“Fable.” Drew tugs on my arm so I have no choice but to climb off of Adele and stand. Drew’s fingers are clasped tight around my upper arm and we both watch as Adele gets up, the expression on her face nothing short of murderous.
“I should call the cops,” she says, pointing her finger at me. “And press f**king charges, you lunatic bitch!”
“She didn’t touch you,” Drew says in that scary menacing voice of his.
“What are you saying? She was all over me!” Adele holds out her arms. I suppose there might be a few scratches there but nothing I can see. “Look at me!”
“Get out. Just get out,” he says, ignoring her outstretched arms, her plea for help. All of it. “Before I’m the one doing something I’ll regret.”
Her eyes go wide for the quickest moment and then she’s gone. Fleeing the apartment like some sort of terrorist in flight after dropping a major bomb in the middle of a crowded room. The door slams behind her and I fall onto the couch, my entire body shaking with anger.
“Why did she come here?” I look up at Drew. Misery is written all over his face. His brows are drawn, his mouth a thin, grim line.
“I don’t know. To tell me she’s going to confess to my dad everything that happened between us? She claims she’s going to tell him about Vanessa too.” He sits down heavily beside me, tension radiating off his body in waves. “Should I call him? Should I be the one who tells him first? Dr. Harris says I should.”
I part my lips, but the words clog my throat. I still can’t believe what I did. How quick I jumped her, how bad I wanted to hurt her. I may act like I’m tough but I never resort to violence. I never got in physical fights at school.
That woman makes me want to lose my mind.
“I can’t make that decision for you,” I finally say. I know it’s harsh, but I won’t be responsible for Drew telling his dad or not about what happened. He needs to come to that conclusion on his own.
“You’re right. I know you’re right.” He blows out a harsh breath. “I don’t know how to tell him, though. I’m scared.”
I hook my arm around his shoulders, trying to give him comfort. He’s stiff beneath my touch, though, and I end up running my hand down his back before letting my arm drop. “It’ll be okay,” I murmur. “Don’t let that bitch bother you.”
“Easy to say, not so easy to do.” He looks at me. His gaze is bleak, his face pale. “She’ll ruin everything, Fable. She’s trying to destroy my life.”
I stare at him. He’s giving her so much control still. I thought he was starting to move past this. Clearly, she still had her claws in him. He looks terrified. “We won’t let her, Drew. I’ll stand by you no matter what. I’ll support you. It doesn’t matter what she says.”
“What if she wants to take it further? What if…what if she wants to go to the media or whatever? Try to make me look bad around here, in the community. That will destroy me. Destroy my chances at a professional football career.”
“Is that what you want?” He never talks about football much with me. It’s like he compartmentalizes all these different parts of his life and only reveals what he thinks I should see.
“Yeah.” He hangs his head. “I don’t know what else I would do. I’m a business major with a minor in finance. I did that to please my dad.”
“Hey.” I rest my hand on his knee and give him a little shake. “It’s going to be okay. Really.”
Drew settles his hand over mine and gives it a squeeze. We look at each other as he laces our fingers together and then he’s leaning in, kissing me, so softly, so sweetly I almost want to cry. Touching my cheek with his other hand, he breathes words against my lips that make my heart ache for him.
“I love you so damn much. I know this has happened fast and we’re having to deal with a lot of shit, but if we can make it through this, we can make it through anything.”
He’s right. He has to be right. If I could, I’d beg him to take me to bed right now. So we could lose ourselves in each other, if only for a little bit.
But now’s not the time. There’re other things to consider first. And Owen…
“Where’s Owen?” I ask after I break our kiss.
As if he’s lurking behind his bedroom door just waiting to bust out, he enters the living area, stopping short when he sees the two of us sitting so closely together. We haven’t been very affectionate or grabby in front of my brother. It makes me uncomfortable, which is so stupid, but I know Owen doesn’t approve one hundred percent of me being with Drew.
Crazy. I shouldn’t care. I love this man sitting beside me. And I love the boy standing in front of us.
“That chick was creepy.” Owen shakes his head, looking at Drew. “She said she was your mom?”
Drew stiffens beside me. “She’s not. She’s married to my dad. My mom died when I was little.”
“Wait a minute.” I disentangle myself from Drew and stand, going to Owen. “You met her? You talked to her?”
“She was in the apartment when I got home,” Drew adds.
“With Owen? Alone?” I’m stunned. What. The. Hell. “Who let her in?”
“I did,” Owen admits sheepishly. “She was waiting outside when I got here. She said she was Drew’s mom and that she needed to see him so I let her in.”
“Oh my God.” I’m reeling. “How long were you with her alone?”