Drew? I needed to wake up. Why couldn’t I wake up? Drew was crying. I could hear him sobbing. His face was buried beside me, holding my hand. Drew, it’s going to be okay. Drew? I wasn’t talking, not out loud anyway. Damn it. Wake up, Morgan.
I didn’t wake up, not until, well, I don’t know how long. I didn’t remember anything else that Deidra said to Drew. The last thing I remembered was Drew, crying.
The next time, I woke up—well, I didn’t really wake up, but I could hear voices again. My mom was there with Jason and Justin, my little brother was there too. Why can’t I wake up?
Dr. Tharp removed the bandages around seven that evening. I was never so happy in my life when I saw the fuzzy Drew right beside me, holding my hand. Dr. Tharp explained to Drew and me about the importance of me resting—a lot. He was going to send me home with something the following day that would cause me to sleep several hours a day. That explained why I couldn’t wake up. I didn’t like that idea. I had a one-year-old to chase after.
“Your brain needs to rest, Morgan. I don’t want you watching television, reading, or anything else that will cause you to overthink things. Let’s give you the rest your brain needs, and we’ll see how things look when I see you next week. Okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed.
“I want to see Nicky,” I told Drew once we were alone.
“You can see him when we go home tomorrow,” Drew replied, sitting on the side of the bed and placing my hand in his. “We need to talk, Morgan.”
“I know,” I agreed. He had to know that I knew about the falsified paternity test.
“We need to stop.”
“Stop?” I questioned. Stop what?
“Yes, I want you to take Nicky and go to the beach house.”
“Without you?”
“Yes, I’m never going to lay a finger on you again. I promise.”
“What? You’re leaving me?”
“Don’t look at it that way, Morgan. I’m giving you an easy out. You deserve better than what I’ve given you.”
“Drew, we’re not getting a divorce. I thought you wanted to talk about you paying for a fake paternity test. Why did you do that? How could you do that?” I asked, wanting off the topic that Drew was insisting on rehashing.
“It was only temporary. I couldn’t stand the thought of Nicolas belonging to Dawson. He doesn’t, Morgan. He’s one hundred percent mine.”
“How do you know?”
“I did have the test done but not until Nicky was four months old. I wanted to do it before but whenever the birthmark on his butt cheek like mine went away, I was terrified. I couldn’t fathom him not being mine. I love him so much.”
“I know you do, Drew.”
“Morgan, I love you that much too. That’s why I have to let you go. I don’t want either of you to live with me. You deserve so much more than I can give you.”
“Drew. Stop it. You’re not throwing away our family. We’ll make it. I know we will.”
“Morgan, you have got to be the dumbest girl on earth. I hurt you. I did things to purposely hurt you. I hit you because your father hit my mother.”
“He’s not my father.”
“I did horrible things to you because Michael did them to me,” Drew continued. I didn’t understand what he was saying. He wouldn’t let us walk out of his life like this. I knew he wouldn’t. Would he?
“I read the letter your mother left for you,” I admitted, looking down.
Drew didn’t reply. He looked to his lap, holding my hand and breathed a long breath.
“You never read it, did you?”
“No, not until I took it from your purse.” I didn’t even remember placing it in my purse, well, vaguely, I did. I think it was right after the caretaker told me I couldn’t have a fire.
“I went to the store. I found the photos,” I confessed.
Drew sort of smiled. “And so I underestimated you again.”
“Drew?”
“Hmm?”
“I underestimated you too.”
“What do you mean?”
“I underestimated who you are and who you’ve become.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’ve been through a lot and have come out on top. Drew, you’re not a bad person. You’ve just been dealt a bad hand. Please don’t do this.”
“Morgan. I almost killed you.”
“You did not. Dr. Tharp said I have had a bleed for some time. You hitting me probably saved my life.”
“Morgan, you can’t keep making excuses for me. I hit you. I hit you in front of our son. It’s never going to happen again. I promise you. I’m never laying another finger on you again.”