Chapter Twenty-One
Chloe
Six Months Later
I blew a strand of hair that had fallen loose from my ponytail out of my face as I left my class of the day and walked to my car. After throwing my books in the backseat, I sat behind the wheel and started my brand new car. I had decided to trade my car in for a brand new Kia Sorento at the beginning of the school year, using a small amount of the money my aunt had left me.
Winter in West Virginia could go from warm and sunny to snow-covered roads in a matter of hours. If I wanted to make it from the house I shared with Amber and Logan off campus to my classes when the roads were bad, I knew I needed something four-wheel drive.
The three of us decided that we were over the whole sharing a bathroom with other students and started looking for a house to rent as soon as we got back from Ocean City. We found one just a couple of miles away from the main campus for a reasonable price. As soon as the ink was dry on the paper, we had picked up my stuff from Drake’s house and took it to our new home. When everything was packed and loaded into my car, I sat my key on the kitchen counter and walked away from the house and from Drake.
That was almost three weeks after my break up with Drake and I hadn’t heard a word from him. With every day that passed with no word from him, my hope had dwindled. He knew by then that I was serious, but had obviously decided that the drugs meant more to him than I did.
A week before school started, Jade had called me with some news. The band had been contacted by a studio in Los Angeles that wanted them to come out and record a few tracks to see how they sounded. While I was glad that things were starting to look up for them, I was also disappointed. Jade said they had all accepted the offer, which meant Drake would be in Los Angeles working on his music instead of returning to school. I had hoped that if Drake came home, maybe he would see reason and seek the help he desperately needed.
Jade and I had kept in touch through the first month of school, but with both of our schedules full we had quickly lost contact. I hadn’t heard from her since September and the last time she called, she said Drake seemed to be using more instead of trying to get better. The band had been pushing him to stop, but with the potential of a recording contract hanging over all of them, they didn’t want to push him away and ruin all of their dreams.
I pulled into my driveway and parked my car. One of the things that had drawn us to this house was the fact that it had private off-street parking, something that was a novelty in a college-student packed town.
Since it was a Friday and I had no weekend classes, I left my bag in the car as I walked into the house. Amber and Logan were sitting in the living room watching some stupid reality television show. Amber was addicted to reality television and I couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on Logan’s face as he watched it with her. His eyes found mine as soon as I entered the room.
“Thank God, a reasonable person. Can you convince her to change the channel to something worth watching; at this point I’d take the cooking channel over this shit.”
I laughed as Amber stuck out her tongue at him. “And miss all the miserable faces you’re making? Not a chance.”
I sat down next to Amber and pretended to have my eyes glued to the television. I hated reality shows as much as Logan, but it made them worth the trouble just to watch him squirm.
“This is what I get for living with two women!” He groaned as he stood and walked out of the room.
I turned to Amber and grinned. “I hate this shit too.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I don’t like this one either, but it seemed to annoy him the most.”
“We’re horrible.” I said as we collapsed against the back of the couch in a fit of giggles.
“I know, but it’s so worth it to annoy him.” Amber gasped out.
I loved living with Amber and Logan, and not just for the good parking and actual bathroom. Coming home to both of them was the favorite part of my day, and it had helped me through dealing with the loss of Drake.
I had been nervous about living with Logan considering our past, but we had sat down and talked about everything a couple of nights after we moved in. He had sensed my uneasiness and wanted to put me at ease. While he admitted he still cared about me, after everything that had happened between us, he never wanted to go down that path again. To say I was relieved at his confession would be an understatement.
One of my fears after Drake and I split up was that Jordan or Logan would try to start a relationship with me, but I should have known better. Jordan had taken care of me after I arrived back at Danny’s. I had been a blubbering mess, but he didn’t seem to mind as he held me close and let me cry into his shirt on more than one occasion.
Amber, Logan, and I had spent a couple of days at Danny’s before leaving for West Virginia and never once had Jordan pushed the issue with me. He knew that I wasn’t looking for that type of relationship and had respected me enough to understand. Even now, we never spoke about his feelings toward me, but I think he finally accepted that we would never be more than just friends.
I still spoke with both him and Danny several times a week and had spent most of my Christmas Break at the mansion with the two of them. Amber, Logan, and I had even made the long drive out to their school during football season to watch Jordan play.
I knew next to nothing about football, but I was smart enough to know that he was good, really good. Even though he was only a sophomore in college, he had already been contacted by a couple NFL scouts about possibly joining their ranks after he graduated. I was so proud of him when he told me and I could tell just how excited he was about the whole thing.
Since my aunt left me more than enough money to cover my basic living expenses, I decided not to go back to my old job. I used the extra free time to study for my classes and I had managed to pass every single class last semester with A’s and B’s. I had made school my number one priority and threw myself into my work to distract myself. It worked most of the time, but not a day went by that I didn’t think of Drake.
The fact that he hadn’t called even once was what hurt the most. It was like I had meant nothing to him, and it made me question every aspect of the relationship we had shared. They say time heals all wounds and I guess that’s true. The first couple of months after our split, I had been depressed to say the least. Amber and Logan had stayed by my side though, and with their help I had slowly started to become the old Chloe. I hadn’t made it quite yet though, and I wasn’t sure I ever would. A broken heart was a hard thing to come back from.
Amber had forced me into a couple of blind dates, hoping to get me out of my slump, but nothing ever came of them. While most of the guys were nice, I couldn’t help but compare them to Drake in every way. Needless to say, none of them even came close. Several asked me for a second date, but I politely declined, much to Amber’s fury.
I just wasn’t ready to jump into another relationship and I didn’t think I would be ready for a very long time. I was on campus daily with literally thousands of men and none of them caught my attention in the least. I couldn’t help myself; I looked for Drake in every face even though I knew he wasn’t coming back.
I sighed as I realized I was thinking about Drake again. It seemed even bad reality television couldn’t help me escape.
“Can we change the channel before my eyes start bleeding?” I begged.
“Fine, let’s see if there are any good music videos playing.” Amber said as she started flipping channels.
She stopped at one of the music channels that actually played music. I relaxed as Stone Sour started blaring from the television. There was nothing like music to take your mind off of your problems.
Amber and I talked while we watched the video play. When it finished, another video I didn’t recognize started playing. I leaned forward, anxious to see who had come out with a new video. A few seconds in, the camera flipped to the lead singer and my heart stopped.
“Oh f*ck.” Amber muttered as she grabbed the remote to change the channel.
“No, leave it on.” I mumbled as I kept my eyes glued to the television.
Drake was staring right back at me, giving me his trademark sexy smile. I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away, even when the camera switched to Jade beating the hell out of her drums. My heart was beating wildly as I willed the camera to pan back to Drake. I got my wish a few seconds later and my breath caught in my throat.
He looked amazing, which surprised me. He had lost a little weight since the last time I’d seen him, but he had bulked up a bit as well. The shirt he wore clung to the muscles of his chest and stomach, showing just how much muscle was hiding under there.
I had envisioned him pale with bloodshot eyes, but he was just the opposite. He had never been pale to start with, but now his skin was tanned and his striking brown eyes were clear. It seemed that drugs and time away from me had been just what he needed to look even better.
Amber and I sat in silence as the video ended and the host appeared on-screen.
“That was the brand new band, Breaking the Hunger, with their first video. I have to admit, I can’t wait to see what else these guys have in store for us! We’ll be right back after the commercial break.”
Amber shut off the television and turned to me. “You ok?”
“Yes. No. Hell, I don’t know. I never expected to see him again.” I mumbled.
“I know, I should have changed it.”
“No, it’s fine. I have to face it sometime. I just didn’t expect him to look that good.”
“Me either. Are you sure he’s on drugs, because he certainly doesn’t look like he is.”
“I’m sure Amber. I found the cocaine and I talked to Jade.”
“How long has it been since you talked to her?” She asked.
I shrugged. “A couple of months ago. Why?”
“Did you think that maybe he’s cleaned up since then?”
“If he did, why hasn’t he called me?” I asked as another thought crossed my mind. “Unless he did and decided he still doesn’t want me.”
Tears sprung to my eyes and Amber hugged me. “Don’t assume that Chloe, why don’t you call Jade and see what’s going on?”
“I don’t want to bother her.” I said as I wiped a tear away.
That was a lie; I wanted more than anything to pick up my phone and demand an answer from her, but the thought of Drake being clean and still not wanting me was enough to send me into a brand new depression.
“Then text her. You know Jade wouldn’t mind.”
“I guess I could, that way if she’s too busy or she doesn’t want to talk to me she can just ignore it.”
I pulled my phone from my pocket and took a deep breath as I sent her a text.
Me: Hey Jade, long time no see. I just wanted to let you know I saw your video and it rocked! Xoxo
That seemed good enough for me; I had tried to contact her without mentioning Drake, so hopefully she would reply back.
A few seconds later, my phone dinged with an incoming text.
Jade: Chloe! I’ve missed you, how have you been? It just started playing a few days ago, I’m so excited! We’ve been working on our first album!
Me: That’s great! I’m so proud of you guys. How is… everything?
Jade: Eh, I can’t really say much Chloe. I’m sorry, but I love you both and I don’t want to be caught in the middle.
Me: I know, and I’m sorry I asked.
Jade: It’s ok, I wish I could tell you. But I can’t so I won’t. I have to go, but I hope to see you soon!
I raised an eyebrow. She hoped to see me soon? As much as I loved Jade, I didn’t see that meeting anywhere in our future. I loved her like a sister, but I didn’t think I could stand to be around her right now. She would be just another reminder of Drake and I didn’t think I could handle it after seeing him again tonight.
“Well, what’d she say?” Amber asked.
“Uh, nothing really. She doesn’t want to be in the middle of us.”
“Well that sucks. Want me to text Adam?”
“No!” I shouted, “Just leave them out of it.”
Amber and Adam had surprised me. They hadn’t seen each other in months, but still talked occasionally. Adam wasn’t the type of guy to talk to any girl, and I had started to wonder if he wasn’t interested in Amber for more than just sex. I had mentioned this to Amber one day, but she just shrugged it off.
I had to admit that I was a bit jealous that she was still in contact with the band, but I never said anything. I didn’t want to ruin her happiness just because I had lost my own. Besides, I knew she would tell me if Adam mentioned Drake, but he never did.
Amber picked up her phone and started scrolling through her contacts.
“What are you doing?” I shrieked.
“Um, ordering pizza. I’m hungry, so sue me.”
“Oh, sorry. I thought… never mind.” I mumbled.
“Whatever freak.”
“Bitch.” I growled as I threw a pillow at her.
“Hey! I’m on the phone here!” She bellowed as she threw the pillow back at me.
I laughed as I caught it and stood up. “Get it with sausage, I’m starved.”
I waited until she started placing her order before slamming the pillow in her face and running from the room. I could hear her cursing and the mumbling apologies as I walked down the hall to my room; nothing like embarrassing your best friend to lift your spirits.
The next two weeks seemed to go in slow motion. It didn’t help that every time I turned the radio on, Drake’s song was playing. I decided that listening to my CD collection was a lot safer after the third day straight of hearing his voice coming out of the speakers in my car.
Classes were starting to get tougher and I threw myself into them with everything that I had. I was taking much harder courses this semester and they helped keep my mind off of Drake. Any distraction was welcome at this point; that stupid song had brought everything to the surface.
Amber was still breezing through with the easiest classes that she could get away with. Her mom was ready to strangle her for not taking school seriously, and the phone calls between the two of them were hilarious. Her mom called at least once a week to yell at her about applying herself to her studies and for some of the charges on that were showing up on her credit card. My personal favorite was the six-hundred dollar charge for an autographed poster of Avenged Sevenfold.
Since she had so much free time, Amber was constantly trying to drag me to parties. I hated going to parties, mainly because every guy there seemed to assume that I was there to hook up with someone. It had taken a drink to the face for the last one to take the hint; after that Amber decided to let me stay home more often.
Logan, being the overachiever that he was, was taking several of the same classes as me and we spent most evenings on the couch working on a paper or studying for a test. It felt nice to have our old connection back after all those months of awkwardness.
I still thought of my mom from time to time. Danny had given me a picture of her that my aunt had from their childhood and I kept it in the drawer beside my bed. I pulled it out once in a while and stared at the innocent child my mother had once been. I like to picture her that way, instead of the horrible person she had become. After all, everyone was innocent in the beginning and my mother had been no different.
It was Friday night again, and I had decided to spend the evening on the couch with my collection of Johnny Depp movies. I popped a bag of popcorn and grabbed the blanket from my room before putting in the first movie and settling onto the couch.
Logan had gone back to his job at the shop and was working late tonight. Amber was running around the house, trying to get ready for another party.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” She pleaded. “I bet you would find a hot guy to bring you out of your dry spell.”
“I’m perfectly happy being in a dry spell as long as Johnny Depp is here to entertain me.” I said as I stuck my tongue out at her.
“Oh come on, you haven’t had sex since Drake. You’ve got to be going nuts.”
I winced at the mention of sex. I didn’t even want to date someone, let alone get all naked and sweaty with them.
“Sex is for chumps. I have popcorn.”
She laughed as she slipped her feet into a pair of heels. “Popcorn, right. You have fun with that while I’m out finding a cute guy to get naked and sweaty with.”
“I will.” I said as I turned my attention back to the television.
Amber sighed as she turned and walked back to her room. “I give up.”
I rolled my eyes as I stuffed more popcorn in my mouth. I knew she was only looking out for me, but her constantly playing cupid was starting to drive me nuts. I did have to admit that I missed sex, but I wasn’t ready to take that leap just yet.
While I knew I could go find some random guy that I’d never have to see again for a one night stand, that wasn’t my style. Besides, sex was the only thing that I had left from my relationship with Drake and I wasn’t ready to let that go just yet. Call me crazy, but I liked knowing that Drake was the last person I had been with.
Just as the movie was starting to get good, someone knocked at the door.
“Amber!” I yelled, not wanting to pause the movie.
“What?” She yelled back.
“Someone’s at the door! Answer it!”
“I’m peeing, you get it!”
I groaned as I reached for the remote and paused Johnny. Another knock came at the door as I threw my blanket and stood.
“Hold your ass, I’m coming!” I shouted as I walked to the door.
I had no idea who would be knocking at our door, and frankly I didn’t care. They were interrupting my quality time with the closest thing I had to a boyfriend.
I threw the door open and glared at the figure standing on our porch. “Yes?”
The figure turned around and my heart stopped. My mouth hung open as I stared at Drake standing on my front porch, completely at ease.
“Hi Chloe.” He said as he gave me a small smile.
At that point, I did what any self-respecting crazy woman would do. I slammed the door in his face and ran toward my room. I nearly knocked Amber down as I ran past her when she came out of the bathroom.
“Ahhh!” She shrieked as she grabbed the wall to steady herself. “What the f*ck Chloe?”
The doorbell rang again and my head snapped up to look at the door. “Don’t answer it!”
“What? Why? Who is it?”
I shook my head as I grabbed my door knob and ran inside my room. I fell onto the bed and hid my head under the pillows. There was no way that Drake could be standing at my front door after over six months of nothing from him. I had no idea what he wanted and I didn’t care. Him showing up here would only end with me being hurt all over again and I couldn’t take that. My heart couldn’t take that.
I pulled the pillows off my head and strained my ears, trying to listen for Amber or Drake’s voice but I heard nothing but silence. I hoped that Amber had kicked him off the porch and shoved her four-inch spike heels up his ass to get the point across. I loved Amber; she always looked out for me in her own way.
I smiled as I pictured Amber trying to beat the crap out of Drake. Too bad I was hiding in my room; that would have been something I wanted front row tickets to see.
I jumped when someone knocked on my door. Amber swung the door open and gave me a small smile.
“You ok?” She asked as she walked across the room and sat at the foot of my bed.
“I’m fine. Did you get rid of him?”
“Yeah, I took care of it for you. I don’t want you hiding in here all night while I’m out; come back to the living room and get your Johnny on.”
I laughed as I sat up. “I wasn’t hiding.”
“Did you forget that I witnessed your mad dash down the hallway?”
“I wasn’t hiding… I was escaping.” I grumbled.
She laughed as she stood and pulled me to my feet. “Whatever, now go bond with your popcorn and Johnny before I drag you to the party with me.”
That was all it took to get my feet moving; I did not want to spend my night surrounded by drunken idiots. I let Amber drag me back down the hallway and into the living room. She stood in front of the chair as I plopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote.
“Thanks for being here for me Amber. I don’t think I would have made it through these last few months without you.”
“Uh, no problem. Listen…”
“I’m serious. We both know I was a f*cking wreck and you helped me get my shit together. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all of this, it’s that men are total and complete dicks.” I said as I clicked play and watched Johnny start dancing across my screen.
“Well, see Chloe…” She started again but I cut her off. It felt good to just put everything out there.
“Take my word for it, men are nothing but cold-hearted bastards. Look at Drake, I loved him more than anything and he just let me go. I hope he’s enjoying the good life out in Los Angeles without me; I hope he finds some nasty groupie that gives him every STD known to man.”
“Chloe, shut up!” Amber shouted.
“No, let her finish. I’m curious as to what else she has to say about me,” a voice said from behind Amber.
I froze at the sound of Drake’s voice. Amber moved away from the chair and I started cursing when I saw him sitting there with a grin on his face. Why me?
“In my defense, I tried to warn you.” Amber said.
“I thought you said you got rid of him!” I groaned.
“I said I took care of it. There’s a difference.”
“Whatever, I’m done talking now; both of you can go jump off a bridge.”
“No keep talking, I’d love to hear what else you wish upon my poor dick. That kind of hurts you know, I’m quite fond of that certain body part.” Drake said as he smirked at me.
I couldn’t believe him; he was sitting in my house making smartass comments, pretending like the last six months never happened.
“I want him out Amber, now.” I growled. I couldn’t believe that she had done this to me. I had been praising her not five minutes ago, and here she was, stabbing me in the back.
“Just listen to him, please. If not for him, then for yourself; you deserve that much.” She pleaded.
I stared back and forth between the two of them. My mind screamed at me to make him leave before he could do any more damage, but my heart was begging me to let him stay and listen to what he had to say.
“You have five minutes, after that I’m kicking you out.” I said.
“Works for me. I’m late for my party, so I’ll catch you two later.” Amber said as she winked at me.
I glared at her. I had thought she was on my side this whole time, yet here she was, taking up for Drake.
Drake waited until she walked out the front door before he turned to me. “Did you really want me to catch a bunch of sexually transmitted diseases?”
“You’re wasting your five minutes, I’m waiting.” I said as I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.