Underestimated (45 page)

my own sweat. I felt like I was suffocating, and I didn’t

have Drew there to show up and rescue me. It was so

vivid, and I wondered if it had actually happened or was it

just a nightmare. It wasn’t about the no faced Dawson or

Drew. It was Derik. We were in the backseat of a limo,

and he was doing horrible things to me. I knew there was a

reason I hated him, and now wondered had he hurt me

before. I wished to God I could remember pre-accident.

I got up. I couldn’t go back to sleep after that. I

was afraid to go back to sleep. I ran a tub of lukewarm

water. I wished Drew would call. I knew that if he was

awake he would know that I was up, but then again that

would blow his cover and I would know that he was

watching my every move. I lay awake for a long time after

that, not really thinking about anything, just afraid to close

my eyes. I finally dozed back off sometime in the early

morning. I slept until Marta woke me after nine. She was

afraid something was wrong because I had slept in later

than I normally did.

I spent the next couple of days getting to know not

only Marta better, but also myself. I was happy and felt

content for the first time since my accident. I couldn’t

believe how much I missed Drew and couldn’t wait for

him to be home.

Marta and I did go out the next day. We went to the

park and walked around, ate at my new favorite little café,

and then came home. It was too hot to stay outdoors for

very long. I did go out alone after dark, once it had cooled

down some. I walked around barefoot along the property

line. The grass there wasn’t dried up and crispy the way it

was in the park. There was a timed water sprinkler system

that kept it healthy. If felt funny between my toes as I

walked.

I answered my cellphone, already knowing who it

was. “Hello,” I answered, smiling.

“Where are you?” Drew asked. He had a tone, but

I didn’t let it phase me. I was learning how to handle his

hard attitude.

“Lying in bed naked, where are you?” I asked. I

knew that he knew that I wasn’t in bed or inside the house.

He chuckled. “You’re such a liar.”

“I was just walking around outside a little. It’s

actually a nice night.”

“I would rather you be inside this time of night,”

he countered.

“I’m going. I’m going,” I replied. I could see his

smile through the phone.

I stayed on the phone with him as I walked to my

suite, and started bath water. He asked what I had done

that day, and I told him what Marta and I had done.

“Why don’t you go down and sleep in my bed

tonight?” Drew asked before we said goodnight. I knew it

was because of the nightmare the night before, and he

wasn’t here for me.

“Why?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

“Because I want you to,” was the only answer he

gave me. I wondered if there were cameras in his room. I

doubted it, but then again, I didn’t think he would be

asking if he couldn’t see me.

“Well, okay, beings you have a good reason and

all,” I teased.

I did sleep better in Drew’s bed. I could smell his

scent on his pillow. I felt safer there. I never woke up

once, and when I did, I felt rested, relaxed, and excited for

Drew to be home.

I took special care to look nice. I curled my hair,

added makeup, and a spritz of perfume. I tried, I really

did. I tried to put on one of the expensive outfits from my

closet. I just couldn’t do it. I settled on jean shorts, and a

nice tight white shirt that was low cut and showed the skin

around my waist.

Marta made supper, and I sent her away. I wanted

the house left to just Drew and I.

I excitedly went to the door when I heard it open,

but it wasn’t Drew. It was Derik. He stopped as dead in

his tracks as I did.

“You don’t live here. Do you think maybe you

could knock on the door?” I protested. I didn’t want him

there. Drew would be there any minute, and I wanted him

to leave.

He smirked, and walked toward me as my heart

picked up about twenty extra beats. He didn’t speak, and I

knew it was because he knew that Drew could hear

anything that he said. Instead, he walked around me. I

jerked and shoved his hand when he brushed his thumb

over my nipple. I knew my nightmare hadn’t been a

nightmare at all, and he had hurt me.

I’m not sure if my accident had given me a new

sense of heroism or what, but I shoved him as hard as I

could. He did stumble back a couple of steps, but I was no

match for his muscular physique. He hit me so hard I flew

clear across the room. I think that I may have even blacked

out for a second because when I opened my eyes he was

on top of me, and then he wasn’t.

Drew threw him off of me and had him on the

floor.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he screamed at

him.

Derik came to his feet. “What the fuck are you

doing?” he retaliated. “She’s trailer park trash. You’re

going to let her ruin everything.”

“Shut the fuck up, Derik,” he demanded.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Drew? She’s

nothing, she’s a piece of meat, and you know it. Put the

little bitch back in her place and open your fucking eyes

before you blow everything.”

“Get the fuck out of here, Derik,” Drew demanded,

forcefully moving him toward the door by his jacket.

I wasn’t excited to see Drew anymore. What did

Derik mean? Drew hurt me too. I knew it. I’ve known it

from the beginning.

Drew helped me up after slamming the door in

Derik’s face.

“Are you okay?” he asked, running his thumb over

my battered lip.

“What the hell was that, Drew? What did he mean

by all of that?” I asked, pulling away from him. He didn’t

feel so safe and secure anymore.

“What happened? Why did he hit you?” he asked,

ignoring my question.

“Because I shoved him after he grabbed my boob,”

I said, angrily.

“He did what?” Drew asked. I could see the veins

popping in his neck.

“I’m almost certain that wasn’t the first time. I

think he did other things before.”

“Why do you think that?” he asked. He seemed like

he really wanted to know, and I almost felt like he was

defending me.

“I keep having nightmares about it, but I don’t

really think they are nightmares at all.”

I had a new plan. Derik was going to be out of the

picture one way or another. I didn’t know how, but I

would figure something out. I wanted him dead. I had a

good idea of what I was going to do. It might get me

killed, but I would take that chance.

“Where is Marta, have her get you some ice,”

Drew said. I had a feeling that he wasn’t going to comment

on my suspicions. He didn’t.

“I sent her home.”

He raised one eyebrow and looked down at me.

“Why?”

“I didn’t want her here, but now I guess I really

don’t care.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, Drew. I’m going to get some ice.”

Drew let me walk away and disappeared to his

office. I wiped the blood from my lip but didn’t use the

ice. It wasn’t as bad as it felt. I walked into Drew’s office.

He only shook his head at me not knocking. I didn’t bother

him and sat on the sofa across from him while he led a

conference call. I flipped through my new magazine. After

almost an hour of him still being on the phone, I scooted

down on the sofa and curled into a little ball. I wished I

had a blanket. It was freezing in his office. I dozed off

waiting for him to be done working.

I’m not sure how long I slept, but when I woke, I

was covered with a soft, warm blanket, and Drew was on

another call. I stared at him, and his eyes met with mine.

He continued to talk, something about a new cut. I didn’t

care what he was saying. I cared about the feeling I got

when he looked at me the way he was. I pulled my bottom

lip between my teeth, feeling the puffiness from stupid

Derik’s knuckles.

I sat up and ran my fingers through my tangled hair

that I had worked so hard on for him. I got up and walked

over to him. He ran his hand up the back of my leg. I

kissed the top of his head and left him.

Chapter 17

I went to the kitchen and got our plates ready for

Marta’s prepared meal. I didn’t set the dining room table

and set them on the bar in the kitchen. I set two wine

glasses by our plates and took out a bottle of chilled wine.

I was just putting the food out when he joined me.

He picked up the wine and twisted the corkscrew

into it.

“Do I like beer, Drew?”

“Excuse me?” he asked with a frown.

“Beer. Do I like beer? I was just thinking that I

would like to have a cold beer, but there isn’t any here.

Did we drink beer?”

“No. We hate beer.”

“Oh,” I said, brushing it off. It was probably just

my mental state. I didn’t even know what it tasted like, so

how could I be craving it?”

Drew poured our wine, and we ate quietly. I don’t

think either of us knew quite what to say after the Derik

incident. He knew that I had questions, and I knew that I

didn’t want to know the answers. I was afraid of them.

I cleaned up the kitchen while Drew showered. I

walked out to the yard, barefoot of course, and sat in the

soft grass about half way out. I’m not sure why I jumped. I

knew he would come out to find me, but I did. He laughed

as he sat, moving in behind me. My hands went to his

calves.

“Jeans,” I said, and smiled.

“I figured I may as well dress down too. It’s

obvious that you’re going to continue to do it,” he said

wrapping his arms around my waist. “What are you doing

out here? It’s hot.”

“I don’t think it’s that bad now,” I said, leaning

into him. I sat back up and laughed.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“No, your shoes. Do you not own a pair of

sneakers?” I asked, looking at the shiny brown leather.

“What do you think?”

I moved his foot to my lap and removed his shoes

and socks. He didn’t stop me or say a word. If I would

have eyes in the back of my head, I would almost bet that

he was smiling, amused at me.

“There, doesn’t that feel better? Put your toes in

the grass,” I urged, and he did.

We sat that way while the Nevada sky changed to a

midnight black, neither of us spoke and Drew every so

often pulled me tight in his arms or kissed my neck and

shoulder.

“Drew,” I softly said. I was trying not to. I didn’t

want to ruin the moment, but it was weighing on my mind,

and I needed to know.

“Please don’t, Morgan.”

He knew what I was going to say before I ever

said it.

I sat up so that I could turn to look at him. “I need

to know, Drew,” I begged.

“You don’t need to know. You only need to know

that you are fine now, and I am going to make sure that you

stay that way. Please, just trust me.”

I turned back around. “Am I different than I used to

be?

“Yeah, in some ways I guess.”

“Are you different, Drew?”

“I guess I am,” he answered as if he was just

realizing it for the first time.

“Look up,” I said.

“What?” he asked surprised at my sudden train of

thought. I didn’t want to be serious, not that serious

anyway.

“Look, there are a million stars out tonight,” I said.

There was. The sky danced with tiny little twinkles.

Drew leaned back a little and stared up at the sky.

I pushed him back more and moved to his side. I lay in his

arm with my leg thrown over his waist, gazing up at the

star filled sky.

“I’m going to have to take another shower,” he

said, grazing his hand up the back my leg.

I laughed at him. “It’s grass. I think you’ll be fine,”

I teased.

I felt Drew tense when I ran my hand up his shirt

and along his contoured abs. I didn’t stop. I moved it

around to his ribs and shifted my weight so that I was

above him. I ran the back of my other hand down his cheek

as we stared longingly into each other’s eyes. Drew raised