“Did you happen to tell her that I stopped by?” I ask.
“I may have mentioned it to her.”
Of course she did. I wonder what Ashley is thinking, and know I need to reach out to her. “Thanks.” I begin turning away.
“Drake?”
I turn back to see what she has to say.
“Hold on a sec, okay?”
I wait at the door as she disappears inside, wondering what she’s up to. A moment later she returns with a slip of paper in her hands.
“Ashley just might kill me for this, but here’s the address of where she’s staying.” She holds out the paper and I take it from her. “It’s her parents’ house.”
I look at the address scrawled across the scrap of paper, then look at Emily. “Why are you giving this to me?”
Confusion flickers across her face. “Honestly, I don’t know.” Then a fierce looks comes over her. “Just don’t hurt her or you’ll have me to deal with.” Her eyebrows rise. “Besides, there are other fish in the sea.”
My thoughts go to Jonathan and I hold back a frown. “Thank you.”
Her expression softens. “But I know you’re the one who makes her happy.”
Coming from her—Ashley’s best friend—gives added weight to the statement, and a sense of peace settles over me. I hold up the slip of paper. “Are you going to tell her you gave this to me?”
“Do you want me to?”
I hesitate. “No.”
She smiles. “Then I won’t.”
I nod once, then turn and stride down the stairs as I mentally rearrange my schedule for the next few days.
Twenty-Seven
ASHLEY
Monday morning I stay in my jammies as I work on my laptop while leaning against the pillows on my bed. Although I have bursts of concentrated work, occasionally my mind wanders to thoughts of Drake and why he stopped by my apartment three days before.
What did he want? Is he going to try to contact me again? What will I say if he does?
“I made breakfast,” Mom says as she pokes her head in my open doorway.
I look up from my laptop and smile at her. “Okay. I’ll be there in a sec.”
I’m not gonna lie. I like being taken care of for a change.
After eating with my parents, I offer to clean up, which Mom appreciates, then I climb back into bed and keep working. As noon approaches, I decide to take a break and jump in the shower, then I take my time doing my hair and make-up. When I’m presentable, I walk down the hall towards the living room, but as I get closer, I hear voices and wonder who’s stopped by to see my parents.
I can’t hear what they’re saying, only that a man is speaking to them. Then I hear one of the voices clearly and realize I know that voice.
Drake? Is that Drake? What’s he doing here? How did he find me? Why did he find me?
Confusion, excitement, and trepidation swirl through me, and I hesitate in the hall just outside of the living room.
“Sounds like you have a lot on your plate,” Dad says.
“I like to keep busy,” Drake says.
“A man who likes to work hard.” Dad chuckles. “Do you play hard too?”
Drake’s soft laugh floats towards me. “Of course. I don’t know if Ashley mentioned my cabin, but when I need to decompress, I go there.”
“The outdoors can be soothing,” Mom says.
I can’t take it anymore and I walk into the room. Three pairs of eyes zoom in on me, and when Drake’s gaze meets mine, he stands, but doesn’t move in my direction.
“Drake,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Hello, Ashley,” he says.
“I see you’ve met my parents.”
“Yes, I have.”
“If you’ll excuse us,” Dad says, then he and Mom leave us alone.
“How did you know where I was?” I ask, but then I figure out the answer. Emily. I’ll strangle her for not warning me that he was coming.
In two steps Drake is right in front of me, but he doesn’t touch me. “I had to see you, Ashley.”
Thoughts whirl through my head, thoughts that center on Jasmine and why he’s not with her. Did she reject him? Am I his second choice? Hurt threads its way through my insides and stops in my heart, piercing it deeply.
“You shouldn’t have come,” I say. “I have work to do.”
DRAKE
I’m a bit stunned that she doesn’t seem happy to see me, especially after I flew all the way down here just to talk to her.
When her father had opened the front door and looked at me as if I was some sort of door-to-door salesman selling crappy carpet cleaning products, I’d wondered if I’d made a mistake coming here unannounced. But after Ashley’s mother had joined her father at the door, and I’d introduced myself and explained that I was here to talk to Ashley, their demeanor had changed. Ashley’s mother had said Ashley would be out soon and had invited me in.
We’d chatted comfortably, and I’d found them to be quite friendly, which had alleviated any concern I’d had that I wasn’t welcome in their home.
But now, with the implacable look on Ashley’s face, my doubts return, and I again regret my hasty decision to suggest we date other people.
I go back to that night at my house when I’d made the suggestion and analyze why I’d done it. I’d been upset that Ashley had freely admitted that she’d manipulated me at least once, which had led me to travel down the rat-hole of discovering all the times I believed I’d been manipulated.
But now, a week and a half later, I’ve come to realize that her intentions had never been to hurt me, or to make me do something I didn’t want to do. She’d only behaved the way she had out of fear—fear of our relationship not going the way she’d wanted it to.
It doesn’t mean I approve of her methods, but I’ve gotten over my anger.
And now I want our relationship to go back to how it was. Except now I know that she’s had doubts about me all along. Doubts that I don’t know if I can overcome.
But I mean to try.
I gaze at her, wanting nothing more than to drag her against me and kiss her senseless. But with the unwelcome look on her face, I don’t even reach out to touch her, not wanting to scare her away before I’ve had a chance to make my case.
Twenty-Eight
ASHLEY
I’m dying inside, dying to throw myself at Drake and feel the security of his strong arms around me, reassuring me that everything will be okay. But I hold back, fearful that if I let my guard down for even a minute, he’ll crush my heart.
Ten days before, when he made it clear that he wanted the option to date other women, he’d made his commitment to me crystal clear—he had no commitment to me.
How can I possibly trust him now, after he openly admitted that I’m not enough for him, that he needs more?
“Why are you here?” I ask as I gaze into his handsome face.
“I needed to talk to you. In person.”
My stomach churns as I brace myself for what he’s about to say. “Why don’t we sit down?”
He nods, and I sit in the corner of the couch. He sits near me, in the middle of the couch, but doesn’t try to touch me as he speaks. “You’ve been on my mind since we had dinner together.”
His admission surprises me. How has he had time to think about me when he’s surely been busy pursuing Jasmine? I don’t respond to his comment, not wanting him to know how much he’s been on my mind.
“I made a mistake, Ashley.”
The churning in my stomach agitates harder as I mentally prepare to hear him say that our entire relationship has been a mistake and a waste of his time.
But why would he come all the way here just to tell me that?
“I should never had suggested that we date other people,” he says.
I’m caught off-guard until I realize what this means.
Jasmine shot him down.
Upset that I’m his second choice,
I say, “What if I want to date other people?” Of course that’s a lie—I don’t want to date anyone but him. But I also don’t want him to think it will be that simple to reverse what he’s inadvertently told me about his true intentions.
Drake recoils slightly, and a small burst of triumph shoots through me.
Now you know how it feels to be told you’re not good enough.
Guilt at possibly hurting him follows right on the heels of the triumph, but I push it down, knowing the only person who is looking out for me and my heart is me.
“Is that what you want?” he asks, his voice soft. “Because if it is, I’ll respect that.”
I want to shout No and throw myself into his arms, but I also want to keep the upper hand. If I let him gain control, I’ll open myself up to being taken advantage of.
I decide to take the middle ground. “I haven’t decided yet. You kind of took me by surprise when you showed up here.” I pause. “I need time to think about it.”
Another total and complete lie. From the moment he’d made the suggestion that we date other people, I’d known I had no interest in that whatsoever, but I’d also known there was no point in arguing with him. If he wanted to go out with Jasmine, my objections certainly wouldn’t have stopped him.
“I understand,” he says.
I’m glad one of us does, because I have no clue.
“I’ll be in town until tomorrow,” he says. “Would you be willing to go out with me this evening?”
Fresh confusion fills my mind—I thought we’d decided we were done. “Are you asking me on a date?”
His lips curve into a smile and my gaze drops to his mouth as desire to have that mouth on mine sweeps over me. “Yes,” he says. “I believe I am.”
Desperate to be with him again, yet fearful that a renewed relationship will lead to a newly broken heart, I hesitate.
His eyebrows pull together. “If you have other plans . . .”
“No,” I say a bit too quickly. “I don’t.”
His eyebrows rise in question. “Is that a yes or a no?”
Come on, Ashley. Go for it and see what happens. “It’s a yes.”
A smile blossoms on his face. “Great. I’ll come by at six.”
“I . . . uh . . . I didn’t bring anything fancy to wear.” I smile. “I packed kind of quickly.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.” A moment later he stands.
Now that things seem to be moving in the right direction, I don’t want him to leave, but I don’t know how to get him to stay. Besides, I do have to work.
I stand as well.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he says, then he runs a finger along the curve of my jaw before turning and striding to the front door. A moment later he’s gone.
The place he touched tingles, and I brush my hand across it, my mind on our date that evening.
A thrill of excitement surges through me, and I immediately text Emily.
Ashley: You gave Drake my parents’ address, didn’t you?
It only takes a moment for her to respond.
Emily: Please don’t kill me, Ash.
A soft laugh bursts from my mouth.
Ashley: I haven’t decided yet if I should kill you or thank you.
Emily: I hope it works out for you.
Ashley: Me too.
My parents come into the room a short time later.
“You didn’t tell me he was such a hunk, Ashley,” Mom says.
Dad frowns at her, then turns to me. “He seems like a nice man.”
I can’t hold back a smile as I look at them in turn. “Yes, he’s a hunk, and yes, he’s a nice man.”
“Are you getting back together?” Mom asks.
My earlier uncertainty comes rushing back. “I don’t know yet. We’re going out tonight so I’ll see how that goes.”
“Whatever you decide,” Dad says, “we’re here for you.”
I give him, then Mom, a hug. “Thank you.”
Twenty-Nine
ASHLEY
At six o’clock on the dot, Drake rings the bell at my parents’ house. When Dad answers the door and lets him in, I feel like I’m back in high school. A moment later I join them in the living room.
Drake looks at my clothes—a pair of khaki shorts and a comfortable blouse—and nods approvingly.
What does he have planned?
After a few minutes of small talk with my parents, he leads me out to a bright red sports car.
“This is cute,” I say as he opens the passenger door for me.
He laughs. “I always like my rentals to be fun.” Then he walks around to his side and climbs behind the wheel.
“Where are we going?”
“I thought an evening hike would be nice.”
“It’s June in Las Vegas,” I say. “Evening is a great time to hike.”
Before long we arrive at the trailhead, and after helping me from the car, Drake opens the trunk and takes out a small backpack.
“I hope there’s water in there,” I say as the heat flows over me and I pull my hair into a ponytail.
“Yes, I brought plenty of water.” He swings the backpack onto his shoulders and adjusts the straps. “Have you been here before?”
I glance around the trailhead. “No, I don’t think so.”
He smiles. “Good. Let’s go.”
We start walking, and for a moment I’m surprised he hasn’t taken my hand like he’s done on previous hikes. That is until I remember that things have changed between us. Disappointment swells within me and I wonder how he feels about me, deep inside.
Does he care about me as much as I care about him?
I glance at his profile and wonder how this date will end.
Will this be the last time I see him?
At the thought, panic clutches at my heart
Stop it, Ashley. You’re getting ahead of yourself.
“How are things at work?” I ask, then immediately regret it. Work means Jasmine, and I want to pretend she doesn’t exist.
“It’s busy,” he says as he holds my gaze. “But good.” Then he smiles. “What about you? Did you get much done today?”
“It was different working away from the office, but it was nice having fewer distractions.”
“That’s why I like to work from my cabin sometimes.”
The mention of his cabin brings back all kinds of memories, and when I consider that I may never see it again, my stomach churns. “Yeah.” My voice is barely audible.
We walk in silence for ten full minutes before Drake stops. “Are you thirsty?”
I stop beside him and breathe in the fresh air, which brightens my mood. “Yes.”
He pulls two water bottles out of the backpack and hands one to me.
I guzzle the water, then hold out the bottle. “Thank you.” He stares at me, but doesn’t take it, and I drop my arm to my side.
“What’s going on, Ashley?”
DRAKE
I wait for her to answer, but she doesn’t seem to want to talk to me. I want to drag her against me and tell her that I can’t live without her, but her body language tells me that wouldn’t go over well.
In my mind’s eye I see her dancing with Jonathan at the club a week and a half earlier, and I wonder if that’s why she’s reluctant to tell me how she’s feeling. The thought pains me.
It’s your own fault for breaking things off with her, idiot.
“What do you mean?” she finally asks.
Is she being dense on purpose, or does she really have no clue? “I mean,” I begin, wondering if I really want to open myself up for heartbreak, “why are you here with me right now?”
She glances around as if the trees might hold the answer, then she meets my gaze. “Because you asked me to come.”
I’d hoped for a better answer than that—like because she can’t live without me—but it’s difficult to argue with her reasoning. “So if we turned around right now and I took you back to your parents’ house, you’
d be fine with that?”
Panic fills her eyes, giving me hope.
That’s not what she wants at all.
I slowly smile as my eyebrows rise in question.
“I’d like to finish the hike,” she says with a tentative smile, then she steps onto the trail and begins walking.
My gaze goes to the gentle sway of her hips and the bouncing of her ponytail, and desire pulses through me.
ASHLEY
Knowing Drake will catch up, I keep walking.
What kind of question is that? Is he testing me? Why? How does he feel? Would he be fine ending our date right now?
With his long stride, he catches up to me in moments. His pace slows to match mine, and we walk side by side. A bird resting in a nearby tree trills a lovely tune, and contentment cascades over me. I’m with Drake, doing something I enjoy, and the future isn’t decided yet.
Hope and possibility mix together in my heart, and suddenly I want nothing more than to tell him how I feel—that I love him, and being apart over the last week and a half has been torture.
I angle my body towards him, ready to spill my soul, when his phone rings.
He looks as surprised as I feel.
“There’s service here?” he asks as he reaches for his phone.
“Evidently.”
“Hello?”
It’s very quiet in the forest, making the caller’s voice loud and clear.
Jasmine.
They talk for several minutes, during which time he basically ignores me. Finally he hangs up, puts his phone in his pocket, then says, “Sorry about that.”
It’s as if someone has thrown ice water over my heart, and the door to the hope I’d felt mere moments before has slammed shut.
I was so close to telling him how I feel, but now the moment’s passed.
“That’s okay,” I say, knowing it’s not okay at all. “Duty calls.”
Or Jasmine just can’t leave you alone.
Drake and Ashley: The Complete Story Page 41
