“You comin’?” His gaze was concerned, yet eager for me to follow him.
Ignoring all the dark, self-doubting thoughts telling me I shouldn’t be here, I walked deeper into his apartment.
When we entered his bedroom, my gaze instantly went to the king-size bed against the far wall when everything—physical and emotional—that had happened in the last few hours hit me like a tidal wave.
I wanted so badly to fall into Drew’s bed and pass out, but I suddenly realized how dirty and sticky I was from working in the bar. I was sure I smelled just as bad, like beer and sweat.
“There are fresh towels in the bathroom if you want to shower,” Drew pointed to the bathroom door behind him on the right and placed my duffle on his dark blue bed sheets. “Feel free to use whatever you can find, but if you need anything, just holler.”
We stood a few feet apart in silence. Him by the bed and me just inside his room. The lamp on the side table cast us in a soft yellowish glow.
I wanted to break the silence and get it over with, but something held me back.
I shouldn’t be here.
I should have been driving far, far away. Somewhere Adrian couldn’t find me. Somewhere I could start over.
My chest ached, and my stomach turned at the thought of leaving, though.
Why does the thought of leaving hurt so badly?
I knew I should have left the moment Sarah handed me that note. It would have been the smart thing to do. Yet here I was. Still in town, in Drew’s apartment, in his bedroom.
The worst part was, it felt right.
And that thought—that realization—scared me more than Adrian’s threats because it meant that those feelings that I had tried to ignore for the last few months were still there and stronger than ever.
“A shower sounds amazing,” I finally said, releasing a deep breath. “Thank you.”
Drew smiled and gave me one last glance before he walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
After a scalding hot shower,I changed into an oversized tee and sleep shorts, then climbed into Drew’s tempting bed.
I settled in on my back and pulled the comforter up to my chin. My body instantly relaxed as I decompressed into the uber-soft mattress with a sigh.
Even I couldn’t stop the small smile that pulled at my lips.
I wasn’t used to this feeling of complete and total comfort, and it wasn’t just the bed that elicited those feelings from me.
There was a soft knock on the door before it cracked open fully.
Drew stepped into the soft glow of the room and leaned against the wooden frame. He crossed his arms over his chest, making his biceps bulge underneath his shirt, and smiled. He mumbled something under his breath, but I couldn’t make out the words.
“Hm?” I inquired, still snuggled underneath the covers.
He shook his head. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything before I called it a night.”
“You’ve done more for me than I deserve, Drew,” I admitted. “I’m good. Thank you.”
A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips, and he dipped his head in a nod.
We stared at each other for a few more seconds, me tucked into his bed and him still leaning against the door like it was the most natural thing in the world. We were closer than we’d been since our kiss, yet it felt like we were still so far away.
Too far away.
“It’s nice seeing you like this,” Drew said softly. “In my bed, under my covers, relaxed. Despite the circumstances, I’m glad you’re here. It’s almost like …”
Drew trailed off. I wasn’t sure what he was about to say, but to me, it felt like I was right where I was supposed to be. Like the last few months never happened.
