The party is still in full effect even after our absence. When Drew and I reach the bottom step all eyes turn to us. It's mostly the girls who stare in my direction, their smiles upturned and their glares on full hate mode as they stare at Drew and mine entwined fingers. I try to pull my hand away but he squeezes tighter and shakes his head subtly at me before facing his guest.
"Why are we all standing around for? Someone pour me a shot and let's get this place jumping!" He announces and everyone shouts excitedly, throws their hands up in the air and raises their shot glasses and red cups. The DJ turns up the volume and adds more bass to the current song he's playing and everyone starts dancing again.
The grasp Drew has on my hand loosens slightly as we climbed off the last step and stand at the bottom of the stairs.
"Would you like something to drink?" Drew bends down to whisper into my ear since the bass of the music makes it impossible to hear anything.
"Yes please." It was as if the moment he mentioned it my throat suddenly became very dry. I hadn't thought I could keep anything down if I tried eating or drinking earlier but now my stomach and throat are protesting.
"I'll be right back." He whispers into my ears before releasing my hand then dives into the crowd which quickly swallows him up. I know he's heading for the bar which is on the other side of the room so I know he won't be back for a while. I turn in the opposite direction and head for the kitchen.
Ms. Victoria is there and she gives a small smile before going back to arranging the mini food she cooked tonight.
Although it was good to see her familiar face she wasn't the person I was looking for. I scan the kitchen until my eyes land on the person I want.
Cade sits on a stool in front of the breakfast bar holding an ice-pack to his right cheek. He's looking down at the ground but looks up the second I draw closer. Our eyes meet, his bright eyes widening the same time he removes the ice pack from his face and sets it on the counter before standing up to face me.
I left a mark. The right side of his face is slightly puffy, stained pink with a small faded red gash on it.
"That looks bad." I take a cautionary step towards him.
Cade shrugs. "I deserved it."
"Yeah, you did." I wrap my arms around myself.
"I'm sorry about what I said to you Mia."
"I thought we were friends Cade... Why would you say something so mean?"
"I'm an ass. I saw how beautiful you look tonight and knowing that you were here for him set me off. I said something disrespectful and something I didn't mean and I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
I stare at him. He's my friend even if he hadn't been in that moment when he said those things to me. In the small amount of time that we've known each other, I began to value his friendship and I didn't want to lose it.
"Yeah," I let my arms fall from my chest and Cade visibly relaxes as well. "But if you ever disrespect me again our friendship is over." I warn him.
"Yes Ma'am." Cade grins.
"Put the ice pack on your bruise. That looks like it hurts." I frown. I hadn't meant to hit him that hard.
"It's okay... the person hits like a girl." He grins even wider and relief washes over me when I realize that it wasn't going to be hard for us to go back to the way things were before at all.
"Oh yeah?" I grin. "You want to give me your other cheek so we can try again?" I offer teasingly. Cade shakes his head laughing, his face lights up with the widest smile before he's outstretching his arms for me to walk into. I erase the distance between us and fall easily into his embrace. His strong arms wrap around me and squeezes and I bring my arms around his waist and lay my chin on top of his shoulder.
Someone clears their throat and I can feel Cade tense up against me. Slowly his arms unwrap themselves from around me, forcing me to let him go as well. I furrow my eyebrows together as in to ask what's wrong but he stays rigid and silent, making me turn around to see who caused the change.
Drew stands in the kitchen shoulders locked, feet spread, and jaw clenched as he stares menacingly at Cade. The drink I asked him for is in one hand and the other is clenched to his side.
"Cade was just apologizing," I say, feeling the need to explain why we were hugging and hope maybe that he'd relax a little bit more because he was the most intimidating I'd ever seen him.
Drew tore his gaze from Cade to look at me. "Here's your drink." He offers the red cup to me.
I mutter my thanks. "Come on, let's go." There was too much testosterone going on in this kitchen right now. Drew doesn't budge and neither does Cade and I was afraid one of them was going to do something they'd regret.
"Just so there's no confusion, the only reason I'm not firing your ass is because of her." Drew tells Cade before he reaches down and threads our fingers together and starts to pull me out towards the door. I mouth the words I'm sorry to Cade before Drew drags me out of the kitchen. "I should've fired him." Drew growls, his hand clutches my hand tighter.
"No, you shouldn't have. We all say things in the heat of the moment," I defend. "Besides, he apologized and we're moving on." I tell him.
Drew sighs loudly then unclenches his jaw before looking at me. "The next time he says something about you, he's fired." He tells me.
"I can fight my own battles," I argue. He opens his mouth to protest but I shake my head, stopping him. "Enough. This is supposed to be a party and I'm not having fun." I tell him. I can tell he wants to push the argument more but doesn't. Instead, he takes my hands, leads me to an empty spot on the makeshift dance floor, pulls me close and wraps his arms around my waist.
"Better?" He asks.
"Much better." I smile as I wrap my arms around his neck. Drew moves us around in a slow circle, matching the beat of the slow song playing around us. My eyes scan the room and it lands on the kitchen door just as Ms. Nancy walks out. We lock stares and I can see the worry in her eyes. I know she's worried about me getting hurt when this was all over and truth is I'm worried too. But my heart is telling me this is something I need to do. I don't want to look back years from now and regret not taking this chance. So when this is all over I was going to be okay.
I had to be.
We're two hours in when I decide to call it a night. It's already midnight and I need to be back here by seven in the morning.
I finish off the last bit of the ice tea in my cup and toss it in the nearest trash can before searching for Drew. Thankfully there were no more exciting moments or spilled appetizers after my incident with Cade. I think everyone was too drunk to remember or care.
Since this was his party and over a hundred people were here to see him and celebrate with him I tried to give Drew as much space as possible to be with his friends. Including the girls. They all flocked to him and stared at him with heart-shaped eyes. Not that I could blame them. I was probably guilty of giving him that same look.
There are so many people, all of whom are a lot taller than me that I have to stretch my head to search for Drew. I find him with Luke, both of them are leaning against the glass window with a shot of something golden in a small glass cup. He's laughing at something Luke tells him before bringing the rim of his glass into his lips then throwing his head back along with whatever was in his glass. I watch as he coughs uncontrollably then laughs it off with Luke doing the same.
He's having such a good time that I don't want to interrupt but I didn't want to leave without him knowing either. With my mind made up, I heave my way through the crowd, bumping into sweaty bodies until I reach him.
"Hey!" I wobble underneath Drew's weight when he drapes an arm over my shoulder once I'm close enough." I just came to tell you that I'm going to head out."
"What? You can't leave now! This party is just getting started." Levi argues.
"Yeah well some of us have work in the morning." I retort.
"Work?" Drew faces me and I see his confused expression.
"Yeah. It's this little place where I come all day for a few dollars and wear a uniform, you may have seen me around."
He sighs heavily and I move his arms off of me. "So you're going home?"
"I have to." I give him a sad smile. I didn't want to go but I had reality to get back to in a few hours.
"Okay." He's disappointed and I feel awful but I have to go home.
"Before I forget..." I reach into my purse and pull out the birthday card I bought for Drew. It was probably silly but I didn't know what to get a guy who clearly has everything. "Happy Birthday." Drew looks down at the colorful card then back at me, an amused glint in his eyes. "I know it's not much and-"
Drew shakes his head at me. "You already gave me the best present ever."
***
The next morning I walk into the kitchen where I know Ms. Victoria is going to need help preparing Drew's breakfast.
"Good morning Ms. Victoria." I walk up to the sink where she was hand washing some dirty pots.
"Good morning Mia."
"Are you ready to make breakfast?" I ask, getting ready to wash my hands before we got started.
"It's already done." Ms. Victoria tells me just as she finish rinsing out the last pot.
"What do you mean? We usually do it together." I frown in confusion.
"What you got cooking this morning Ms. V? I'm starving." Cade burst into the kitchen and steals a plate out of the cupboard before facing a scowling Ms. Victoria.
"Excuse me boy?" She scowls harder as she glares at him. "Have you forgotten your manners?"
Cade gets sheepish, smiling like a little boy who doesn't want to get in trouble. "I'm sorry. Good morning." He kisses her cheek and Ms. Victoria rolls her eyes and it almost looks like she's blushing.
She affectionately smacks him away before sliding a few blueberry pancakes onto his plate.
"Morning Cade."
He turns to me and his face brightens up. "Morning Mia." He slides onto a stool at the breakfast bar. "Go grab yourself a plate and have breakfast with me."
Before I can agree Ms. Victoria is butting in. "Actually Ms. Mia is needed in the dining room."
"For what?" Cade and I ask at the same time.
"You," she turn to stare pointedly at Cade. "Hush your mouth and eat your pancakes." Then she turns to me "And you- go inside that dining room. Mr. Lyons is waiting for you."
Excited, I leave the kitchen and go into the dining room. Drew is slouched in his seat dressed casually in a wrinkled white shirt with his brown hair disheveled and a smile that made him more beautiful. It's only seven in the morning. It's not fair that he wakes up looking sexy.
"Good morning," I say stunned to see him sitting here about to eat breakfast this early. He's usually sleeping at this time.
"Good morning." Drew stands up from his seat and comes over to me, kissing me on my cheek.
"What is all this?"
"I wanted to steal you away before you had to work."
"But Ms. Victoria had to do all of this herself." I frown.
"Don't worry, she didn't mind and I'm giving her a chance to rest."
"Okay."
"Can we eat now? I'm starving." Drew brings me over to the table and pulls out a seat for me.
"Thanks," I mumble as he takes his seat next to me. "How was the rest of your night?" I ask after taking a sip of my orange juice.
"Blurry." He admits.
"You had quite a bit to drink last night," I say.
"I'm regretting that now," Drew says with a low groan.
"You didn't have to wake up early for me. We could've just seen each other later." He must have a hangover right now and even though I never had one, I'd seen Celine go through enough to know they looked like they sucked on a whole different level.
"Nah, it's okay." He waved off my worry. "You're worth it."
I smile in response, not really sure what else would be an appropriate response. Thank you just didn't seem right.
We have breakfast and I listen to Drew tell me the bits and pieces he remembers from last night.
"Dude, you're having breakfast without me?" Luke's familiar voice startles me and Drew and I both turn our heads to see him coming down the stairs with a pained look on his face and dressed in nothing but a pair of blue boxers.
"Looks like someone else had too much to drink." I comment.
"Shh! Use your inside voice!" Luke begs me in a sing-song voice before snatching a piece of bacon off of Drew's plate.
"I'm sorry." I giggle, just as I slide out of my seat.
"Where are you going?" Drew asks once he sees me leaving.
"I'll be back." I reassure him before I head into the kitchen.
"You guys finished with breakfast already?" Ms. Victoria looks surprised.
"Not really." I walk over and open the fridge.
"What are you searching for?"
I tell her the ingredients I need which thankfully she has, then I get to work. When it's finished I take the two cups with me and back into the dining room.
Drew eyes the drinks in my hand even as I set them in front of him and Luke.
"What is this?" He asks then pulling a face after taking a whiff.
"It's my hangover remedy drink."
"What's in it?" Luke asks, eying the cup.
"That's a secret."
Both guys stare at me as if I lost my mind.
I roll my eyes. "Just trust me. I've had a lot of experience making this and it works." I tell them.
"Didn't think you were a drinker." Luke says, bringing the cup up to his lips.
"I'm not."
"Then how-"
"Dude, just shut up and drink." Drew jumps in and I'm so grateful for the save of not having to talk about my mother.
The both of them take a surprisingly big gulp and swallow it down at the same time.
"Aw, this shit is nasty!" Luke exclaims, slamming the drink down on the table.
"I never said it tasted good." I laugh.
"Could've warned us." Drew argues.
"But then I wouldn't get to see the funny faces you're making now."
"That's just cruel." Luke pouts.
"You'll thank me in an hour." I reply. Luke shakes his head but takes another sip of his drink
"Mia." I hear Ms. Nancy calling my name and I see her motioning at her watch.
"Thank you." Drew motions to his drink on the table.
"No problem." It was the least I could do to make him feel better.
"I'm gonna let you get to work and I'll try my best to leave you alone." Drew tells me
"I'll see you later?" I ask, suddenly feeling silly and shy in front of him.
"Sooner if I can help it." He grins at me and my stomach does that weird fluttery thing it always does whenever he smiles at me. I smile in response and Drew kisses my cheek before I head back inside the kitchen. Already I miss him and want to go back out to him but I have a job to do.
This was going to be a long day.