One Kiss (One Kiss Book 1)

26. Fragile

Haley

It has been three hours since Drew dropped me off and he has not returned yet. I am all caught up with schoolwork. Amy and Jenny have been a huge help. I am so glad to have them as my best friends.

"How have things been going between you and Drew?" Amy asks after we finish all the work.

We are sitting cross-legged in a triangle on my bed. It is almost time for dinner so Ashley will be calling us soon.

"It's been really good. I cannot complain."

"It better be or I'll kick his fine a**," Jenny comments.

Amy and I laugh and then Jenny joins in.

Amy looks at Jenny. "What about you and Brody? I saw the way you kept looking at each other during breaks so don't tell me there is nothing going on." Amy points and index finger at her.

This is news to me. Apparently I have missed some juicy stuff, not just schoolwork during the week I was in hospital.

"I like him," Jenny admits. "But I'm not taking it seriously. We'll see where it leads." She shrugs.

"Did you sleep with him?"

"Not yet, but I really want to."

We all laugh again.

"What about you, Haley? Did you and Drew...?" Amy trails off.

"Not yet." I bite the side of one of my nails - it is a nervous habit.

"Do you want to?" Jenny asks.

"I'm not sure if I'm ready."

"And he hasn't tried to pressure you into doing it?" Jenny asks in surprise.

I shake my head. "He has been a perfect gentleman."

"You got him by the balls girl!" Jenny exclaims.

Ashley calls my name from downstairs and we go down to the kitchen. An aroma of chicken curry fills my nostrils. It smells delicious. Drew arrives just in time for dinner and announces that Amy's mother is waiting outside. We say 'goodbye' and they leave.

We sit at the table to eat.

"What did the mechanic say?" Ashley asks Drew.

Drew informs us that although the car suffered quite an amount of damage, it can still be repaired. It is going to take two weeks for the car to be ready because the mechanic has a lot of work on other cars too. The insurance will cover most of the expenses but the insurance will increase next year.

Ashley clears her throat. "There something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Drew asks.

"I was thinking of applying for a job at the mall. I am fed up with staying at home all by myself. I need to go out there and do something with my time."

"Good for you." I am happy for her. I am sure she will do great.

Drew agrees with me and we continue eating. I glance at Drew a few times while we eat and I catch him looking my way more than once. At once point, he takes my hand in his under the table.

At the end of dinner, Ashley speaks again. "On Monday I have to go to court. The evidence I got from my PI should be enough to win the case but I wanted to ask you whether you would like to testify against Mason." Her eyes are hopeful.

I cannot do it. "I would love to help you fro everything that you did for me but I don't feel comfortable testifying, not after the accident. We don't have enough evidence to blame him but I am pretty sure he was the one who tempered with my breaks."

"I understand."

A wave of relief takes over me. I feel guilty for turning her down but I do not want to go through something like that again. And what if it was Drew who was driving my car? He would have been the one who ended up in hospital. My heart aches just thinking about it.

We clear the table and go upstairs.

As I am about to enter my room, Drew grabs my hand. "What are you doing?"

"I need to get a few things from my room."

He lets go of my hand. "Are you okay?"

I let out a deep breath. "I'm just tired."

"Okay, get your things and I'll help you get ready to bed."

Last night he helped me to bed since my shoulder is still hurting. He has been extra careful when he touches me, as if he is scared he might break me or something. It is true that I am still in pain but I miss the way we were before the accident. He used to touch me and kiss me all over. Now he is cold and warm at the same time. He keeps asking me whether I am okay but he keeps his distance from me. I used to fall asleep craddled in his arms but now he stays on his side. I want us to get close again.

I grab my hairbrush and my clothes for tomorrow and go to Drew's room. I set my clothes on top of his chair and go into the bathroom where Drew is brushing his teeth. I do the same and then brush my hair while he exits the bathroom.

He returns a minute later wearing only a white boxer briefs. He looks like a Calvin Klein model. "Do you need help with your clothes?" He is looking at me through the mirror.

"Yes please." I want him to take off my clothes and do whatever he wants but I know he would not do anything because he thinks I am fragile. I turn to face him. "You need to stop treating me like I'm glass. I know I haven't fully recovered yet but I cannot take this distance between us anymore. I need to fall asleep in your arms again. I need to be close to you."

"I'm sorry." He closes the distance between us and wraps his arms around me lightly. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I don't want to hurt you."

I breathe in his scent and wrap my good arm around his waist. "You distancing yourself from me hurts more than my shoulder."

"Let's get you to bed." He unwraps his arms from me and we walk to his bed. He helps me remove my shirt after taking off the sling. He unclasps my bra and takes it off as well. "Let me get you a shirt." He walks to the drawers and grabs a shirt. He helps me put on his blue shirt. I like the smell of him on his shirt. I put the sling back on with his help and then he removes my jeans.

"Thanks."

My confession had an impact on him because when we lie in bed, he wraps his arms around me to hold me close and I relish the feeling of his body against mine.