Chapter 12
Two and a-half hours later, a sweaty Drake tried drying his face off on her sweatshirt.
“Stop it.” Laughing, she threw his towel at him. “You look much better.”
He winked. “I feel it.” Placing his hands on either side of her chair, he leaned in close, “Thank you for letting me sleep on your lap. I sure needed that little catnap.”
“You’re welcome. And yes, you did.”
His eyes held hers, as he leaned in to kiss her. “How about an ice cream on the way home?”
“That sounds good.” She kissed him back.
“I’ll be right back. I’ve got to take a shower.” Kissing her again, he lifted up and walked off towards the locker room.
“Have one for me. I’m getting tired of the sponge baths.”
He waved his towel in the air, “I’ll think of you.” He chuckled.
Shaking her head, Raven leaned back. Home. Her chest tingled, but then her stomach dropped. The White House? What was she getting herself into? A wave of panic rushed over her, Jesus, help me. I can’t stay. I can’t. His children needed him, and she didn’t belong there. She couldn’t continue to stay there, she had to return to her home. Her mind scrambled through possibilities to make it work. Maybe they could date long distance and no one would ever have to know. Then when his term was over they could see each other again. That was of course if he would wait for her, but what if he got reelected? She felt sick, more years without him. She had no choice, the sooner she left the better.
“Raven? Are you alright? You look pale.” Drake knelt in front of her, his finger traced her cheekbone.
She shook her head, her hand tucked a wet, loose curl behind his nape. “I have to go.”
“Okay, we’ll leave right now to go home.” He quickly stood and yelled for Zeak.
She tugged on his arm, “No, Drake. I have to go back to my home. We can’t keep living like this. It’s a fantasy world, and I can’t keep going on like this, you can’t. Your kids need you.”
He froze, his eyes looked at her strangely for a moment. “Sure.” He turned, and walked away.
Raven’s heart broke. Was that it? ‘Sure.’ He began a conversation with Zeak, who just nodded, and took off towards the other guys coming out of the locker room. Drake never walked back over to her, he stayed in the corner against the wall by the door. She looked her fill of him. His eyes were closed, and his leg was bent with his shoe flat against the wall. His strong masculinity, along with his comfort, strength, and peace he had shared with her, beckoned to her. Another tear fell. He had guided her back on her path with Jesus.
The last time she had her nightmare came to mind, when Drake had saved her. Her heart clenched, and she bit back a sob. Drake had pulled her out and righted her when she had been so very lost. Jesus, help me! Blindly reaching for her crutches, she hobbled into the bathroom, and slid to the floor. Her soft sobs crying out over the unfairness of it all.
Minutes later she bent over the sink, pouring cold water over her face. She was stronger now, and she would be okay. Thanks to him. He had helped her so much. She wouldn’t cling to him, she wouldn’t beg him to call her, she would be strong and say goodbye. If he would call her, then great, they would talk. But if he didn’t, well, then Jesus was just going to have to carry her through that.
“Raven. Time to leave.”
Zeak. Not Drake. Hurt pierced her heart, and she turned the water off. “Coming.”
She looked to the floor as she walked, she didn’t look up, nor around, she just looked to the floor and followed. Arriving at the SUV, she saw that Drake had already been sitting in the far backseat waiting for them, she had studied the floor for nothing. Drake didn’t even look at her. A sudden burst of anger mixed with hurt sliced through her. She quietly sat in the seat directly in front of him, her arms crossed. It would be much, much easier to say goodbye now. She fumed the whole way through town, across the highway, and back through the city. She watched as they made their way through a residential area, and she suddenly remembered those townhouses too well. That morning she had awoken to find herself shockingly in bed with Drake seemed like so long ago. POTUS, had been laying right next to her then. How funny, that name just didn’t fit him anymore. Arriving at Lawrence’s house she saw her small blue truck waiting on her. As the doors opened, she got out and Lawrence unlocked her truck for her. She never looked back to Drake.
“Here are your keys. Your purse is already in the truck, I guess we’ll mail your clothes and things to you.”
Raven leaned to put her crutches in the other seat. “Don’t bother. Save some money and donate them. I have more at home. Thank you, and your friends, for everything.”
Sliding in behind her steering wheel, she shut her door and locked it. Then she placed her key into the ignition, but she couldn’t start it, her hand wouldn’t turn. Tears ran down her cheeks, her vision swam, and her heart clenched in pain. A knock sounded on her window, but she ignored it. Raven leaned her head against the steering wheel and sobbed. A moment later, a crash sounded on her hood causing her to jerk her head up. Her tear filled eyes lifted and found Drake’s face staring at her from across her hood. His arms were spread wide, grasping her truck, his eyes narrowed. In the reflection of the nearby light she could see his muscles twitching, and his jaw locked.
Without thinking she poured her heart out to him through the window, “I can’t leave you. I can’t. I love you. Don’t you understand? I love you!” Choking on a sob, Raven threw her keys across her dashboard. “Why? Why can’t I just leave?”
A fist sharply pounded on her hood to get her attention. She looked to him, and he pointed to her, “You will stay on one final condition.”
She nodded.
“You marry me.” He glared his intent. It wasn’t a question, it was a command. He pointed at her and then himself. “And soon, very, very soon.”
Marry? She couldn’t, she couldn’t be...she shook her head no, but her voice cried out to him, “I just want you. I need you, Drake. Please.”
“Say yes, Raven. You can have me, if you marry me.” His fingers gripped her truck in a death grip, his eyes never wavered.
Her door was unlocked and then opened, but Drake stayed right where he was, waiting.
“Say, it, Raven. Come on, your ribs ache, and I’m sure your leg aches. You need to come home.” Zeak softly spoke to her. “He desperately needs you. Just look at him, he’s about to lose it.”
“I-I can’t be a First Lady.”
“You will be my wife. Now, say it.”
Her heart ached so badly for him, and her head slowly nodded.
“Finally.” Zeak clapped his hands and quickly moved away from the door while Drake ran towards her. “Drake, we’ve got to get the two of you out of here. I’ll get the crutches.”
Drake nodded, he quickly picked her up and then ran to their vehicle. As they sat in their seats, the doors closed and the SUV went into an uproar of whooping and hollering. Drake grabbed her neck and brought her lips up to meet his in a passionate seal of their promise to each other. He kissed down to her ear, “I love you, so much, my Bride-to-be. Soon, so very soon. I’m thinking this weekend, I can’t wait much longer.” He kissed her again.
A few minutes later, her tears of joy thoroughly wiped and kissed, Raven rested her head on his shoulder, “You were letting me go. You didn’t even talk to me.”
Drake vehemently shook his head, “I couldn’t talk. All I could do was pray. And no, there is no way you would have left the driveway. Believe me, I saw to that. Look,” he pointed to Lawrence, “Hey Lawrence hold it up now.”
She looked and Lawrence turned on the interior light and dangled a cable from his hand.
“Your truck would never have started without that. Do you really think that I would have let you go after all we’ve been through together?”
&nbs
p; Her mouth dropped open. “This was all planned?”
“Well, come on, think about it Raven, do you really think we would have allowed Drake to jump in front of your truck and hold onto it like that if it could start? Do you really think we are that nuts? That would be a great one to try and explain on a report why Drake would be in the hospital on our watch because he wouldn’t let go of a truck driving away.”
She couldn’t help but smile.
Drake tenderly held her closer to him, lifting her face. He leaned in towards her ear, “I’m so sorry I put you through that, I just had to do something for you to make a choice. We had to move forward together, and I knew you couldn’t see past the position you would be called to hold. I didn’t want another episode like we had today with you trying to leave, and I instinctively knew that you would keep trying to leave unless you finally admitted that you loved me more than all of the uncertainties you will have to face. Sweetheart, I could never let you go. Believe me, I would have followed you, and followed you. And then these guys would have tailed you for years. You would have been haunted by me every day until you gave in. I mean, you already have your own detail. That should have clued you in that I was keeping you.”
“So much has happened so quickly, and I became so unsure. I’m so used to my life being mapped out. I tried to enjoy being with you, and getting to know you day by day, but doubt crept in. And then panic. But you’re right, I did need that to happen because now I know within myself that I truly can’t leave you. It was awful, I just couldn’t physically drive away from you, and my hand wouldn’t even turn the key. And you know, as we arrived here it hit me so strongly that I don’t first see the stumbling block I once had with you as the President. Instead I see my Drake.”
“Good, then maybe I won’t be referred to as ‘he’ anymore. That used to really burn me up. And you will be my wife. I will support you in whatever you would like to do. So no pressure whatsoever and we will take it day by day, okay?”
“Yes, my Groom-to-be.”