“I just don’t understand why you think bringing up this stuff is going to help anything.”
I reached for Drew’s hand and kissed the back of it. “I think it is going to help because you have a whole world weighing on your shoulders. I think you have kept things so tightly bottled up inside you for so long, you don’t know how to let them out. Deidra is going to help you learn to let go. And I think once you do, we’ll be able to move forward.”
“That all sounds good in the air, but I’m not sold on the idea of you hearing this.”
“I want to know all of you, Drew. I told you things about my childhood that you never knew, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but I can’t say that I’m better off knowing it. It pisses me off that you were raised like that. You know I had a hard time being around your mother after hearing all that?”
“Yes, I picked up on it, but I’m glad you know all of me. Let me know you, Drew.”
“I’m not sure you want to, Morgan. I did things, unthinkable things. I had a choice. You didn’t.”
“What does that mean, Drew? What things?”
Drew shook his head, trying to rid the thoughts. “Let’s just see where Deidra takes us today. I’m not sure I’m ready for you to know that side of me.”
I wanted to say something about the Drew that I’d been exposed to, remind him of last week when he beat the hell out of me, let him in on the little secret of the things that he did to me before my accident, and tell him I never wanted to know that Drew, but nobody gave me a choice either. I didn’t say anything. I kept quiet and stared out the window, anticipating what I would learn.
Chapter 7
“Glad to see you could make it,” Deidra started in on Drew right away. She wasn’t looking at me. She was directing everything to him. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this, maybe you two should just call it quits right now.”
“This is what I’m paying you for? You think I’m here because I want to be here? You think I want to come in here and listen to your smartass comments. We’re never calling it quits. If that’s what you think is going to come out of this, you’re sadly mistaken.”
“Actually that’s not what I think at all. You want to know what I think? I think you’re stupid,” she blamed, pointing right at me, “and I think you’re one lucky son of bitch. I will tell you one thing. If she comes in here, trying to cover bruises again then you can take your sorry ass out of here and to somebody that doesn’t mind a wife beater.”
“You can’t talk to me like that. You don’t know shit.”
“Morgan, how’d you get the black eye? Did Drew hit you? If he didn’t, I’ll gladly apologize.”
“Can we just get on with it?” I asked, wanting to get away from the touchy subject. She called Drew a wife beater. Oh, my god. His skin was probably burning from the boiling blood. I was definitely taking a cab home.
“Drew?” Deidra asked with raised eyebrows.
“Sure, whatever.”
“You were telling us about when you moved in with Michael.”
“Yeah, what about it?” Drew standoffishly replied. He wasn’t talking. She was going to have to get him started again, ask the questions, and hold his hand.
“Can you give us five minutes?” Drew asked.
Deidra nodded and left us alone. Drew turned to my puzzled face, taking both my hands.
“Morgan, I don’t think this is such a good idea. I don’t want you to know things.”
I halfheartedly smiled. “I want to know, Drew. I want to know everything about you. I’m here, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’ve never told anyone about my life. I don’t want you to hate the father you never knew.”
“Drew, if you hate him. I want to hate him with you. Would it be better if we didn’t talk about it with Deidra? What if we just talked in the privacy of our own home? Would that make it easier?”
“No. I’m afraid of doing that alone with you. If you’re making me do this, it has to be here.”
The door opened and Deidra resumed her seat opposite me.
I was surprised when Drew didn’t wait for Deidra to ask questions at all. He stood and walked to the window again, away from both our inquiring eyes. My pulse was rapid, anticipating what Drew had to say. It was something bad. I knew it was.
“Michael took me under his wing and started teaching me everything there was to know about Callaway Jewels,” Drew began, staring out the window. “I wanted to be just like him. He was so strong and powerful with a distinct façade. People watched Michael when he entered a room. Women flocked to his side and bowed at his every command, not just any women, beautiful, goddess looking women. Maybe it was my age and the hormones, but I wanted to be just like him. I wanted women to treat me that way. Hell, I even wanted to treat women the way he did, not just women, everyone. He talked to everyone like they were mud on his shoes. I watched his every move, mimicked his walk, his talk, and even started dressing like him. Imagine that one if you will.” Drew snickered, turning to look at me. “I was thirteen, dressing in three thousand dollar O’Brian suits, Richelieu leather shoes, and Rolex watches. If Michael had it, I wanted it. I was the big man on campus. Kids at school worshiped me, and the more power I acquired the more I wanted. I even charged twenty bucks a day for stupid kids to wear my eight hundred dollar sunglasses for the day. By the time I was fourteen, I outgrew junior high. I didn’t fit in with those kinds of kids anymore. Michael took me out of school and sent me to Breakon Ridge, an all-boys school where I was surrounded by rich snobby boys just like me. I didn’t see my mother for three days after that day. Michael had locked her up when she argued that she didn’t want me in a private school. He didn’t care, it wasn’t up to her. And, of course, I wanted to do what Michael wanted me to do.