Afterglow (BWWM)

Chapter 19

Drew's brother was a moron.

I'd admit to wishing I had a sibling in the past. Someone to share my adolescent existence and bitch about my mom with, but at times like this, I was grateful I was an only child. Instinct told me this wasn't the first time Drew had to bail James out of a dumb situation. How many times did he have to alter his life to accommodate his brother's mistakes? I felt bad for him.

I stood up. "Hold on. I'm coming with you," I said.

Drew made a face. "I don't think so. I didn't go through the trouble of getting us last minute reservations here so you could spend the last half of our date at a police station. Stay. Enjoy the food. I'll make arrangments with the host to get you a cab."

"Drew, you're not dragging me along kicking and screaming. I want to go."

He frowned. "Why? You don't even like James."

Like? No, I despised James. He struck me as someone who got off on other people's misery and now his antics were eating into my time with Drew. Regardless of how I felt about him, though, James was Drew's family. If there was a chance I could lessen some of the stress Drew must be feeling, I wanted to be there.

"Just because your brother is not my favorite person, it doesn't mean I want him to go to jail. It may not mean much, but I have some basic knowledge of the law and might be able to help. Unless you have an actual lawyer you can call, I'm the best you got."

Drew gave me a sly smile. His eyes shone with amusement when he said, "You sound like a concerned girlfriend."

I sighed. Even with his brother in trouble, Drew didn't miss a beat. "Or maybe I'm a really thoughtful friend," I countered.

Drew's eyes narrowed. "We both know we're not friends. Not by any stretch of the imagination."

"Semantics," I said, skirting the issue.

I knew how this looked. My motivations for insisting I tag along were up for debate. I could easily go home and use the rest of the night to study. That would be a much more efficient use of my time. But, then, Drew wouldn't be there and that thought saddened me. I didn't want to be stuck with my same old boring thoughts, doing the same old boring things that had me missing out on the important things in life.

When Drew was around, things were different. Every second I spent with him was like taking a trip down the rabbit hole where an unexplored world awaited me on the other side. I wasn't ready for the experience to end. I liked being in Wonderland too much.

"Are we going or not?" I said.

Drew glanced at me knowingly, and then he put his arm around me.

"Alright, if I can't talk you into staying, then let's get moving."

Drew took care of the check and then stepped out to make a call. I grabbed my jacket and shoes while our server began to pack our meals to go. A few minutes later we were out the door. We walked to the main road that led to the golf course and after a brief wait, two cars pulled up. I recognized Drew's bright yellow Mustang as one of them. Drew's frat brothers, Ty and Lance, exited the driver's side of their respective cars.

The three of them greeted each other and shared a handshake I'd seen Drew do with his brothers before. Ty handed Drew his car keys.

"Thanks, man. I really appreciate this," Drew said.

"We got you. Let us know if you need anything else," Ty said.

Drew nodded. "I can handle it from here."

The guys parted ways and Ty and Lance waved goodbye at me before we all separated. Drew and I got into his Mustang while his brothers hopped into the other car and took off.