I read over the amenities. “That one looks good. Let’s add it to the list.”
Jared jotted down the name on the list we had developed while I scanned through the next listing.
“This is so ridiculous,” Olivia grumbled. She had made herself comfortable on the couch with her feet propped right in front of Jared and me. Her goal was to annoy us as much as possible, and she was succeeding. From the moment I told her I was moving out, to the time Drew informed her that he was going to help me find a place, Olivia had almost been unbearable to handle. She had been dead set against me moving out, and I couldn’t understand why.
One thing I knew for sure, I wasn’t about to mention Drew helping me again. She practically bit both of our heads off because of his willingness to help me leave. Besides, after what I’d done to him, I didn’t want him to feel obligated to help me; but more importantly, I didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable by being alone with me.
“Liv, please,” I muttered, pointing to another location for Jared to write down.
“Humph.” Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, pouting like a petulant child. “I don’t see why you have to move out. You act like we’re going at it like rabbits or something,” Olivia chided.
“You know that’s not true,” I rebutted. “I told you why I’m doing this.”
“Which is bullshit, and you know it,” she snarled.
“Look here, Olivia,” Jared jumped in. I pressed my hand to his chest, silently requesting him to let me handle this.
Jared settled back on the balls of his toes, glaring at Olivia, ready to attack at a moment’s notice. I pulled myself to my knees, and peered over her bare feet. “Liv, I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, but I need to do this for myself. I can’t keep leaning on those that I love. It’s not fair to you or Drew for me to constantly be around. You need your space and privacy, and so do I.”
Olivia rolled her eyes, causing them flutter. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” she huffed.
“Can you act any more childish?” Jared asked, hate coloring his tone. “I swear I have students that have more maturity in their baby fingers than you have throughout-”
Olivia dropped her feet to the floor, effectively cutting Jared off. She leaned forward, stopping short of being face to face with him. “Fuck you, Jared. Why don’t you own up to being in love with her, and ask her to move in with you. That’s what you really want, isn’t it?”
“You wouldn’t know love if it bit you in the ass, you coldhearted bitch!” Jared hollered.
I pushed myself between them, raising my hands in defense. “Would you two please stop this? Liv, I’m moving out. That’s final. Jared, Liv is and will always be my best friend, so either chill out or go. I won’t have you two killing each other on my account.”
Jared rolled back onto his knees, crossing his arms over his chest. “Sorry, McKenzie. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
“Whatever,” Olivia muttered, returning to her sulking position.
“Thank you,” I responded, picking up the ink pen. “Now, Jared, what do you think about this one?”
Jared and I poured over the apartment guide, ignoring Olivia’s bouncing feet in front of us.
A knock at the door stopped her incessant movements. She jumped up off the couch, and ran to the mirror to check her reflection. “Damn it. He’s early,” she muttered.
Jared eyed me, curiosity danced in his eyes. “Drew,” I mouthed to him. His full lips pursed, and he nodded his head. Olivia disappeared into the foyer.
Leaning into me, Jared whispered, “I don’t care what the ice queen says, you’re doing the right thing. She’s afraid if you leave, lover boy won’t be inclined to come over as often.”
“That’s not true,” I retorted. A sly smile spread over his lips. I pushed him away, laughing. “So, today it’s Ice Queen?” I snorted.
“Yeah, seemed like the perfect name for her. I’m waiting for her to make it always winter, never Christmas.”
I fell backwards onto the floor laughing, my shirt rising in the process. “Oh my God, that’s awful.”
“What’s so funny?” Drew interrupted. My laughter ceased, and my heart skipped a beat. He was dressed in black slacks with a pale blue polo shirt that brought out the rich color in his eyes. His tongue darted out over his lips as he took in the sight of me and Jared on the floor.
Olivia hung off his arm. A smile was plastered on her face, but her body language told me it was time for me and Jared to get the hell out of dodge.
I sat up and adjusted my t-shirt to cover my stomach. “Oh, um, Jared and I were making jokes about the apartments we’re going to look at today,” I said.
Drew’s already dark expression turned into a menacing scowl. “Today? You’re going apartment hunting today?”
I gulped hard, adding a slight nod. Chills ran up my spine. I expected the vein in his forehead to explode at any given moment.
“Yeah, and we better get a move on it,” Jared added, offering me his hand to help me from the floor.
The twitch of Drew’s lips and the subtle flare of his nose informed me that he was fighting his temper. “I thought we had plans to do that, Mickie?” His voice was low and strained.
“I knew you were busy,” I replied in a soft whisper.
Something about the way he looked at me made me want to plead for his forgiveness. His body was stiff, his breathing was heavy, and his eyes were focused on me. “I’m never too busy for you, McKenzie. I told you I had places in mind,” Drew scolded me.
My already dry throat became unbearable at the sound of my name falling from Drew’s cold lips. Anger rolled off of him. “Liv said you two had plans today, and I didn’t want to–”
Drew raised his hand to silence me. “Excuse me? Our only plans were to hang out with you today. Had I known you were intending to do this, I would’ve come prepared,” he snarled.
Olivia tugged on his arm, trying to lead him to the couch, but he wouldn’t budge. Anger began to swell up inside me. How dare he treat me in this manner? I lifted myself to my knees and leaned forward on the coffee table, staring him in the eye.
“Look, Andrew, it was no secret that I planned on finding a place of my own. Even Liv knew I was planning on doing this today. I can’t very well do this during the week, so I have no other options,” I argued.
I caught a glimpse of Jared from the corner of my eye. His fists were balled on his lap and his knuckles were turning a deathly shade of white. Jared and Drew wore the same shocked expression. Neither of them expected me to explode like that. Of course, neither did I. In a flash, Drew focused his anger on Olivia. “You knew she was doing this, and yet you neglected to tell me? What were you thinking?”
Olivia, never being one to back down from a fight, released Drew’s arm and turned to him with her fists planted on her hips. “I’ll tell you what I was thinking. I thought Kenz and Jared had things under control, which left a day wide open for me to spend time with you. That’s what I was thinking.”
Drew extended himself to his full height, cupping his hands behind his back. A professional stance that I was sure he took on a daily basis in the courtroom. “It appears that you were mistaken, Olivia.” Drew pushed his way past Olivia. Standing like a statue, she remained still, watching as he sat down on the floor between Jared and me. He reached for the list we had complied and examined our selections.
He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth a couple of times. “This won’t do,” he said, as he took the pen from Jared’s hand. He scratched through the name on the list. “This one is a good one, but what the hell were you thinking with this one?” He scribbled through another name.
Jared glanced around Drew at me. “What the hell?” he mouthed to me, pointing at Drew. I shrugged my shoulders unsure what to do. Drew was over-reacting. Neanderthal was hard at work today, and I wasn’t sure why.
Furious, Olivia threw herself onto the sofa. She crossed her arms like
a petulant child, as she watched Drew looking through our selections.
“Drew, I think McKenzie and I have this under control. You should really spend the day with your girlfriend,” Jared emphasized.
“By the looks of this horrific list, you don’t have anything under control,” Drew snapped. “Olivia and I will join you.”
“No, we won’t. There’s no way I’m spending my Saturday apartment hunting with them,” Olivia protested.
Drew’s eyes darted up to her. His jaw set in a straight line. “You can stay here if you like, but I’m going.”
“Andy, that’s not necessary. Jared and I have this under control. You stay here with Liv,” I countered.
Olivia’s eyes cut, her thin nose flared in fury. “Yeah, Andy, listen to her,” she snapped.
Drew ignored Olivia’s snide comment. He had a one-track mind and her childishness didn’t make the list. “I’m going and that’s final.” He hopped up and dusted off his slacks. “I think this’ll be a good start, but I have a few more in mind. I’ll call Holly and have her retrieve my list from my computer. It shouldn’t take her long at all.”
Quick as a flash, Drew’s cell phone appeared in his hand. He dialed a number and strode into the kitchen.
Fumes poured from Olivia’s ears. “Fix this,” she hissed at me.
“I hate to say this, but Olivia’s right. He doesn’t need to go,” Jared argued.
“What am I supposed to do?” I demanded. “You see how he is.”
“This is why I told him to come over after I called.”
“Because you knew he would react this way?” Jared inquired.
Olivia clamped her mouth shut, ignoring Jared’s question.
“Look, I’ll tell him he can’t go,” I sighed, defeated.
“And you think telling me I can’t do something will stop me?” The sound of Drew’s voice startled me. I fell backward, landing against his legs.
“Really, Drew, you need to enjoy your day with Liv,” I reiterated, pulling myself back up to my knees.
Drew knelt down beside me. I opened my mouth to argue with him, but his large hand pressed against my lips. “Don’t try to argue with me, Mickie. Remember, I make my living arguing, and I’m not accustomed to losing. Just do as I say.”
His fingers slid across my lips, tugging my bottom lip as his hand disappeared from my mouth. Sparks of heat ignited within me and I could only pray the amount of heat I felt in my face wasn’t also reflected there.
Drew lifted to his feet in a gracious stance and offered me his hand. I eyed him askance. He produced a lopsided grin, easing some of the anxiety. I took his hand, allowing him to lift me off the floor. “You coming, Jared, or am I taking her like we originally planned?” he asked.
Jared bounced off the floor. “I promised McKenzie I’d help, and I plan on doing just that,” he growled.
The vein in Drew’s forehead had disappeared and the soft crinkles around his eyes had returned to their rightful place. All was peaceful again…well, almost. Olivia remained on the sofa, seething. Drew cocked his head and asked, “Are you certain you don’t want to join us?”
“Positive,” Olivia maintained.
Drew shrugged. “Have it your way. We’ll be back later.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to Olivia as Drew marched passed her. She waved me off as if dismissing me. I released a deep sigh as I collected my purse and phone, before following Drew and Jared out the door.
“I’m driving,” Drew announced.
The elevator ride to the garage was stifling. Jared and Drew both stood in the same pose; their backs straight as a board with their arms crossed over their chests and a vehement scowl on each of their faces. I stood between them wishing I could slug them both in the stomach.
Once off the elevator, my aggravation toward them got even worse. They both walked briskly ahead of me, trying to reach the vehicle first. Drew succeeded, only due to his knowledge of where his car was parked. By the time I approached the Range Rover, Drew had the front passenger side door open. “Mickie, I thought you might like to sit up front with me.” His eyes cut to Jared.
“Um, thanks,” I muttered, as I accepted the seat. Drew closed the door behind me and walked around the front of the vehicle, avoiding Jared.
Once inside the car, the engine roared to life, filling the awkward silence around us. We drove in silence to the first apartment complex. Drew parked the Range Rover in front of the main office and was at my door before Jared could get out.
He extended his hand, helping me out of the car. Again, I caught him giving Jared a snarled glance. “I did some research this week on all of the places I’ll be taking you to today. I wasn’t sure when you wanted to go, and now I’m glad I was proactive,” Drew advised. Bitter disappointment dripped from his tongue.
He pulled my hand into the crook of his arm and towed me into the building, leaving Jared behind.
My mouth nearly hit the floor by the look of the place. Crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, fine tapestries shrouded the floor and windows, and the smell of jasmine filled the air.
Jared whistled. “Swank,” he crooned in amazement.
“May I help you,” a professionally dressed woman addressed us.
Drew took over the conversation without haste. My eyes wandered the area seeing nothing but dollar signs. The property manager didn’t hesitate to give us a full tour, and was ready with a precise answer for any question Drew had.
For the most part, I remained silent. Half of the questions Drew thought to ask would never have entered my mind. When we were alone in one of the bedrooms, Drew leaned in and whispered, “So, what do you think? It’s close to Olivia and your job.”
“It’s lovely, Andy, it really is.”
“But?” He smiled at me, making me feel comfortable to tell him my woes. “I know there’s a but in there.”
I laughed, leaning into his side. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, as we stared out at the extravagant view from the bedroom.
“I think it might be a little overpriced for me,” I admitted, my eyes dropping in shame.
He tilted my face up to meet his eyes. A kind smile exposing his deep dimples. “It might help if you told me how much you could afford.” I wasn’t in an industry that profited a lot. I knew he and Olivia were used to making six figures where I barely brought home sixty-five thousand a year. Sure, I could make more if I quit the school and took on private sessions, but I enjoyed working with my kids and their teachers. Money couldn’t buy that kind of happiness for me. “Around eight to nine hundred a month is what I’m looking for.”
Drew brushed my hair back from my shoulder. His demeanor was calm and peaceful. “I have a few places in mind that will fit right in with your budget. Let’s get out of here.”
Several properties later, I was still undecided on anything. I had certain criteria such as a spacious kitchen, and Drew had certain precautions, such as hurricane preparations. Many times we butted heads over a place. We quarreled liked an old married couple. Jared stood back and watched us.
After the last property, I was about ready to give up. “This is hopeless,” I stated exasperated.
“Mickie, it’s not hopeless,” Jared consoled me. “We’ll find one that you like. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks,” his words directed to Drew.
Drew licked his lips leading him to rake his teeth over his bottom lip. His lips curled into a crooked smile. “Mickie, Jared’s right. You’re the only one that really matters here. But if you’ll have a little more patience with me, I have one more place in mind. I really think you’ll love this one.”
I nodded in discouragement. Drew patted my hand and completed a U-turn, taking us south down Medici Court. “Okay, I have to ask,” Drew began. “What’s going on between you two? Olivia said something about you dating?”
Drew’s eyes cut to me then returned back to the road.
I turned on my hip staring at both men incredulously. “God, no!�
�� I exclaimed.
Jared’s smile faltered while Drew sighed in what almost appeared to be in relief.
“That sounds like something the Ice Queen would concoct in her pretty little mind,” Jared snarled.
“Jared,” I hissed.
“Ice Queen?” Drew inquired. His lips quirked into a half grin.
“Jared’s nickname for Liv today. It’ll change tomorrow.”
Drew glanced at Jared in his rearview mirror. “Does Olivia know you call her this?”
“She suspects, but I’m extremely careful not to get caught,” Jared bragged. “I rather enjoy my twig and berries. One look from the Ice Queen and they’d surely shrivel up and die.”
Drew’s laughter filled the car. “I can speak from personal experience that wouldn’t happen.”
Jared leaned forward, planting his face between Drew and me. “You’re a rare survivor, my friend. Most men, who’ve dared to tread those waters, never return to tell the tale.”
“Oh my God. Melodramatic much,” I laughed. “You’d crush Liv if she ever heard you talk like that. She’s a good person deep down inside. She took care of me all through college. Had she not been there for me, Heaven only knows what kind of trouble I would’ve found myself in.”
During our sophomore year in college, Olivia rescued me from what could’ve been a horrific event. One that would’ve scarred me for life. Olivia and I, from day one, were like night and day. She was always the party girl, out to have a load of fun, while I was the studier with my nose in a book. Yet, that didn’t stop her from trying to break me out of my shell.
Olivia begged me to join her at all of the parties she was invited too. It wasn’t until one night she came home so drunk, I thought I’d have to take her to the ER for alcohol poisoning that I decided to join her as the designated driver.
After that, I went to every party she did. Olivia was notorious for screwing the first guy she met, but me; I didn’t enjoy the random pickup. I usually sipped on a beer and mingled.
That night was no different, except several of the frat boys decided I’d turned enough of their brothers down that they were going to extract ‘the prude’ out of me. Kyle Turner offered to get me a soda, and I gladly accepted. What I didn’t know was he slipped something into my drink. If Olivia hadn’t learned of their plot and got me out of the building before they could finish with their plan, I would’ve been raped repeatedly.
The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga) Page 17