Chapter 7 #2
She huffs, “Drake was my dance partner when we were fifteen, so I already knew him when he asked me out. I ended things after about a month because when he kissed me, I felt like I was kissing my brother, it was weird.”
Huh…
I nod, then ask, “So how did he end up with your sister?”
Drew raises a dark brow my way and asks, “Is there anything you and my dad didn’t speak about?”
“The weather,” I retort, and she lets out a shocked giggle though her smile is bright.
I grin again as I open the gate for her. She walks through it before I follow, and we start our trek around the massive duck pond.
“After three years of refusing to give him a chance, after he basically bullied me, he decided it would be a good idea to screw my underage sister over a school desk to get my attention. All it did was get him locked up for a year and placed on the sex offenders list and my sister put in a catholic school where she rebelled even more. They’ve been on and off ever since, much to my parents' disappointment,” Drew sighs, “Elizabeth, she’s well, to be honest, she is spoiled.
” I look at her, and she explains, “Mom went into premature labor ten weeks early, and Elizabeth's chances of survival were extremely low.
I hum and confirm, “Your mom felt guilty?”
“She did, so she over compensated a little too much to the point Elizabeth believes the world owes her along with everyone inside it. Mom well… she kind of neglected me a little bit, Dad became my primary parent until around five years ago and she saw the error of her ways when she got a video of her youngest daughter in a situation no parent wants to see,” she says but ends with a chuckle.
“So, you’re not heartbroken?” I ask carefully, and she snorts.
“God no,” she replies, “If anything, Elizabeth needs to get a job and dump Drake because the man is using her. Last night, he cornered me at the restaurant I went to in town with my parents, my sister, yet again bringing him and mom allowing it. He demanded I get back with him because I apparently ruined his life by dumping him.”
Okay, so the fucker is dead.
We stop at the edge of the pond, and I take a deep breath before I look at Drew.
As soon as our eyes meet, I feel the connection.
I feel the need to hold her and never let her go.
It’s fucking terrifying but what cements it for me, is the fact she’s not looking at my patch, she’s looking at me.
Her eyes go to my neck, but jealousy is nowhere to be seen, only questions.
“My sisters,” I rasp, and our eyes lock again. She smiles slightly, though I don’t miss the softness in her eyes, I swallow again when she confirms, “I’m guessing you’re close?”
I hum before admitting, “Whit, she’s twenty-two and struggles, especially since I uh,” I swallow yet a-fucking-gain, “I’ve been in prison a few or… five times.”
She nods, and fuck, I see no fear, nor judgment in her beautiful eyes, only concern.
“I lost my way a little,” I admit quietly, “Six months ago my family staged an intervention, so to speak, and forced me to go nomad for a little while hoping it will help me. I supposed to return home at the end of the healing... I just didn’t expect to meet you.”
I look down for a minute before I sigh and lock eyes with her again. “I’m a little bit broken, baby,” not bringing up Angie because, honestly, I don’t want to scare her.
“We’re all a little broken, Bellamy,” she whispers as her eyes race between mine. My legal name coming out of her mouth sends shivers down my spine, “You just need to want to fight to not be broken. You need to find happiness and allow that happiness to pull you back.”
Fuck me.
I melt, I physically fucking melt.
“Even though I did drugs, got into fights, and drank heavily while driving? Even though I spent more time in the past seven and a half years in prison than being at home?” I ask quietly, my heart pounding.
Drew licks her bottom lip before she nods once and says, “Even then. You did what you had to in order to deal with feeling broken. While I’m not sure why you went down that route, you’re trying to pull yourself back up, and that really should be what matters, the here and now and not what you did to survive. ”
I can’t help my reaction, her words fucking blow me away, her kindness…
Without thinking, I cup the back of her head, fucking hating that her hair is still in a low bun and I pull her into me.
Her soft body fitting with mine perfectly before I slam my lips against hers.
Fucking hell… Fireworks isn’t even the word that I feel as our lips touch.
My entire body lights up and awakens for the first time in nearly eight years. Instead of pushing me back, Drew grabs my shirt and fists it as she steps the rest of the way into my body.
Fuck yes!
I lick the seam of her lips, and she opens instantly, the sensation of home fills me. Though that feeling is terrifying, I don’t pull away, instead, I tilt her head and deepen the kiss.
I know I can’t let this woman go. I can feel it deep down in my soul that we were always meant to be together. I just don’t know where I can fit the club in this new life, they want nothing more than for me to come home.
Can I go home? I can’t put Drew at risk, but am I willing to disappoint my family who want me to take over for Dad, over a girl I’ve only just met?
Fuck.