by Kailin Gow
“No, let go of me!” I cried, struggling with all my strength. “You are not going to attack me again!” I cried and screamed, remembering the terror I felt when Sloane had cornered me, threw me to the ground, and started forcing himself on me.
“Summer! Summer, it’s okay. It’s me. Drew.” Drew’s soft but assuring masculine voice stopped my struggling, and I leaned into his chest, feeling instantly relieved but so tired.
“Drew,” I said wearily, “You’re here.”
“I’m always here for you,” Drew said, stroking my hair to calm me down.
“I thought…I thought you were Sloane,” I said, shaking at the thought of seeing Sloane again.
“No, it’s me,” Drew said. “It’s too bad you got here before me. I was going to check out everything to make sure it was safe before letting you come in here by yourself after the alarm system was tripped.”
“I got here early, and I just thought I could handle it. I mean, I’m a big girl, right?”
“It’s okay to let someone else handle it, Summer, if you don’t want to…” Drew said. “You don’t have to play the strong independent woman with me, although you are. Once in a while, you can let someone else handle things, could you?”
I nodded, hating to admit that I could.
“Sloane…” I said, “He did a number on my psyche. I never admitted it or try to show fear, but…Drew…I get panic attacks sometimes…especially when I’m alone, and…”
I started crying, hating myself for being so vulnerable, especially around Drew. What is with me and Drew? He brings out the part of me that I always try to hide.
“Summer, it’s okay, Summer,” Drew said, kissing my temples, kissing my eyelids. He wrapped his arms around me so tightly I could feel his heart thundering next to mine.
My shivering went down, and I nestled closer to Drew. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Drew.”
“I won’t let you find out,” Drew looked into my eyes before crushing his lips on mine. I kissed him back hungrily, as his tongue lightly touched mine, sending an electric thrill through my entire body.
“Drew…”
“Don’t talk, don’t think, Summer,” he said. “Just be with me right now.” He deepened his kiss and I was lost in it, feeling his love pour into me.
We kissed and kissed, forgetting everything else around us until Drew’s phone went off, and we pulled away from each other.
“Summer,” he said, almost as out-of-breath as I was. “I have to get this. It’s Donovan Dynamics.”
“Okay,” I said, walking back into the office area to continue checking if anything was missing or suspicious.
None of the files were missing or rifled through. The desk drawers were locked.
I turned on the computer and checked if anything had been opened or tampered with.
Drew came into the office and saw me open a tab that had been in the history. It was a search on Cooper Sorrento.
“What? Why would anyone be searching for Cooper here…” My first suspicion came from the one person I didn’t want to suspect…the person standing in front of me. Drew.
I turned around to look at Drew. “Have you been here lately?”
“I was here this weekend,” Drew said. “Rachel asked me to come in here to pull her acting resume and portfolio from the computer for her shoot in San Fran. She was in a hurry and couldn’t come in herself.”
“So you were the last one using this computer?” I asked.
“I guess, unless someone else did. Why?”
I showed him the search on Cooper on the computer, and looked at him.
Drew’s face said it all. He looked surprised that I found his trail, but embarrassed. “Summer, I just wanted to see what kind of guy you were hanging out with. I know I sound jealous, but…”
“You do, Drew,” I said.
“I checked him out because I was looking out for you,” he said. “You don’t know if he could be another Sloane, Summer. You don’t know anything about him, yet you’re spending so much time with him…”
“Drew, he’s a friend and…”
“Summer, we were friends. Best friends. You confided in me about everything, even about your crush on Nat.”
“That was before we grew up,” I said.
“I miss that, Summer. I miss being your friend. I loved being your lover but it just seemed I can’t satisfy you. I’m not enough for you even though I’ve tried to be. I’ve tried so hard to be the kind of man you want me to be. I’ve tried to be like Nat, I’ve tried to be just a casual lover, and even propose a just sex arrangement, but even all that…you have doubts about us. Maybe, Summer. Maybe…I finally realize now, I’m not the guy for you. Maybe it’s time for me to accept that and stop pursuing you. I wanted to be with you so badly, but maybe it’s not in the stars for me.”
I was almost speechless, but as I watched Drew ball his hands into fists in determination, I knew he was dead serious.
“Speechless? Nothing to say?” Drew asked roughly. “I was right then. You never loved me for me. You will never give your heart completely to me. Well, I can’t have that, Summer. I want to be with someone who loves me and only me. I’m sorry, truly sorry it worked out this way, but now I know, and…you’re free to date anyone you want…Cooper even. And I’ll move on, too.”
With that, he left me abruptly, without giving me the chance to speak or catch up to him.
Ch. 14
Summer
Drew left in such a hurry, I couldn’t catch up to him. He was clearly upset, and I was too.
“Wait Drew!” I called out, getting out from behind the desk, and almost tripping on some of the cords underneath.
“Darn this!” I tried to untangle the cords from my shoes, but one of them had gotten entangled in the mess of cords. By the time I got out from behind the desk, leaving one of my shoes and raced to the front of the theater to the lobby and to the door, Drew was gone.
“Drew!” I cried, feeling a hollowness at the pit of my stomach. I felt like a part of me was torn out. “I have to let him know it’s not true. I love him, and not just because he was trying to be someone else for me. I love him because he’s Drew.”
The silence that greeted me when I talked to myself out loud made it clear I needed him no matter what. Even if whatever we have between us turned into friendship again or as lovers, I can’t imagine a life without him.
Plus, dear Drew…I was worried about him. It had never been confirmed, but since Drew was Nadine’s son, he may have inherited her mental illness. That was what Nat had been worried about before. Although Drew acted irrational or highly emotional at times, we still didn’t believe he was like his mother…
I called Drew.
He wasn’t picking up.
I texted him.
ME: Drew, I need to talk to you. Please don’t feel this way. I do care for you.
He didn’t answer me back.
I had to go find him then. I hobbled my way back to the office where I left one of my shoes underneath the desk, untangled it and got ready to go after him.
As soon as I walked out of the office and into the hallway heading to the theater’s main room, all the lights went out, and I was in pitch darkness.
My first instinct was to scream but I didn’t. The second worse fear I’ve ever had was being in pitch darkness. My imagination always ran wild when I encounter it, and always to the worst scenarios I could imagine.
“Oh great,” I said talking to myself. “Must’ve pulled one of the cords that connected to the light switch. Brilliant, Summer,” I scolded myself.
Wished I brought a flashlight, I thought again.
I attempted to make my way up to the lobby through memory, thinking I could fix the light problem tomorrow when it’s daytime, but now I needed to get out of the Academy and go find Drew.
I made my way almost through the main theater area when I bumped into something hard and clearly didn’t belong along the path. Not Drew again, I thought.
“Hello?” I said, up against the hard body in front of me. I felt so blind in the dark, not able to even make out an outline in front of me.
Silence.
“Okay,” I said, “this isn’t funny. Whoever you are, can you please move out of my way. I couldn’t very well see you to move around you so you have to.”
I heard an intake of breath and then a soft chuckle.
My hair stood on ends as I realized that didn’t sound like Drew.
I was about to turn around to run the other way when hands came down on my arms. “Summer,” the velvety soft voice said almost a hair-breath away from me.
Oh I knew that voice. So very well.
Nat.
My arms went around him, and I pull him to me to rest my cheeks on his chest. “I missed you so much,” I cried.
His arms went around me to hold me tight. “I’m not supposed to be here,” he said. “I’m not supposed to see you but I couldn’t resist. Drew told me there was a break in here, and I wanted to check it out for myself, make sure things were safe, before you or Drew would get here. Looks like my timing had been off.”
“I don’t care,” I said. “It’s fine. You’re here, and I’m safe with you. I’m here with you,” I said, unable to believe I was holding, touching, and talking to Nat. “I never thought I’d see you again!” I couldn’t hold back the tears now. “I thought you died.”
“I know. I know,” Nat said, kissing the top of my head. “I wanted to tell you so badly. I wanted to let you know the truth, but even now, it’s too dangerous. You can’t even see me.”
“But you’re here!” I said.
“By accident, and even then, I’m someone else.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t be Nat with you anymore, Summer.”
“Why not?”
“We could be blood-related!” he said. “I could be Aunt Sookie’s son…your cousin. What would people think?”
“I don’t care what people think,” I said. “I love you, and you love me. Couldn’t we be together based on that?”
“Not as Nat, Summer.”
“I used to think it matters, but didn’t aristocrats and royalty marry their own cousins?”
“Does it matter to you?” Nat asked.
“No, it doesn’t. I just want to be with you,” I said, nestling my face closer to his chest. It hit me minutes ago, I was in the same position with Drew. Oh Drew!
“What about Drew?” Nat asked, as if he could read my mind. “How do you feel about him?”
I wanted to answer him truthfully but I couldn’t. I didn’t even know how I felt.
“Seems you’re not sure yet,” Nat said. “That’s what I thought. No, actually, I thought by me being away, you and Drew could sort out your feelings, but I see it’s still the same as when I had left.”
“My feelings for you haven’t changed, though,” I said, reaching up my arms to circle behind his neck. “I’ve always loved you, Nat. I still do.” I pulled his face down to mine, and kissed him.
At first he didn’t kiss me back, which scared me. Didn’t he love me anymore?
I kissed him harder, using my tongue to open his mouth to touch his. I deepened my kiss, using my tongue to trace his teeth before tangling with his. Then I pressed my body harder against his, rubbing up against his crotch with mine.
I was about to pull away when he hadn’t responded but Nat stopped me with his hand. “Don’t,” he said. “I’m just relishing your kisses and your touch. It’s been a while since I’ve felt you. I still can’t believe it’s you.”
“Oh Nat!” I cried crushing my lips on his, pressing harder, and tearing open his shirt so that I could feel his warm smooth chest. “You smell good, and…” I licked his nipple, which caused him to groan. “Taste so good.”
I licked him down until I was bending down, unbuttoning his jeans as fast as I could, and pulling it down, releasing his thick throbbing hard-on. “You can’t hide your excitement to see me, can you?” I said before taking him in my mouth.
“Oh Summer!” Nat groaned. “God, I’ve almost forgotten how good this feels with you. I’ve tried putting away all these memories of you, but…God this is so hard to resist.”
I continued licking and sucking on him while he started involuntarily thrusting. Finally, he pulled me up before he almost climaxed, kissed me hard on my lips, while he pulled my jeans down, bent me over, and entered me. We both groaned throatily as he thrust and I met him with each thrust.
“Summer,” he said breathily. “I’m coming.”
“I’m there, too!” I cried as we both climaxed at the same time. Our bodies kept the pace as we exploded, and I still wanted more of Nat afterwards.
He held me tight and kissed me afterwards on my lips and my forehead. “I didn’t want to do this the first time I see you again, but…”
“I want to feel you, see that you’re alive, Nat.” I said. “Making love with you is the only way I could feel you deep inside of me. That you are a part of me. That you are alive, and throbbing with life inside of me.”
“Summer,” Nat kissed me. “I will always love you no matter how I express it. That,” he chuckled, “was incredible.”
He helped me stand up, and fix my jeans before he cleaned himself off and pulled on his. “Are you afraid of the dark now?” he asked.
I laughed. “Not if it was used like that.”
“I agree,” Nat said. “You would probably be confused if you saw me in the light.”
“Why?”
“I don’t look like the Nat you remembered. It’s all part of my new identity.”
“Okay, then,” I said. “I can live in the dark if I can be with you. If it’s the only way for me to be with you, I will overcome my fear of the dark.”
“I hope it isn’t the only way you can see me,” Nat said. “I hope I can bring those guys who are out to get me and anyone I care about, to justice so I would never have to hide away from you again.”
“I’ll help you, Nat,” I said. “I’ll help you put them behind bars.”
“Too dangerous.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m already involved. I get the feeling so is my mother and even Aunt Sookie. I need to help you out or we will never be free.”
“Then come with me,” he said, leading me in the dark back into the office area as easily as if there was light. He went to a switch and pulled down and up. Before long, the light began fading in, and…Nat…Nat stood before me in the light and as someone else…
Cooper.
“Cooper?” I asked. “You’re Nat?” I almost fainted. Then it hit me. All the clues. Cooper saying he took Aunt Sookie’s acting classes when he was little. Cooper happily filming the beach and telling me how he loved the place. Cooper walking up to the Pad and looking at the Pad with love in his eyes. The way he made me feel when I was hugging him. The way he spoke to me, as though he was wise beyond his years. The way I would see him looking at me when he thought I wasn’t looking.
How he would say things that reminded me of Nat.
“Oh Nat!” I cried, running up to him and into his arms. “I thought I was crazy feeling something for Cooper, but…now I know.”
“Now you know, my Perfect Summer. “You are and will always be my Perfect Summer.”
“And you will always be my Nat in Shining Armor.” He bent down and kissed me so hard I knew my lips would be swollen.
Ch. 15
Summer
I thought that would be the ending to my Summer chronicles. That I would end up with Nat, but fate had another surprise in store for us…and like so many things in life, it doesn’t always go as we hope.
We both heard a click near the doorway to the hallway we just came in from and turned.
“This is just beautiful,” the figure holding the gun pointed at us said. Because of the lighting, I couldn’t see who he was. “I get out of prison to seek my revenge on that Drew fellow who would’ve killed me if Summer didn’t stop hi
m, and find the missing Nat Donovan. Do you know there’s a bounty on you, pretty boy? Not nice to cross the head of the cybercrime syndicate. Now it looks like I’m getting the bounty now.”
He approached us, then stopped.
“I could have sworn I heard Nat Donovan’s voice. Now where is he?”
He took a step closer to us and another step until he was a few yards from me. Oh. My. God. My heart dropped. Sloane. Why and how did he get here?
“Still such a temptress,” he said. “Summer Jones…how I fantasize about putting my cock into you.” He leaned in closer and said, “I go through all my collection of photos of you…especially the ones where you’re sleeping in bed, naked, waiting for one of your loverboys to come fuck you. I get so hard just looking at those photos.”
“You disgust me!” I said.
“So it’s okay for Drew or Nat to enjoy your luscious body but it isn’t for the rest of us non-billionaires. Not-so-pretty types? You think you’re too good for guys like me, don’t you. Just like your Aunt Sookie.”
“Quit tarnishing her name!” I shouted.
“Tarnish? She’s tarnished herself. She’s a whore, just like you.”
“Not true at all,” I said.
“Then what were you doing just now having sex with yet another loverboy?”
He looked at Nat.
“It’s not like it looks,” I said. “Plus a woman can be just as sexual as a man, it doesn’t make them whores.”
“But it does with you. Women should be pure, chaste, and clean until their marriage night. Otherwise, they are whores,” Sloane said. “And if they get pregnant out of wedlock like your Aunt Sookie, they are a bigger whore.”
Nat threw a punch at him then and knocked Sloane to the ground. “The one being the filthy dirty scum is you,” he said in a deeper voice, the one he used as Cooper, punching Sloane again in the face. “You have no right to judge Summer, Aunt Sookie, and any women for anything. What makes you perfect?” Punch. “What makes you God? Only someone who is perfect can judge anyone else. And from the looks of it, you are far from perfect.”
