Secrets // SFR&TM Sequel

Chapter Thirteen - Patrick

Patrick paced back and forth in his teammate's apartment, debating on whether or not to go back to Iowa and tell Drew everything she probably always knew.

"I mean, I could just wait until she decides whether or not to stay with Beau and then I could tell her."

"Just go down there and tell her. You might be able to change her mind before she makes her decision." Tazer was tired of him talking about Drew, to put it nicely.

"But she's already made up her mind, she just won't budge on telling anyone here decision."

"She probably told Scarlett. Or her brother."

"But the night I spent at her parents, when we slept together. There was something there. I could tell."

"Maybe it was just really good sex, Kane. If Beau has been sleeping around, he probably doesn't perform very well with Drew."

Patrick gave his teammate a dirty look and went to his fridge, trying to find something to eat. It was all healthy though. He thought about drowning some vegetables in ranch, but knew that in the freezer there would be some sort of ice cream. Jonny didn't eat it that often, but always had some in there.

He grabbed a spoon and sat at the table, shoveling the plain vanilla ice cream into his mouth. He knew it would have to be done eventually.

"Fuck it. I'm going. I'll be back for practice tomorrow."

Patrick got in his car and drove the three hours to the Miller family farm, just like he had a few days before. He had the entire time to think about everything. What he was going to tell her. How he was going to approach the whole situation.

He didn't tell Drew he was coming, he just hoped that her parents were happy to see him like always.

Drew's sister opened the door, "Hey Patrick." She giggled. It was obvious that she loved that she had a crush on Patrick. And had even before her sister started her 'friendship' with Patrick. "What are you here for?"

"Is Drew here? I kinda need to talk to her."

"Yeah. She's in her room watching netflix.." She told him, disappointed. She opened the door wide enough for Patrick for brush past her and he went to her room.

"Where's Hudson?" He startled Drew as she changed into a different set of clothes. He rushed by her side to steady her.

"He's with my parents. What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Well, I'm about to go out with Kaley. So you can while I'm either tacking up or go riding with me."

"I guess I'll go with you. Listen, I really need to tell you something."

"Okay, well I'm all yours for the next few hours."

They gathered the horses and tied them up in the barn. He watched as she brushed the two off and start to saddle them

"Drew, I love you. I always have and probably always will, as cliche as that sounds. I know I've done some stupid shit in the past, okay a lot of stupid shit in the past, but I'm over that. I want to settle down. I'm sure Beau's a great guy when he's got his head on straight, but you deserve so much better. So much better than me actually, but if it's not working with him, please just give me a chance. I'll raise your child like my own, heaven knows I love him like he's mine anyway." Patrick pleaded as she started to saddle the second horse. He was somewhat scared of riding in the snow, but if she wanted to he would go with her. He just really wanted her to listen.

"Everything is so fucked, Patrick. I don't know what to do. I know that he's sorry. I don't know if he's going to do anything else though. You don't think I haven't thought about packing and moving to Chicago with you. I want that more than anything else. But I have a son to think of. And if I think that Beau might actually be able to make things work with me, I'm going to choose him."

Patrick silently nodded his head and tried to forget what she had said. The silence wasn't awkward as the went along her family's property, but there was a lot of tension between the two of them. Drew wished that he wasn't there with her.

Riding horses to her is like meditation or running is to other people. She prefered to be alone. He somehow understood that and stayed back quite a few feet so that she could kind of be alone.

The two of them knew that they worked better together than Drew and Beau ever did. Despite Patrick's reputation, he was the more faithful of the two. Anyone that knew the two of them knew that.

Scarlett and Robert were torn on this situation. She wanted Drew with Kane and Robert was of course on his best friends side. Not that it mattered right now, they weren't talking and it didn't look like they would be any time soon.

"Patrick. What am I supposed to do?" She stopped her horse and looked to him with tears in her eyes. "I love Beau, but I don't want to be the girl that goes back to a cheater. If I move to Chicago with you, what is everyone going to think of me? I'm tired of hearing the shit that people say about me. I didn't purposefully get involved with NHL players. No one fucking gets it."

"Drew. It's okay. You'll figure out what to do."

"He's not even trying though. He's barely called. Huds keeps asking about him and I don't know what to say. Do I let him call him? What if I make the wrong decision Patrick? I'm so bad at this. I should have stayed in Los Angeles and kept my job. I would've been happier there."

"If that's what you want, then you should go. I'm sure Beau's family would help you with Hudson."

She dropped her reigns and leaned forward to rub her horse's neck, "I guess I could try. I just don't know if I want my son growing up in the area I would live."

Patrick saw where she was coming from. LA could be a dangerous place, but he would also get to go to Disneyland a lot. And what little kid didn't love Disneyland?

He slid off the horse, letting it paw at the snow covered grass. He stretched and checked his phone, not realizing Drew was right in front of him. He put the cellular device back in his pocket. They stared at each other for a while before she grabbed the hood of his jacket and pulled him towards her.

Their lips met and Patrick pulled away, "Drew. We can't keep doing this."

She laughed, remembering exactly what happened a few years before, "I think I've told you that before."

"And you were right. Come on, let's get back to your house. I have to leave soon."

"Stay." Her eyes pleaded for him to stay the night once again, but he knew that she needed her time to figure this out.

"I want to, but I can't."

"But I want you, Patrick. I should have stayed in Chicago. Nothing would be like this if I just stayed." She took a deep breath and looked down at her feet. "Can I tell you something, but you promise that you won't get mad at me?"

"Yes. Yes of course, Drew. What is it?" Patrick started to worry. He knew that something was wrong, but couldn't sense what it was. For all he knew she could be dying.

"The first night we met, we you know." He nodded his head. "There must have been a hole in the condom or something, but I got pregnant. I caught it early enough that I took the abortion pill. It was long before I knew that you would become my best friend. I was young and scared and I'm really sorry, but I thought you should know."

Tears came to Patrick's eyes as he watched his best friend talk about their child that never was born. All he could do was wrap his arms around Drew and hold her close. "It's okay, Drew. I was so selfish and caught up in an unhealthy lifestyle, that it's probably what I would have wanted you to do."