The Truth in Lies (The Truth in Lies Saga) (24 page)

“Yes
, it does,” Jared agreed. 

“Oh, hush, you two,” I brushed the two men off with a spurious laugh.

Olivia rolled her eyes followed by a dramatic sigh.  “Follow me,” she instructed.

I followed Olivia with Jared at my side and Drew flanking close behind me.  We proceeded down the hall, when Olivia came to a stop at her bedroom door.  “Second door on the right,” she instructed, pointing to my old room. 

“Thanks,” Jared replied.  He turned to me with an evil grin.  “I’ll see you in the bed.”  He wiggled his eyebrows and smacked my bottom.  I nearly came unglued.  I knew what he was doing, and I could kill him for trying to get a rise out of Drew like that.  He walked into the guestroom and winked at me before closing the door.  The blood rushed into my face as I turned back to Drew and Olivia.

Olivia was grinning ear to ear.  She had it in her head that I was about to get laid, and as for Drew, he looked as if he could blow a gasket at any moment.  His chest heaved and a protruding vein pulsed down his neck with each breath he took. 

“Well, goodnight,” I muttered. 

He grabbed my arm to stop me.  My skin burned where his fingers touched.  His grip tightened only for a second.  Long enough for me to see the rage behind his eyes, but there was nothing he could do about my destination anymore than I could about his. 

“Drew,” Olivia said. 

He sighed and released me, leaving me feeling cold. 

Drew brushed a soft kiss over my cheek.  His heated breath warmed me as he whispered, “Goodnight, Mickie.”  I took a step back from him, my eyes dropping to the floor before dashing down the hall.  The feel of his mouth on my flesh lingered as if his lips were still there.

I entered the guestroom, lightly touching the place where his lips had touched.  Hushed tones filtered into the room as I started to close the door. 

“C’mon, Drew,” she pressed, a slight whine to her voice.  “It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“I told you…” Drew’s voice became muffled as I closed the door.  There were some things my heart couldn’t handle, and what came next was most likely one of them. It was best that I not listen to what they had to say.

The room was dark, but I could see the outline of Jared’s sleeping form sprawled over the bed.  To my surprise he was already unconscious. 

“Lucky bastard,” I grumbled to myself as I crawled into the bed with him, praying for sleep to come.

Obnoxious snoring. 

A clock ticking.

Water dripping. 

Walls creaking. 

Breathing. 

Car honking.

Loud music.

More snoring. 

Every little noise rattled in my ears preventing me from finding peaceful slumber.  No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get my mind off Drew.

I rolled over to find myself nose-to-nose with Jared. 
Damn, his breath stinks
, I thought to myself with a snarl. 

The urge to plug his nose to keep him from snoring was overwhelming.  What was more overwhelming was my need to find running clothes and make my way to the beach.  Being in Olivia’s apartment, knowing she and Drew were mere feet away from me, doing God only knows what, had me feeling like a caged animal.

With Jared lost in a sleep induced coma, I planted my feet on the cool floor and I slipped out of the bedroom into the hall.  No light shone under Olivia’s door as I passed by.  With a heavy heart, I rushed past to keep from inadvertently invading their privacy.

Darkness shrouded the condo save the light of the moon drifting in through the windows and back door.  Its soft glow guided me into the kitchen.  I fumbled around the center island over to the stove and turned on the overhead light.

Since I couldn’t go for a run, I needed something else that would take the edge off.  Alcohol.  Since Olivia had already accused me of being drunk, I figured I owed it to myself to actually
be
drunk.  I scoured the kitchen as quietly as possible searching for the remainder of the bottle of rum that Drew brought. 

“Looking for this?” Drew appeared out of nowhere.

Startled, my hands flew to my mouth stifling my scream.  “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I hissed.

“Sorry.  I didn’t mean to frighten you.  I was sitting on the balcony and I saw you come in.  I thought I’d make my presence known.  Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.  You just scared the bajebus out of me.  That’s all.”

Drew’s sweet chuckle sounded like music to my ears.  “I really am sorry.”  He rubbed the back of his neck with a look of uneasiness.  “So, were you looking for this?”  He held up the now empty bottle of rum.

“Arg, Matey.  I be searching for the rum,” I growled in the world’s worst pirate impersonation.

Even in the dim light he looked like a god.  His angular jaw jetted out as a ghost of a smile appeared on his full lips.  The indentions of his dimples were evident even if he was trying not to grin.

“Really?  You went there?”  He muffled a snicker.

Heat burned my cheeks, making me grateful for the mask of darkness.  “Oh, c’mon!  That was funny.”

“Fine.  It was a little funny,” he dead-panned.  He stepped out from the shadows and my heart flip-flopped in my chest.  “Now, let’s find you something to drink,” he whispered.  “When I was doing my own search, I found some beer bunkered in the back of the fridge.  Being a beer drinker, I bet that would tickle your fancy.”

“A beer sounds perfect,” I mused.  I was astounded by the fact that Olivia had kept beer in the place even after I moved out.

Drew’s shadowed form moved toward the refrigerator.  He opened the door and the dim light bounced off of his bare chest.  I masked a moan by pretending to cough, as the light trickled down the curve his abdomen to the waistband of his jeans.  The way his pants hung on his hips should’ve been illegal.  He pulled two beers from the icebox and walked over to me. 

“Tell me, what has you up this late at night?” he asked, popping the top of the beer and handing it to me.

My lips wrapped around the mouth of the cool beverage.  Almost instantly I felt calmer.  I leaned back, resting my elbows against the stove and stared off into space.   “Just couldn’t sleep.  What about you?”

“Besides finishing off the rum?”  I cast him a curious glance.  He shrugged as he popped the top of his beer, taking a swig.  “I guess you could say we’re both victims of Mr. Sandman’s wrath.”

“I think we should log a complaint with his superiors,” I teased.

He reclined against the counter next to me.  I set my beer on the marble and rubbed my face hard in a vain attempt to collect myself.

The instant his fingers wrapped around my wrists my body exploded into flames of desire.  It radiated from the top of my head all the way down to my toes.  His mouth formed the sexiest half grin as he pulled my hands away from my face. 

“I could have the papers drawn on Monday.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.  “We could sue the fairy dust right off him.”

He returned back to his stance against the counter seemingly unfazed by his surroundings while nursing his beer. 

“Drew?”

“Mhm,” he hummed against the brown glass.

“I know this is none of my business, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want too, but know I only ask because I worry about you.”  Tension stiffened his body, but he said nothing.  He simply allowed me to continue. “Why are you drinking tonight?” I cautiously asked.  “You’ve seemed out of sorts all night, and with the drinking, well…” I exhaled, taking a sip of my beer.

His eyebrows furrowed together and his playful smile disappeared.  He shifted his weight, crossing his ankles over each other utilizing the counter for support.  “There’s something I really need to tell you,” he started.

“You and Liv had a fight, didn’t you?” I interjected.

“Kind of,” he replied.

“I was afraid of that,” I admitted.

Drew dangled his beer between two fingers, twirling it in a circle, staring at the pattern it created in the dull light.  He pulled the bottle to his lips and guzzled the frothy brew. 

“Hmm,” he started; his mouth still full of beer.  “What do you say to us going out on the balcony?  It’s a gorgeous night, and I really don’t want to be stuck in here,” he suggested. 

“Sounds like a great idea.” 

Drew grabbed my beer for me, and led me out onto the balcony.  The moon hung low in the sky, casting its hazy reflection over the gulf.  While we were miles from the beach, the sound of the tide crashing over the shore was audible.  Aromatic scents of fresh blooms mixed with the salty mist
, impregnated the air.   

We sat down on the chaise lounges admiring the early spring night. “I love spring time.  Don’t you?” I asked.

“I do.  Not too hot, not too cold.  And nights like these are filled with magic.  I wish you could see this from my balcony.  The air almost sparkles from the light of the moon bouncing off the spraying water.”

“That sounds amazing.  I bet Olivia loves sharing that with you,” I noted.

“In her dreams,” he scoffed with a sort of snort. 

“I just figured she was over there all the time.”

He tilted his body so he was facing me.  “She’s been to my house twice.  Once by invitation and once was the night…”  He stopped midsentence taking a deep breath.  As he exhaled, he rubbed his lanky fingers over his short brown locks. 

“The night I called you upset,” I finished for him.

His shoulders sank, as he nodded.  “You sounded so hurt.”

“I was, but it wasn’t your fault.  I was already upset when I called.  I went to see Nate, and well, things sort of went bad.”

Drew sat up on the edge of his seat and leaned toward me.  “You’re just now telling me this?  What did he do?”

“Nothing really.  He just told me what I already knew.  What I didn’t want to hear.”

“Which was?” he coaxed.

I twirled a strand of hair around my finger examining the pale blonde ends.  There had to be a way to avoid his question.  Telling him the truth would not only hurt me, but it would put him in an awkward position.  I couldn’t do that to either of us.

“It’s not important.  So, why are you and Liv fighting?”

Drew slumped back in the chair.  “Nice deflection, Mickie.”  He took a drink, swallowing hard.

“What can I say?  I’ve learned from the best,” I teased.

“That you have, beautiful.”  Drew stared off into the distance.  A weird sort of calm surrounded him.

“Andy?”

“Hmm?”

“What happened?”

Drew sat up, turning to face me.  His bare feet flattened against the pavement and his eyes bore into mine.

“It’s weird discovering that you don’t know this already. I expected her to be the one to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

Drew placed his beer on the ground beside his feet, clasping his hands together, as he slouched forward.  “I broke up with Olivia,” he admitted.

A thousand different emotions flooded my soul all at once.  So many thoughts ran through my head
that I wasn’t sure which one to start with.

“When?” I rasped.

“Around the time you moved into your apartment.”

I gasped, moving to sit up, leaning toward him.  “Why?”

Drew raked his fingers through his hair.  He stood up and started to pace the length of balcony.  “I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“But you love her,” my voice broke as I spoke. 

Drew stopped and stared at me incredulously.  “Did she tell you that?”

I shook my head, ashamed at how I knew.  Inhaling deeply, I squeezed my eyes shut to keep from seeing his disappointment, as I explained the source of my knowledge.  “That day at your house, I overheard you tell Dad you were in love with her.”

Silently, Drew dropped down beside me, taking my hand in his.  “I’m not sure what you heard, but Mickie, I’m not in love with Olivia.  I’ve never been in love with her.”

I opened my eyes, staring blankly at our entwined hands.  “I don’t understand,” I whispered.

“Long story short, I dated Olivia to keep my brother happy.  He was worried about my behavior. When I met you, something came alive inside me again. I’d always known Olivia wasn’t the one for me.  Being with Olivia was safe.  There was never any risk of falling in love with her.  I stuck around because it gave me a reason to get to know you better.

“I have atrocities in my past, things I’m not proud of, and I felt that made me unworthy of love.  Believe me; I never expected to fall in love again”

The glow of the moon shone bright around Drew.  He gently cupped my face in his hands, tracing my cheekbones with his thumbs.  The pounding of my heart buzzed in my ears. 

“McKenzie Evans, I fell in love with you the moment I saw you sitting on that beach.  Each day since, my love for you has grown.  You own my heart, if you want it.”

Blinking rapidly, I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth.  This had to be a dream.  A beautiful, glorious dream.  Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, spilling down my cheeks and over his thumbs.

“Mickie, I love you,” he whispered.  The husky edge in his voice reverberated through me.

I peered up to see him looking at me expectantly.  The sweet creases around his eyes accented the soft dimples digressing into his cheeks, and the beautiful curve of his lips.  I reached up gently touching his face.  I couldn’t believe that this was more than a dream. The only other alternative was to pinch myself, and that would ruin the moment if it indeed was real. So, touching him, holding him, I knew my senses could decipher reality from the warmth of his skin. 

Certain that this was no dream, there was no containing the smile that careened mine. 

“Andy,” I breathed.  “I love you too.”

Drew loved me.  He wanted me. 

He captured my mouth with his, kissing me.  His soft smooth lips moved gently over mine.  Yet, with every passing breath, his kiss became more heated.  He had no intention of stopping.  I couldn’t think.  The feel of his lips pressed against mine was intoxicating.  His hands moved down to my neck, drawing me closer to him.  The flame of passion ignited inside me, burning away all my inhibitions. 

His hot lips met mine again and again.  Everything we ever felt, everything we ever wanted to say to each other was being relayed in this kiss. 

Coaxing my lips open, he slipped his tongue into the recesses of my mouth, sending waves of passion throughout my body.  I withered and moaned against him, as he explored my mouth.  My fingers linked together against the nape of his neck holding his face to mine.  Breathing wasn’t an option.  Taking a breath meant I would lose this, and I wanted to kiss him forever.

I needed him in a way I’d never felt for anyone in my whole life.   While that scared me to death, it also exhilarated me.  He kissed me with every ounce of passion he had inside of him.  Being in his arms, breathing him in, kissing him without reservation, that’s all I had been longing for.

I felt strong.  I felt weak.  I felt alive and it was the most exhilarating feeling I had ever had.

He kissed me as if his very life depended on it.  Like if he didn’t kiss me now, he may never have the chance to do it again.  Along with my own feelings of desire, I felt his burning against my flesh.  This kiss meant just as much to him as it did me.

In a gasp, he pulled away from my mouth, continuing to place tiny kisses over my cheeks, eyes and along my jaw.  His hands glided over my neck tilting my chin up.