“I love you, Molly Woods. Please don’t ever forget that,” he said, so seriously, as I moaned into his mouth.
“Never. I love you, too.”
Being with Drake was like nothing I have ever experienced. When I was with him, the world made sense. He wanted to protect and love me. He was so gentle and kind, always doing whatever he could to please me. However, to the outside world, he was strong, powerful, and assertive. People didn’t get to see the side of Drake that I did.
Drake had become my lifeline over the past several weeks. I didn’t realize it immediately, but after spending time with him this weekend, I knew I never wanted to be away from him. I was completely, madly in love with this man who was gentle, sweet, and passionate.
“Sweetheart, are you packed and ready? The chopper will be here in fifteen,” Drake called up the stairs.
“Coming!” I called back as I reached the stairs. I was sad this weekend was going to be over, but was happy to have had it.
“I have something for you before we leave.” He reached into his pocket, and handed me a black jewelry box. Another box?
“What’s this?” I gave him a puzzled look. He was always giving me surprises, but I truly hadn’t expected him to give me anything after already giving me this weekend.
“Open it,” he urged, smiling and placing it in my hand.
I slowly opened it and my eyes shot wide open. My heart raced and my hand sprung to cover my heart. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The meaning, the symbolism, and that Drake remembered…
Tears in my eyes, and running down my cheeks, as I couldn’t believe, again, what an amazing man I had. Could he even be real?
“Sweetheart, do you like it?” Drake asked a little nervously as he watched my expression.
“Oh, my God, Drake…I love it! So much! I can’t believe you–” I looked up to his eyes. “–remembered. I mean, I know it wasn’t that long ago, but it just means so much to me to know you would do something like this,” I gushed. He took it from the box and wrapped it around my neck. He smiled, and kissed my neck as he finished clasping it.
He turned me around and smiled bright as the anchor symbol lay just perfectly against my collarbone. It was white gold with diamonds across the anchor. It was the most beautiful gift I could ever ask for. Knowing Drake felt the same way about what it represented meant the world to me. He meant the world to me.
I grabbed his face and kissed him hard. This man was incredible. And he was mine.
“I absolutely love it, Drake! Thank you so, so much!” I kissed him again, not wanting to let him go.
“I wanted you to know that the love we have is rare. It’s unsinkable no matter what happens. I will always be your anchor when things get hard. Our love is steadfast, baby. Let this serve as a reminder. Hope and love.” He smiled at me and kissed me once more. “You are mine, Molly.”
We heard the chopper above, and sadly knew our little weekend getaway was over. He grabbed my hand, linking it with his, and kissed it with a huge grin. This was an absolutely perfect weekend. He was perfect.
CHAPTER 15
“Ugh, is it Monday already?” I moaned into Drake’s chest. We had arrived back late last night, and although I could barely keep my eyes open, I needed Drake as soon as we arrived back here.
“I’m afraid so, baby. I have to be in by nine.” He kissed me as we climbed out of bed. He went to shower, and I covered my head up with the comforter.
“Mommy?” Stella crept through the doorway.
“Baby! Come here!” She ran to the bedside, and I scooped her up for a hug. “I missed you so much sweetie!” I held her tighter.
“Mommy, too tight!” she whimpered.
“Sorry, I am just so happy to see my baby girl.” I released her and kissed her forehead. She was already in bed by the time we arrived home last night, and I didn’t want to wake her.
“I missed you too, mommy. Uncle Michael and I had a blast this weekend! We watched cartoons, ate junk food, and he even let me have a soda!” She whispered the last part like it was a secret. I laughed, and was happy she had a good time. I felt guilty for leaving her, but I knew she would have fun with Michael.
“It’s time to get ready for school, sweetie. Mommy has to get into the shower yet, and you need to eat.” I grabbed her hand and she followed me into the kitchen where Drake was already pouring a cup of coffee, wearing only a towel. He was still wet from his shower and water was trickling down his hair and back. I about melted right then and there.
Stella squeezed my hand, and brought me back. “Ummm…Drake, honey?” I asked hoping he would see that I had Stella with me.
He quickly turned around with a bright smile, but as soon as he saw Stella, embarrassment hit his face. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll go get dressed,” he announced as he slowly backed out of the kitchen.
I prepared breakfast and poured my coffee. I was going to need all the energy I could get today. I was so exhausted, but flashing my mind back to our wonderful weekend, it felt worth it. So worth it.
“Is Drake my new daddy?” Stella asked, as she propped herself up on the barstool. My eyes widened as I tried to think of what to say. She knew Drake was mommy’s friend, but we were never intimate in front of her.
“What makes you ask that, sweetie?” I blushed a little, hoping she wasn’t expecting a yes or no answer.
“Because he is here all the time. He sleeps over and eats breakfast with us. Isn’t that what daddies do?” she asked innocently. I felt so bad that she hadn’t experienced her real father, but I’m sure by now her friends talk about their mommies and daddies, and I’m sure she had questions.
“Yes, sometimes, sweetie. Drake is mommy’s special friend so that’s why he is here a lot. Do you want him to be your daddy?” I asked, curious as to how she would respond.
“Would he take me places?” She shoved a piece of waffle in her mouth. “Like the museum, the park, and to Mackenzie’s?” God, this little girl was the best. Her answer made my smile widen, as she believed this was what daddies did.
“I’m sure he would, sweetheart. But daddies do a lot more than that.” I sat on the barstool across from her, watching her expressions. “Are you sad you don’t have a daddy?” I asked quietly, hoping to not upset her. We had never had this conversation before. She was turning five this year, so I knew she would soon have questions, but I just didn’t know what she could understand at her age.
“No, mommy, I’m not sad. I have you and Uncle Michael!” she squealed.
“I’m glad, sweetie. But maybe, someday, you’d like Drake to be your daddy?” I asked, hoping she would.
“Yeah. I like him,” is all she said as she continued to finish her waffle. I smiled at how innocent she was, and was grateful that Liam’s absence had not affected her. I was so thankful for Michael, knowing that he had done his best to replace that void any way he could.
I turned to put her dishes into the sink when I saw Drake leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, just watching us. He was so amazingly sexy standing there, but my face went pale as I realized he probably heard our whole conversation. God, I hope I didn’t just freak him the fuck out.
He smiled, and started walking up to me. His eyes locked with mine, and he kissed me deeply for the first time in front of Stella. He broke the kiss when he heard her giggling.
“That is what daddies do, Stella.” He smiled as she was still giggling. My eyes got big as I watched for her reaction. Stella smiled, and hopped off the barstool, skipping out of the kitchen. Holy shit, did I love that man.
The week flew by as I continued my internship and classes. Travis was always by my side, making sure no one, including Blakely, harassed me. He took the big brother role very seriously, and I loved him for that. He definitely played the daddy role as well, telling me I needed to start getting some sleep after the third day of coming to my internship looking like a zombie.
I punched his arm softly as he lectured me about my sleeping ha
bits. I’m sure he knew exactly what was keeping me up at night.
“Stop being so bossy,” I protested, throwing a towel at him. “I don’t look that bad, do I?”
“Umm…darlin’, you have bags under your eyes,” he fired back.
“Shut up! I do not.” I totally do.
“I’m just worried about you, that’s all. You need to stay focused so that when we start doing rounds, you’re completely in the game.” Rounds were coming up soon, when we would finally experience being in the Riverside Restaurant kitchen, cooking with the other chefs and cooking for customers. This was not just any restaurant, though. They have an excellent reputation and high expectations for their food. It would be a lot of pressure to not fuck it up, especially if I was hoping to be hired on after graduation.
“I know, I know. I promise you, I will get some sleep, okay? Now let’s get back to work.”
It was finally the end of a very exhausting week, and I couldn’t wait to get home to Stella and Michael. I wanted to order pizza, and just stay in for the night. Michael had been busy all week with his blog and his new beau, Troy.
“Hi, baby girl!” I yelled as I saw Stella climbing off the school bus at the corner. She ran in for a hug and I squeezed her tightly. Geez, her smile was seriously the best thing ever. Even with a long week, she made it all worth it. “How was your day?” I asked as we started walking back to the apartment.
“Great, mom! I was hoping I could sleep over at Mackenzie’s tonight?” She looked up at me with begging eyes.
“Sleepover?” I was worried. She’s never had a sleepover before.
“Yeah, Mackenzie’s mom said she could have a couple friends over for her birthday. So, can I? I have her number so you can call.” She dug a piece of paper with a phone number scratched on it.
I wanted to tell her my plans to stay in and order pizza with her, but her little eyes were just too much to say no. “Okay, sweetie. I’ll call her mom when we get home.”
An hour later, Stella was packed, suitcase and sleeping bag in hand. “Ready, mom!” she yelled, practically running to the door. I held back the tears until I was back in the cab, returning to my apartment alone. I couldn’t believe my baby girl wasn’t going to be sleeping in our home tonight. It was like a part of me was missing. I starting sobbing, and felt like a fool in front of the cab driver, but I couldn’t help it. It was my baby’s first sleepover.
I unlocked the door to my apartment and collapsed on the loveseat, wallowing in my depression. I knew I was probably overreacting, but I was so worried about her. I knew Mackenzie’s family would take good care of her, but it felt strange not knowing what she was doing. The fact that she was probably having a blast with her friends kept me from completely losing it.
“Baby, are you all right?” Drake asked as I answered my phone sniffing and wiping away my tears.
“Yeah…” I laughed slightly. “Stella is at her first sleepover tonight, and I’m just sad about it. She’s growing up so fast.” I sniffed again, trying to get it together.
“Aww, baby, I’m sure she’s having fun. Don’t worry, okay? I wish I could come over and keep you company, but dad and I have a dinner meeting tonight.”
“That’s okay, honey.” I sighed.
“Can I see you after? I can stop by tonight,” he offered.
“Sure, if you want to.” We said our goodbyes, and I went into Stella’s room, and lay on her bed.
An hour later, my phone rang again, and I was surprised to see Travis’ name.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hey! Whatcha doing tonight?” He sounds perky.
“Wallowing in the fact that Stella is at her first sleepover, and doesn’t need her mommy anymore,” I really laid it on that time. Hold it together, Molly.
“Okay…get up. We’re going out,” he said assertively.
“What? No, I’m fine. I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” I lied.
“Oh, come on! Jacob went to his grandparents for the night and you need to get out of the house. Come on. I’ll pick you up in a half-hour. Get ready!” And with that he hung up the phone.
Ugh…great.
I dragged myself out of Stella’s bed and got ready. I decided since it was the first time in forever that I was going out on a Friday night, I should probably try not looking like death. I fixed my hair, put on some makeup, and wore black dress pants with a purple V-neck jeweled shirt, and purple heels. I glanced in the mirror, and was surprised how it only took me a half hour to look decent. I shrugged, and figured it was good enough.
Just as I was grabbing my purse and coat, Travis knocked on the door. He looked absolutely amazing. Travis was good looking, yes, but right now, he was stunning.
His eyes widened as he got a good look at me. He smiled and complimented me on my ability to de-zombify. I chuckled and playfully punched his arm.
“So tell me, where are we going?” I asked as he flagged us a cab.
“To my favorite club, Midnight,” he said, gesturing me into the cab and giving the driver the address.
“Midnight? Never heard of it.”
“That’s because it’s a little out of the city, more for locals.” He rested his hand on my leg, right above my knee. It wasn’t the first time Travis has touched me, but it was usually to keep me from dropping something or tripping over my own feet.
I felt goose bumps all over me as he left his hand there. It wasn’t a feeling I was expecting. I had only seen Travis as a friend and mostly like a brother to me. I was sure he felt the same way, too.
Hopefully.
“My friends should be there already. They’re excited to meet you,” he said as he turned to look at me.
“Meet me? Why?” I asked, confused. Has he been telling people about me?
“I’ve told them stories about class, and about taking our kids to the Shedd. They liked all the funny stories I told them of you being clumsy.” He laughed as he pinched my knee. Another sensation of goose bumps and shivers ran through my body. Why is he having this effect on me?
“Oh, my God, Travis!” I scowled. “How embarrassing.”
“No, no, don’t worry. They’re great people.”
We finally arrived to the club and my heart was racing. I didn’t know if it was for Travis, or because I was extremely nervous. I was already a mom when I turned twenty-one and had never been to a club before. I didn’t do the whole binge drinking and dancing thing. I never wanted to leave my baby girl.
“Hey, man!” Travis said to some guy reaching over to hug him and pat him on the back in a well-known guy gesture. He waved me over as I followed him through the mobs of people already there.
“Guys, this is Molly. She’s in my internship with me. Molly, this is Bentley, Mason, Mason’s girlfriend, Selena, Ruby, and her boyfriend, Leo.” I smiled and told them it was nice to meet them.
Travis placed his hand on my lower back leading me into the booth. A waitress came around and eyed Travis up and down before bringing her eyes on me. She frowned, as she must have thought Travis and I were together. I laughed as I ordered my drink.
“So Molly, Travis tells us you’re quite the cook,” Bentley said from across the booth.
I turned to look at Travis, confused as to why he would be talking about me to his friends so much. “Well, I guess… but I have a great partner,” I said, trying to lighten the weird tension. Travis’ hand ended up back on my knee as it had before. Once again, shivers shot up through my body as I tried to figure out why I was responding to him this way. We had been partners for weeks now with no tension, and now tonight it’s like my emotions are on fire.
“She’s the great partner,” Travis interrupted. “Especially when she’s clumsy as hell and makes the day more interesting.” He laughed squeezing my knee again.
“Ha…” I sneered at him for embarrassing me. “I remember a very clumsy person as well, Mr. Sauce All Over My Pants,” I badgered him. Being with Travis felt natural. It felt odd to be here without Drake, but Travis
and I were close. Like siblings, right?
“Oh, my God, not the sauce story!” He groaned, embarrassed.
His friends were hyper-aware of our teasing and leaned in to hear. “Oh, you mean you never told your friends how you spilled Alfredo sauce all down your crotch, and nearly burned yourself?” I said laughing, remembering that day. Aside from Travis being burned a little, it was hilarious. He was fooling around as usual, wasn’t paying attention, and Alfredo went all down his pants.
His cheeks reddened as he hid his face in his hand, laughing softly. “Okay, you got me back. No more stories!” Our eyes met and for a second I forgot where we were. The waitress broke the awkward tension as she brought us our drinks.
I took a large gulp and tried to get back into the friend zone. Travis continued talking and laughing with the guys. The girls moved closer to me since the boys were talking about sports.
“So you and Travis, huh?” Selena asked me quietly, winking.
“What? No. Travis and I are just friends. He’s like a brother,” I assured her. And myself.
“Then how come he looks at you like that?” She nodded her head over to where Travis was sitting. He was staring at me like he needed me for air. I’ve never seen Travis look at me like that, but perhaps I wasn’t paying attention before. He smiled at me when he noticed I saw his expression. I smiled back, hoping he didn’t see the confusion on my face.
I looked back at the girls who saw my puzzled look. “No, it’s not like that at all. We took our kids to the aquarium once and are just friends,” I tried to tell her, but she wasn’t buying it.
“Well, do you have a boyfriend?” Ruby chimed in.
“Yeah, I do. His name is Drake.” I smiled as I said his name. I took a couple more sips from my glass as I noticed Bentley hovering over to listen to our conversation.
“He’s a lucky man,” Bentley interrupted. He smiled at me as he put his beer to his mouth.
“Thanks.” I blushed. This was getting awkward.
“What does your boyfriend do?” Ruby asked curiously. Apparently, she hadn’t seen the millions of photos of me in the magazines, and I was grateful Travis hadn’t told them.
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