Chapter 2
My best friend lied to me. I’ve known Drexel for so long, I can read him like a book.
He’s not okay. Something is seriously wrong with him, and he’s hiding it from me.
I bet he’s hiding it from his parents too.
There’s no way it’s just a lack of sleep from a bad case.
He’s been going downhill for a while now, and I’m terrified I’m going to lose him.
Just the thought of never seeing him again is enough to make my heart lurch in panic.
I’ve been in love with him for years, but I’ve hidden it because I know we’re not fated mates.
He would’ve told me if we were. Instead I’ve buried my feelings deep, thrown myself into dating to keep myself from acting on those feelings while also dreading the day he finally meets the one meant for him.
I know I’m the one getting married, but Ashley and I don’t love each other like we should.
I suppose you’d call it a marriage of convenience.
Both of us are in love with people we can’t have.
Me with Rex, and her with her father’s best friend and business partner whom she’s called Uncle all her life, even though there’s not an ounce of blood relation between them.
The dude is twenty years older than she is, but the heart wants who the heart wants.
However, like me she knows he doesn’t feel the same way, so she’s bottled up her feelings and chosen to put her focus into our relationship.
We’re friends, of course, and we care deeply about each other, but our marriage will never be a passionate love match.
Which I’m okay with. I’d rather be with someone I can be somewhat happy with than to be left alone to pine for someone I can’t have.
Ashley and I have both discussed admitting our feelings to the people we want, but neither of us wants to take the chance that we’ll ruin our relationships with them and the other people we care about.
She’s a daddy’s girl through and through and is terrified of rocking that boat, while I’m scared of destroying my friendship with Rex.
Though we’ve agreed if either Drexel or the man she cares about ever showed any interest in us, we’d drop each other like a hot potato and go for it.
Hearing a slight snore from my right, I glance over and see Drexel has fallen asleep after finishing his sandwich.
Good. He needs the rest. I’ll pretend I didn’t put him to sleep talking about the plans for this week.
The shadows under his eyes have only gotten darker since the last time I saw him three weeks ago.
I used to see him every weekend, like clockwork, but he’s been distancing himself lately.
Every time I try to make plans, he says he’s busy with work or something else and will take a rain check.
With how bad he looks and the weight he’s lost that he didn’t really need to lose, I know he’s been pulling away, because something is happening to him.
My mind is already thinking the worst, that it’s cancer or something equally as bad and he’s stubbornly hiding it from everyone because he’s not the type of guy who likes to ask for help or rely on others.
Something I love about him that also frustrates me to no end most of the time.
Rex is a six-foot-five reed of a man with lean muscles.
He’s not jacked like most wolf shifters are, so the fact that he’s lost weight is obvious.
If his parents were in town instead of on a year-long trek around the world, they’d be losing their shit at how bad he looks.
I’m kind of glad they won’t make it to my wedding, even though I invited them, because it would break their hearts to see him like this.
His pale skin is ashen and lacks the pinkness of life it used to have, and his-once vibrant sapphire eyes are dulled with a hopelessness that scares the shit out of me.
He may think I didn’t notice the stiff way he was walking as we left his house, but I did.
I noticed it like I notice everything about him.
He’s in pain. The only thing normal about him right now is his haircut.
His black hair is buzzed short on the sides and left slightly longer on top and was definitely done recently, because it was longer when I saw him last. Not to mention the fact that almost everything in his house has been packed up as if he’s preparing to disappear.
It freaked me the fuck out, walking into his house and seeing everything in neatly stacked boxes.
I didn’t question him about it immediately because I didn’t want him to shut me out, then refuse to come with me.
I’ve got to figure out what’s going on with him no matter what.
I know he’s stubborn and it’ll take everything I’ve got to weed it out of him, but I’m determined.
If he’s sick, I’m going to be there for him.
I’m not going to just let him wither away and die on his own, even if it’s what he wants.
Gods, I hope he’s not actually dying. I couldn’t go on if he did.
I’m surviving with things as they are now because I still have him in my life, even if it’s not in the capacity I long for.
If I didn’t even have that anymore, I’d cease to exist. I’d follow him anywhere, even to the grave if it came down to it.
Spotting the exit I need to take up ahead, I merge into the right lane.
The resort isn’t far away now, but I’m considering riding around Coal Springs for a while before checking in so Drexel can sleep longer.
I know as soon as I bring this truck to a stop, he’s going to wake up.
However, I also know I can’t delay check-in because if I do, the resort has the right to cancel our reservations, and if that happens, none of the wedding guests will have a room to stay in.
After getting off the interstate, it only takes another fifteen minutes to get to the resort, and I’m suddenly glad I chose not to drive around because Drexel wakes up screaming, “Jareth, no!” right as I’m about to stop in front of the main entrance to the resort.
If I had been on the road, I probably would’ve run off the side from the shock.
As it is, I slam on the brakes a little harder than I intended, throwing us both forward against our seat belts.
He’s panting, obviously terrified, and the look on his face is so haunted it scares me.
Before I can ask him what the hell that was about and if he’s okay, he says, “Shit, fuck, I’m sorry” and jumps out of the truck, not even bothering to grab his bag before heading straight for the woods.
Deciding to give him the space he needs to calm down from whatever that was before I question him about it, I head inside to get checked in.
Everyone in the main wedding party will have their own cabins, but the rest of the guests will be staying in the resort’s main lodge.
Thankfully, there’s no line at the front desk, so I get the key to the cabin I’ll be sharing with Ashley along with the key to Drexel’s.
Walking outside, I head toward the woods to find Rex.
Luckily, he didn’t go in too far. I find him crouched in front of a tree, his forehead in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.
Since when does he smoke? He’s always hated the smell and taste of tobacco.
For that matter, where’d he even get one from?
I know he didn’t have them in his pocket.
Or did he? Shaking off those thoughts, I sit in the grass beside him and ask, “Rex, you okay?” Please don’t say you’re fine. I know you’re not.
With a heavy sigh, he says, “Yeah. I’m okay.”
Snorting, I shake my head and say, “No, you’re not, so don’t try to tell me that. What the hell happened?”
He shakes his head. “It was nothing.”
“It was not nothing. You were terrified, and obviously it involved me because it was my name you screamed. I’m your best friend.
You know you can talk to me about anything.
Tell me what’s going on. Please.” I’m begging him with what I hope is an imploring look on my face.
Please, Rex, trust me, and tell me what’s going on with you so I can help.
I want to help. I’d do anything for him, and he knows that, which is probably why he’s keeping this to himself.
It’s in his nature to protect even at the expense of himself.
It’s what makes him such a great cop, but even the best officers need backup.
I wish you’d let me be your backup, Rex.
With another shake of his head, he stands and says, “I don’t want to talk about it.
I’m fine” and stalks off toward the truck.
Sighing, I get up and follow him so I can take him up to his cabin and give him the key.
He’s already in the truck, waiting when I get there.
I climb in, then start the engine and follow the signs to where the cabins are.
Stopping in front of cabin thirteen that Drexel is assigned to, I hand him the key and say, “This one’s yours.
I really wish you’d talk to me. I know something’s going on with you, but I know when not to push you on things. I don’t want you mad at me.”
He wordlessly takes the key and jumps out, grabbing his bag from the back before heading inside.
Rubbing my hands over my face, I sigh and pull away, heading farther down the lane to cabin number one, which is the honeymoon cabin I’ll be sharing with Ashley.
We’ll be staying here for a couple of days after the ceremony before taking a trip to Bali for the official honeymoon.
Her parents gifted us the trip, so the destination wasn’t something we originally chose ourselves, but it is a place Ashley’s always wanted to go.
Thankfully, I’ll have the cabin to myself for the next two days.
Ashley’s currently on a business trip for work and won’t arrive until late Tuesday evening.
Which is why I planned some things for Drexel and I to do since we’re here before everyone else to make sure everything’s good to go for the wedding.
Though, with what just happened, I’m not sure he’ll even want to do those things with me now.
Maybe I should’ve just kept my mouth shut and let it go instead of questioning him.
Sighing again, I shake my head and hop out of the truck.
Grabbing my bag, I go into the cabin to unpack.
I guess I’ll find out if Rex plans to skip out on me when we meet up for lunch later.