Page 34 of Drew
When his lips quirk, and his eyes make full contact with mine, I may hyperventilate.
Is it hot in here?
I pull on the collar of my shirt, then push up my sleeves. It doesn’t help.
He takes my silence as an opportunity to continue, “Why don’t we study together? You can come to my place. I’ll even provide snacks. We’ll study until we feel confident we’ll ace the test. If you’re feeling behind in any other class, we can study for that, too.”
Why would he do that? It makes no sense. “We can study together, but you don’t need to study unnecessarily.”
Drew’s eyes light up like I’ve just given him a puppy for his birthday. “So… you’ll come?”
“Drew, we can study, with or without me watching your game,” I point out the obvious.
“Angel… you’re killing me.” His tone almost makes me feel sorry for him. Almost.
“Why?” I whisper.
“Just say you’ll come,” he practically pleads.
Why is this so important to him?
“Drew…” I draw out. “You have thousands of fans—literally—all cheering for you in the stands. You’ll never even know I’m there.”
He cocks an eyebrow and blanches, as if what I’ve just said is completely ludicrous.
Drew reaches across the console between us and takes my hand in his, sending electric pulses up my spine. He squeezes my hand lightly and locks his eyes with mine briefly before returning them to the road. “Obviously, I’m asking because I wantYOUat my game. Trust me. You could sit in the nose-bleeds, and I’d know you’re there… though why you’d choose to sit that far from the action is beyond me.” Rolling his eyes, he shakes his head in disbelief.
I chuckle at his antics. “I can’t say Sydney would let me sit in no-man’s land.”
“I knew I liked Sydney.” He grins as if he’s already won the game.
“This still doesn’t mean I’m going,” I attempt to protest. But damn. He and I both know, I’ll be at the game tomorrow night.
When we getto my place, Drew parks and carries my bag to the door for me. He mentions having an early class tomorrow morning, so I know he’s not staying. But when he sets my bag down, he stuffs his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his feet.
When his eyes focus on his suddenly interesting shoes, I feel uncomfortable. Not knowing what I should say or do, I fiddle with my keys and look anywhere but at him.Should I ask him in?Crap. I have no idea what to do, and my stomach flips as my palms sweat.
Drew clears his throat, drawing my attention. I stare into his beautiful blue eyes for an immeasurable amount of time. Well, until he clears his throat again.
Shit. Did he say something?
I look him over for any signs. No, I don’t think I missed anything.
Damn. Those perfect lips quirk and form the most perfect smile. Energy zings throughout my entire body, like a live wire that will detonate on touch.
“Thanks for everything this weekend, Abby. I seriously don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t taken charge. That was…” He stops and takes a big breath before trying again. “That was the first time I’d stepped foot in a hospital…” He shakes his head as if he’s trying to rid himself of his thoughts. “And… I just want you to know how much it meant for you to be there for me.”
“Drew,” I say dismissively. “It’s fine… really. I’m glad I could be there for you. Once we knew your parents were okay, I had a lot of fun. Who knew you used to like dressing up as superhero characters and wore your costumes in public for days on end?” I add the tidbit of information from his aunt Kathy at the end, in hopes of lightening the mood.
It does the trick.
Drew’s eyes widen, and his mouth forms the perfect O. When he finds his voice, he shakes his head in disbelief. “Uh… who do I have to kill for divulging that bit of information?”
I smile sheepishly and shake my head in denial. “My lips are sealed.” Thank God, I close my mouth before ‘But I’d love to see you dressed up now’pops out. I bite my lower lip to keep from saying more.
Thankfully, he doesn’t sense my mind plummeting into the gutter. He rests his one finger on his lips and pretends to think hard about something, then cracks a smile. “Now I’m curious as to what other dark secrets my family shared with you.”
I narrow my eyes and school my features to be as serious as possible before I deadpan, “You should be afraid, Drew. Very afraid.”
