Drew: Book One of the Perfectly Independent Series

by Amanda Shelley

  Whatever is being said on the other end of the line has Drew on the verge of breaking and me on full alert.

  He wobbles in front of me. Taking his hand, I guide him back to the chair across from me because I’m afraid he’ll fall over at any moment.

  I don’t give a fuck if we’re causing a scene. The message he’s receiving is clearly fucking with his mind, and he needs help. When my hand reaches his, his eyes lock on mine once again. Instead of the cocky playfulness I’ve come to expect, he has the most grief-stricken expression I’ve ever seen.

  “Please,” he begs, and I’m not sure if it’s to me or to the person on the phone, but instinctually, I step closer and place my free hand on his bicep to guide him into a sitting position.

  “Do whatever it takes.” Drew is nearly breathless, and my gut clenches. “They’re all I’ve got. Shit…” He’s silent as he places an elbow on the table and drags a hand almost painfully through his hair. He stares at a spot on the table and shakes his head, as if he’s in denial before his breath hitches, and he practically begs, “I can’t lose them.”

  Holy fuck. What’s going on? He repeats practically to himself, “I can’t lose them,” until I realize the person on the other end of the phone is raising their voice to get his attention.

  Through the phone, I hear, “Drew… Drew… Are you all right? Can you hear me, Drew? Please respond.”

  In a state of shock, Drew simply continues to stare at the table and mutter. My heart aches for him, and I fear the news I will encounter as I reach for the phone in his hand. He can easily overpower me and keep his phone with ease, but when he feels me gently tug it, it’s released instantly.

  With as much strength as I can muster, I take control of this situation. “Hello. This is Abby Angelos. I’m a friend of Drew.”

  “Hello, Abby. I’m a nurse at Spokane Valley Hospital. Is Drew okay?” Holy shit. A hospital. This must be bad. Did someone die? I’m brought out of my worries when the woman asks, “Abby?”

  “Yes, I’m here,” I assure her as I focus my attention to Drew. I squeeze Drew’s hand as I ask, “Drew, are you okay?”

  It takes him a moment before his watery eyes find mine. He stares for a moment and doesn’t say anything, but he nods.

  His blue eyes look hollow, and his face ashen, but no other physical signs are present. “Yes… he’s okay. He seems to be in shock,” I relay to the nurse, hoping she’ll fill me in.

  “Is Drew able to talk with me?” the woman calmly asks on the other line.

  Squeezing Drew’s hand to get his attention, his eyes slowly find mine. “Drew?” I wait until I know he’s listening. “Can you talk to the woman on the phone?”

  Drew’s head shakes as his eyes squeeze shut. Then he inhales deeply, as if to steady himself and regain what little control he’s holding onto. When they reopen, it’s clear he asking me to do it for him. To keep him from having to summon the strength that’s clearly left his body, I ask, “Would you like me to get the information you need?”

  An infinitesimal amount of relief washes over Drew’s handsome features as he nods. “Please.”

  I’ll do anything to take the obvious pain in Drew’s eyes away, I offer to the woman on the phone, “Is there a way you can tell me the information he needs? I’m not sure he’s able to talk now.”

  Drew squeezes my hand and defeatedly whispers, “Thank you.” Whatever this woman is about to tell me, I know in this instant, I won’t let Drew go through this alone.

  She takes in a quick breath and releases into my ear. “Well… due to HIPAA laws, I’ll need Drew’s verbal consent to continue.”

  I want to reach through the phone and rip her friggin’ tongue out. How can she do this to Drew? Her call alone has turned him from a boisterous guy to the ghost of a man before me. Though at this instant, he looks more like a lost little boy than a man who’s on top of his world about to graduate from college. Knowing she’s only doing her job, I take a deep breath to steady myself before getting Drew’s attention.

  “She needs verbal consent to share the information.”

  I hand Drew the phone and can hear the nurse on the other end speaking, but her actual words are unclear. Drew simply nods and gravely gives his consent before handing the phone back to me.

  “Hello?” I offer out of habit when receiving a phone.

  “Hello, Abby. I’m sorry to be the one to relay this information, but both of Drew’s parents have been involved in a car accident.”

  I gasp, even though I knew her news would be horrific. This unfortunately catches Drew’s attention, and I fortify myself to be strong for Drew when she tells me the inevitable news. “They were both brought in via ambulance to Spokane Valley Hospital.” Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Here it comes. I brace myself for the bomb she’s about to drop.

  “They were unconscious at the time but stable.” Relief washes through me. Thank the fucking Lord they’re alive. Stable means good, right? I’m about to clarify my thoughts but never get the chance. The nurse keeps prattling on—to get her explanation out. “Upon further examination, they each were diagnosed as being critical and in need of emergency surgery. His mother has a ruptured spleen and has a broken radius. Mostly likely, it is from her bracing on impact. Drew’s father had his lung collapse as well as a fractured tibia as he was trapped in the car and had to have the jaws of life retrieve him. They each have concussions as well as minor bumps and bruises throughout their bodies.”

  Holy shit. Both sound serious, but something they should be able to recover from. “Are they…” I hesitate to ask, because God knows I don’t want to have to break even more bad news to Drew. Drew comes out of his shock and locks his eyes to mine with both interest and eagerness to know the answer to my unasked question.

  I clear my throat and force myself to begin again, “Are they expected to recover?”

  The nurse lets out what I hope is a positive breath. “We hope that’s the case. Of course, with any surgery, there are always risks. As the doctors proceed, they might find more things wrong with them. We’ll know more as time progresses.” I’ve watched enough shows on TV, that I know this is standard protocol to not promise anything.

  But hope returns, where it had once been lost, and I give Drew a reassuring squeeze with my hand.

  “How long will they be in surgery?” I ask, trying to get as much information as possible to relay to Drew.

  “I’m not sure at this time. I’m simply trying to relay the message to Drew, so he can get here should he choose.”

  “We’re both at Columbia River University, just outside of Portland, so I’ll see what I can do to look into flights or figure out a way to get him there. When he arrives, where should he go?”

  “If you stop at any information desk, they’ll be able to locate his parents. If you want status updates until you can arrive, I just came on shift. I’ll be here for the next twelve hours. Just call and ask for Janice.” She proceeds to give me a number where I quickly pull out my phone and type it in and quickly call before hanging up immediately, so it will be stored to my recent calls. We talk for a few more minutes about logistics, and I tell her that Drew will be there as soon as he can before hanging up.

  When I get off the phone, Drew looks to me as if his life depends on what I’m about to say. My heart breaks for his uncertainty, but I’m thankful I get to share better news than what I’d feared.

  “They’re… gonna be okay?” Drew asks, deep and broken between fortifying breaths.

  Knowing this isn’t the time to sugar coat anything, I go with honesty. Pulling my chair closer to his, I sit and remain holding his hand. “They’re both stable. That’s the best we can hope for now. We’ll know more once they come out of surgery.” I go into further detail about what type of surgery each of his parents need.

  When I finish, Drew stands and throws some bills on the table before blatantly stating, “I need to get there.” He quickly gathers his backpack and hands me mine as he pulls me out of the restauran
t.

  Once outside, Drew’s hand runs through his hair as he paces a few feet in one direction, before turning and heading in the other.

  “Is there anyone I should call?” I offer, making his pacing end abruptly.

  With a hand raised to his chin, he contemplates my question. “Uh… probably just Coach. He’ll contact my professors and explain everything.” Drew hesitates and squeezes his eyes tight.

  “Fuck. I don’t think I can do this,” he whispers so I barely hear it. I reach out to take his hand, to calm him. When he squeezes mine like a lifeline, I quickly come to the rescue.

  Since I’m still holding his phone, I guide him to a nearby bench and simply ask, “What’s his number?”

  “It’s under, Coach B. His name’s Ted Bradford.”

  Without a second of hesitation, I quickly pull up the contact and press the button to make the call. Thankfully, he answers on the second ring.

  “Jacobs. To what do I owe the pleasure?” His voice is kind and filled with genuine like for Drew, which makes it easier to relay the information I’m about to dump on him.

  “Hello, sir. I’m Abby Angelos, a friend of Drew’s.”

  Immediately, I can tell Coach B’s on high alert. “Is Drew all right?”

  “Yes, sir. He’s fine, but his parents aren’t.” I quickly explain what’s going on and that Drew’s unable to talk at this time. I don’t go into quite as much detail as the nurse explained, but I clearly express Drew’s need to go home as soon as possible. After double checking Drew’s okay, Coach B wholeheartedly agrees.

  Before we end the call, Coach offers to look into flights and tells me he’ll call Drew’s phone when he has an update. When he asks if I’ll accompany Drew to his parents, I don’t even blink. “Of course I am, sir.” There’s no way I’ll let Drew go alone. Just looking at his pained face has me confident in my answer. Once Drew’s settled, if he wants me to leave him alone, I will. But until then, he’s stuck with me.

  Coach suggests I give him my class information and assures me he’ll take care of things on his end, by letting each of our professors know there’s been an emergency. While we wait for him to call us back with details for our flight, he suggests we pack and get ready to leave on the next flight out. Knowing Drew’s tenacious study habits, he also reminds me to pack his books since we don’t know how long he’ll need to be gone.

  When I finish the call, Drew stands and pulls me into him. His gigantic arms envelop me as he hugs me fiercely. I return his bear hug and just stand here breathing with him as he processes this life-changing information. Not knowing what to say or wanting to break the connection between us, I simply hold on for all I’m worth and let him squeeze the crap out of me. His sexy masculine scent invades my senses, causing me to relax into him.

  As time goes on, his grip loosens but doesn’t let up. His arms stay around me as he rests his chin on my head. I feel his words rumble out of his chest as he speaks, “Thank you so much, Abby. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Why don’t we walk to my apartment? I’ll pick up some things and drive you to your place while we wait for your coach to return our call. If there’s a flight available soon, we may be able to catch it.”

  He presses his head to the top of mine and squeezes once more. “I’m so glad you’re with me,” he mumbles.

  He releases his hold, but it’s as if he can’t let go completely. He reaches for my hand, and we walk quickly to my apartment.

  Once inside, I suggest Drew take a seat on the couch while I rush to my room to pack. Sydney’s gone, but Chloe’s there when we arrive.

  Shocked by our sudden presence, she follows me as I rush to my room like my ass is on fire and quickly pull out a small suitcase that’ll easily pass as a carry-on.

  “Can you call the library and tell them I won’t be able to make my shift?”

  Chloe’s eyebrows lift to her hairline, knowing something must be seriously wrong. I’d never miss work if I can help it. I’ll go in on my deathbed before calling in. “Uh… what should I say happened?” Clearly, she wants to know the details herself as she eyes me up and down with care.

  “Tell them I’ve had a family emergency. I’ll let them know when I have more information. Be sure to talk with Tarrin. She’s my immediate supervisor.” I walk to my dresser and pull out as many pairs of underwear as I have clean and multiple pairs of socks. Thank God for small miracles I did laundry this week.

  I quickly open my drawers and pull out the first things I can put my hands on. I pack a few pairs of jeans, yoga pants, and some t-shirts that will go with any of the pants I’ve stuffed into my suitcase.

  “I’ll grab your things from your bathroom. Tell me what’s going on?” Chloe says as she disappears into the bathroom off my bedroom. She knows I’m not high maintenance, so I’m sure whatever she packs will be fine.

  I give her the CliffsNotes version, and I can hear her gasp from the bathroom. Within a few minutes, she’s brought back my travel bag and puts it in my suitcase.

  “I have your toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and a few samples of shampoo and conditioner. I also packed your brush and tossed in a few hair ties for you.”

  I throw open my arms and embrace her in a hug. “You are the best.”

  “Just keep me posted. I’m happy to do anything you need,” she says as she releases me, then gasps. “Do you have cash?”

  “I… uh… usually just use my debit card,” I admit honestly.

  Before I can say another word, Chloe rushes out of the room. Not having time to guess what she’s doing, I finish putting a few more things into my carry-on. She returns with a fist full of cash and stuffs it into my hand. “Here. It’s the tip money I’ve been saving.”

  “Chloe, you don’t have to do this.” I start pushing it back in her direction, and she gives me a look that tells me not to mess with her.

  “You’ll pay me back. I insist. It’s only about two hundred dollars.”

  Not knowing what I’ll need in terms of money for a place to stay or a ride home, I stuff it into my purse. “You’re the best,” I whisper with one last squeeze. “I’ll let you know when I know more.”

  I gather the textbooks I’ll need for the remainder of my classes and squeeze those into my suitcase. I return to the living room where Drew hasn’t budged from the couch. My heart breaks at how distraught he looks. He’s so lost in thought he doesn’t even look up when Chloe and I approach. God. What’s going on in that brilliant mind of his?

  I drop my bags and approach him carefully, so I don’t startle him. When I reach out to take his hand, he turns his attention to me. “Have you heard back from Coach?”

  I pull out his phone from my pocket and see that it shows no notifications. Shaking my head, I sigh. “Not yet. Let’s get you to your place, so we’ll be ready when he calls. Hopefully, he’ll get us on a flight in a few hours.” I squeeze his hand in reassurance to let him know he’s not going through this alone.

  Drew pulls in a fortifying breath as he stands, his hand still linked in mine. “You ready?” He looks around the room and spots my suitcase next to my backpack.

  “Yeah.” I nod as we walk toward my things.

  Chloe reaches out and pats Drew on the shoulder as we pass. “Please let me know if you need anything…” She looks from me to him. “I’m only a phone call away.”

  Drew thanks her, and I stop to pull her in for a hug. “Thanks for all your help,” I whisper. “I’ll be in touch.”

  When we get to Drew’s apartment, it’s still as if he’s on auto pilot. He unlocks the door and together, we walk to his living room. At first, I’m hesitant, not knowing what he needs. But when he asks, “Will you help me?” I jump into action.

  I quickly follow him to his bedroom, which mainly consists of a king-sized bed that’s neatly made, a desk, and a dresser. There are textbooks on a bookshelf as well as scattered across his desk. “What books do you need to keep on top of your classes?” I ask to give mysel
f something to do.

  “Just the ones on my desk. Everything else, along with my laptop, is already in my backpack.” He walks to his closet and gets what looks like a team-issued travel bag. It’s a large duffel bag with the team’s logo as well as Jacobs embroidered into the end. He plops onto his bed and turns to his dresser to grab some clothes for himself.

  As soon as I get what textbooks he pointed out into his bag, I ask, “What else can I do to help?”

  “Just be here… please.” He sounds broken as if he’s still fighting for control of his emotions.

  I notice he stuffs shirts, jeans, sweats, basketball shorts as well as a team hoodie into his bag. When I notice he’s missing some essentials, I remind him, “Uh… what about socks and underwear?” As soon as the words come out, heat floods my cheeks.

  Did I just ask him that?

  But when I see his numb expression, the heat quickly disperses because there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

  “Oh, right. I forgot.” He nods in agreement as he opens his top drawer and stuffs several pairs of each into his bag.

  When he stops and just stares at the bag on his bed, I prompt, “Toiletries?”

  Without a word, he walks to what I assume is a bathroom off his bedroom and disappears.

  I look around his tidy room and realize Drew’s almost obsessively clean. I’m not sure what I expected, but a pristine room wasn’t it. As I take in the simplicity, a phone buzzes in my pocket.

  Hoping it’s not the hospital to tell us bad news, I pull it from my pocket and see Coach B’s name flash across the screen.

  “Hello?”

  “Abby?” Coach B greets.

  “Yes. It’s me. Any word on a flight for Drew?”

  Coach takes in a deep breath, that doesn’t sound promising. Shit, please don’t let there be a problem. “The earliest I could get is six tomorrow morning.”

  Fuck. “We can drive there in less time than that,” I voice my thoughts aloud, with barely any filter.

  “I was thinking the same thing. Are you sure you’re up to taking him? He doesn’t need to be alone at a time like this. After everything with his sister, he can’t be in the greatest head space.”