Breaking Point (Drew Ashley 1) (26 page)

"Yes, but she's taken Landon and Lashon to Legoland today."

Good. The last thing I wanted to deal with right now was his family. "Are you going to come and get me after your meeting?"

"No," Harvey said, starting the car and pulling away. "I have to go back to work. I don't have time to wait on you hand and foot."

"Oh sorry, Executive Director Harvey Lawrence," I snapped. I didn't ask him to give me a ride to Jazz's house, and I didn't ask him to take me to his house, either. I would happily have taken a taxi to a hotel.

"I'll leave a message for Jazz to pick you up from my place after her interview," Harvey said.

Half an hour later, we pulled into Harvey's driveway. Harvey led me into the house and showed me to a spare room.

"Are you late for your meeting now?" I asked him.

"I'll call and let them know I'm running late." Harvey pointed at the bed. "Catch some sleep. You know where the den is if you don't feel like sleeping. You know where the kitchen is, too, if you get hungry."

I nodded.

He left the room, shutting the door with a firm thud. I turned to the mirror on the small wardrobe and was stunned at my reflection. My eyes were swollen. I needed to sleep.

I stripped down to my underwear and rolled between the cool linen sheets. They smelled very fresh. It was a child's bed and conjured up carefree childhood memories. I'd probably sleep for two days straight in this bed.

I was just drifting off to sleep when the bedroom door opened. My eyes popped open. Harvey entered the room with a glass of juice and two slices of buttered toast.

"You're smiling," he said.

I was? I forced my face to be neutral. "I'm not hungry. I don't want to throw up again."

"Well if you change your mind, here's some toast and a drink." He set them on the nightstand.

"Thanks."

Harvey picked up my black skirt from the floor. "You took your clothes off?"

I nodded, my face warming a little.

"Feel at home, why don't you," he said dryly. He tossed my clothes over the back of a bedroom chair, then came and brushed my hair off my forehead. "You haven't got a temperature."

"I thought you don't have time to wait on me hand and foot."

Harvey smiled slowly and I realised that his face was only inches from mine. "Have you ever been in love?" he asked.

"Don't you have a meeting to be at?"

Harvey tucked the duvet in around me. "I'll leave as soon as you answer my question."

"I've thought I was in love," I admitted, thinking of Travis. "But now I know it wasn't love."

"Thanks for answering."

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering." Harvey shrugged. "You're not in love with Kale."

I narrowed my eyes, but didn't respond. Harvey was watching my face, waiting. Eventually he left. I released a breath I hadn't known I was holding when the door closed behind him.

***

It was dark when I woke up. I panicked for a moment, not knowing where I was, then it all came back to me. I was in Harvey's house. Or was I back in Jazz's house? Maybe she'd come to pick me up and I'd forgotten about it.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and my feet sank into fluffy carpet. Jazz's spare room had wooden flooring. I must still be at Harvey's. I patted the walls of the room in the darkness, looking for a light switch. I found it and the room flooded with light.

The house was very quiet. Maybe everyone was still out. I pulled my white top over my head and put on my skirt, wondering what time it was.

I looked in the mirror and groaned at my reflection. I still looked terrible. In fact, I probably looked worse. My eyes were still puffy, and looked like they were starting to bruise. But I felt better, and that was more important.

I reached into my bag and checked my phone. I'd missed lots of calls from Jazz. She'd sent me a message around four saying she was outside Harvey's and that I should open up. Oops. She must have knocked for ages. I hadn't heard a thing.

I ventured out of the room. The house was so still. Apart from the dimmed hallway light, it was in utter darkness. I wondered where everyone was. Weren't Harvey's kids back from Legoland yet? Wasn't Harvey back from work?

I was about to take my phone out to call Jazz when a door down the corridor creaked open and Harvey appeared in long boxers, rubbing his eyes. "Drew?" His voice was rough with sleep.

"Oh, is everyone asleep? What time is it?"

"Two seventeen to be precise." His tone was clipped.

"Oh. I didn't know."

"Go back to bed." He turned and disappeared back into the room.

I returned to the spare room. I'd slept really long! And now, I didn't feel like sleeping anymore. Nevertheless, I removed my clothes again and rolled back into the bed. I kept the light on and stared at the ceiling. Even if I was tired, it'd be pretty hard to sleep, knowing that Harvey was just down the corridor in boxers. For crying out loud!

An hour passed and I was still wide awake. I dialled Kale.

The phone rang for ages before he answered. "Hello?"

"You're out?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Well, I was going to get you out of that American guy's house and bring you to mine, but Jazz said I shouldn't wake you."

I chuckled.

"You're not in his bed or anything, are you?"

"In Harvey's bed? Of course not. Although I guess this is his bed because he paid for it."

"Not funny, Drew. I'm sick of him trying to come between us."

"I don't think he's trying to come between us," I said, slowly, although I wasn't so sure.

"Are you defending him?"

We needed to get off this subject. "Kale, can we talk about what happened with the police? What did they say to you?"

"They asked me where I was on Thursday when the car bomb happened. I was at work, which they confirmed from my boss."

"Good."

"They said my fingerprints are all over your room, and I was like, I'm her boyfriend. Of course they are. They didn't find any other fingerprints in your room apart from the ones they'd expect to."

"So whoever trashed my room must have worn gloves."

I clenched my teeth as sudden pain gripped me behind the eyes and shot across my head. The room swirled around before my eyes.

"Yeah," Kale said. "That's what the police said. They watched the DVD I made you. I didn't realise it was so stupid. I cringed all the way through it."

I closed my eyes to avoid the blurriness that was sure to come next. I had to get off the phone. "What right do they have to do that when I haven't even seen it yet?"

"I know."

Kale continued, saying something that I couldn't concentrate on. A vision was coming. "Um, Kale," I interrupted him. "Maybe I should let you get back to bed."

"No, I don't mind. I'm enjoying your sleepy voice. I've never heard it before."

"You have work in the morning."

"So? I'd much rather be talking to you than sleeping."

The roaring started. I faked a yawn. "Me too, but I'm feeling pretty tired."

"Okay," Kale said reluctantly.

"I'll call you if I don't manage to sleep, though."

"Okay. Thanks for calling."

I hung up. All the symptoms of a vision wracked my senses. The headache was ruthless. The fog in my mind was thick. I was sure I went completely blind for a split second before my vision returned. There was a brief interlude of calmness before the vision started. One minute I was looking at Harvey's ceiling, the next Kale was jumping off a very tall building right before my eyes. I wanted to scream but I had the presence of mind to stop myself. I watched his limbs flailing as he free-fell through the air.

Watching him, I felt like it was me that was falling. I could feel the wind whipping my hair up, and my stomach jumping while I anticipated the collision of my body against the ground.

Just before Kale hit the ground, two large hands grabbed him. I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that the hands belonged to God.

Okay, please end now,
I begged the vision.
Go away! I don't want to see this.

It didn't go. Instead, Kale turned into Travis. Travis was on his knees praying, before standing up and waving goodbye to his family. I heard his mother begging him not to leave, although I didn't actually see her in the vision. He left, nevertheless.

The vision ended and I sat up in the bed. I refused to cry. I refused to feel anything. "God, I don't know what all this is about. I'm glad I've stopped seeing weird creatures, but I don't want to see this, either."

I reached for the toast and orange juice that Harvey had put on the nightstand earlier. There was no way I'd be able to sleep now.

"God, why does this have to happen to me? Please take it away."

I lay down when I finished eating, wishing there was a way I could empty my mind of thoughts. I was still awake at half six when I heard a door open across the corridor. Soft footsteps sounded on the landing, then there was a knock on my door.

I hiked the duvet up to my neck. "Yes?"

The door opened and Harvey stepped in. "Morning."

I forced myself to smile. "Morning."

"How was your night?" Harvey asked. He was still in those boxers, but thankfully a towel was draped around his neck and curtained his chest.

"I couldn't get back to sleep after waking up at two seventeen." I tried not to notice the slight morning shadow that darkened Harvey's jawline, or the way his hair was tousled, or the lazy morning smile he was giving me. But really, could a man get any hotter than this?

"Maybe you should stay off work today."

It appealed.

"But who am I to tell you what to do?" Harvey added with a shrug that caused the towel to fall off one shoulder. "It's up to you."

I fixed my eyes on his face. I wasn't going to look at his abs and confirm Jazz's eight pack rumour. I
wasn't
going to do it.

"I'm going to take a shower," Harvey told me. "I'm leaving at seven. You can come with me if you want."

I jumped out of bed as soon as he walked out, and threw my clothes on. Then I made the bed as best as I could, and went downstairs. Lashon was in the living room inserting a Tom and Jerry DVD into the TV. "Morning, Lashon."

"Hi," she mumbled. She grabbed the control and skipped the adverts at the beginning of the DVD, then curled up on the sofa.

I sat down and watched her. She was so sweet. How could someone give birth to a child that adorable and not want her? But then again, I was jumping to conclusions. Maybe Harvey's ex wanted her kids back and they were battling for custody. Who knew?

Harvey came down at seven on the dot. For half an hour, Lashon hadn't said a word, but she perked up at the sound of her dad's footsteps on the stairs.

"What'll it be, sweetie?" Harvey called passing the living room and entering the kitchen.

I opened my mouth, thinking he was asking if I was going to work or not.

"Jelly!" Lashon yelled, before I could say anything.

I clamped my mouth shut. Of course. Why would Harvey call me sweetie? He was talking to his daughter.

A few minutes later, he entered the living room with a plate of jam on toast and set it before Lashon. He ruffled her long curly hair. "I've found a hairdresser for you. I'll take you on Saturday."

"Is she going to put beads in my hair?" Lashon asked.

"Do you want beads?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. She'll put some beads in."

Lashon tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Daddy, it's growing very long."

"It is. You have beautiful hair, baby."

Lashon glowed with pride under her father's approval. It was heartwarming to watch.

"I've put a cup of apple juice on the kitchen table for you," Harvey said. "But you have to finish your toast first before you get it. Okay?"

Lashon nodded.

Harvey looked at me. "Ready?"

I stood. "Yeah."

"Bye, Lashon," Harvey said.

She didn't answer. Her eyes were fixed on the TV.

"I might have to get rid of Tom and Jerry," Harvey told me loudly.

"No Daddy!" Lashon exclaimed, snapping out of her trance. She jumped up onto the arm of the sofa so that she could put her tiny arms around Harvey's neck. Then, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"She's so sweet," I told Harvey on our way out.

Harvey just pointed his keys at his car and unlocked it. I got in while he locked the front door. When he joined me in the car his jaw was set. He refused to return my look as he started the car and drove off.

"I said your daughter is sweet."

"Thanks." He hadn't shaved, so that morning shadow was still there.