Chapter 64: Chapter 64

Charlee.

Letter: I’ve wanted for so long to apologize from the bottom of my heart for all the hurt that my actions caused you. If it hadn’t been because I knew how close you were to Drew when she insisted you’d understand once she explained, I would have never agreed to go forward with it. It’s unfortunate the way things went down, but we really had no choice. I swear to you like I did to Drew back then, I didn’t know they were going to do everything they did on Facebook. I didn’t realize how cruel they’d be about it. For the longest time, not a day went by that I didn’t think about it. Before you left, Drew promised me you were over it. And even though she said I shouldn’t ever contact you, that it would only bring back the ugly memories, I just had to. I really, REALLY needed to apologize to you personally, even if it is in the form of a letter. I want you to know that I meant it when I said you were special. I meant everything I said to you back then. I truly hope you have moved on and can someday forgive me.

Danny

Charlee had gone numb the moment she read Drew’s name. There was no way, no way, this could be true. She crushed the letter in her hand. How dare he try to put this off on Drew, the one person besides Gwen and her grandmother she’d always trusted with her life? Drew was the best friend anybody could ask for, and she’d been just as devastated about this as Charlee had been. She even cried with her for days. For Danny to throw this on her—Drew insisted he go through with it? Horse shit!

As livid as she felt, she was glad now that she’d read it. Now she could accept what a worthless piece of shit Danny really was. He was still trying to feed her the crap about thinking she was special and meaning everything he’d said so sincerely back then. Did he really expect her to believe that when in the very same letter he accused Drew of being in on the whole thing—the worst thing that Charlee had ever had to live through?

Even as she walked back to her seat with the letter now crushed in her pocket, she felt a bit numb. She knew this was impossible. Drew would never do something like that to her. Charlee couldn’t even think of an instance in which they’d have no choice but to go through with it.

She racked her memory now, thinking back to how it all had happened to begin with, and her stomach dropped a bit, remembering how Drew was the one who had encouraged her to accept the invitation that she’d already turned down. As much as she liked Danny, she was so excruciatingly shy she couldn’t even imagine going to a regular party with him. But Drew was the one who insisted she go. Charlee had finally agreed but said she would only go if he asked again. There was no way she was bringing it up again, and secretly she hoped he wouldn’t—that maybe he’d already asked somebody else. Then the very next day, he brought it up again.

With her heart starting to thump, she shook her head as she reached her row of seats. His calling the very next day had just been a coincidence. There was no way in hell Drew would do something like that to her. No way, and she was done even entertaining the very idea.

They landed at LAX just before 9:00 p.m., but since their bodies were on Eastern Time, they were all still exhausted. Natalie picked up Walter while Abel and Drew picked up Hector and Charlee. As much as she hated saying goodbye to Hector, she could hardly wait to get to her bed. She was so exhausted.

She told Drew all about her weekend and even gave her some of the specifics of how she’d finally got to live out some of the hot fantasies she’d had of Hector. Drew giggled incessantly when Charlee told her about the way she’d woken Hector up on their flight there.

“Does not surprise me in the least that he’s so damn hot in bed,” Drew said as she pulled into a gas station. “I’m not gonna lie to you, Charlee, and this was before you two got together. So like we’ve always fantasized about the same guys in the past, and I wasn’t breaking any girlfriend code or anything, but I’m just gonna admit it,” she said as she parked and pulled the hand brake up. “I had a few pretty steamy fantasies of my own that involved Hector.” She shrugged, opening her door. “You’re one lucky girl. Your man is hot.”

Charlee sat there as her friend walked around the car and swiped her credit card at the pump. Normally, this wouldn’t have bothered her in the least, but given the crumpled letter in her pocket and the roller coaster of emotions she’d felt ever since she read it, her mind was still a bit dazed. Thoughts of Drew fantasizing about Hector continued to linger annoyingly for a few more minutes until Drew’s phone ringing loudly startled her out of them.

“Is that my phone?” Drew asked from where she stood, pumping gas in her car.

“Yes,” Charlee yelled out.

“Answer it if it’s my dad. He’s actually home tonight, and I told him to text me if he wanted me to pick something up for him on the way home. But he always calls instead.”

Charlee glanced back at the screen on Drew’s phone. Sure enough, Daddy flashed across it as it rang again. She picked up and answered. “Hi, Mr. Morris, this is Charlee. Drew is pumping gas right now.”

“Hi, Charlee,” he responded cheerfully. “I trust Drew was on time? She was worried she might not be.”

“She was right there waiting when I came down the escalators.” She smiled; already any negative thoughts of Drew were fading fast.

He told her what he wanted from KFC, and Charlee assured him she’d relay the message. When she hung up, she noticed the picture on Drew’s screen and smiled. It was one Drew took just after they arrived at the airport this past summer. They both smiled big as Drew held up the phone in front of them and took it. Drew said the photo would represent their “new beginning.”

Drew had taken a lot of pictures that day and in the ones that followed. That felt like a lifetime ago now, and Charlee searched her phone for more photos. Hitting something that popped up Drew’s text message log, she froze when she saw Hector’s name near the top. Was it possible that Drew knew another Hector? Not likely. Charlee would’ve heard about him already. But Drew would’ve mentioned it to Charlee if they’d ever texted. She hit his name and was certain now this had to be another Hector. There were way too many messages between them for Drew not to have mentioned this.

Feeling a little underhanded and guilty that she would suspect anything of not just Drew but Hector as well because he hadn’t mentioned anything either, she glanced back to see where Drew was. She appeared to be wrapping it up, so Charlee scrolled up quickly and read a few of the exchanges.

Drew: Are you sure?

Hector: . . . Tempting. Very, VERY tempting but as much as I’d love take you up on that offer, I’m gonna have to pass on any of that from here on. It just feels wrong now.

Drew: Okay, but just so you know the offer stands indefinitely. Charlee can be . . . complicated. So just remember I’m your go-to girl, and I’m only a text away. ;)

The driver’s side door opened, and Charlee set the phone down immediately, the blood thrumming against her ears loudly.

“So does he want me to get him anything?”

“Yes,” Charlee said at the moment, unable to remember what her dad had asked for. “Uh,” Drew started the car but didn’t pull out. She stared at Charlee, waiting. “A chicken sandwich,” Charlee finally said.

Whatever they talked about on their way to KFC and then back to Drew’s house was a blur now. All Charlee could think of were the texts. There had to be an explanation. So why not just ask her? She couldn’t. The fear that this might be what it actually sounded like was paralyzing. It just couldn’t be true, but why hadn’t either of them mentioned that they texted each other? Certainly Charlee would mention to Hector if she was texting with any of his friends, especially if his friends were making her very tempting offers that felt wrong. And what did he mean he needed to pass on them from here on? The offer stands indefinitely. What the hell was she offering him? His go-to girl?

Charlee rushed straight toward her room as soon as they got to the house.

“Aren’t you gonna eat?” Drew asked.

“I need to unpack first,” she said as she blew past Drew, the anger and feelings of betrayal mounting.

There was a knock on the door. “You okay?” Drew called from the other side.

“I’m fine,” Drew said, reaching for the crumpled letter in her pocket.

“Okay . . .” Drew said, obviously picking up on Charlee’s not so fine tone. “I’ll be in the dining room with my dad if you wanna join us. You should before your sandwich gets cold.”

Charlee couldn’t even respond now that she reread the letter from Danny. If this were really true, if Drew were capable of doing this, tempting Hector with who knows what and telling him Charlee was complicated, then maybe she did know about the dog party beforehand.

Her mind raced now as she paced in her room. Could Hector have really done something with Drew, even if it now felt wrong and had turned Drew’s offer down? She remembered his interest in Drew before he showed any in Charlee. Her head buzzed with so many things coming to her now.

The day after the keg party, Charlee had gone back to bed, and Drew was gone when she woke. Then Drew had acted so weirdly when she got home, and Charlee had asked her where she’d been. Unable to take it anymore, she rushed out of her room, stopping only when she saw Drew’s phone on the table in the front room. She picked it up and opened the text message log and clicked on Hector’s name. She scrolled randomly, reading the first exchange it stopped on.

Drew: I can’t believe you’ve never noticed. She so pathetically obvious about how lovesick she is!

Hector: Yeah, well, kill me I hadn’t. Maybe my mind being so preoccupied with another girl had something to do with it.

“Are you . . .” Charlee looked up at Drew, who stood by the dining room entrance staring at Charlee holding her phone.

Hot tears blurred Charlee’s vision now. Drew had been the number one advocate all her life for trying to convince Charlee she wasn’t pathetic. Her using the word in describing her, and to Hector of all people, hurt more than her not telling her about the texts.

“Did you know about the dog party before I went to it?” Her words were a strained whisper. She could hardly believe she was saying them.

Drew’s expression fell, and Charlee knew right then it was true. “Who told you?”