Drew
Bright morning sun broke over the water, waking Drew from his best night’s sleep in almost eleven years. The bed of his truck wasn’t as comfortable as it had been at sixteen, but waking up with Anna in his arms was pretty damn close to Heaven. She loved him. She’d said she loved him last night, and he loved her more than he had words to tell her.
The proposal wasn’t a joke. At least not to him. It was too soon for her. He knew that, but he wanted her to be his wife, to wear his ring on that tiny finger and watch her walk down the aisle toward him and not someone else.
This partnership between she and Luke could be great. She wouldn’t have to give up her dreams to be at home with Drew, but he never would have let a job keep them apart. If she wanted, he’d follow her anywhere.
Watching the peaceful expression on her face as she slept, Drew couldn’t help drifting to their conversation the night before. Waiting hadn’t really crossed his mind this time. He’d been fantasizing about getting his hands on every inch of her body since the minute she appeared at his sister’s wedding, but if she needed to wait, they would. Their first time together would be special for her, perfect, even if it damn near killed him.
He could convince her to have sex. Just like he could have a decade ago. He’d touch her the way he knew she liked to be touched, the way that made the barely there hitch in her breath that drove him insane. It would be incredible, every single minute of being with her, but that terrified broken look she’d had in her eyes at his sister’s wedding, the one he’d slowly taken away over the last several weeks, would return as her mind fixated on all the worst-case scenarios. She’d already lived some of them, so it wouldn’t be hard for her to get there. As much as he wanted her now, craved the taste of every inch of her, Drew loved her too much to let that happen. So he pushed away the fantasy with a deep inhale, reciting the periodic table to calm the already excited part of his manhood.
Anna stirred in his arms, eyes fluttering. He kissed her forehead, scooped her up, and drove them to his home. She immediately snuggled back into the couch, and he joined her, drifting back to sleep holding her.
The sound of the garage door opening woke him sometime later, and he peeked an eye open to see Luke standing over them with a smirk.
“Well, look at you two all cozy and stuff.” Luke ruffled Anna’s hair, and she smacked his hand away.
“Why are you here?” Drew mumbled into Anna’s neck. “Go away.”
“The barbeque at your parents’ house, genius. It starts in twenty minutes.” Luke plopped down in the recliner beside them. “I needed an oil change, and it’s draining in your shop, so I thought I’d catch a ride with you. You two think you can pull yourselves away from each other for a few hours to interact with other people?”
Anna wiggled in Drew’s arms, and he reluctantly released her. After a quick change of clothes, they all climbed in Drew’s truck.
“Just like old times,” Drew said with a wink as they glanced at each other. When Luke lost his father, Drew’s dad had done his best to fill that void. Luke and Anna both spent so much time at his house that his parents basically had an extra daughter and son.
Things had been so easy then. Simple and uncomplicated.
Drew smiled as his parents’ two-story white house came into view. He’d stood on that same full wraparound porch and stared into Anna’s eyes the day he took her to college. He’d calmed her nerves and promised he would never love anyone the way he loved her. He may have walked away, he may have broken a lot of promises, but he hadn’t broken that one.
Drew led them through the big blue front door and into his parents’ kitchen. The smell of fried chicken and mashed potatoes filled the room.
“Hi, Mom.” Drew grabbed her from behind and lifted her in a hug.
“Hi, sweetie.” She laughed then turned, all her attention immediately on the girl next to him. “Oh Anna, honey, Andy and I are just so glad you’re here with us.” His mom pulled Anna into a tight embrace and winked at Drew over her shoulder.
“Hi, Mrs. Stevens,” Anna said, smiling.
“Oh silly girl, you call me Marie. How are you, dear? Everything going okay? I was so sorry to hear about your…well, you know, but like they say, when God closes a door, he opens a window.”
Her gaze blatantly darted between Drew and Anna.
“Mom, really?” Drew closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Anna, ever graceful, simply laughed. “I’m really great. Thank you for asking.”
“Y’all head out back. Everyone else is out there. Andy’s going to give himself a heart attack chasing those kids around,” his mother said, shooing the three of them out the door.
Everyone was spread out across the yard, talking, grilling hot dogs for the kids, and pitching horseshoes. Drew’s dad chased his grandkids in what appeared to be a fierce game of freeze tag.
Anna squeezed Drew’s sister, Kate, like she would supply her next breath. “Happy Birthday.”
“Matt, come say hi to Anna,” Kate called to her husband.
“Hi, Anna,” he yelled from behind the grill, waving his spatula in the air.
Kate rolled her eyes, and they walked into the yard. Drew’s father paused, smiled, then wrapped Anna in his arms.
“Nice to see you, sweetheart,” he whispered, holding her there like his long-lost daughter had finally come home.
Drew’s mother approached the picnic table with food in both hands. “Let’s eat.”
A sweet cry came from the baby monitor, and Kate brought little Gillian down to dinner. Anna fed the two-month-old baby girl while everyone else ate. She rocked her gently to sleep after the last of her bottle was gone.
Anna caught Drew’s stare, and all he could think about was starting a family with her. He winked, and a blush the color of her favorite red roses filled her cheeks.
After dinner, they roasted marshmallows around the new fire pit, eating s’mores until Drew thought he’d be sick. He sighed, taking in the scene in front of him while saying a thankful prayer for every single one of his many blessings.
Anna’s head fell on Drew’s shoulder, and she kissed his neck softly. One kiss shouldn’t make him so completely crazy, but hell, everything she did made him want her. He grabbed her hand, slipping away from the crowd and around the side of the barn.
“Where are we going?” She giggled as he practically dragged her into the darkness.
The second they rounded the corner, he slowly walked her back into the wall, her eyes wide with excitement even in the sliver of moonlight. Drew inched his face closer to hers, stopping just before their lips touched, teasing the way he knew she loved.
“Drew, kiss me,” she insisted.
He covered those incredibly soft lips with his as she let out a soft sigh and threaded her fingers in his hair. His hands slid to her thighs, and he lifted her, long legs wrapping around him.
“Can I take back what I said last night?” she breathed, eyes still closed.
“No, you can’t, Sunshine. I want to know how you’re feeling. I want your honesty. Our first time will be one hell of a night, and you will wake up in my arms the next morning with only the thought of how badly you need me to touch you again. I promise you that,” he whispered the words against her ear, and a shiver rocked through her.
Drew lowered her without breaking their kiss. Once her feet were on the grass, he smiled down at her.
“They’re going to know what we were doing when we walk back over there,” she said, intertwining their fingers.
“I. Don’t. Care.” He swept her hair to the side, emphasizing each word with a kiss down her neck.
The fire still roared in front of them when they returned to the circle of his family. Drew pulled Anna into his lap while Luke grumbled about the PDA.
“Luke, when are you going to find a nice girl?” Kate yelled across the fire. “Isn’t it time you settle down? Haven’t you run through every option in town at this point anyway?”
Luke choked on his beer but recovered with a smirk in Drew’s direction.
Drew punched his arm. “Whatever you’re about to say, go ahead. I don’t have any secrets. Anna and I don’t keep secrets.”
Luke stared between them, eyes wide as he pulled at the label on his beer.
Anna cleared her throat. “Aren’t you two getting up at the crack of dawn to go fishing again?”
“Yep, better head home and get some sleep,” Luke answered. He shot up from the lawn chair and walked to the truck with a wave.
“Come back and see us soon, Anna.” Drew’s mother stood, hugging her goodbye.
“Oh, she’s not going anywhere,” Kate added with a grin. “Drew wouldn’t make that stupid mistake again. I mean they were just making out behind the barn like crazy teenagers a few minutes ago.”
“So great to see you all. Thank you for having me,” Anna said, her voice breaking with emotion. “I missed you.”
“Come back any time, sweetheart.” Drew’s father squeezed her arm as she passed. “Keep those boys in line.”
The bullfrog’s melody played from the nearby pond as they walked the familiar path past the barn to Drew’s truck. His dad’s old blue Chevy LUV pickup still sat just inside. It hadn’t run in years, but some things, some people, you just never could let go of.
At the truck, Drew reached in his pocket for the keys and realized his phone must have fallen out by the fire.
“Hey guys, I’ll be right back. I left my phone.”
Everyone had already gone inside, but Drew found it quickly next to his chair and jogged back to catch up.
Luke and Anna sat inside his truck, illuminated by the cab light. They were locked in what sounded like a heated conversation from their tones playing through the night air, but Drew couldn’t make out the words.
“I can’t do it anymore,” Anna whispered as Drew opened the truck door.
She turned wide eyes his way.
Drew kissed the worry from her forehead, glancing between them. “Everything okay?”
“Yep, great!” Anna answered, her pitch a little too high for the words to be truth. She fumbled with a loose string, her gaze on her lap.
Drew wouldn’t pry on their conversation, but he was curious what had her so tense that he could literally feel it in her shoulders pressed against his. And what couldn’t she do anymore? Was it work? Or could it be something more?
The drive home was déjà vu of all the nights the three of them had spent together. He pulled up to the only stop light in town, kissing Anna’s temple as he waited for the green light.
He had the love of his life sitting next to him and the very best friend a man could ever ask for. He wasn’t sure how life could get any better than this.
“I need to finish up my oil change,” Luke said when they made it into Drew’s driveway. “I’ll let you two be alone.” He shared a long, what Drew hoped was encouraging, look with Anna before jumping out of the truck.
Drew smiled with a wave. “See you in the morning.”
Before Luke had even made it three steps, Anna turned and slammed her lips into Drew’s, an urgency there he’d never felt from her before. She pulled him to hover above her on the bench seat.
His hand drifted down her arm to her leg, hitching it around his hip. “You know, I do own a house now. We don’t have to make out in my truck,” Drew whispered against her lips.
“I love you, Drew.” Her voice broke as tears swum in her eyes. Those three words were the sweetest sound he’d ever heard, but he couldn’t shake what she’d said to Luke.
The leather crinkled as he moved to cup her face. “Are you sure everything’s okay? You can tell me anything.”
Anna nodded, pulling them both to sit. “Let’s get you inside. You’re only going to get five hours of sleep as it is.”
“I would stay out here all night if you wanted.”
“Yeah, but you’re old…remember?”
“By only four and a half months.” He tickled her sides, causing giggles he’d never get enough of. Like he’d won the damn lottery every time he made her feel that happy.
They walked in the house, and Drew led her by the hand toward his bedroom, Roxy trailing behind them.
“Stay? Just sleep.”
“Can I borrow a t-shirt?”
He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Sure. Top drawer.”
She opened the dresser, picking up an old black t-shirt that sat on top. There were more holes in it than Drew could count, but he’d never throw it away.
Her fingers brushed the fabric. “This used to be my favorite. I bought it for your birthday.”
He smiled. “It’s still my favorite.”
With the shirt and a pair of boxers in her hand, she walked toward the bathroom to change. Drew sat on the edge of the bed taking off his boots, but the sound of the door creaking open pulled his gaze back up.
He wasn’t prepared for the wave of emotions that hit him. Anna, standing there in his clothes, in his bedroom. How had he gotten this lucky to have another chance at being with her?
She crawled under the covers, Roxy joining her at the foot of the bed, while Drew threw on some flannel pajama pants he wouldn’t normally sleep in. Slipping in behind her, he hoped the added layer would calm him the hell down.
She turned, placing the most tender kiss on his lips. “Sleep well, babe.”
Drew circled her waist with his hands, her back to his chest. He moved the hair from her neck and placed a kiss there before relaxing into sleep.
***
Drew’s eyes cracked open as the alarm beeped in his ear. He stretched ever so gently in the bed, hoping not to wake the girl curled up next to him. Damn, did it feel amazing having her with him. If he could convince her without freaking her out, there would be no more going back to her parents’ house.
He reached to punch the top of the alarm, and even in the darkness he couldn’t miss Anna’s wide-eyed stare. She shut off the alarm herself, turning back to him.
“Why are you awake?” he said, voice still husky from sleep.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Anna answered.
Something in her tone made his chest instantly tighten.
She continued. “I’ve been thinking about something you said last night and I…”
“What could I have said that’s got you awake at 5:30 on a Saturday morning?” Drew smiled, but she didn’t return the gesture. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he realized hers were red and swollen.
Hell, how long had she been crying? What had he done?
He sat up against the headboard. “I thought we had a great night. What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“We did have a great night. Everyone was wonderful, and I love your family so much.” Her voice broke on a muffled sob, and he jerked upright as his worry morphed to panic.
Brushing the hair from her face, he kissed her forehead tenderly. “Just like it used to be.”
“Like it used to be.” Anna whispered the words so softly he’d barely even heard her. Like her mind had drifted someplace he couldn’t see.
Anna turned to face him, those green eyes pinched together. Drew thought he’d gotten her to trust him, and he couldn’t imagine what he’d said to make her doubt him.
“There’s something I need to tell you, I don’t want to, but I have to. I should have a long time ago.”
“Just tell me. Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.”
She let out a heavy sigh, taking both his hands in hers. “You remember those drunk voicemails I left you years ago?”
Drew chuckled at the memory. “Yeah, I remember the drunk dialing. Most of all, I remember how happy I was to hear your voice. You never called back, and I thought it was because I’d crossed the line.”
He’d convinced himself she was better off with Mason, that she loved the guy even though that image hurt like someone had removed one of his limbs with a dull blade.
“The night I called you, I saw Mason kissing someone else.” She blurted the words like they tasted bitter.
“What?” Drew growled. “I still can’t believe you were broken up, and I missed it. You never said anything about it on your voicemails, though some were pretty incoherent.” His fists clenched, anger burning for the douchebag he already hated.
“That night…when I saw her kiss him, it hurt so much. I just wanted someone to make me feel better, someone to make it go away even if it was only one night. Only one other person had ever made me feel that safe and loved. I wanted you.” Her voice trailed off as she ran her hands over his chest.
“So that’s when you called and left the voicemails? I don’t understand. Mason, who I thought ended up as an asshole, was an asshole before you were ever married?” Drew pulled her into his lap to try and calm the raging storm in her eyes.
It didn’t work. The shimmering tears began to fall. “There’s more to it. I didn’t just go out drinking and call you. I got drunk and forced Layla to drive me to your apartment.”
Come again?
“You did?” He tilted his head, confused. “But I wasn’t there.”
“No…Luke was. When I knocked on the door, he said you were out of town, but Layla had to get back to pick up Ryan so I stayed. He tried to talk to me about it, but I just wanted to forget the image of Mason kissing that girl, so I made Luke drink with me. So many drinks and shots and…”
“Why didn’t Luke tell me you were there?”
Anna stared into his eyes, begging and pleading, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why.
But then it all suddenly clicked into place.
No, no, no…
Drew’s heart beat franticly in his chest. The thought running through his head couldn’t be reality.
“What happened that night, Anna?”
“We kissed and…” Her words were almost unrecognizable through her sobs.
Drew stood to pace the room, afraid to confirm what he already knew as true from the sick feeling in his gut. “And? And what?”
Her one-night stand…
“Did you have sex with Luke?”
There was a pause, the longest pause of his damn life. “Yes.”
He gripped the door frame to keep from punching it, his knuckles turning white, but there was no controlling his temper. “Are you serious right now? You and Luke, my best friend since, well, since forever, and neither one of you ever told me this?”
She rolled the hem of Drew’s t-shirt between her fingers, unable to meet his stare. “I woke up the next morning, realized what happened, then heard your message, but no part of me believed you wanted to see me because you still loved me. I thought…I thought you’d moved on, that you didn’t want me. That you wanted to catch up with a friend. Honestly, what could have led me to think anything different?”
“You can’t seriously be blaming me for this?” He stared at her, wishing like hell he could go back to sleep and forget. Anna and Luke got drunk, stripped each other naked, and…
The room started spinning around him.
“I’m not blaming you. I made Luke promise not to tell you. You and I weren’t together and hadn’t been in years. I didn’t want my stupid mistake to hurt you or come between your life-long friendship when it seemed there was no reason why we should. It was my fault, Drew. I was upset at Mason, and we both had way too much to drink, and it got out of control.”
Crashing on the edge of the bed, Drew dropped his head back, staring at the ceiling.
Anna walked around his legs, kneeling in front of him. Her hands tentatively touched his knees. “Please say something,” she begged, tears still streaming down her face. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
She’s sorry?
“So let me get this straight, Anna. What you’re telling me is that you’ll sleep with everyone else, but you won’t sleep with me?” As soon as the words left Drew’s mouth, he hated himself for them. The angry tears burned behind his eyes, but he couldn’t force himself to take back what he’d said.
Anna looked away as the tears fell harder. She stood and walked to the door, whispering the words without looking back at him. “I’m sorry.”
Then she was gone.
Drew rose from the bed to follow her, but his legs froze in the doorway when the images of them together came back full force.
He watched as the garage door opened into the kitchen. Anna ran straight into Luke coming in for their fishing trip.
“Anna, what’s wrong?” Luke said, his voice full of concern as he placed a hand on her arm. Drew’s rage only burned hotter.
“I’m sorry, Luke, but I had to tell him. I’m so sorry.” Her voice was a mix of words and sobs as the door slammed shut behind her.
Drew stepped into the living room just as Luke rounded the kitchen island.
Hands up defensively, Luke walked toward him. “Okay, so let me…”
Before Drew even realized it was happening, his elbow pulled back, and his fist slammed into his best friend’s nose. “You son of a bitch! Get the hell out!”
Luke hit the floor and covered his face. “I totally deserved that.”
“Get out!”
“I’m not leaving,” he said. “You need to listen to me.”
“Listen to you?” Drew laughed humorlessly. “Seriously, Luke? You slept with Anna? I can’t believe this bullshit.”
Luke pulled himself up, grabbing some towels from the kitchen. “Anna was drunk when she showed up that night, all upset about Mason. We talked, and we drank, and somewhere after the shots started blurring together, we kissed, and it got out of hand. We made a huge drunken mistake, and we both knew it. But really think about this, Drew. You and Anna hadn’t been together in like three years. She was with someone else, and even though I knew you never got over her, you hadn’t done anything to indicate you were going to try and get her back. That you wouldn’t just break her heart again. I’m an asshole, and we never should have let it happen, but I promised her I wouldn’t say anything. Why would I tell you when it didn’t seem like there was any chance you two would be together again? Why?”
“Well surprise, I guess. Now what the hell am I supposed to do with this?” Drew walked out, slamming the door behind him. If Luke wouldn’t leave, then he sure as hell would.