Chapter 33

KATE.
I was curled up on Drew's couch, watching an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians when Drew's house phone rang.
I contemplated whether I should answer it or not. Just because I was his girlfriend didn't give me the right to butt into his business. But also, it might be important. I could take the call, receive the message and deliver it to him when he came back home.
I answered it. "Mr. Rutledge? You've got a visitor down here. "
Oh. It was the receptionist. "Um, hi. It's me Kate. Drew isn't in right now. "
"Oh. Hi, Kate. Do you think maybe you could come see him? He's been here several times before and he insists on seeing Mr. Rutledge today. He said he has something important to discuss with him. "
I thought about it. Should I go down and talk to this man? Or do I send him away? But I wasn't a mean person. And I was also curious. What could be so important that a man would come several times even when he'd been sent back and he refused to go until he spoke to Drew? I was definitely going to see this man.
"I'll be down shortly. " I told her. "Please give him a place to sit. "
"Sure thing. "
I dropped the phone and hurried into the bedroom to throw a shirt over the tank top I was wearing, shoved my feet into slides and dashed into the elevator. I pushed the button for the last floor and watched as the numbers counted until it stopped at the floor. I rearranged my hair and blew out a breath.
I stepped out, going straight to the receptionist. "Where is he? "
"Over there. " she pointed me in the direction of a set of chairs arranged by a corner.
"Thanks. " I mumbled to her as I walked over to where the man sat. He looked up when he saw me approaching. He was middle aged, maybe, because of his slightly greying hair. He wore a crisp button down, tucked into pants.
"Good afternoon. "
"Good afternoon to you too, sir. " I sat on the chair opposite his, clasping my hands on my thigh.
"You're seeing me in Drew's place? "
"Yes, I am. I'm Kate Rossi, his girlfriend. " I said, extending my hand for a handshake.
"Very well. " he nodded. "I'm John Green. " he replied, returning my handshake.
I smiled, angling my head to the side, "John Green. You sound like a superhero. "
His eyes widened in surprise and he gave a delighted laugh, "I've always thought so. I am to my kids though. "
"You're a great father then. "
"Indeed I am. " he turned serious, "As to why I'm here, I've been here several times you know, "
"Yeah. I heard as much from the receptionist. "
"Okay. Well, Mr. Rutledge has refused to see me during the times I have been here, no matter how important I tell him the meeting is. " I stayed silent watching him and he continued. "I decided I must speak to him today. "
"Okay, tell me what it is and I'll tell him when he gets back. "
He nodded, "Well, I'm the manager to one of his buildings. I collect the rent from the tenants and make repairs when necessary. Now, for the past five months, Mr. Rutledge has refused to collect the rent from me. "
I frowned, "Don't you just usually send the money to his account or something? Isn't that how it works? "
"No. He's always asked me to deliver the money personally to him. For some reason. That's how we've always done it. " he explained.
The whole thing sounded shady as hell. Why ask him to deliver the money to him when he could easily just transfer the funds to his bank account?
"Okay. So, do I tell him you came over or?.... " I left the sentence hanging.
"Yes, please do that. And give him this. " he shoved his hand into his pocket, producing a folded piece of white paper. "He'll definitely know who I am by this. I doubt he knows my name. " he huffed a small laugh.
I didn't share his amusement. I had a strange feeling that I wasn't going to like this. Was Drew into some shady shit? There were so many things about the man I didn't know. And sure, I knew he had a dark side, but I didn't exactly know what that dark side was all about. Or what pushed him into it.
I took the piece of paper from him and stood up, about ready to leave. "Anything else? "
"No, that'll be all. Have a good day. " he called as he walked off.
I stared at his back as he left, wondering what the hell was going on. And what did it say about me that I had only realized how weird my relationship with Drew was, over a short meeting with some man? I turned around, entering the elevator as I went back upstairs.
I stared at the paper in my hand. I knew I shouldn't open it. It was Drew's private information. I had no business checking to see what it was about. But I felt a strong urge to open it and check. It was just me and this little piece of paper in here. No one was going to know. And with that thought in my mind, I unfolded the paper.
Curiosity killed the cat. I just didn't realize how dead I was.
The blood drained from my face as I scanned the contents of the note. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, reading again. And sure enough, my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. I was seeing exactly what I thought I was seeing.
Address : 5, Bright Lane.
I read that line over and over again until my eyes started to blur.
5, Bright Lane.
5, Bright Lane.
5, Bright Lane.
Why the hell was Drew receiving information about my former address? My parents house?
But the answer to my question provided itself. It was stated boldly there that he was the landlord. The fucking landlord! What the hell was going on? My head throbbed with an incoming headache. Jesus Christ. Could it be what I was thinking?
Did Drew have any ties to my parents? Was he the one that the cops had been referring to when they said my dad my parents had been 'owing' a debt to? Or did he just buy the property from someone who sold it after collecting it from us?
But why didn't I believe that? I couldn't believe it no matter how much I wanted to. I had a very strong feeling that Drew knew my parents.
A memory of the first night we met flashed across my mind.
"What's your name? " he asked me.
"Kate Rossi. " I murmured as my face inched closer to his.
"Come again? "
"My name... It's Kate Rossi. "
He took a step back from me as his face closed off. He suddenly went blank. The once romantic man I'd been dancing with was nowhere to be seen. What had happened?
"The fuck? " he snapped.
"Is something wrong? " I asked, taking a step towards him.
"Daughter to Hugh Rossi? " he asked, eyes wide.
I frowned, "You knew him? "
He glanced around, running his hands through his hair. "Stay the hell away from me. "
"I don't – " but before I could finish, he was already walking away from me, practically running through the crowd.
Jesus Christ. Drew definitely knew who my parents were. That explained why he had been so cross towards me! But why? What had my parents done to him?
The amount of questions running through my mind was too much. I couldn't fucking think. My whole world was tilting on its axis. God. What was happening? Drew knew me all this while, from the first day he had met me, and he acted like he didn't? Who was this man, and what ties did he have with my parents?
I needed to talk to Drew about this. I didn't care if he would get pissed that I went tonight something private. I was way past caring at this point. This was my life we were talking about for fucks sake. I had to know. Was he using me? How much anger did he harbour towards my parents that he couldn't wait for even about a week to collect his debt from him, that he had to do it the day they died.
The day they died.....
How had he known that they were dead? He couldn't have. The accident never got in the news, and the cops had only come to me to tell me my parents were dead, and not an hour after, I was being asked to leave the premises as it belonged to someone else.
I needed to talk to Drew, but I wasn't going to do it today. No, I'd do it tomorrow. I wanted to have one more night with him just in case, because I didn't where we would go from here.
The thought of what this conversation would do to our relationship terrified me.
DREW.
"Drew. Where are you? " Chase's voice sounded anxious in my ears. It gave me pause.
"I'm just about to leave the office. What's going on? " I grabbed my suit jacket, locking my office door as I left.
"You need to come to the hospital right now. "
"What the hell is going on, Chase? "
"Just fucking come to Trust Hospital right now. " he panted before the line went dead.
I had been about to go home to Kate, but with Chase's call, there was no way I could go home now. Who was at the hospital? Was it my dad? I could care less. Was it my mom? That thought scared me. I found myself rushing downstairs, into my car. As usual, Angus was already waiting with the car ready for me. I didn't know how he did it. But I was grateful for it today.
"Trust Hospital. " I told him.
"Something happened? " he asked, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror.
"I don't know. " I mumbled truthfully.
When the hospital came into sight, I dailed Chase telling him to meet me outside. I got out of the car and immediately I saw him, I rushed towards him.
"What the fuck is happening? Who's in here? "
He stared at me gloomily and I took in his looks for the first time. His eyes were bloodshot red and his hair stuck out in every direction, like he had been pulling at the strands. He shoved his hand into his pockets, staring at the ground. "It's so bad, Drew. I don't know what to do. She's not opening her eyes... "
I stopped hearing anything after that. She.... Did he mean my mom? Jesus fucking Christ. It was mom. Oh God. "Talk to me, Chase. I'm right here. What happened to her? "
Red blood shot eyes met mine, "Mom OD'd. "
I blanched. "What? " Mom didn't take drugs. What the hell was he saying?
"Dad overdosed Mom, Drew. " he repeated.
Dad overdosed Mom? Why was nothing making sense to me right now? "You're saying mom's in the hospital because she took an overdose of drugs that dad gave her? "
"I'm saying dad gave her drugs without her knowing. "
"But.... How? "
"He put drugs in her food. As fucked up as that sounds, it's true, Drew. "
"Is she in there? " I tilted my chin towards the entrance of the hospital.
"Yeah. " he glanced at the door as if seeing it for the first time, "She looks bad. "
"I want to see her. " I told him, trying to keep my calm. My dad was definitely asking for trouble. And he was going to get it.
I followed Chase into the hospital, trying not to blow up a casket. What the hell had my dad been thinking when he put drugs in my mom's food? Did he want to kill her? Was that his plan?
With my heart in my throat, I pushed the door open. And the sight that greeted me, shocked the living daylight out of me. My mom was lying on the hospital bed, her upper half was suspended and she was hooked on to so many machines and her eyes were closed. The image scared me. Made me realize that one day, she was going to die. And there was nothing anyone would be able to do about it.
I couldn't speak. Couldn't find my voice even if I wanted to. To say I hated my dad right now, would be an understatement. I wanted to kill him, for trying to kill my mother. And our relationship might be fucked up, but she was still the only functioning parent I had. At least she cared about me, even though she failed at showing it most of the times.
I knew she loved me. Fuck. How easily Kate had changed me. Once upon a time, I wouldn't even use the word love. But now, I didn't think much of it. It was an uncalled feeling. Love was inevitable. No matter how fucked up or deeply scarred you were.
If I had been having second thoughts about turning my dad in, I didn't now. He was a monster and he deserved to spend every remaining second of his life rotting away in jail.
I squared my shoulders, stomping out of the room. I was going to do this. And I didn't care if that made me the worst son in the whole world. I didn't care. I was only a son to the unconscious woman lying on that bed, who my supposed father had almost killed. The thought that she might have been dead had Chase not met her sooner, took me to a dark place.
"Drew, where are you going? "
"Just stay with her. I'll be back. "
I handed everything over to the police, leaving the case in their hands. But I made sure to put him on a no bail term. Even if he was on bail, no one was going to come for him anyway. I'd make sure I bankrupt any single person who would.
I was restless and on edge by the time I left the station. I needed to calm down, to think well. I couldn't think right now. Nothing was making sense. And I knew the only thing that could calm me down right now was Kate. Who was currently waiting at home for me now.
I drove to the penthouse without wasting another minute. I found Kate curled up on my lounge, staring at nothing. She didn't move even when I draped my jacket on the couch.
"Kate? " I sat beside her, touching her lightly.
She turned to me but she didn't react. Her eyes were two blank pools of grey, staring blankly at me. And I didn't even understand what was happening?
"Kate, what's wrong? " I asked, pulling her up. I lifted her from the couch, dropping her on my lap. She wrapped her hands around my neck, staring at me intently.
"Nothing. I'm fine. How was work? " she asked as she played with my tie.
From the tone of her voice alone, I could tell she wasn't okay. Had I done something? Or was she going through some stuff?
"Did you get your period? "
Wide eyes flew up to mine in shock, "What? No! I didn't get my period. " she bit her lip, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Then why are you moody? Did I do something? " I ran my hands through my hair, enjoying the feel of it. I loved how soft her hair was, and how curly they were too.
"No, you didn't. I'm fine. " she paused, giggling, "Why would you think I got my period though? "
I shrugged, "I know women get some type of way when they get their period. "
"You're right. But I didn't get my period anyway, so... " she trailed off, staring at me.
Why was she looking at me that way? It made me uncomfortable as hell. It had been a while since she did that. Look at me that way, I mean. She used to do that when we started dating, but she rarely did it lately. And despite how uncomfortable it made me, I missed it. But what really was going on though?
"Chase called me. " I found myself admitting. I wanted to open up to her. I felt the need to shed some of my worries. I wanted to tell this to someone and have them sympathize with me. I was tired of being strong all by myself.
"Yeah? What happened? " she asked, her eyes turning serious.
"My mom's in the hospital. " I my throat worked as I tried to get the words past it, "She took an overdose of drugs. "
"Oh my God. " her mouth fell open, her eyes going sad. "Is she okay? "
I dragged my hand through my hair, looking away. I was feeling emotional all of a sudden. Maybe it was due to the fact that I was finally accepting what had really happened. "I don't know. She's in a coma right now. I'm hoping she'll be okay. "
"Oh, baby... " she hugged me, laying here head on my shoulder. My heart clenched involuntarily at the pet name. Yes, that's what they did to me. There was no way I could go back to not hearing her call me those names.
"She'll be okay. You know that right? She will. " she tried to reassure me.
"Yeah, I hope so. " I murmured. But did I really believe she was going to be okay? I couldn't not believe. I had nothing but hope at this point.
"She will. " she whispered, pressing her lips against mine. I held the back of her head, pulling her in for another kiss. I could feel the calm seeping into my system already. This was what I wanted. Needed.
"Do you want me to make you feel better, Drew? " she murmured, climbing off my lap and kneeling between my parted legs.
"Fuck yes. "
She undid my belt buckle, pulling it off. For the next few minutes, there was nothing I could focus on other than the feel of her mouth on me. I carried her to the bedroom, because I had to make her feel as good as she just made me.
Kate Rossi fucking owned me. Body, mind and soul.