Taking a deep breath, I pulled the door open. His smile gleamed as he rushed into my arms, kissing me deeply. “I missed you today,” he hummed against my lips.
“I missed you too.”
Drew stepped back taking in my appearance. “You look gorgeous.”
My eyes raked over him. He was wearing the suit that I bought him. It was well worth the money I had spent on it. “Thanks,” I whispered, blushing a brilliant red at his compliment. “I love that suit on you,” I added.
He lightly stroked the side of my cheek. “I have this wonderful girlfriend who handpicked it for me.”
Unable to contain my happiness, my blush deepened as my smile spread over my face. “She has excellent taste.”
“So I’ve been told. And I’m lucky to have her.”
“I’d say she’s the lucky one,” I suggested, sweetly.
“We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.” He winked at me. The silk, sapphire colored tie darkened the color of his eyes as they sparkled in the light of my home.
“Agreed,” I conceded.
“Let’s get a move on it. I’m sure we’ll beat her there, but I still would hate to lose our reservation.”
I grabbed my ivory clutch and followed him out to the car. The drive to the restaurant was pleasantly quiet. Drew held my hand, protectively the entire way. But even with his constant reassurance that everything would be okay, I knew it wouldn’t be.
This night would be a nightmare. One that I was certain I would relive in my mind for a long time. Every fiber of my being wanted to run. I wanted to escape the consequences of my actions, but this was the price I had to pay for Drew and me to be truly happy.
We arrived at the restaurant on schedule. Drew escorted me toward the building, rubbing my back in support.
“I hate seeing you so tense.”
I exhaled, but my body wouldn’t loosen up. “I’ve known her for a long time, Andy. It hurts that I’m throwing that away.”
“I know. Would you prefer if I disappeared from your life instead?” The mere question sliced through me like a knife.
“No!” I exclaimed, almost shouting. I looked up into his deep blue eyes to see his relief at my reaction. “Absolutely not. Losing you would be more painful than almost anything I’ve ever endured in my life. Second only to losing my son.” My heart contracted in agony as the memories of the day I miscarried my son resurfaced. It was the only pain I could compare losing Drew to.
Drew dragged his knuckles along the length of my cheek. His smile was soft and sympathetic. “It’s going to be okay, Mickie,” he promised.
I pushed myself up on the tips of my toes, meeting his lips in a passionate kiss. Taken by surprise, Drew stopped in the middle of the parking lot. He picked me up off the ground and pressed my body to his, kissing me with fervor.
Breathlessly, I pulled away. The sun had already lain to rest for the evening and the moon shone brightly in the sky, dancing across the lines of Drew’s face.
“So handsome,” I whispered.
His lips twitched in a crooked grin. “Shall we?”
“If we must,” I grumbled. He chuckled and placed my feet back on the ground.
The rustic aroma of the restaurant saturated the air. Garlic and basil mixed with the scent of a wood-fired grill invoked a mouthwatering effect. Two greeters stood behind a desk. Drew and I approached the stand, his arms wrapped around my waist.
“Reservation for Wise, party of three,” he stated with authority.
A young man scanned over a computer tablet. “Yes, sir. Your party has already arrived and been seated. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your table.”
Drew cast me an inquisitive glance. Olivia was never on time. Not even for her own parties. Something wasn’t right with this situation which only made me worry more.
We followed the host as he directed us to the table. In the back corner of the room sat Olivia. She was dressed in a dark red dress that accentuated every curve of her body. Her dark hair flowed in soft waves over her shoulders. She stood up from her seat as we approached the table.
“How wonderful. You arrived at the same time. I’m so glad I didn’t have to wait any longer.”
"Hello, Olivia," Drew greeted her with a tiny kiss on the cheek.
"Hi, Drew," she replied turning her head to kiss him. He dodged her lips impulsively.
She ground her teeth together. Barely glancing at me, Olivia said, “You look nice this evening, Kenz.”
“Thank you. So do you,” I answered, accepting the chair that Drew pulled out for me.
Olivia sat down across from me, never taking her eyes off of Drew. Drew made himself comfortable beside me and unfolded his napkin over his lap.
“Well, this is cozy,” he coaxed.
“Very,” Olivia said in a flat tone.
I intertwined my fingers together, unsure what to say. The tension between the three of us was immense. The waiter approached the table. “Good evening,” he started. He was tall with an athletic build and a baby face. His light brown hair was buzzed nearly to his scalp. “My name is Daniel and I will be your server this evening. I can start you off with a nice glass of Chardonnay or perhaps a Merlot?”
“No wine for me. Thank you. I’d like a glass of water, please,” Olivia requested.
This was the second surprise of our evening. Olivia never turned down a glass of wine. It had been her opinion for as long as I’d known her that the proper wine completed the meal.
“Um, I’ll have a Coke and she’ll have a glass of Moscato,” Drew ordered for us.
Olivia tilted her head in my direction. Bile burned through my esophagus. Drew had come to know my drink of choice and ordered it without thinking. I couldn’t believe he would do that in front of her.
“Very good,” Daniel stated. “I’ll return shortly with your drinks.”
“He’s ordering for you?” she directed at me.
The room started to spin. The moment of truth had arrived faster than I anticipated.
“Olivia,” Drew started. His demeanor was strong and professional. My imagination took over, thinking of how he might approach a client in this same manner. “We asked you here tonight because there’s something Mickie and I wish to talk to you about.”
I gulped hard. Drew reached under the table, lightly squeezing my knee. He was firm and resolute. There wasn’t a shred of fear in his eyes. He was prepared where as I still wasn’t.
“Oh, but me first. I was excited that you two wanted to go out tonight. I have such great news. You both will simply die when I tell you.”
Drew relaxed back into his chair. I leaned forward, resting my chin in my hand. I smiled at her excitement. I had a feeling she was about to tell us she got the promotion. “What news?” I insisted; making sure my voice was filled with enthusiasm.
Olivia’s smile widened. She bounced in her chair. “Drew, I knew you wouldn’t mind Kenz being here when I told you. She’s virtually a sister to you after all.”
Drew practically choked on a laugh. “Tell me what?”
She licked her lips in animated suspense. “That you’re going to be a father,” she squealed, clapping her hands excitedly.
Drew’s hand dropped from my knee. My chin fell out of my hand, as my jaw very nearly hit the table.
“I beg your pardon,” he managed to say through gritted teeth. Drew’s usually tan skin now appeared to be a pale green color. He shook his head as if trying to deny what was happening.
My mouth gaped open. It took me a moment to process what was going on around me. This couldn’t be happening. It simply wasn’t possible.
“I thought you’d be happy about this.” Olivia’s smile dropped in disappointment of his reaction.
Drew’s fists landed on the table with a loud bang. His face twisted in a deviant grimace. “Happy? What made you think I’d be happy?” he demanded.
“I’m pregnant,” Olivia announced, “and you’re the father.” It was as if she was obliv
ious to the anger that burned off of him. He shook violently, his fists now balled so tight that his knuckles bared white.
“Andy,” I whispered, reaching for his hand. He pulled away from me like I was a snake about to strike.
“Don’t,” he snarled. His eyes hardened with fury.
I was stunned by his reaction. The vein in his forehead pulsed bright blue as did the long one streaming down his throat. His jaw was clenched so tight, I feared he might break a tooth.
“I’ve got to get out of here,” he said suddenly.
His chair screeched across the hardwood floor, falling backward as he jumped up. Without another word, Drew marched out of the restaurant. I looked at Olivia to see her watching him with a strange vacant expression. Her gaze turned to me and her expression changed. Tears began to stream down her face. Her bottom lip trembled with sobs.
“I thought he’d be happy,” she cried. “He was supposed to be happy.” I reached across the table, patting Olivia’s hand in a failed effort to comfort her.
Numb.
Hollow.
Alone.
These were the feelings I had.
I had come to this place to break Olivia’s heart, only to have mine crushed instead. All of my hopes and dreams were shattered by two little words. Drew was hurting, upset, and there was nothing I could do about it.
This changed everything.
Chapter Twenty Six
My quaint apartment looked and felt empty. All of the pictures were pulled off the walls, sheets hung haplessly over my furniture, and a feeling of emptiness engulfed my tiny abode.
So much had changed in my life over a matter of months that it was uncanny to think of how little time had really passed. I went from being an expectant mother, to a single woman being out in the world for the first time on my own, to falling in love with my best friend’s boyfriend only to discover he loved me too. Yet some things were never meant to be.
Days had passed since Olivia dropped the bombshell on Drew and me, but it felt more like years. All our hopes and dreams vanished with two little words – I’m pregnant. It was unlike Drew not to contact me for days on end, but that’s exactly what happened.
The hardest part was dealing with Olivia. Hiding my own heartbreak to take care of her was more than even I could bear.
Sitting alone with her in the restaurant, staring at the door Drew had disappeared through, I felt as if my whole world was crumbling around me.
“How could he?” Olivia cried, burying her face in her hands. “He was supposed to be happy about this.”
Forcing back the sobs that were fighting to escape my chest, I patted her hand. “You took him by surprise, Liv. How’d you expect him to react?” I questioned.
“Happy. He’s going to be a father,” she sobbed. Mascara drenched tears trickled down her face.
“How long have you known?” I choked out, desperate to keep my own tears at bay.
“A little over a week or so.”
I nodded. “And when you first discovered you were pregnant, were you overcome with excitement?”
Olivia sucked her trembling lip into her mouth, nodding her head. “I was. I knew this would fix everything. Drew and I would finally be happy.”
Her reaction shocked me. “You wanted this?” I choked, wiping under my eye, the tears to strong too contain.
“Yes,” she sniffled.
That’s when I realized Olivia was no different from me. Had I not done the same thing to Nate? The only difference was Nate and I planned our baby together.
She was trying to save her relationship by becoming a mother. Deluded as that may seem, I could relate to her logic.
“Are you in love with Drew?” I asked, barely able to breathe as I anticipated her answer.
“Maybe,” she said.
“I see,” was all I could muster to say.
“Kenz, what am I going to do?”
I squeezed her hand, my whole body cold. Tears gathered at the corner of my eyes, willing me to let them fall. Instead, I plastered my best smile on my face and looked her square in the eyes.
“I’ll tell you what you’re going to do. First, you’re going to go home, take a nice long hot bath, and relax. Then, you’re going to go to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day. Drew will have had time to let things sink in, and if I know him, he’ll come around. Drew’s the greatest guy I know, and he won’t leave you high and dry.”
“You really think so?” she asked, hope filling her voice.
“I really think so,” I said, hoping I sounded convincing. Who I was trying to convince though, I wasn’t sure. But at that point, I figured we both needed to remember the man that apparently we were both in love with had a good heart, and was just caught by surprise.
“I knew having you here tonight was the best idea. You’ve been such a good friend to both Drew and me. What would I have ever done without you?”
Friend. If she only knew what I’d done, she wouldn’t be calling me her friend. Drew’s reaction, while completely unusual for him, wasn’t unwarranted. Deep down, I wished it had been me that had run out of the building like that.
Thankfully, Olivia didn’t enforce the girlfriend rule, and beg me to stay with her. Shortly after her announcement, we left the restaurant. And to be honest, I couldn’t get out of there quick enough. Getting a cab without Olivia realizing that I had been abandoned wasn’t as hard as I thought it might be. As we got up, I told her I needed to go to the washroom first. She accepted that, hugged me and left. After she disappeared out the door, I pulled my cell phone from my purse, hoping to see Drew had left me a message. That had been a pipe dream. So, I did what I had to, and called a taxi.
The moment I got in the cab, I fell apart. The poor driver thought I was having a seizure, I was crying so hard. I left message after message begging Drew to call me.
“Andy, it’s Mickie, baby, please call me back. I’m worried. You ran out so fast.”
Nothing. No return call. No text message. Absolutely nothing.
I told myself he needed time, so I went home and cried myself to sleep. It was the first night since Drew and I had gotten together that I slept alone. My bed felt cold and empty, but miraculously sleep finally came.
The next morning, I woke with a jolt. My cell phone was ringing.
“Andy?” I answered without even looking at the caller ID.
“No, McKenzie. It’s Jared.”
And once again the flood of tears poured down my face. I told him everything that happened.
“I’ll be there in thirty,” Jared said, before hanging up.
After everything I had put him through, he was still there for me. What I did to deserve having someone so loyal in my life, I would never know.
And just as Jared promised, he was at my side in thirty minutes. When he arrived, I was making yet another call to Drew.
“Andy, it’s Mickie, again. I haven’t heard from you and I’m getting really worried. Please call me. I love you.”
The knock at the door startled me. I rushed to it hoping it was Drew on the other side, but alas, it was Jared keeping his promise. Jared stayed with me the entire day, holding me while I cried, bashing Olivia every chance he could, and jumping whenever my cell phone rang.
Olivia called me several times during the day, wanting to know if I had heard from Drew. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one he was avoiding. As soon as I confirmed his lack of communication, she disconnected the call.
“Don’t you find it odd that she has yet to ask you over?” Jared questioned.
I shook my head. It felt swollen and tender from the crying headache that was developing. “Nah, Olivia doesn’t like showing weakness,” I replied.
“Yeah, but she likes an audience,” Jared muttered, petting my hair.
The day moved so slow that I could physically feel each second tick by.
That night I fell asleep in Jared’s arms, still crying.
Monday came all too soon for me. Jared drove me to work, against hi
s better judgment, he said. But being around my kids helped me more than he could understand. They kept my mind busy. For those eight hours, I didn’t think of anything but their wellbeing.
But when the day was over, I checked my phone only to discover nothing from Drew. After Jared delivered me home, promising to return with an overnight bag for another extended visit, I made yet another phone call.
“Andy, it’s me, yet again. I guess you’re ignoring my calls. I wish you wouldn’t. I’m here for you if you’ll let me be. I love you. Please call me. I’m worried sick.”
When days passed by and he still hadn’t responded, I prepared to drive to Longboat Key to check on him. I feared the worst had happened, and I couldn’t take the silence any longer. Jared agreed with my decision and even though he’d finally gone home, after days of staying with me, he was ready to go out there with me to check on Drew.
After taking a quick shower and dressing in something comfortable, I grabbed my keys and was on my way out the door when my phone rang. I glanced at the Caller ID. My heart sank again, as it always did, because it wasn’t the person I wanted it to be. It was Olivia.
I dropped my keys back on the table and sat down on the couch. This conversation wouldn’t last long. I was pretty sure she was making her usual call to see if I had any news on Drew.
“Kenz, you’ll never believe it,” were the first words Olivia squealed after I said hello.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I talked to Drew. He’s agreed to be a part of the baby’s life. Isn’t that wonderful?”
That’s when it hit me. Things with Drew and me were officially over. He’d chosen Olivia. But then why wouldn’t he? She was the mother of his child.
I sucked in a jagged breath, tears swimming in my eyes, as she relayed her news. “That’s…that’s great,” I managed.
“I know! I’m so happy. You were right. He just needed time. He apologized for how he initially reacted and told me that whatever the baby and I need, he’d take care of it.”
The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga) Page 31