Ash’s mouth whispered against his ear, speaking words only meant for him to hear. “Shhh. I won’t, baby. I’ll stay as long as you need me to.”
Drew closed his eyes, swiping his fingers over his wet cheeks and damp lashes. When he turned around, Shelly stood there, her eyes wide with shock. Damn, he’d forgotten all about her.
“Shelly, we need to talk.”
Chapter Seventeen
Ash watched as Drew walked his girlfriend around the corner to the lounge area. Shit, he hated hospitals. He hadn’t been in one since Mr. Frank died. That sickly sweet smell of chemicals, mixed with the pungent odor of antiseptic made his skin crawl.
But when he heard what had happened to Esther, he’d almost lost control right in his office. My God, that woman was as dear to him as if she were his actual family. And, as of right now, Drew said he needed him and that was the only thing that mattered. A hand touched his shoulder, and he started. Jordan stood next to him, a curious look on his face.
“What are you doing here? I didn’t think you and Drew were even friends anymore.”
Neither did he; yet when Rachel called to tell him about Esther, there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation as to where he had to be. And for whom. The time had come to put aside all the petty bullshit of the past few months. Life crises usually brought people together, but this time Ash thought he might stay and fight for the man he couldn’t get out of his head and his heart.
“Things have a way of coming into perspective when you’re faced with an emergency. Rachel called me, and here I am.” What he really wanted to do was tell Jordan to fuck off, but out of respect for Esther, he’d hold his temper.
“Don’t mess with him, not when he’s so vulnerable.” Jordan’s attempt to scare him off was laughable.
“Listen to me carefully, Jordan, since I’m only going to say this once to you. I’m not your friend. I’m here for Drew. If you can’t deal with it, not my problem, buddy boy. Now go back to your boyfriend and leave me the hell alone.” Without waiting for an answer, he stormed off in the direction he’d seen Drew and his girlfriend walk. Rounding the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks. They were arguing, and he didn’t want to intrude, yet he couldn’t help but stand and listen.
“What the hell was that about with Ash? You’ve barely spoken to that man in months, yet he shows up and you’re hugging him like a long-lost brother.”
Ash crept up quietly and peeked around the wall. Shelly and Drew stood facing each other, but neither one could see him.
“I don’t owe you any explanation. Plus, I really don’t want to have this conversation here or now.” Ash could tell by Drew’s body language that he was holding back something.
“We’re a couple. We love each other. How can you say you don’t owe me any explanation?” Ash winced at Shelly’s strident, desperate tone.
Drew took her hand, a pained expression on his face. “Look, I’m sorry it had to come to this. I didn’t want to talk here, but you’re forcing my hand.”
For the first time, Ash felt sorry for Shelly. He could tell by the dawning expression of shock and pain on her face that she knew what was coming before Drew even spoke.
“Oh my God, you’re breaking up with me, aren’t you?” She pulled her hand from Drew’s as if it were singed by fire. “But I love you.” Her face screwed up as tears coursed down her cheeks.
“Oh, Shel, I’m sorry. But this all happened too fast. You don’t really love me. We barely know each other.” He took her hands in his. “It has nothing to do with you, please believe me. You’re a great person.”
She gave a shaky laugh. “The ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech, huh?” A shudder rolled through her slight frame. “I think it’s more than that.”
“What do you mean? I’m not ready for a serious relationship right now.” Drew turned away from her to walk over to the window. Ash could see the tension in his back and, strangely enough, itched to hold him.
“You’re fooling yourself, and I should’ve seen it. It’s Ash, isn’t it?” She joined him at the window, putting her hand on his arm. “I saw it for a moment the first time I met him at your apartment, but tonight it was blatantly obvious.”
Drew stared at her, his face pale. “What are you saying?”
“When you saw him tonight, you needed him. It showed on your face. You never looked at me the way you looked at him.” Her voice caught on the hiccup of a sob. She passed her hand over her eyes, then shook her head. “You’ve never needed me.”
She picked up her purse from the chair and turned to leave. Ash stepped in front of her. “I owe you an apology. I was wrong about you.”
For a moment she studied his face. “No, you weren’t. If I thought there was a chance, I would fight for him. But I’m not who he wants.” She walked away, back straight, head high.
A classy woman.
“Ash.” Drew’s voice drove all thoughts of Shelly from his mind.
“Hey, baby. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I wanted to make sure you were all right.” His gaze raked down Drew’s body with a hungry intensity, taking in his lean, sinewy frame. “Was she right? Do you need me?” He advanced on Drew until they stood so close their breaths mingled. The green of Drew’s eyes darkened until they looked almost black.
“I think I do, yeah.” Drew tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling, but all Ash could think of was licking his Adam’s apple and biting that beautifully pale skin down his neck.
