Breaking Point (Drew Ashley 1) (39 page)

Harvey smiled. "Hey. Your mum and dad went out."

"Oh. She was calling me. I wonder what she wanted."

"She was just going to tell you that I was here. But you were in the bathroom."

"Just washing my face," I said, feeling myself blushing. I hadn't been doing a 'big one' or anything.

Harvey's eyes swept over my wet face, and the bits of wet hair plastered to my forehead. "I see."

I sat down on the sofa opposite him and gave him an expectant look.

"I just came to check on you, since you've been off work for a while. Are you okay?"

"Yes."

Harvey looked like he'd just come from work. His tie hung around his neck loosely, and his shirt had come untucked on one side. He needed to shave, too. "Sure?" he asked.

I nodded. I'd forgotten just how detrimental Harvey was to my emotional stability. I reached for the TV remote and flicked it on. I needed a distraction from his dishevelled allure.

"Are you recovered properly from the poisoning now?" Harvey asked.

I traced the line of prickly stubble along Harvey's jaw with my eyes. "Yeah."

Harvey gave me a sympathetic look. "The past few months have been really horrible for you."

"I know. Can you believe my mum and I thought I was pregnant?"

Harvey laughed. "I guess that would've been a better reason for feeling ill."

"Are you kidding? I was so relieved."

"You'd rather be poisoned than be pregnant?" Harvey asked. He chugged back some Coke.

"Of course. There are enough delinquents running around. I don't need to add one of my own."

The TV was tuned to News24. I changed the channel. After a while I looked at Harvey. "How are things at work? Have I missed much?"

Harvey gave me a look that chilled me to my bones. He looked at the TV. "You'll catch up, I guess."

"Are you okay?"

The Coke can clacked loudly, and he looked down at it. It was almost crushed in his grip, and the fizzy brown liquid was seeping out of a crack.

"What's up, Harvey?" I asked.

He got up and left the room. I heard him enter the kitchen. When he returned, his dark eyes were still cold.

"Are you okay?" I asked again.

"Drew, how dare you pass judgement on children like that?"

I was shocked by his tone. "What are you talking about?"

"Is that how you view my children? As delinquents?"

I realised my error and covered my mouth. "Harvey, I'm so sorry. Your kids are angels."

"Liar! You chose a monotonous, passionless man that you don't even really love because you don't want to deal with the fact that the man you really want has children."

"Harvey, that's not true."

Anger sizzled in his eyes dangerously. "Say what you want about me, and judge me all you want, but don't you dare judge my children."

I felt uncomfortable with the height advantage that Harvey had. I stood up. It was no use. He was still so much bigger and taller. "Harvey, your kids had nothing whatsoever to do with my decision to get engaged to Kale."

Harvey stepped forward. "Don't lie to me, Drew. And stop lying to yourself."

"I'm not!" Why couldn't he just accept that I wanted Kale? Okay, he made me feel things that I didn't want to feel, and he had this way of…unnerving me. But that didn't mean anything at all.

"You are." Harvey stepped forward again. In a moment, all the anger cleared from his eyes and he grazed the back of his hand over my cheek. "You kissed me," he said softly. "And I know it made you dizzy just as much as it did me. We can't pretend it didn't happen."

I held my breath.

"And the way you look at me, Drew." Harvey paused, his eyes searching mine. "See? You're doing it now."

I turned and crossed the room. I needed my distance. I couldn't think when he was up in my face talking in that hypnotic deep voice and looking at me so intensely.

"You don't want to face it," Harvey said. "But it's not going to just go away. I'm not going to just go away."

I wanted to shut out his voice, blink and make him disappear. I didn't have to face anything. There was nothing to face.

"You're settling, Drew. You don't have to do that."

Being with Kale was
not
settling. Kale was a great guy.

"Say something, Drew."

I dragged my eyes to Harvey's face. "I want you to leave."

"I know you want me to leave." Harvey dug his hands into his pockets. "But you have to face up to this. I'm not letting it go."

I glared at him.

He raised his hands. "Fine, I'll leave." His eyes darkened dangerously with intent. "For now."

I sank into the sofa with relief when Harvey walked out. I heard the front door open and close. He had no right to charge into my house and make stupid comments. He had no right to bring up that kiss. I hadn't been myself that day, and he knew it.

I fled to my room and tried to think of something else. Anything else. But I couldn't.

I started dialling Kale, but he'd know immediately that something was wrong and I wouldn't be able to tell him what it was.

I felt like punching something. I settled for my pillow. A few punches later, my emotions were still all tangled and my eyes were filling up.
Well done, Harvey!

I paced my room, thinking. I had to be honest with myself. Harvey was gone now; it was just me and God. Was Harvey right? Had I looked at him in a way that betrayed my feelings? And these feelings, what were they?

I launched another frustrated punch into my pillow as I passed the bed. Nothing about my life was ever straightforward, was it?

I was still trying to work it out when my mum and dad got home past midnight. I heard them come up the stairs, my mum laughing hysterically about something. I hoped she wasn't drunk, she had work tomorrow.

"Drew's light is still on," I heard her tell my dad.

There was a knock on my bedroom door. "Yeah?" I called.

The door opened and my mum and dad peeked in. "What on earth is wrong with you?" my mum exclaimed.

"Nothing."

My mum shook her head. "I told you, honey. Drew and Harvey have got something weird going on."

My dad frowned. "Did he do anything that I need to go see him about?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm about to go to bed actually." I hoped they'd get the hint and leave.

They did, but a few minutes later my mum was back. She padded into the room in her house slippers and sat beside me on my bed. "What did he do?"

"Nothing."

My mum wouldn't take 'nothing' for an answer. She badgered me until I gave in and told her what happened.

"Well," she said, crossing her legs and smoothing a hand over her satin nightie—all the sexy nightwear was out now that my dad was back. Ugh! "Do you think he's right?" she asked.

"About what?" I asked.

"About your feelings."

I wanted my mum to be mad at Harvey, not take sides with him. I avoided her direct stare.

My mum put an arm around my shoulders. "I respect your decision to be with Kale, but if Harvey had no kids, do you think you might have chosen him?"

"Mum, I don't like Harvey in that way. He's nice, but I couldn't spend my life with him."

Harvey didn't want to spend his life with me, anyway. Kale was offering a lifetime of commitment. I didn't even know what Harvey was offering. He'd told me himself that he was still recovering from whatever it was that his ex did to him.

"Drew, just follow your heart," my mum said squeezing my shoulder. "You'll be fine. You're such a strong girl."

She went back to her room and I decided to go to bed. I could pound my pillow all night, but that wasn't going to give me any answers.

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

I wasn't going to let Harvey's visit throw me off balance. And I wasn't going to think about anything he'd said. Kale was far from monotonous and whatever other adjective Harvey had used to describe him.

I spent the rest of the week planning a romantic Friday evening for me and Kale. It was a surprise, so I didn't tell him. I wanted him to know, before he told me whatever it was that he wanted to tell me, that I loved him to pieces and that nothing he told me could change that. The way he'd been there for me since Travis' death was so sweet. A mistake he'd made in the past wasn't going to come between us.

I went to town on Wednesday and bought a congratulations card for his graduation. For our romantic meal I was thinking candlelight, soft music, the works. I bought some scented candles.

The police called on Wednesday evening to tell us we could access our old house now. My dad organised a removal company to get our things, and they arrived on Thursday morning. I was happy to see my clothes. They were just in time. I needed a nice dress for my romantic dinner with Kale.

On Thursday afternoon, I went out and bought some nice china for us to eat out of. Kale didn't have any nice china. None of his dishes even matched.

I called him when I got home. I needed to find out what time he was getting home tomorrow. He said he'd be home for seven.

"I can't believe you're working late on a Friday," I told him. "You're always working late."

Kale chuckled. "I might be home before then, but I don't want you waiting outside for me."

I grinned. Kale had forgotten he'd given me a key. This was too easy!

I felt a little guilty when I got to Kale's flat on Friday afternoon. He'd given me his key to use while I was staying with him, not just to let myself in whenever I wanted. But it was for a good cause.

I'd borrowed my mum's new car. I left the food in the car and grabbed the bag of decorations, china, candles, and rose petals. I smiled gleefully. This was so exciting!

I noted all the cracks in the pavement as I walked to Kale's building. I was glad to see that the lifts were working when I got there. I entered one and the doors shuddered to a close. It took me the sixth floor slowly, moaning and groaning all the way. I was glad to get out.

A dim light lit the hallway outside Kale's door, casting shadows into every corner. I removed Kale's key from my bag and quietly let myself in.

I put the bags down on the kitchen floor gently. I didn't know why I was creeping.
He's not here, so cool it!

Nevertheless, I felt like a trespasser.

I dug into my bag and removed banners, a packet of balloons and sellotape. I'd made a 'congratulations on your graduation Dr Kale Marshall' banner that I was quite proud of. I'd attached the portrait I'd painted of him to it.

I was trying to decide whether to hang the banners first or blow up the balloons when I heard a voice. It was a whispered voice, but a voice nonetheless.

I held still, listening. Had it come from next door?

There was a thumping sound, followed by a thud. My heart halted briefly. Someone was in Kale's flat. The thudding continued. It was coming from Kale's room. I tiptoed across the kitchen. I had to get out of here before I was discovered.

The voice whispered again, making every cell in my body jitter with anxiety. Then I heard a heard a grunt and sigh.

I stopped, gripping the sellotape I was holding tightly, disbelief replacing my fear. I was a grown woman. I knew that kind of sound.

I held my breath, listening carefully for a few more moments, just to make sure I was absolutely certain. The thudding was rhythmic. An aggressive, yet controlled beat that made me want to scream with anger. I had a choice to make. Did I go in there and see who it was, or did I just leave. I could leave and slam the door behind me so that Kale would know I'd been in.

I put down the sellotape softly. Who was I kidding? I was going in there. What if it was Jazz? Was she that desperate for him, that she'd seduce him to get him back?

I paced the kitchen quietly. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe it was my imagination going wild. God wouldn't let something like this happen to me. I was saved.

Yeah right, He let a car bomb explode in your face, He let your room get trashed, He let your boss poison you, He let a killer hide Travis' body in your bed!

Okay, but Kale was saved. Kale wouldn't do this to me. But maybe this was what he wanted to tell me about. Maybe he was a dirty male whore, and that was why Jazz had dumped his smelly behind.

But what was I going to do when I got in there? Well, if it was Jazz, I was going to rag all her stupid highlighted hair out. My hands were shaking slightly as I tiptoed out of the kitchen, but I forced myself into a state of calm turbulence.

When I burst into Kale's room, nothing could have prepared me for what I saw: Kale and Gordon Lamb from Kale's church, tumbling all over each other. It was the most hideous thing I'd ever seen. The look of pure surprise on their faces as I burst in would have been comical under any other circumstance. Gordon's surprise was swiftly replaced with smug contempt while Kale's morphed into horror. He grabbed a pair of boxers in an attempt to cover himself, and scrambled off the bed. "Drew."