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“And you know all about that relationship. I mean, it was years ago now, I was a different person and–” He sighs. “I don’t want that again. I don’t wantheragain. Even if we’ve both changed. I mean, you get it, Dana, don’t you?”
I do…I know all about their stories. They were that couple that met at a club who never had anything to talk about but had a lot of fun drinking together and fucking and being dramatic. Their three year relationship, when all was said and done, was really more like a year and a couple months between all the times they broke up.
Toxic. That’s the word for her. Toxic.
But lying to her? Bringing me into it?
That’s toxic too.
I’ve always known Drew was capable of that. In fact, in the time I was his counselor, I watched him grow a lot from an immature guy fucking around in his twenties to a grown man trying to get and keep his shit together.
He’s never been that way with me, though.
“Dana?”
Until now. “I understand why you did it, but…” I shake my head.
“You’re upset. I know you’re upset. That’s fair. And I’m sorry. I’m really sorry I brought you into it without…”
Drew comes toward me. I don’t have the strength to walk away. I still want him. He wraps his palms around my bare shoulders, a zip of electricity shooting through me. More pain than pleasure. “Look, what happened earlier had nothing to do with–”
“I know it didn’t,” I interrupt. I initiated it. That would have been a maniacal maneuver on his part to trick me into a relationship just to fulfill a lie. I can’t deny it hurts, though. “I feel used, Drew.”
“I didn’t mean to–”
“Youknowit doesn’t matter what you meant.” I draw my arms up across my chest.
His hands fall from my shoulders and he looks away. “Right.”
Neither of us speaks for a while.
“I know it would be a lot to ask you to continue lying for me…”
“There’s a but, isn’t there?”
Drew smiles. A pathetic, cute little half-smile. I wish I didn’t like his face so much. “Would you just keep it up with me for the duration of the trip?”
My stomach falls. That’s a long fucking time. Willow’s staying the whole trip. It’s not just a few days and then, presto chango, no relationship. It’s two weeks of pretending.
On the other hand, though, I don’t want to even imagine what kind of havoc Willow may wreak if she finds out Drew and I lied to her. Who knows what kind of drama would ensue?
Even worse, I know she would throw herself right back at him.
And I don’t know how strong he’d be to resist. I may be mad at him, but I don’t want that for him. Or for me.
“Fine,” I say definitively and walk past him to get to the bathroom.
“Really?” he asks after me. I can hear the wide smile on his face.
“Really.”
I sort through my clothes and grab some pajamas.
Drew follows me, his footsteps coming up behind me. “I owe you. I owe you big time.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“Seriously, Dana…” Drew brushes my hair off my shoulder. He leans down and kisses it.
