Well, hell. She was right. I was getting mad at the wrong person. “I’m sorry,” I said, looking to Drew. He was wearing a sad smile and a heavy heart for me. Drew would take it all away if he could. I knew he would.
Chapter 4
Drew refused to visit the beach house, using the excuse that he had too much to do. He could have done it there. He didn’t want to see my mother. He was carrying a lot of animosity towards her after the last few sessions with Deidra. He was forced to listen to things he had no clue about. He didn’t like it, nor did he like the fact that my mother was a barroom slut and left me to take care of her baby.
“Drew, you know how I lived. You’ve been to my mother’s a dozen times. Why now? Why does this bother you now?”
“Because I can’t imagine anyone, letting their children be brought into a situation like that. Why would she even have kids if she wasn’t planning on taking care of them?”
“She takes care of Caroline.”
“Yeah, and that pisses me off too. She tossed you and Justin away and ran off and had another family. Who does that?”
“Drew, you’re the one that told me she deserved a second chance, and she was trying to make it right. Isn’t that what you’re doing? Are you not using your second chance right now? Please come with me,” I begged. I didn’t want to go if he wasn’t coming too.
“Okay, fine.”
Yes!
That was exactly what Drew and Celeste did the whole four days we were there. They may as well have stayed home. All they did was work. Alicia and I spent time on the beach, looking for sea glass with Caroline and Vincent. My mom kept Nicky while we walked the shore in search of treasure. Caroline and Vincent had a little rivalry going on. Vincent now had twenty-four pieces of gems, and Caroline had twenty-nine. Of course it wasn’t really fair, Caroline lived on the beach. Vincent lived in the desert.
“If you don’t pay attention to me soon, I’m going to explode,” I tormented Drew. It was the first time in three days I’d seen him alone, without Celeste stuck to his side.
He smiled and kissed my lips. “One conference call and I am finished for the day,” he promised. I groaned.
“Where’s your sidekick?”
“She left. Alicia was ready to kill her too.”
“One more call,” I warned, holding up one finger.
“Where’s your mom?” I asked Vince who was watching cartoons.
He shrugged his shoulders, “I dunno. I think Mom Celeste is outside on the phone, and I don’t know where Mom Alicia is.”
I headed down the hall towards Alicia’s room. I should have knocked. Why didn’t I knock? Celeste wasn’t outside on the phone. I stood there, opened mouthed, like an idiot. Alicia had her hands firmly around the spindles of the headboard, in two tight fists. Celeste was between her legs, both naked.
“Jesus, Morgan. Get out!” Celeste finally had to yell, pulling me from my frozen state.
“Sorry,” I managed to spit out, shaking my head, turning on my heels and getting the hell out of there.
Thank god Alicia was so outgoing. She made sure things weren’t awkward between us when we all gathered on my mother’s deck for steaks. Celeste, on the other hand, wouldn’t even look at me. I really didn’t think it had anything to do with what I’d seen her doing to Alicia. I think it had more to do with the fact that I caught her like that, exposed and vulnerable. She needed to be portrayed as sophisticated, put together like Drew. It was truly disturbing how much alike the two of them were when it came to success.
Celeste would do anything to ensure Alicia got to stay home with their kids. She was a lot like Drew in that sense too. She worried about Alicia and Vincent just like Drew did, always lecturing her about playing it safe.
Alicia totally understood when I complained about Drew being so protective. Celeste treated her the same way. Like the time I called him to tell him I was going to the strip, shopping. Little Boys Boutique was having a sale, and I wanted to go.
“You don’t need to worry about a sale. You’re a millionaire ten times over. Wait until I get home and I will take you shopping,” he’d challenged. Of course, I waited for him. I’m not sure what he was worried about. He just worried.
“Come on, Nicholas. Daddy will take you home and fix you a bottle,” Drew said, taking Nicky from my mom. He had been distant toward me since we went over there. He was judging my mother over what he’d learned during our sessions with Deidra. He had no right to judge anyone. What she did was no different than what he’d done.
“We’ll be there in a little bit,” I told him, letting him leave.