A few hours later, my phone buzzes and I know it’s time for me to go. I disentangle myself from Drake’s body and slowly climb out of his bed. My entire body is reluctant, but my mind knows this is the right thing. I sneak out of his room and back into the living room. I fold up the blankets and clothes before heading outside to meet Gregg. He’s ready and waiting. After stopping to grab some stuff from the clubhouse, we hit the road. I don’t look in the side mirrors because I’m afraid I’ll break if I do. I’ll want to turn around and go back to the only two people I have in this world but I know I can’t so I look forward and hope for the best.
A body comes into view pulling me from my memories. Wilder walks over to me, leaning down into my open window. “Hey, you found the place. I was beginning to worry that I gave you the wrong address when Drake said he hadn’t seen you yet.”
“Oh no, I went to apply for some jobs before coming this way but I didn’t think about him being at work, so I’ll just catch him at a different time,” I explain to Wilder.
Wilder laughs. “Don’t worry the owner loves him. You won’t be getting him into trouble. That’s what you’re really worried about isn’t it?”
I shrug. “Yeah, it is.” Although, I’m not surprised to find out that Drake’s manager loves him. He’s just one of those people.
Wilder opens my door. “Come on.”
I climb out of my car and follow behind Wilder. He stops and looks over into the bed of a truck before pulling out a hard hat and a pair of safety glasses and passing them to me. I slip them on and follow behind him. Drake is standing off to the side with a set of what looks like blueprints in front of him. I have to admit, seeing him in his work clothes sends my body into a frenzy. Drake has always been handsome, but this is a whole new level. His white t-shirt clings to his biceps, his jeans and boots are dirty, but somehow knowing it’s because of a hard day’s work makes it attractive. He even manages to pull off the yellow hard hat sitting on top of his head and the orange vest covering the rest of his body. As if he can sense us, he looks up and his eyes scan over Wilder before locking with mine. For a moment, I regret my decision to come here because the look in his eyes is unreadable, but then his lips turn up in a small smile and I let out the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. I smile back at him.
“I found someone looking for you but she was worried that she’d get you in trouble with the boss,” Wilder tells Drake with a laugh.
Drake shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “Get to work, Wilder.” Then he turns to me while rolling up the blueprints in his hands. “Are you hungry?”
My memory from earlier floats through my mind and I laugh before replying. “Hell yes.”
“Like I even had to ask,” he jokes.
I shrug. “Some things never change.” He places his hand on the small of my back and leads us back the way I just came from. His hand on my back warms my entire spine and creates a fire in the pit of my stomach. I don’t know what is going on with me but once again I feel like Drake is saving me, bringing me back to life and creating a light in the midst of my darkness.
Ten
Drake
This morning started out rough. I was late waking up, which made Aubree late to her pre-school. She only goes there two days a week, but I know it’s important for her to socialize with other children her age, so I make sure she goes. I hate making her late. We rushed to get there and she was not happy with the way her hair looked which made her pout, I also hate that. I don’t like my Love Bug to be upset, but we were out of time.
Once I got her dropped off, I tried to chug hot coffee but ended up spilling it on my jeans, which led to me burning my leg. Finally, I reached the job site of the complex we're currently building, but even that didn’t go as planned. We have hit hiccup after hiccup with this project and it’s starting to wear on me. With everything that has already gone wrong today, I feel like I need to punch something.
Then Wilder showed up ready to work, but told me that Zoey asked where she could find me and he told her the address to the site. This gives me mixed feelings. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see her again today. I actually woke up first thing this morning and after making sure Aubree was okay, my mind instantly went to Zoey and wondering if she was even still here in Los Angeles, or if she fled town already? I’m more relieved than I thought I would be that she is still in town, but I mentally scold myself because I know nothing can come of this. Zoey is too much of a flight risk to bring her into mine and Aubree’s lives.
Despite knowing everything I know, and all of the mental scolding, I still find myself searching the area for Zoey. I’m still seeking her out. I’m looking over the blueprints of the job because we hit yet another hiccup when I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. When I look up, I quickly find Wilder with Zoey tagging along behind him. I hate to admit it, but she makes these disgusting yellow hard hats and safety glasses look way better than they should. My eyes meet hers and finally I find the smile I was working so hard not to give her. She smiles back and visibly relaxes.
Now, we’re in my truck heading to get food, just like old times. Only it’s not old times. This is now. Our lives are different. We are different and I need to quit blurring these damn lines. The silence feels awkward and I know I need to speak, but my tongue is currently stuck to the roof of my mouth. Being around Zoey again is so damn confusing. “I wanted to thank you for putting gas in my car last night. I’ll pay you back as soon as I get a job,” Zoey says, breaking the silence and tension.
Her words stun me for a moment. If she’s looking for a job does that mean she’s staying? I’m almost afraid to ask, but I know that I need to. “So, you’re staying?”
She shrugs and looks out the window. “Yeah, I’ve been running long enough. It’s time to come back to the only place I’ve called home. Besides, I have fences to mend with Zayde and…you,” she admits the last part quietly.
My heart stutters and a surge of hope that I fight down takes over my body. I watch her out of the corner of my eye. “Do you still like tacos?”
She snorts and it’s the cutest damn sound. “Of course, people who don’t like tacos worry me.”
I laugh. “Agreed. There’s this great little food truck that parks along the beach that has the best tacos I’ve ever had. They literally melt in your mouth. There’s some seating around that area too if that’s good with you.”
She looks over at me. I don’t meet her eyes, but I can feel them on me. “Anything is fine. I’ve learned not to be picky in my absence.”
I want to ask her about that remark, but I think better of it. Zoey has always opened up on her own time. Pushing her now might just make her run before Zayde gets to see her again. At that thought, I can’t help but wonder how he is. Waking up late today meant I didn’t get to check in with him or Barker, but I’m hoping he didn’t derail after I had to deliver the news of Zoey’s return. I pull into the beach parking lot and cut the truck off. “Here we are.”
She smiles and unbuckles her seat belt, but not before she notices the picture taped to the inside of my sun visor. It’s a picture of Dawsyn and Aubree at dance class. Zoey doesn’t say anything but I know she has questions, but I can’t have those answers right now. I climb out of the truck before she can ask anything. “Drake,” she says behind me. I look over my shoulder at her. “You know you don’t have to keep feeding me like this.”