“I can't wait for you to meet him, Mum. You'll love him as I do.”
I truly wanted her to get to know him as I did, and I knew that he wanted to know my family as well. But meeting my father wasn’t going to come anytime soon. That was something that would have to wait as long as possible, if it ever happened at all.
“Honey, I'm very happy for you. If this is really what you want in your life, then I wish you all the best with Drew.”
After exchanging goodbyes, we hung up. I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders just by being able to share it with my mother.
21
Drew
After parking my car, I glanced over and saw Clayton had parked a few spaces down from me. I decided that it was best if I talked to him before we got inside the stadium. The less people that were around, the better it would be for everyone involved. I took a deep breath and let it out before I opened my door. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was time I stood up to the bloody bastard.
He walked toward me with an angry sneer on his face.
“Hey, man,” he said as he held his fist out to bump mine. “No need to thank me.”
I knew exactly what he was talking about. He had called several times over the last couple days, but I didn’t want to talk to him on the phone. I needed this face to face with him so he could see how angry I was with him.
I stood there, glowering at Clayton with contempt. Who was this guy who stood in front of me? I hardly recognized him anymore because he had taken on personality traits that didn't fit with him at all. He was behaving in ways that wasn’t in keeping with the Clayton I had always known and been close to.
“We need to talk, Clay,” I said as calmly as I could. The last thing I wanted to do was upset him and have him going off and causing a scene. I had hoped we could keep this as civil as possible.
“Oh? You have some juicy details you'd like to share with me?” he asked, and then laughed like the devil.
I was holding back my anger as best I could. “No,” I said as I shook my head. “No details.”
We started walking toward the stadium, and I stopped. “Clayton, I need for you to keep what happened with me and Poppy a secret.”
He grinned. “Of course, I'll keep it a secret, bro. What do you take me for?”
“I mean, if this got out and my mum found out, well, she would be upset. Edward was the playboy of the family, and she always thought of me as her golden boy, so this would really get her tied in knots, you know.”
I was fully aware that Clayton could spin the kiss anyway he wanted to and get Poppy to go along with it. The last thing I wanted or needed was for that lie to get out to the press.
“I got your back, bro. Don't worry.” He winked at me when he spoke as if we now shared something dirty. “She's good though, right?”
I shrugged and nodded. “I don't like to kiss and tell.”
“Come on, Drew, it's me.” He punched me lightly on the arm. “She can suck a dick like no one else can, I'll give her that.”
I couldn't believe that he was talking about her as if she was some kind of prostitute or someone who didn't have a heart or matter. “Clayton, it wasn't like that, okay. I mean, yeah, we kissed but nothing else happened.”
He looked at me and grinned. “Come on, Drew,” he said as he stepped closer to me. “Poppy told me everything.”
Nothing I said was going to cause him to believe me because he thought he knew the true story when he didn’t know shit. He wanted to believe that we now shared some dirty secret that he could use as ammunition against me in the future.
“I swear, Clayton, I’m telling you the truth!” I said, almost yelling.
His facial expression was nothing short of pure confusion. “What are you saying?”
“I'm saying that I didn't sleep with her.”
He shook his head in almost disgust. “You mean you had that hot piece of ass there in your bed and you didn't get any of it?”
“No, I’m saying she never even stepped foot in my condo. I put her ass out of the Rover when she kissed me because it didn’t feel right. She’s not Eliza.”
“Bro, what's wrong with you?”
His face changed from confusion to a sudden realization of why I didn't take advantage of the situation with Poppy.
“Oh no,” he said as he pointed at me. “No, don't tell me that you passed on Poppy's big ass because you are in love with that piece of trash Eliza?”
Now he was hitting below the belt. “I’m in love with Eliza. We may not have been talking at the time when Poppy kissed me, but it felt wrong, and I couldn’t risk losing Eliza just to get a piece of ass.”
“What do you want with that poor commoner? She’s nothing but a pauper, Drew! She’ll take you for everything you have.”
His words hit me like a bullet in my chest. The anger that rose up immediately couldn't be contained. “Clayton, shut the hell up!!!” I screamed.
He stepped closer to me. With a look of almost true pain on his face, he shook his head in disgust. “Why can’t you see it the way we all do?”
We? Who was we? How many others hated the woman I loved? I thought Clayton was the only one with a problem, but now he’s saying we. I didn’t have time nor the energy to even try to find out. I wanted Eliza in my life, and I was at the point of completely giving up my friendship with Clayton if he continued to berate her.
“Clayton, trust me, you don’t want to go there with me. I won’t allow you to degrade her or try to come between us anymore.”
We were toe to toe, nose to nose by that point. He let out a laugh that was evil and vile. “So, now you’re defending that piece of trash? And to me? ME?!”He shook his head and took a step back. “Date her, hell, marry her and have a few little pieces of shit trash babies while you’re at it.”
That was it! He’d gone too far. My blood was boiling in my veins, causing heat to rise from every inch of my body. Before I truly realized what I was doing, I lunged toward him, tackling him to the ground.
“Get off me, asshole!” he screamed as he tried to push me back.
“Stop talking about her like that, Clayton!” I yelled as I pinned him to the pavement.
“Drew, she's nothing!”
That was all it took; I'd had enough of him degrading Eliza. I pulled back my right fist and landed a hard punch to his nose as my left hand pinned him to the ground. Blood sprayed all over the both of us. Clayton wrapped his hands around my neck and began to choke me. The harder he squeezed, the more punches I threw. I was beating my best friend, my confidant, but at that point I didn't care. I was so angry that I honestly could have hurt him terribly, or worse, maybe even killed him.
“Stop it!!” I heard a voice scream loudly.
I looked back to see Riley running up behind me. He grabbed my jacket and pulled me from Clayton.
“What the hell is going on?” he said as he wrestled me to keep me from getting my hands on Clayton.
Clayton struggled to his feet and wiped his bleeding nose. “Just a little tussle, that's all. I can handle it from here.”
I was breathing hard, my heart beating as if it would burst at any moment. I wasn't done with Clayton yet but Riley was holding me tight.
“Let me go, Riley,” I said in a tone so angry that it scared me. I knew it was best if he kept his grip on me. I was afraid of what I might do to my friend if given another opportunity.
“Would one of you tell me what is so bad that you are at the point of killing each other?” Riley again questioned.
“Go ahead, Clayton, tell him what you've said.” I was trying to get my breath and steady my nerves. My body was wired, and I felt as if the adrenaline could cause me to run a hundred miles without stopping. I was high on anger and raw emotions.
“He’s pissed because I don’t like Eliza. I’m only looking out for my best friend. Eliza Noble is nothing more than a piece of trash that you scrape off the bottom of your shoe.”
My blood boiled h
otter, and I managed to jerk loose from Riley's grip, lunging at Clayton and tackling him to the ground.
“You bastard!!” I said as I held him in a choke hold.
“Stop it,” Riley screamed out, trying to separate us. “Drew, let him go. You don’t want to do this,” he pleaded. The look in his eyes was one of sheer terror. He seemed truly afraid that I would kill Clayton. The worst part was that I probably could have if left to my own devices.
“Ughh, ughh.”
Clayton struggled to breathe as I tightened my grip around his throat.
His face was nearly purple, his eyes bulging and red. If I kept my grip around him, he’d pass out, or worse, I’d kill the bastard. I wouldn’t have his blood on my hand, so I let him go.
He rolled over onto his stomach and sounded as if he was throwing up.
“You’ll pay for this, Drew,” he said, his raspy voice barely above a whisper. I had hurt him, and I felt badly about it, but the prick deserved it for thinking he could control my life.
“Are you okay,” Riley asked him as he bent down and touched his back.
“I'm alright,” Clayton said as he sat up.
“You guys need to work this out.”
I agreed with him. We did need to talk, but Clayton wasn't open to hearing anything good that I had to say about Eliza, and I wasn't willing to allow him to talk shit about her anymore. We seemed to be at an impasse.
“There's nothing to talk about. If he wants her, then he's giving up all of us,” Clayton said as he wiped the blood from his nose. “Isn't that right, Riley?”
“Man, don't drag me in on this,” he said.
Clayton looked up at him. “But you talked shit about her too.”
I wasn't really surprised by that piece of information. After all, Clayton was the ringleader of our group and whatever he said, everyone pretty much followed.
“I did, just being a bully asshole just like you, Clay. But I had no idea that Drew was this crazy about her, and it's clear that he's in love with her.”
At least Riley understood how I felt. “Thanks, bro,” I said as I looked up at him.
“I can't believe you fucking turned on me,” Clayton said. “I thought that we were all of the same mind on this one.”
Riley took a deep breath and let it out. “Clayton, have you ever been in love?”
He furrowed his brow and shook his head as he chuckled. “What? Why does that matter?”
“Because, if you had been then you'd know exactly how Drew is feeling right now and how important Eliza is to him. Why don't you just let him decide for himself who he loves and stop trying to run his life?”
I was thankful that Riley had come along and found us. Maybe he could get it through Clayton's closed mind how I felt about Eliza.
“You've lost your bloody mind too,” Clayton said as he stood to his feet. “I can't believe that you sided with him over that trash.”
“Clayton, I'm sorry you feel that way. I truly am. I love you like my own brother, but I have to do what's best for me and my life. I'm going to be with Eliza, whether you or anyone else likes it or not.”
He laughed. “You do what you feel you have to do, and I'll do what I feel is necessary.”
His words were more than threats—they were promises, and I knew it.”
Clayton stormed off toward the stadium, and my gut churned with what troubles lay ahead. But I didn't care, Eliza loved me and there was nothing that our love couldn't overcome.
“I'm sorry that you were dragged into all of that,” I said to Riley as he stood there speechless.
“No, man, it's alright. I just can't believe that he won't let this go. Why does he hate her so badly?”
“I was hoping that you could tell me the answer to that question,” I replied. “She's done nothing to him except try to be nice.”
“Drew, will you tell Eliza that I am sorry. Clay and I were horrible to her when she served us at The Pour Pauper. I didn’t even know the girl. I was merely going along with Clayton, and I feel like an idiot for letting him control me for so long. He’s a fucking bully. I really am sorry.”
This was the first I’d heard of this. But it wasn’t my place to my apologies for Riley. He was a grown ass man, as was Clayton, and that would be his fault to make right.
“We’re not at boarding school anymore, Ri. Time to man up. Be your own self. I appreciate the thought of you apologizing to Eliza, but it’s best if you relay that message yourself. It would mean more, don’t you think?”
Riley shook my hand and then hugged me, patting me on the back twice. “Go get her, man, and be happy. That's what life is all about.”
“Thanks, chap,” I said. I practically ran to my car and dialed her number as fast as I could.
“Hello,” her sweet voice answered.
“Hey, sweetheart. I want you to listen to me very carefully and do as I say with no questions.”
She giggled. “Alright, what is it?”
“I want you to pack a small bag and wait for me.”
“A small bag? With what? Are we going somewhere?” she asked.
She wasn't sure about what to say or do.
“Yes, a small bag with just your toiletries, some pjs, and a change of clothes for tomorrow,” I instructed. “I'll be over to get you in about an hour.
“Okay … I mean, I guess.”
“Eliza, don't guess, just do. I love you, and I want to take you away.”
“Alright, I'll be waiting.”
I hung up my phone and immediately called Mum. “Hey, I need the plane for this evening,” I said as soon as she answered.
“Oh Drew, where on earth are you going?” she exclaimed.
“I want to go to our island, and I'm bringing a guest with me.”
“A guest? Of the female persuasion?”
My mum had no idea that I had been seeing Eliza, but she was about to hear all about her. “Yes, Mother, it's a girl. I'm in love with someone, and I want to take her away.”
I knew there would be a hundred questions as to who she was, how we met, and how serious we were about each other, so I indulged her as I drove home. By the time I was finished I felt that Mum was satisfied with my answers, and she agreed to have the plane and pilot waiting for us.
“There's one condition, Andrew,” she said before we hung up.
“Yes?”
“I must meet this young lady before you fly off to our island.”
I knew that was going to be the condition, and it was fine with me. I wanted her to meet Eliza anyway because I knew she would love her as I did. “That's perfect, Mum. I've been wanting to tell you and Edward all about her. She's the sweetest girl I've ever met.”
“That's nice, darling, but I will decide for myself. I'll see you around four?”
“Yes, Mum. That will be fine. I'm headed home to grab a bag and then over to pick her up at her flat.”
Everything was falling into place now. Eliza and I were back together, I’d confronted Clayton, and Mum was going to meet the love of my life for the first time. Life couldn't be better.
22
Eliza
By the time I hung up with Drew, my hands were shaking. An overnight trip for just the two of us? When I had woken up that morning, I had no idea that the day would end with me and Drew going away together. I thought that we would wind eating pizza and finishing off the bottle of wine I had gotten. Wow, life sure had its ups and downs where he was concerned, but I was determined to make more ups than downs from that point on.
I went into my closet and got out my small suitcase. It was really an overnight bag, but it would hold everything he told me to bring. This was to be my first vacation, and even though I had no idea where we were going, I was elated, nonetheless.
When I was growing up, the only place we ever traveled to was to visit my grandparents. Sometimes the other kids at school would talk about trips they had taken, but I could never join in because we didn’t seem to have the money to go anywhere. This trip w
ith Drew was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.
I was so happy that I caught myself humming as I tossed my comb, makeup, toothbrush, and underwear into my bag. “Oh, wait a minute,” I said to myself. “I can't forget to take my new dress.”
I walked over to the bed and got it out of the bag. Taking the tags off of it, I held it up and smiled. “Oh Drew, you're going to love this.”
I tossed it in and put the bag on the couch. As I sat, I grabbed my phone from the table.
“Hello,” my mum's gentle voice answered.
“Mum,” I could hardly contain my excitement.
“Eliza, what is wrong? You sound out of breath,” she asked.
“Nothing is wrong. Everything is right, finally.”
I wanted to jump up and dance around the room. I wanted to scream it out the window that I was finally happy.
“Yes, dear, I know. You already told me.”
I laughed. “No Mum, I know I did. But Drew just called and said that he's taking me away on a trip, just the two of us.”
“Oh? Where are you going?” she asked.
“I'm not sure. It's a surprise. He just said to pack some clothes and my toiletries.”
“Eliza, does this mean what I think it means?”
I knew what she was thinking, and I hated to tell her it did. “Mum, you know that we are in love.”
“I know, but I also know that you're saving yourself for your husband, honey.”
I held my breath and debated whether or not to confide in my mother that I had already had sex with Drew.
“I know, and I am still saving myself.” I lied to make her feel better because there was no way I was going to get into a conversation with her about sex and protection when I was waiting for Drew.
“I'm glad to hear that. So you'll have separate rooms then?”
“Yes, Mum. He already knows how I feel about all of that.”
I heard my door buzz as I was talking to her, and my heart started to race fast with excitement.
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