Drew heard the knock on his bedroom door, just as he was getting out of the shower. Probably Kayla. She'd said she wanted to talk to him earlier. Besides, his mom and dad never came to his room, and Miranda never knocked, since they’d been trying their best to avoid detection. Technically, the whole family shared a master key that worked only on the locks for the family wing. Though it was somewhat secluded from the rest of the sprawling building, it was still an inn with guests who might, accidentally or otherwise, choose to wander into forbidden areas.
Drew cracked the bathroom door just enough for him to be able to communicate. "Who is it?" he asked.
"Your sister."
"Come on in," he said. "I'm just getting out of the shower. I'll be out in a minute."
He heard the familiar click of the electronic lock as Kayla let herself in. "Have a seat," he said. "I'll try to hurry."
"Take your time," Kayla said. "This is the first break I've had all day. I do have to work the wine tasting tonight, though, so I guess a little speed would be appreciated."
"Okay." Drew walked out of the adjoining bathroom, a towel wrapped snugly around his waist. "What's up?"
"Geez, Drew—do you think you could put some clothes on? I need to talk to you, but no one wants to see their brother half-naked." Kayla shielded her eyes with her hands and shot Drew a look of disgust.
Drew shrugged. "Don't knock it," he said. "Plenty of women would love to trade places with you."
"Okay, okay." Kayla laughed and shook her head. "As much of an interesting subject as I'm sure you think it is, I didn't come here to discuss your physique."
"No?"
"No." She smiled. "I wanted to discuss Miranda."
"Oh." He wasn't sure what to say at this point. Miranda had sworn him to secrecy, but he figured it was obvious to anyone who cared to observe, that he and Miranda had something going on. Even the girls that worked in the restaurant, most of them anyway, were pretty much leaving him alone at this point. Still, he and Mandy had a good thing going, and he didn't want to piss her off and ruin it. "Why do you think there's anything to discuss?"
"C'mon Drew, you'd have to be blind not to notice the tension when the two of you are together. Besides," she added, gazing at him with a knowing glint in her eye, "she told me all about it."
"What exactly did she tell you?" he asked, unwilling to admit to anything, until he knew what she had on him. An old leftover big brother tactic from their childhood.
"Look, I know you've been together almost every night for the last few weeks engaged in all sorts of things I'd rather not imagine my brother doing." She flashed another disgusted look his way. "I also know she asked you not to say anything, but I already know, so you can start talking."
Drew stared at Kayla, not saying a word. He wanted to believe her, but his sister had a sneaky way of trying to get things out of him, sometimes. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about this, but his loyalty toward Mandy was strong.
"Just tell me what you think you're doing, Drew," Kayla pushed on. "Miranda's sneaking into your room at night like a schoolgirl. You're not giving any other woman a second glance, which is very hard on female staff morale by the way. When she's around, you're like a lovesick boy, and the instant she leaves, you're so grouchy, no one will dare bring it up to you."
"It's what she wants, sis." Drew's lips tightened, and his eyes registered something between resignation and sadness.
"But, is it what you want? It's your life, too."
"I'm the one who messed up. I have to respect her wishes on this."
"You made a bad decision when you were young and stupid. That hardly qualifies as something that deserves a life sentence."
"Yeah, well, I'm not sure she sees it that way."
"Maybe she needs you to make her see it that way." She crossed the room, to stand before him. "The brother I know and love would never settle for second best. If you want a real relationship with Miranda, then you're going to have to be the one to demand it."
When Kayla looked at him, the pain in her eyes made his heart break. This is what he had missed. Traveling the world, working odd jobs to pay his way, had been great fun—teaching English in China, pressing olives in Italy, even driving that school bus for the orphanage in Trinidad. He'd always had enough to get by, and to send money home for Tommy, but a rover's life didn't leave much room for meaningful connections. Knowing that his sister cared so much for him—that his family cared so much for him—meant so much more than he had realized.
"What if she says no, Kayla?" He paced about the room, head in his hands. "What if I give her an ultimatum, and she turns me away, instead?"
"Then you need to know that, Drew," Kayla said. She gave him a brief hug and patted his cheek. "As much as you love her, you can't go on this way for the rest of your life. It's better to know now, don't you think?"
"Maybe. I don't know." Part of him was shouting a definite 'no'. Physical love was better than no love at all. But another part of him knew that wasn't true. That, eventually, she would move on to another man. One she didn't share all this negative history with. One that didn't make her feel like she had to sneak through the hallway at night to avoid the shame of being seen. He had to make her see that they could be so much more together, before it was too late. "I guess I'll have to think about it."
"Okay, that's all I can ask." She smiled and shot him one last look of disgust. "I've had about all I can take of that towel, anyway. I'll see you later."
"Kayla, wait," he called, "you won't say anything about this, will you? I need time to sort things out."
"Don't worry, lover boy," she said, making her way into the hall. "My lips are sealed. Just remember, I'm here if you need to talk."
"Thanks," he whispered, shutting the door softly behind her. He wiped his brow and sat dejectedly on the edge of his bed. Kayla was right. As much as it pained him to admit, he couldn't continue to go on this way. Not for much longer. But, he didn't think he could go back to the way things were before, either. He loved being with Tommy. He loved being with Jordan and Kayla and his parents. Hell, he just loved being back in Solace Creek again. Even if Miranda turned him down, he still wasn't willing to give all that up.
So, he would just have to take his little sister's advice. Talk to Miranda. Find a way to prove that she could trust him, and she couldn't live without him. Make her see, once and for all, that they belonged together.