Chapter Nine - Drew
Drew Evans was enjoying his time at NYSSA so far. He had only been here for one morning, but he knew that he would fit in. He already seemed like the most popular guy in school, he had the teachers wrapped around his fingers, the girls swooning after him, and the guys laughing at his jokes. He felt like he belonged here. And why not? He worked hard to be liked and respected. He worked hard to get into such a good college. And he was going to relish every minute.
As he was in the middle of telling a particularly funny story to a group of guys from his acting class over lunch, (It must have been funny because it earned him a round of applause), his heart stopped. He gasped as he saw Louise Hart walking to the tray holders, her lunch untouched. She was a shadow of her former self. Gone were the cute skirts and animal print blouses paired with knee-high socks and pumps, they were replaced with a baggy jumper and jeans, her hair was tied in a scruffy pony, it was like she hadn't even bothered to brush her hair that morning. She looked smaller than she had the first night they had met, but not in a good way. She was skinny, way too skinny. Maybe she was on a crazy diet or something? She didn't need to be. She looked good the way she was.
But as he caught a glimpse of her face before she ran from the food hall, his breath caught. Her eyes were haunted. She was sad. The fire and passion that had been present in her eyes months ago was replaced by bitterness and loneliness. What the fuck was going on? He had looked forward to seeing her face as she realised they were at the same college, looked forward to the inevitable moment she would fall for his charms and this time, go all the way with him, but now… well. He wasn't so sure what would happen. All he knew was that something had changed her. And he had to know if she was OK.
He ran after her, feeling a little panicked. It was ridiculous to be so worried about somebody he barely knew, but he had to find out what was wrong.
"Louise! Hey! Come here."
He called out after her, hoping she would stop.
To his relief, she does, turning to face him. He blurts out some awful line about being talented and that’s why he was in NYSSA, but he was really just babbling because he felt a little nervous. He covers his nerves with a smirk. He was good at doing that.
"What do you want Drew?" She asks as she starts walking back down the corridor. Even her voice was tinged with sadness.
I struggle to keep up with her, this girl can move fast. Usually when she was running away from him.
"I want you" Shit shit shit. Why the hell did he say that? It sounded needy. He added on something about getting their fuck out-of-the-way, so she didn't think he came across as too desperate.
She tells him to get lost , then mutters stuff about how they are never going to happen. She tells him to chase other girls and leave her alone. He hated it when she kept saying stuff like that, because he knew that she wanted him, she was just playing hard to get . It seemed to be a little game of hers and it was irking him now.
It turned out they had singing class together. He knew something was really wrong when she didn't sing once through the whole class. She lived for singing. She was probably the most talented one in this whole place. Apart from him of course. Why had she changed so much over summer? Her drive and passion had just faded.
The teacher wanted a word with her at the end of the lesson, so he makes his way out of the building, deciding there and then that he would get to the bottom of this. It wasn't that he cared or anything, it was just that… well, he was never going to get to nail her if she carried on being this down. And she was number one on his list of girls to screw at this place.
When she spots him outside waiting for her, she rejects him again, saying she didn't want anything to do with him.
It feels like a little stab in his heart hearing her say that. He couldn't figure out why she kept saying all those things, it was starting to hurt a little. Besides, she was not OK, and he wasn't about to just give up on her.
He mutters something about not going anywhere.
He feels her eyes on him as she tries to figure out what he means by that. He couldn't look at her. He felt a bit embarrassed that he had said the words out loud, it made it seem like he was in way too deep.
Just as he was starting to question his feelings, wondering why he kept blurting out sentimental things, thinking that he may actually have feelings for this girl, she insults my talents in the bedroom. Talk about a slap in the face. Or a kick in the balls. She knew how to hit him where it hurt.
"Do you really think that?"
He asks as he walks into her grotty little dorm room. Seriously… what the fuck was going on? Louise should be living in some sort of castle, not a tiny little shoebox of a room with a miniscule window, rickety old bed and little chest of drawers. The carpet was dirty and horrible, the walls were yellow. Not a nice sunny yellow, a dirty yellow. This place gave him the shudders. He wanted to ask her to come and live at his place, his Dad had brought him a two bedroomed house that was the size of a small castle. That was the one thing that he couldn't get his head around, why did a house with just two bedrooms need three bathrooms and two living rooms? Seriously…. Who invented these houses? Anyway, did he seriously just think about asking Louise Hart to come and live with him? Maybe he was getting ill or something. But as he sat down on the mouldy carpet, and took another glance around the room, he knew that he didn't want her living here. It was shit.
"It doesn't matter what I think Drew. You keep talking the talk about how all these other girls fall at your feet, so as long as they think you are great, what does it matter how I feel?"
Her voice is so sad, so withdrawn. It seriously makes him down to hear her like that. And her words hit him like a ton of bricks. Of course it mattered. Couldn't she see that?
"It does matter."
He stares into her eyes, she seems shocked by his words. He can't seem to look away. He wants her to know that he means it. He means it with all his heart.
They talk for a bit, and his heart races the whole time. He was confused. He didn't know what was happening. He stands up, trying to calm his nerves. He sees an open newspaper lying on her drawers with loads of jobs circled.
He sits on the bed next to her, desperately wanting to hug her, protect her from whatever she is going through. But he refrains, not wanting to scare her off.
His Dad needs a cleaner. He tells her about the job before realising what a complete idiot he is. His Dad, John Evans, owns a string of strip clubs. He was a powerful, rich man and the clubs were seedy. He didn't want Louise working in a place like that. She was better than that. She belonged on a stage, with thousands of people watching her, adoring her. But he had just wanted to help her. It got to him hearing her talk about how she needed a job so bad, and he knew that if he spoke to his Dad, he would give her the job with no questions asked.
To his dismay, she seemed enthusiastic. He reluctantly gives her the number for his Dad, telling her to phone later. He decides there and then that as it was his fault she knew about this job and would almost certainly get it, he should be there for her. He could walk her there and back, that club in the dark of the night was no place for a woman. It was the least he could do. Besides, he wanted to do it if it meant he got to spend more time with her. He shakes the thoughts away, what the hell was going on with him? Maybe Louise was a witch or something. Maybe she had cast some creepy spell over him which actually made him care about people. Because it was definitely a first for him. He decides not to tell her that he would be walking her to and from the club every night, he knew what she was like. She would just argue against it. It was one of the things he admired her for, but she was not going to win this battle.
The next night, he leaves his house at about half six to head for Louises dorm room. Not that you could call it a room, it was a shit hole. The more he had thought about it last night , the more it had angered him that this gorgeous girl who had once been a diva with a zest of life had become this shell of a thing living in a dirty shoebox.
It made him sad. And he didn't want those kinds of emotions floating in his head. His life was simple when he only had sex on the brain.
He runs a hand through his hair and takes a deep breath as he approaches her door. He was feeling nervous. He knew that she would hate the idea of him walking her, and if he was being completely honest, it was getting a little hard to take with her constantly rejecting him. He raises his hand up to knock just as she opens the door. She gasps in shock at the sight of him. He nearly gasps at the sight of her, but he keeps it in. She looked more beautiful every time he saw her. She also looked sadder than she did yesterday, which made his heart ache a bit.
"Drew, Wha- What are you doing here? You scared me."
Her voice was breathless; she was clearly surprised at his arrival. He grins at her, not able to hide his happiness at seeing her.
"I am here to walk you to your new job of course."
Crap, he sounded way too keen and gushy. He had to turn it around. He checks his watch.
"We do have time for a quickie, just so you know."
Fuck, why did he always turn everything into sex. Wait, why did he care? He turned everything into sex with every other girl he had ever known, why did Louise make him feel so guilty about it?
She rolls her pretty eyes, walking away from him. They walk down the grimy stairs of the building, her protesting and mumbling about him walking her to the club.
He takes her hand, wanting to be close to her. He had been wanting to touch her since last night. To his complete surprise, she doesn't resist, she just asks if the hand holding is necessary, to which he answers yes. He couldn't really give her a reason why, but it was necessary, at least to him.
As they walk together, he feeds her a few more lines about how great he could make her feel. He felt bad at mentioning sex all the time in her company, but he was only human after all, and she was gorgeous. He wouldn’t be normal if he didn't think about it.
His heart thuds as they approach the club. He would be kicking myself forever for telling her about this horrible job. He didn't want her anywhere this seedy place. At least he knew she would be relatively safe in there. He had already had a word with his Dad about it, and if he so much as heard a whisper that a customer had tried anything on with her, he would personally hunt him down and knock him out.
Just before she walks in, he tells her to be careful. He wants to walk in with her. He couldn't explain what he was feeling. It felt like something deeper than he could possibly say. He just had a really weird feeling about her being there, like something bad was going to happen to her. Like he had led her into the lions den.
He found it impossible to relax the whole night. He paced around the house, wondering how she was getting on. He watches the clock minute by minute until it is time to go and pick her up again.
He grabs a jacket on the way out, the night had turned chilly and Louise hadn't taken a coat with her. She looked surprised to see him as he offers her the jacket. His heart beat had returned to a normal pace once he saw her with his own eyes, saw that everything was OK .
As they walk, she lectures him about walking her to and from the job. She asks what’s in it for him, basically implying that he only wants anything to do with her for sex.
He pulls her to him, kissing her hard, feeling all his pent up frustration ease away. It was like nothing mattered as soon as his lips touched hers. Her lips were soft. She smelt of strawberries and coconut. His heart starts thudding once more at the contact, and he realises with a start that she is relaxing, kissing him back. She is enjoying it. He feels hope in his heart as he pulls away, taking her beautiful face in his hands as he tries to explain to her.
"It's not about that anymore. You have no choice in the matter. And neither do I. I physically can't stay away from you. The only reason I didn't chase you over the summer is because I knew I would be seeing you here. This path Louise, It has already been chosen for us. It's scaring me."
She stares up at him with her huge brown eyes, and he knew in that moment that he would protect her from anything. She was vulnerable. He could tell by her expression that she didn't know what to make of what he had just said. She didn't believe him. She must have been badly hurt before, she was scarred.
He wanted to make her feel relaxed around him. He realised it was going to take time for her to trust him.
"So… Did you have a good night?"
He keeps his voice jokey, trying to inject some lightness back into the night.
She shrugs.
"It was OK. It's not exactly Broadway, but it is money in my pocket. I met your step-brother."
He tenses at the mention of his step-brother. His whole insides turn to ice, sending a shiver through him. His belly aches with dread at the thought of Louise being around him.
"Stay away from him Louise."
He tries to keep his tone even, tries to show he is in control.
"That's funny, he gave me the exact same warning about you."
Sounds like him, he thought to himself. Trust Brett to pop back into his life. Not just his life but Louises as well. He felt a cold sweat upon his head as he tries to calm himself down. All he felt was sheer panic. He couldn't risk Louise being near Brett, he was dangerous.
"I mean it" He couldn’t help that his voice had risen. He needed her to understand. "I should have remembered that my awful Father promised him a job when he was twenty-one. Shit shit shit. Just stay the fuck away from him."
She stares at him, mouth wide at his obvious hostility.
"Woah, Drew. calm down. We barely spoke."
That makes him feel a little better.
"Good. Keep it that way. Don't have anything to do with him."
She tells him she wouldn't be overly friendly to him, but she wouldn't blank him either. This has put a dampener on his whole night, all he was worried about earlier was his feelings for Louise. Now he had Brett to worry about.
He went home, trying to figure out what he could do. It seemed there was nothing he could do. He knew his Dad wouldn’t listen to him, he had taken Bretts side on the whole fucked up mess.
He walked Louise to and from work every night for the next few weeks, wanting more than ever to just drag her back home with him. Away from the shitty dorm room she called home, away from the seedy night club, away from Brett.
One day as he is eating his lunch with a group of guys, he notes with surprise that Louise was sitting with one of her old singing club members. He thinks it’s the bitchy lesbian one, he hadn't liked the look of her on FSC night. But his belly gave a little flip as he realised with a jolt that Louise looked… well… she looked happy. And it was no doubt down to the girl who was sitting with her.
He knew Louise had a night off tonight. He had planned to tell her how he felt. OK, so no, he wasn't brave enough for that yet, he wasn't even certain of what he did feel, He didn't want to admit to himself that he did have feelings for her. But he wanted to take her on a date. Only sometimes, things don't go how you want them too.
Before he even knocked on Louises door that night, he heard drunken laughter and the chink of a wine bottle. She opened the door, falling to the ground in hysterical laughter. Half of him was paranoid that he had something on his face, the other half mesmerised at how cute a drunk Louise was. His heart swelled as he listened to her laughter, he hadn't heard her laugh at all. He felt a bit jealous that he couldn't evoke that out of her and this club member sitting on her bed who was also drunk could.
He can’t help the filthy look he shoots her.
"I see you are a good influence on her, you have only been here a day and she is wasted. Aren't you from her old singing club? You should be looking out for her."
His words were said out of jealousy rather than anger. He knew that she had put a smile on Louises face and for that he was grateful to this girl.
"And what exactly have you been doing except trying to have sex with her? How is that going to help? This is the first time she has laughed in the three months
since her parents died. "
The words hit him like a ton of bricks. Was she serious? Louises parents were dead? But they had been in the audience that night at FSC. Fuck. No wonder she had become a ghost of herself. Why hadn't she told him? Surely he had a right to know a little detail like that? Why would she keep it from him? She had suffered all by herself for weeks at this college and he hadn't done anything to make her feel better. No wonder she still hated him.
"What? Louise. What the fuck? We have seen each other every day for the last few weeks and you didn't think to tell me your parents have fucking died?"
OK, so maybe he could have been a little gentler with his words. But he wasn't the only one shocked. Her club friend turned to her in horror.
"You didn't tell him?"
He watches as Louise withdraws into herself. Gone is the happy, drunk girl who was here just a minute ago. She is replaced with the sad, haunted Louise he had come to know. He watched as tears sprung to her eyes, her breathing became faster as she tried to keep it all in. He knew what she was going to do probably even before she knew. She was going to run. Like she always did. Always running, always shutting him out.
As she darted from the room, he shouted at her friend to stay there. He would get her to text her once he had found her. It would do no good her running after Louise, she was drunk and needed to stay put. He runs through the streets after her. He could see her in the distance. It was amazing how fast she could run considering she was wearing a sexy little black dress. She looked hot as fuck, but he didn't care about that right now. He just wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be OK.
He finally catches up with her as she sits on a wall. He sits next to her, wrapping his arms around her, letting her bury her head in his chest and cry it out. He holds her while she sobs silently. He wanted to cry with her, how could she have kept it all in for so long? She had so much shit to deal with, the teachers at college were constantly digging her out for not trying hard enough, the fellow students all thought she was a weird unsociable loner, and she worked her butt off every night in a grotty club, all the while hiding this massive secret that her whole world had been turned upside down. He guessed that her parents death had something to with her needing a job so bad, maybe they had left her with nothing? He felt a shudder as a wave of emotion swept through him. Life was so unfair sometimes. Why did she have to suffer like this?
Take A Bite Of My Heart Tonight Page 9