by Dawn Edwards
Chapter 17
DREW
I KNEW MATT WAS GOING to be here this weekend. I thought I had done a good job mentally preparing myself for seeing the asshole who, for some reason, Jessa wouldn’t leave—a fact that I still couldn’t get my head around.
I thought I had my emotions under control, but nothing could have prepared me for seeing Jessa willingly walk up to Matt and kiss him on the cheek. I knew I was being irrational; I shouldn’t be feeling like this, she wasn’t mine—not yet, at least. But I couldn’t deny the pull I felt towards her. That connection that told me something was going on between us.
Up until now, I had managed to only ever see them together once; the first time I had dinner with the Cahills at their Boston townhouse. I had been intrigued by her then, felt sorry for her. But now, I had feelings for her. I hadn’t expected to fall for her. Up until tonight, I knew I liked her, but I didn’t think even I realized just how deeply I had fallen for this girl.
It was just my luck that the moment I find someone I want to be with, she’s engaged to the world's biggest asshole. Meanwhile, the good guy in me was finishing last. I was a hell of a lot better-looking than he was. I knew she saw it too; I’d seen the way she looked at me like she wanted to devour me. I loved it. For the first time ever, I wanted someone to feel that way about me. I hadn’t even liked my ex looking at me like that; to her, I had only been a prop that elevated her.
I wasn’t under any illusions; I knew Jessa had been seeing him when she was in Boston. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t have a say in the matter, so I chose not to think of it. I was loving the fact that I knew she didn’t do the whole co-ed sleepover things with him. To me, I had never had a mental image of them physically together, which was why I was reacting to her kissing her fiancé. I’d never been so furious in my entire life. She could have at least waited until she was out of my line of sight. I wasn’t prepared for it, not at all, not the sight of the embrace, albeit, awkward, and not for her blatant disregard for my feelings. It contradicted everything that had transpired between us.
If it wasn’t going to be disrespectful to Colleen and Steve, I’d have bailed on dinner also. But I wanted to see their interactions, I wanted Matt to know I was a fixture, and unlike the Cahills, I wasn’t taking his shit.
But my self-control only went so far. As soon as dinner was done, I’d thanked the Cahills and excused myself. Now I was sitting on my futon drinking some whiskey straight from the bottle. I had to slow down as I needed to work tomorrow.
I just couldn’t deal with it all right now. I really cared for this girl and couldn’t for the life of me see why she was with such a truly horrible person. I knew she saw it, I knew she didn’t want to be with him, as I’d overheard her say he made her skin crawl.
He must have something on her or the family. That was the only thing I could think of. Surely she had more self-worth than to put up with him willingly.
I had heard my phone ping from the coffee table beside me a few times. I had a feeling it was Jessa, but I didn’t want to hear from her and had been doing a good job ignoring her as I streamed a show on Netflix.
After two pings in a row, I caved.
JESSA: Hey. I’m so sorry.
JESSA: r u ok?
JESSA: What r u doing?
JESSA: I don’t do desperate well, please don’t ignore me.
I took a picture of the half-full bottle of whiskey and sent it with a text.
DREW: I don’t do drunk rejection well, please leave me alone.
JESSA: I can’t leave u alone. I’m sorry, it’s complicated.
DREW: Good night Jessa. It's late. Go to sleep
The next day, I woke up with a hangover, as I had expected I would after drinking almost half a bottle of whiskey. The weather was shit, but at least it was raining, which was good for the yard. I decided that I’d keep my distance all day, as long as it took me to calm down and not cause a scene that could cost me my job. I was too mad at Jessa to try and speak to her.
I knew weeks ago that I had overstepped, but I couldn’t resist her. I tried and I failed. Besides, she didn't pull away any time it happened or stop any of my advances. I really hoped I could get my feelings in check and soon. I knew there were lots of people around her, but could they keep her safe from Matt? She was clearly on edge around him. Was I the only one who saw it?
I was still lying in bed, with every intention of remaining horizontal for another hour, but then there was a knock at the door downstairs. ‘Drew?’ I heard Breton call out.
‘Up here,’ I called back, hearing him walk up the steps. I reluctantly got out of bed. I had on a pair of shorts and pulled a t-shirt from the bottom of my bed, shoving it on as I walked out of the bedroom.
‘Hey, man. I take it we’re not working today?’ he said, looking out the window then to me.
Walking to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water, I shook my head. ‘Nah, man, the weather forecast for the next two days says it’s going to be too wet to work outside,’ I told him, downing another glass of water in one go. ‘You might as well enjoy the weekend, do whatever you need to do.’
I knew he had much better and bigger things to do. He told me about his uncle putting pressure on him to finally finish his research and write his thesis soon. He tried to explain to me what he was doing for his master’s project, but it went straight over my head. The guy was obviously smart. I also knew about what he did on the side because Jessa had told me, but I had never mentioned it to him. I didn’t know how he would react to me knowing about it.
‘You ok, man?’ Breton asked me.
I just shrugged. ‘Drank too much last night.’ I looked to the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the counter.
‘Did it have anything to do with the unwelcome dipshit at dinner last night? Breton asked warily.
I shrugged, wondering if I was really that obvious. ‘I’m just tired,’ I lied.
‘Oh, I thought it was the evil looks Matt gave you all night.’
‘Ok, so it wasn’t just all in my head?’ I asked, looking for confirmation.
‘No, it wasn’t. Steve even said something to him last night, Abby told me just before I came up to find you.’ Breton could always be counted on to tell me any gossip, even the limited stuff from his own family, apparently. That was surprising to me, Steve seemed the kind of guy to try and avoid confrontation at all cost, to be a fly on the wall.
Breton knew I had an NDA signed, and I could tell he confided more in me than he did with any of his other friends—even though he’d known many of them most of his life. The few times we had been out, it was clear to see that he was guarded in his conversations, however with me, he never shut up. He was a good guy, and I knew we were actually friends now, and not just because his uncle wanted him helping me out with the work that needed to get done. He didn't have to take me out to meet his friends, he didn’t have to check in on me or stop by for a chat. We were friends, and I liked that I could confide in him, about everything but my feelings for Jessa.
He had nearly caught us a few weeks ago, but whether he suspected anything or not, he hadn’t said anything to me, and for that I was grateful.
‘What’s your cousin Abby’s deal?’ I asked Breton. I wasn’t actually interested in her, but it wouldn’t hurt to give Jessa a taste of her own medicine, show her how shifting interest, even if it’s not real, can hurt. If she even truly cared for me it would hurt. If not, I’d get some attention from a hot chick and maybe give my ego a much-needed boost.
‘She’s actually not my cousin technically, as she’s Colleen’s niece, so different side of Jessa’s family. Abby’s dad is Colleen's brother, but he’s been estranged from the family for a few years now,’ Breton started but didn’t elaborate as to why. I figured if he wanted me to know, he’d have told me. It was either not important, he couldn’t say, or he didn’t know—which I thought was very unlikely. ‘She’s a big-shot lawyer. Works for Jessa’s friend Amber’s dad. Made partner before sh
e turned thirty, she’s a shark. Great girl, likes to have fun, but very much career-orientated. I think she works like ninety hours a week or something ridiculous like that.’
‘Text me later if you want to hit up a pub tonight?’ I asked, trying to deflect the fact I was scooping info on their cousin.
‘Sounds good, man.’ Breton raised a hand for a bro hug—half high five, half hug. I usually wasn’t one to do this, but I saw he did it with his friends. ‘See you later.’
As I sat at my table in front of the window working on some spreadsheets, I saw Jessa and Matt had left, so I took the opportunity to go to the house and do some much-needed laundry. I sat in the kitchen chatting with Colleen about some design work, as I had brought my laptop with me while I was waiting for the clothes to dry.
I didn’t think she was home, but because she was, she had invited me to stay for dinner, and it would have been rude to say no. I was already showered and wearing the clothes I was planning to wear out to the bar with Breton later.
Steve came into the kitchen, picked a roll out of the basket and buttered it. ‘Are we eating tonight?’ he asked Colleen sarcastically, looking at his watch as it was well past the time they typically ate.
‘Just waiting on Jessa and Matt,’ Colleen announced as she handed both Steve and me a beer from the fridge.
I accepted it then made myself busy, setting the table, listening to Collen complain about the weather and hoping it would be ok for their party on Monday afternoon, when Jessa and Matt walked in.
‘Sorry we’re late,’ Matt announced with the smug look he always wore on his face. He handed Collen a bunch of flowers, which she took, giving him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She wasn’t keen on the guy, and I didn’t blame her one bit, but why was she allowing Jessa to marry him? Surely she saw right through him as the rest of us did? ‘There was an accident and traffic backed up on the bridge due to roadwork.’
Matt looked over to me and looked a bit confused and uneasy with my appearance in the house once more, and at the ease at which I moved throughout the kitchen, gathering things to help with dinner and finish setting the table. Did Jessa tell him I had kissed her? I doubted she would.
‘Dinner’s waiting,’ Colleen said. ‘Grab a plate and serve yourself.’ She took the lasagna out of the oven where it was being kept warm.
I opened the fridge and took out the salad that I saw her place there earlier. ‘Oh, thanks, Andrew darling.’
I could tell the look on Matt’s face that he was annoyed I was so welcomed and comfortable here, and that he’d been spoken to and wasn’t going to be permitted to speak to me like he had last night.
I sat next to Abby on one side of the table, the same as I did last night, with Matt and Jessa directly across from me. I made conversation with everyone except Jessa and Matt.
When dinner was over, we all went to sit out on the back deck as the rain had finally let up. I was happy that I would be closing the sitting area over with the renovations later this summer. I was really uncomfortable sitting with Jessa and Matt nearby; I felt everyone could see my anger radiate off me. I wanted to leave but knew that it would be rude, so I stayed. It was a few hours I endured, but I was uncomfortable at the way things had been left between Jessa and me. She had tried to reach out to me last night, and I saw the few times she looked at me or tried to speak to me when Matt got up to either use the bathroom or take a phone call. But I couldn’t say anything to her, my tone would have been a dead giveaway.
As soon as Breton showed up to get Abby and me, I excused myself to the garage to grab my things. I was surprised to find Jessa and Matt in the backseat of Breton’s car with Abby. Apparently, they were planning to come to the bar with us tonight.
Fine. The bar had alcohol, and I could already tell Abby would be fun to hang out with.
Chapter 18
JESSA
IT WAS REALLY BOTHERING ME how Abby was flirting with Drew, and worse, how he was responding to her. I knew I shouldn’t be jealous, but I simply couldn’t help it. It was a new feeling for me; one I wasn’t comfortable with at all. I could tell he was angry with me. That was clear to me, though I wasn’t sure if anyone else picked up on it over the last two days. But I really couldn’t blame him for how he was feeling. I was disgusted in myself for having to keep up the charade, especially right in front of him.
Abby had always been pretty; not drop-dead gorgeous, but attractive, above average, and a whole lot more eye-catching than myself. She had great clothes that always flattered her frame, she had the latest hairstyles and accessories. She had recently toned up, especially her legs and tummy. She had never been a big girl, but now she looked even better than she had in university, and even just since last summer. She had great legs that were on full display in her short tight dress. She was confident, funny and very easy to get along with.
She was extremely career-focused; too much so, I thought, but that was her choice. As a result, she’d moved up quickly, making partner at 26, but her love life was basically unheard of, and I didn’t think her social life was any better. She was a year older than Josh and Breton, and 5 years older than me. They all went to boarding school together, after she and Josh followed in our maternal grandfather’s footsteps of attending undergrad at Yale as legacies. As I’d gotten older and matured and the age difference stopped mattering so much, Abby and I grew closer. This has been sped up ever since the loss of Josh.
I wanted to see her happy, but just not with Drew. I was frustrated that I wasn’t able to say a thing or do anything either. First off, I wasn’t supposed to be interested in anyone—I was engaged, after all. And secondly, Matt was actually here for the weekend and had stuck to my side the whole time. He was his typical annoying self, but I kept him drinking, knowing if he drank too much, he’d want to retire early. He was such a lightweight when it came to drinking. At least with a lot of people here for the long weekend, he was on his best behavior; attending to my drinks at the bar, and even going as far as some unwanted PDA—which I put a prompt stop to. He knew better, that even under the best of circumstances, I hated PDA. He even initiated dancing with me. Breton raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged and just went along with it.
He tried grinding into me, pressing his pathetic size against my hip. I pressed my hands to his shoulders to try and stop him, pleading to him with an embarrassed look. ‘Who cares? Everyone is drunk.’ He smirked. ‘It’s likely the only friction I’m getting from you this weekend anyway, thanks to your parents’ traditional values.’
Values I’d never been so happy for in my whole life.
I wanted to say it had more to do with the videos, but I wasn’t allowed to bring them up any longer.
It had been over a month since we—or rather Breton—discovered the truth. From this, it led him to many leads, but also made this little search into something huge. Finally, after lots of work and chasing dead ends, some of the leads were producing information, leading to more evidence to arm ourselves with. Slowly but surely, information was now starting to trickle in.
And as Brett and I had agreed, I was pretending so as not to raise any suspicions. Then we could discover the truth and what he was truly up to. A scheme that Breton would never let see the light of day. We knew there was something bigger, and with a bit of self-sacrifice, we would put an end to whatever Matt thought he could pull over on us. There was no way our family was going to be taken down.
‘You and Drew are getting on well,’ I commented when Abby and I went to the ladies’ room.
‘Yeah, along with every other female here tonight,’ she commented, which also hadn’t gone unnoticed by me. ‘He’s a fun flirt,’ she told me lightly, not taking him seriously for a moment, and I smiled and left it at that. It wasn’t much but enough to know that she wasn’t exactly interested in pursuing him. Still, I was feeling frustrated and worried. When I came out of the bathroom, Matt was standing next to Breton and Drew who were talking with each other at the bar—clearly excluding Ma
tt, likely on purpose. It was bad, but I couldn’t help but smile.
Matt had been mad with me and my family in the past, at not having been invited to the social events I was expected to be at. He figured that by being my boyfriend, he had a right to be there. He didn’t get that it took more than a few dates to be invited into that world. My parents had been married for years before my mother’s invitation started including my father’s name. Sure, things were more strict back then, and my father could care less, but it wasn’t the case with Matt; he felt personally snubbed—blamed my parents, when in fact they had no say over it whatsoever. As such, he had never been permitted to accompany me. He was jealous and insecure that I’d meet someone with a higher social status and bigger bank account to leave him for. I always tried to reassure him that if that were the case, I’d have already been married off, as it was the same group of people my entire life. But now that we were engaged, invitations started to show up with both our names; seeing our names together now made me want to vomit.
There was nothing I could do for the time being, so I put on my best fake smile and joined him at the bar. I could tell he was drunk, and he was getting touchy-feely, stretching my nerves to their limits.
‘Dance with me.’ Breton saved me, having seen the touching. He pulled me out onto the dance floor.
‘Thanks,’ I mouthed to him when my back was to Matt.
‘You looked uncomfortable. I’ll try to get more info soon,’ he promised.
I nodded. ‘Please do.’
‘Hang in there, game face. I see how hard it must be for you. I want to murder him.’
‘You are not the only one.’ He spun me around. Abby and Drew joined us. Abby winked at me.
