the ceiling, his eyes burning.

"But then he suddenly got in and called me names, like he called me twisted and took a DVD from me. Then he told me he didn’t know what he expected from someone like me."

Blake swallowed.

"He grabbed my collar too."

Myles’ voice became noticeably colder.

"He touched you?"

"Yeah."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, I pushed him off... with all the torture I went through while training, I would’ve became your biggest shame if I had gotten myself hurt."

Myles was silent for several seconds.

"That could never happened. You did good, you shouldn’t let him put his hands on you."

Blake chuckled weakly.

"I know."

He pulled the blanket slightly over himself.

"But that’s not really what bothers me."

"What does?"

Blake looked toward the ceiling.

"He said I ruin everything. And then he asked if I didn’t feel sorry."

Blake’s voice became quieter.

"I said no."

"What was he talking about? What did you ruin?"

"I think it’s because of my birth, or something among those lines."

"Don’t pay him any mind."

"Easy for you to say."

Blake smiled faintly as he rolled onto his back.

"He looked really hurt. Maybe I really did something terrible."

He rubbed his forehead, pulling the phone closer.

"I’m just annoyed at everything, honestly."

His voice became more childish.

"I came here because I didn’t want to lose financial support. I eat an awkward lunch. Then I explore a little because I’m bored, find a playroom, watch a random DVD..."

He paused.

"And then I get called twisted."

Myles hummed.

Blake buried his face into the pillow.

"I just wanted to watch a stupid happy story!"

"Was it a comedy?"

"Huh? I would call it a slice of life."

Blake lifted his head.

"But the main character was never once called by his name. Tsk, I was curious about it so I reached for the DVD case, but that brat interrupted me!"

Myles hummed again.

For a while, neither spoke.

Then Blake sighed.

"...Can we stay on the phone?"

"Yes."

"Even if I don’t say anything?"

"Yes."

Blake smiled.

His shoulders finally relaxed against the mattress.

"Okay."

Myles’ voice came through the phone, steady and familiar.

"Get some rest."

Blake closed his eyes.

"Yeah, but then I’ll have to eat dinner with them, I’m such an idiot for arguing with that dude."

"You aren’t an idiot."

Blake smiled.

"Ah, I want to see you already, I think I’m gonna cry."