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“God, I hope you didn’t pay a shrink for that insight,” Maisie deadpanned. “I could’ve saved you some money.”
Maisie seemed determined to put Drew through the ringer. Drew would let her if it kept them talking. “Actually, it was Hannah who pointed it out.”
Maisie’s lips twitched into an almost smile, a promising sign. “Hannah’s a smart girl.”
“Yeah, well, my dad also shared some things, a few details about his divorce. It wasn’t all my mom’s fault.”
“You don’t say. You mean there were two sides to the situation?” Maisie’s sarcasm was thick enough to stand a spoon up in.
Drew slumped even lower. “I know I should’ve realized it a long time ago, but she was my mother, and when she left him, she left me, too.”
“I’m sorry, Drew. You’re right.” Maisie sounded contrite, as though even through her own hurt, she recognized what losing a mother had been like for a younger version of Drew.
“She’s the one who left, but my dad only now confessed he did the exact thing to her that I did to you.”
Maisie leaned forward ever so slightly, the intensity in her eyes giving Drew shivers. Mostly the good kind. “Go on…”
“I know what I did. Even though you leaving was the last thing I wanted, I gave you the boot with both my words and actions.”
Maisie sighed, giving Drew a glimpse of daylight. “I’m glad Andy’s finally opening up to you. I know he’s still in love with your mom.”
“What?” This came as a shock to Drew.
“It’s on his face every time he talks about her,” Maisie insisted.
Drew closed her eyes, suddenly able to recognize the truth in Maisie’s words. “After living there for a short time, you could see that, but I never could.”
“You have to be willing to pay attention, to listen and learn.” There was a hint of scolding in the way Maisie said this, and Drew knew it was an area where she had failed time and again.
“Please. I don’t want to end up like him.” Drew choked back a sob as something deep inside her threatened to burst. “Sad. Alone. Heartbroken.”
“I don’t want that for you, either.” There were tears in Maisie’s eyes.
Drew’s heart fluttered. “Does that mean you’ll come back?”
“No. It doesn’t.” All at once, Maisie’s whole demeanor went from open to closed, like someone had flipped a switch. “But, I hope the next time love appears on your doorstep, you don’t fight it.”
Desperation fought to the surface. “I want to fight for us, Maisie. Like I’ve never done before. But, if you tell me right here and now that you don’t love me, I’ll go.”
“I can’t tell you that.” Maisie turned her head so Drew couldn’t see her eyes, which was both a blessing and a curse. “You know I love you, and I’ll never stop loving you… but, I can’t risk my heart again. As it is now, I don’t know if I’ll ever get over you. I have to try, though.”
With that, Maisie got to her feet, running from the room, crying, leaving Drew stunned and broken, wondering how everything had gone so wrong.
Drew wanted to give chase, but Maisie’s friends blocked the doorway, motioning for her to sit her ass back down.
What could she do? Battle everyone in the apartment?
Drew did as she was told. What choice was there, other than to lick her wounds and try a different approach?
“You two know Maisie.” Drew was starting to shake from the shock of it all. “Is… is it really over?”
“What’d you expect?” Donna shook her head slowly, like Drew was a particular kind of stupid. Which she probably was.
“You hurt her,” Cheryl added. “Really bad.”
Drew gasped for breath, her chest closing in.
“Did you think all you had to do was say sorry, and everything would be swept under the rug?” Donna asked.
