I'M WASTED FOR SOMEONE ELSE

When Drew hesitated, she realized she wasn’t sure what she would have said to answer that question herself. What had been their first date? The first night she knew she had some sort of feelings for him had certainly been the night at the bar playing darts. They had crossed a proverbial line that night even if they hadn’t touched in a crossing-lines sort of way. But that hadn’t been a date. When he finally spoke, talking about how blown away he’d been when he picked her up for the gala, she rolled her eyes. He wasn’t laying it on thick or being unreasonable but she couldn’t stop herself. That was really their first date. Despite the fact that he’d asked her by saying that it would save him the trouble of finding a date, they’d most certainly been on a date that evening.

Her mother ooh’d dramatically after Drew started explaining how their feelings took over their lives. Kennedy stood up and dropped the magazine onto the couch. “He’s right, momma. He was a complete and total jackass that morning in the coffee shop.” She smirked over at Drew as she stepped toward him. She wrapped one arm around his waist and pressed her lips to his jawline — he was too damn tall for her to reach from here without stepping on her tiptoes.  

“Us Marshall girls seem to have a thing for the jackass type…” A not-so-subtle dig at her father but she was still beaming as she spoke. She started scooping the ice cream onto the plates, already donning a large slice of pie. “Though I think Drew seems like a certifiable gentleman, Ken…be nice!”

Kennedy nodded. “I am extremely nice. Don’t you worry.”

“Oh, I know. Your father had some choice words to use when he called me a few weeks back…”

“Dad saw nothing. It’s all conjecture.”

Cherry lifted her hands, scoop still in her right, and feigned defense.  “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

“When’s he getting in?”

Cherry pressed her lips together and continued working, pointedly ignoring the question.

“Mom.” Kennedy loosened her grip on Drew’s waist and leaned forward onto the kitchen island.

“Hmm?”

“Dad. When is he getting in?”

She shrugged and lifted a plate to Drew. “Oh, you know your father. Always got something going on…”

“He’s not coming? Are you kidding me? God, even in death, Grandma Mae couldn’t get the time of day with him.” She rested her face in her hands and scoffed, an anger bubbling on the surface not even apple pie and ice cream could soothe.

His nerves were definitely out of whack, to say the least, but it didn’t last long once Kennedy was right there by his side again. It made him smile – especially when she kissed him; he couldn’t help it. Even if she did call him a jackass. He certainly deserved it, because he really was. But, his smile slightly faded when her mother commented back on the jackass part. Obviously, he knew she was talking about Kennedy’s father; and although he agreed he could be a jerk, he couldn’t help but feel a little bad that her mother felt that way about her children’s father.

Just that small moment, though, that’s all it was – small. Any pity he felt for him faded when she mentioned he wasn’t even coming to the funeral. Drew knew it was making Kennedy’s blood boil, and in turn, caused his to as well. It was almost as if her anger radiated onto him, causing the same reaction she was having. 

The pie was calling his name, and he couldn’t bring himself not to try it. Not just because it smelled delicious, but because he was pretty hungry. So, instead of injecting himself into the conversation he knew was going to turn tense very quickly, he took a medium sized bite and took his time getting it down his esophagus from his mouth. That was the best way to shut him up – well, one of them. At least, for a little while. Once he swallowed, Drew wrapped his arm around Kennedy’s shoulders, pulling her a little bit closer to him. Honestly, he probably didn’t have to say anything – he just wanted to let her know he was there for her. She knew that – at least, he assumed she did. And, he probably should have kept his mouth closed, but he had to try to make her feel a little better. ‘Maybe he’s just grieving differently. I mean, everyone grieves differently, right? Some people just can’t face death head on. I’m hoping, for your sake, and your grandmother’s, that that’s the case. I mean, it’s possible, right?’

Kennedy just nodded; her parents truly were the example of opposites attract. They could not possibly be more different, and yet, they worked (whenever her dad was around, at least). Kennedy and Drew seemed to share far more in terms of personality traits than her parents but comparing apples and oranges wasn’t a habit she wanted to get into. No one should be comparing themselves to their parents. Everyone’s circumstances were different, especially theirs.

Kennedy smirked to herself as she sat down on the couch, leaving her mother to talk to Drew and get to know him better. While they were here on less than favorable circumstances, this was an opportunity she hadn’t expected to get for months. Not only was his mother on the docket, but the rest of her family. Hopefully, the rest of her family would be so focused on Grandma Mae that they would leave the hounding of her boyfriend alone for now. She knew her brothers wouldn’t leave it — Mason had texted her at least a half dozen times threatening and detailing various hazing technique that she had eventually started to ignore.

“Open book, hmm? Well, let’s see…what about your first date? I bet Kennedy was dressed to the nines. No idea where she got that. I like my comfy clothes!”

Kennedy could hear all of this from the couch but she was amused; her mother was so gentle compared to almost everyone else in her life. It was a miracle that they had gotten just her to start. It could have easily been her brothers, her cousins, and the rest of her aunts and uncles. Her mom’s family was massive; her dad’s, less so, and they didn’t see much of his side of the family. “I know you’re not dad but don’t scare him off…” She picked up the Vogue on the table and started flipping through it casually, making sure she kept tabs on the conversation if only to jump in and save Drew if he needed it. Hopefully, with her mom, that wasn’t necessary.

Kennedy’s words just made him laugh a little more. By no means was her mother scaring him off. At least, not yet. Though, he felt like she never would. She was super nice – and coming from a family where his mother barely cared about him and his father was dead... It was nice. And it actually did make him want to be nice back. There was no need for him to put up any kind of walls or hide behind any kind of frosted glass. Really, it was just like talking to Kennedy – no reason to hold anything back. Well, anything appropriate, that is. ‘Our first date... hm. That’s a good question...’

Honestly, which time should he have described? Should he count the work party as their first date? Or the afternoon they went out for Italian after work? The time before the party when they had gone out for a few drinks? Or even the night they had dinner with his mother? It was hard to say, because they never really made anything official until... way after they’d began sleeping together. For all intents and purposes, he just went with whatever came out first. ‘She was absolutely stunning, of course. To be fair, it was a black-tie event, but she practically blew me away when I picked her up,’ he said. She also blew him on the way home, but he was for sure going to leave that part out. But, just remembering that night... it was crazy how this all had started, and where they were now. Drew really couldn’t help but smile when he thought about it. 

Drew had always been particularly good at reading the room, whether it be with clients, co-workers, or her friends and family. He had a quick wit about him but knew when to bite his tongue. But that didn’t mean he always did and Kennedy really loved that about him. She knew he’d had some words with her father that she hadn’t been privy to, if only based on the texts from her dad after the interaction. 

She was thankful that Drew didn’t press her for details on wine and thai, mostly because it was minuscule in the grand scheme of things. Her mother had created it back before the girls were even legal drinking age but Kennedy had found out years later that it was to keep them from drinking elsewhere with idiots. Now, it was more of a bonding experience than anything: cheap wine and thai food. That was it.

Before the two of them could get inside, Kayleigh was blowing back out the door, groaning. “Michael thought I was picking him up today even after I told him a half dozen times I wasn’t…” She squeezed Kennedy quickly in passing as Kennedy rolled her eyes at Drew’s playful comments about this mother and her pie.

“Absolutely not. It’s apple.” She pushed the front door open and held it for Drew, the sense of dejavú hitting her square in the chest when she saw the interior. “Mom’s always been sort of free spirit, find yourself and my dad, well, you met him. Doesn’t seem quite that type, right?”

Cherry was audibly in the kitchen - plates clanking onto the counter, forks hitting the plates. “Ice cream for sure…you can’t have apple pie without ice cream…” She was talking to herself, mostly. Until she wasn’t. “Drew…” She poked her head into the living room. “Come in here and help me…mostly so I can harass you into telling me more about yourself and how you found my little Kenny-bear.”

Of course, he was only poking fun at the pie thing, but part of him was kinda sad because he liked cherry pie. Apple was good too – as long as it was either super cold or still warm. Although, since they haven’t eaten anything all day, anything sounded good, especially pie. With ice cream. Mmm; his mouth was watering at the mere thought of it. Drew followed Kennedy inside, standing behind her whilst her mother was in the kitchen, plating some of her delicious pie for them. ‘Yeah, I don’t know – I can’t really see them together. But, you know what they say – opposites attract, and all.’ 

Her mother and father were so different, and he was more than happy about that. ‘But your mom seems really nice, and now I know where you get that beautiful smile from,’ he said, grabbing her hand to pull her back towards him to he could press his lips against hers. Hearing her mother call for him to help her slightly made him laugh – though it was clear he was a bit nervous too, since she was also asking him to talk about himself. And their relationship. It could’ve been a trap, but it was pretty unlikely, since she really was super nice. ‘I guess I should go help her... Kenny-bear,’ he said.

He couldn’t help but poke fun at the silly nickname. It was cute; and it was something he could use against her at a later date. With a smile and another small kiss, he went into the kitchen to help the woman out. Obviously, she wanted to ask questions, and that was fair. She was more than welcome to. ‘You can ask me anything and everything – I’m pretty much an open book.’ 

Cherry tilted her head as Drew started to speak and all Kennedy could do was watch. Even on the best of days, her mother was a handful and a half. Kayleigh had grown up with her mother’s antics just as Kennedy had so nothing really surprised the pair of them anymore. Drew, on the other hand, was new to the world of Cherry Marshall. Overenthusiastic about even the simplest of things, her mother was a constant shining star.

“Oh, don’t you worry…I didn’t believe a word of what that old bastard said about you. He’s always has his knickers in a twist when it comes to Kennedy and her boys…” She reached out and shook his hand. “But trust me, Mr. Reed, I know all about you thanks to Kayleigh over here.”

Kennedy’s eyes grew and she shook her head. “I knew it. You liar!” She flipped Kayleigh off as her mother shook her head.

“Now, now…us girls have to have something to talk about on wine and thai nights!”

“You guys have been wine-ing and thai-ing without me?!” Kennedy looked honestly offended.

With that, Kayleigh grimaced and shook her head. “Like, a half dozen times. I just…I needed the grease and your mom wanted to hang out…”

Cherry nodded and refocused on Drew. “I know all about your nice dinner a few weeks back with your momma. She sounds like a real piece of work. I promise I’ll be nicer than that, honey. I even made pie.” She winked and waved for them to follow her inside. “Get that cute little butt inside. It’s too hot out here…”

Kennedy stayed right where she was, staring right at Drew. She stepped toward him and just shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t even…just, let’s go in…her pie really is great.” It wasn’t worth getting upset over, even if some of this stung, like the wine and thai’s she’d missed out on. On top of it all, her mother really did mean well. It wasn’t a game or playing pretend: Cherry Marshall really was just that nice.

After already having met her father, it was refreshing to meet her mother. She was so bubbly and sweet – even the way she insulted Kennedy’s father was in such a sweet voice, he couldn’t help but laugh. The smile honestly didn’t leave his face – it barely faltered, even as Kennedy caught her mom and best friend in what seemed like a little lie. It was funny. And she and her mom were just so cute with their reactions. Drew really could see where she got all her little mannerisms from – as well as her good looks. To be fair, he did have to give some credit to her father, because he wasn’t a bad looking man, either. Just a scary one. 

For the most part, he stayed out of the wine-ing and thai-ing part of the conversation. Mostly because he had no fucking clue what that was, but also because that felt like something Kennedy needed to work out with them on her own. He didn’t really start paying much attention until her mother mentioned something about his mother, and pie. Pie sounded really good. Any kind of food did. His stomach began to growl just at word alone. There was also something about a cute butt, but he was really only focused on food. 

‘I bet it is. Probably just as sweet as she is,’ he said, trying to make her laugh. ‘Lemme guess, it’s a cherry pie, right?’ 

“Even if it’s a closet.” She nodded and glanced back as Kayleigh took another curve a bit sharp. Kennedy held onto the door frame more to piss Kayleigh off than anything. Kayleigh was an apt enough driver, definitely aggressive enough to handle LA drivers, but Kennedy had grown up giving her shit and it wasn’t about to stop now.

“Used to being driven around? Used to being driven around?” Kayleigh was moaning in mock disgust as she exited the parking garage and Kennedy was laughing right along side her.

“Listen, I know I’ve told you about our driver…his driver…” Nothing was really theirs yet. They shared a bed, but it was technically his; they shared a bathroom, but again, his. She kept a few of her things in his closet. She still had her own apartment across the city. She still hadn’t gotten out of the habit of driving herself to and from work but that was mostly to keep up the guise of different and separate lives. If she had it her way, Martha would be her assistant and she’d get to shower her in unnecessary tasks every single day. Perhaps that was a bit dramatic, but the sentiment was there.

Turning to look at Drew, a smile crept across her face. “She hasn’t killed anyone yet?” With that, Kayleigh slammed on the brakes purposefully hard at the ticket booth to pay the parking fee. After that, they were out on the open road. The music was loud; the girls, laughing and reminiscing. Once they got closer to her neighborhood, Kennedy would point out something out — their high school, diner they would sneak out to at midnight, the bowling alley where she had her first job.

It wasn’t long before Kayleigh whipped into the driveway of a brightly painted house, cacti covering the front yard where grass might have been in another part of the country. “I think she’s added more of the damn succulents since I left.”

“You’re right. She has. Six more, in fact. She’s sent me photos each time she’s gotten a new one.”

Kennedy rolled her eyes and pushed the car door open. Before her feet even hit the cement, her mother was on the small porch, screeching. Kennedy’s eyes immediately shut her eyes and a laugh escaped despite her pained expression. “Mom, come on.”

The whirlwind of what happened next was difficult to explain. A mixture of tears and laughter between Kennedy and her mother, her mother lifting her up and twirling her around, followed immediately by her stopping cold in her tracks and gasping. She pointed at Drew and then back at Kennedy. “Shut. Up.” She turned back to Drew. “Stop it! No wonder your father was so upset…”

Kennedy’s hand smacked flat against her forehead. “Mom.”

It was a little surprising she hadn’t told her about the fact he had a driver, but it was also a little funny to see what her reaction was to finding out he did. Drew couldn’t help but laugh, really. ‘It’s not that I don’t drive myself every now and then. Just depends on the day, right, babe?’ Really, it was that simple; most of the time, though, he really didn’t feel like driving, so why not have someone else do it, right? Not too long after, they were on their way to her childhood home. For the remainder of the ride, he just answered any questions her best friend may have asked – but really, it was mainly the two of them catching up. Smiling and laughing. That’s all he really could’ve asked for, considering how much crying she’d been doing since the morning. 

When they pulled up to her house, he raised an eyebrow when she mentioned the cacti, and how there were apparently more than before. It would be better than flowers,  since she didn’t really have to take much care of them.. That was probably good, especially since they were in the desert. An older, not much older blonde quickly came out of the front door, and he could only assume that was her mother. And when Kennedy called her mom, he just nodded at his own assumption. Of course, he smiled because Kennedy was smiling, and her mother was smiling, so happy to see one another. At least there was no crying. Yet, at least. 

He stepped out of the backseat right as they were hugging, making sure to close the door behind him. Obviously, he wasn’t expecting her to be anything like her father, but he definitely didn’t expect her to be literally the complete opposite. ‘I can only imagine what her father told you about me. Probably all true. Maybe. Depends on who you ask,’ he said with a small laugh. ‘Andrew Reed,’ he stated, holding his hand out for a formal handshake (it was just a habit), ‘But please, call me Drew.’

Kayleigh gagged dramatically and turned back toward the parking deck. Kennedy rolled her eyes at her friend and nodded at Drew’s statement. Dipping out was going to be a big part of this week, though that wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary for the two of them. With their relationship on the DL at work, dipping out of meetings or public spaces was fairly common. They’d done the same thing when they went to see his mother a few weeks back. Sometimes, even a 15 minute reprieve was enough to reset and gather yourself. “We should just schedule them at regular intervals. I can set reminders on my phone…my bedroom door has a lock on it…though my mother may have turned it into a yoga studio by now…” She was kidding; at least she hoped. The room did have a lock on it but she’d been gone for almost a year now. Chances were, the bedroom was no longer a bedroom. At the very least, it wasn’t her bedroom anymore.

A few minutes later, they were at the Jeep. Kayleigh opened the doors and climbed in. Kennedy opened the back and lifted her luggage in easily. She tossed her smaller carry-on in the passenger’s seat and started to climb into the backseat but Kayleigh groaned. “Absolutely not. You’re in the front seat. Mr. CEO Dreamboat will be fine in the back all by himself.” Kennedy glanced back at Drew apologetically and slid into the passenger’s seat.

“You’re a mess. Michael doesn’t know what he’s in for…”

“Please, he knows. He’s always known I’m a handful. Just like I’m sure Drew knows your stubbornness is never going to change, right, Drew?.”

Kennedy lifted a brow and smirked. “Oh, he’s known that from day one…” Quite literally day one. If that day in the coffee shop where she wouldn’t just drop it wasn’t enough, she didn’t know what was.

“Speaking of Michael again…did you guys finally settle on a venue or…?”

“Don’t even get me started…” The Jeep roared to life and she pulled out sharply, cutting off a Benz.

Kennedy grabbed the window frame and tensed her jaw. “Fair warning. Kayleigh is a maniac. She hasn’t gotten anyone killed yet but…”

“But Kennedy is due for a good scare.” And with that, they were tearing up asphalt down the highway.

He was glad she was more than happy to go along with taking small breaks as needed. It was the perfect plan. It was the best plan, for them at least. They do it often at work – although, that was mostly to fool around in the office because they simply could. And they did it when they went to dinner at his mother’s. They even had done it when her father dropped in on her. It just worked... because they knew their emotions could take over and cause emotional outbursts and lead to saying things they didn’t mean (well, sometimes, at least). ‘Well, if she did, then we’ll just have to find our own little spot to sneak away to if we have to,’ he said. ‘Even if it’s a closet and we have to hold the door closed so no one comes in.’ He was slightly joking, but hey, whatever they had to do, they’d do it. 

As he was stuck in the backseat, alone, he just shrugged because it really wasn’t a big deal. “It’s all good. I’m used to being driven around,’ he said – stretching his legs out a bit and stretching his arms back behind his head. Of course, he was joking. Sort of. Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to absolutely die without getting to sit next to the woman he loved – and she would get to sit next to her best friend and catch up a bit more. 

However, one thing he did note to do once he’d seen her cut another car off on her way onto the highway was buckle his seatbelt. Normally, he didn’t think much about it, nor did the law in many states require those over 18 to buckle up in the back – it was just recommended. Drew definitely felt like he needed to be safer than sorry. ‘Just as long as she doesn’t actually kill us,’ he said, slightly joking, because he knew how LA traffic could be. 

If Kennedy didn’t know him, she’d have never thought he was uncomfortable for a second. But she did. She just barely saw how his breath hung in his chest when Kayleigh railed into him about the copy room incident. That had been months and months ago; it felt like even longer. Their entire relationship - shit, she could really call it a relationship now - had been a whirlwind of ups and downs and every damn thing in between. Half had been their own fault but the other half had definitely been outside sources they had no control over - like his mother and her father. The more she thought about it, the less she ever wanted the two of them anywhere near each other. Despite their vast and numerous differences, they had one thing in common: they did not want their children dating. She rolled her eyes at the thought.

Drew was taking everything in such stride; he nearly apologized again for the copy room incident, which was far from necessary. If she was being honest, though, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world to hear him say out loud that he deserved what happened after it. While they hadn’t been officially anything at that point, the entire situation had been uncomfortable. She was just thankful that she was with him now. Not just with him, in love with him. That still gave her shivers to even think about. She loved him.

When she stopped him to speak, that smile broke down any concerns or lingering worries she had. The fact that a simple smile from him could elicit such a reaction was incredible. She was so thankful to have him by her side in this moment. She knew that this week was going to be a heavy one, for multiple reasons. Her entire family was mourning the loss of their matriarch but she was also introducing not just her immediate family, but her extended family, to her boyfriend. And her superior at work. Everyone knew that by this point thanks to her mom. Kayleigh had been right — she was a saint, but she did not understand what it meant to keep something to herself. Everything was fair game, even if you specifically asked her not to share something.

As Drew spun her, she let out a light laugh. Kayleigh spun on her heels to watch her best friend lean against Drew and continue walking. “Well aren’t you two just peas in a pod? Michael wanted to come but he couldn’t get out of his afternoon meetings…he’ll meet us back at your place for dinner.”

Kennedy’s eyes bugged for half a second and then she pivoted toward Drew and winced. “Oh shit. Dinner. My brothers will definitely be home…tonight’s gonna be a madhouse.” Surely she had mentioned her brothers in passing once or twice, right? The boys were a few years younger than she was - 19 and 22. Mason was in college and Tyler was in trade school. Both of them were still living at home as far as she knew. 

Kennedy made him so happy, he didn’t care what anyone else thought about him or their relationship. Though it sometimes felt like he did, in all honesty, he wouldn’t care in long run, because all that mattered to him was if she liked him. And he was pretty damn sure she did. Kayleigh began to see it – the happiness they brought one another, at least he assumed so when she commented on the way they were walking to her car. She mentioned a Michael, and he was not 100% sure who exactly that was. Guess he would find out whenever he came over for dinner, right?

Dinner seemed to spark something in Kennedy. Worry? Fear, maybe? Drew couldn’t tell, but he definitely noticed her reaction once she mentioned it. Drew remembered she had said something about having siblings before, but it didn’t even cross his mind that they would also be there. Why wouldn’t they be? She was their grandmother, too. Still, he tried not to worry too much. The only person he was a little concerned about was her father, but they would cross that bridge when they got to it. Hopefully, since she was the elder sibling, that they wouldn’t be those overprotective brothers – instead, she was the protective older sister. So, he should’ve been in the clear. Maybe. 

‘Surely nothing the two of us can’t handle. I mean, we made it out alive when your dad surprised us back home, so... We’ll be okay. If not, you know, just say the word and we can dip out for a while,’ he told her, pressing his lips lightly against her forehead. Sometimes family could be a bit too much, and just a small break would be enough to reset the emotions, to calm down and whatnot. And he was there to help her out with that in whatever way he could.

Kayleigh eyed him with a fervor that made Kennedy uncomfortable. Her best friend had never been one to let things go, even the small things, so Kennedy could only imagine the things the blonde was pulling out of the recesses of her brain to throw at Drew. Back in the day, when the high school drama was what they lived for, it was handy to have Kayleigh there with an exact playback of someone’s meltdown or breakdown. Now, though, she worried what she may have told her friend in a fit of anger. Kayleigh shook his hand with a strong grip and nodded. “Oh she’s told me all about you. I think our longest conversation about you was the night after you found yourself…what was it, occupied with the blonde in the copy room?”

“Kayleigh!”

The blonde immediately cracked a smile and swung her arm around Kennedy’s waist. “Oh, come on. You could’ve at least let me pretend to not like him for a half a second…” She refocused on Drew and let a genuine smile cross her face. “She told me how great you were when you met up with your mom a few weeks back…not that it makes up for the copy room in my mind, but, you know, Kennedy likes you so…”

Kennedy rolled her eyes and shrugged at Drew. “I’m telling you. The next week is going to be a roller coaster…just…prepare yourself now.”

“Pffft. You think I’m bad? Just be thankful she doesn’t share as much with her mother as she shares with me…woman’s a saint but cannot keep a secret to save her damn life.” Kayleigh adjusted the sunglasses on her face and nodded toward the parking deck.

“Lucky you two it’s not raining today. I brought the Jeep.”

Kennedy waited back for just a moment as Kayleigh started toward where she must have parked. “I swear, she means well.” She smiled, albeit a little forced. She was now running through all the drunken conversations, sloppy text messages, and angry rants Kayleigh had been subjected to the first few months of their relationship. It had been a bit of a mess for a while there but things had settled quickly, all things considered.

She hesitated for a moment before she turned, blocking him from Kayleigh’s view. “You’re about to be so overwhelmed and I want to feel bad for you but I think you’ve had plenty of practice with your own family…” She was walking backwards now, smirking just a little bit, “come on, Mr. Reed. Keep up, now…”

At first, when Kayleigh had brought up the copy room incident, he was worried. The last thing he or Kennedy needed right now was another person who didn’t like him and was going to be around them both for the next week. He worried that it would actually be worse than he thought – but it quickly went away when it came out that she was only joking around. Without showing it, Drew breathed a sigh of relief and gave a smile to hide it. ‘I think we’ve both more than enough paid for that... thing. Though, I’ll definitely say I deserved every bit of it.’ He just wanted to make sure Kayleigh knew it was a mistake on his part, and that she didn’t have to worry about him hurting her friend, again. 

As long as things would be kept light, like they were right now, he would probably be fine. He knew there were bound to be tears and overwhelming amounts of sadness and crying, but hopefully there wouldn’t be too much jumping back and forth between the two extremes. Mostly for her sake. A rollercoaster could be either good or bad, though – so they were just going to have to find out as the week went along. 

They followed her friend towards her car, walking out to one the airports many garages. He was a little thankful he didn’t have to pull his glasses out right away, even though the sun shone through the spaces between the levels. Kennedy spoke, but most of what she said went in one ear and right out the other as he thought of the many ways him meeting her family could go. It could go just like meeting Kayleigh – playful intimidation, or it could go like meeting her father – not so playful badgering. It was scary. Especially since they hadn’t actually been dating that long, and meeting her family while also attending a funeral of a loved one was a pretty fucking big step. And it felt like they had just taken one big step not too long ago when she met his mother – and when they admitted how much they loved one another.

It was odd, but knowing he’d felt the same way helped her somehow. She wasn’t alone; she knew that. The rest of her family was struggling with the loss of Grandma Mae. But knowing that Drew had gone through something similar with the regret of not being there, she was able to offer some sort of support to him. Being there for him was natural for her at this point; it had been from the start somehow. That had been their thing from the start. Hell, months back when he’d finally confessed all of his pent up feelings in that limo, that was part of it. She was always there, even if it wasn’t in a sexual partner relationship sort of way; from day one she’d been there for him.

When he squeezed her hand, once more, before letting go, she smiled softly, her eyes fluttering shut. She took a deep breath and then looked to him again. “You know I love you, right?” She wanted to be closer to him right now but a First Class seat on top of the fact that they were in landing mode meant they were fairly far apart. Close enough to hold hands but that was about it.

Kennedy was praying that Kayleigh kept things simple, at least for now. Her best friend was a handful even on the calmest day. Adding the loss of a woman Kayleigh had known for almost as long as Kennedy coupled with seeing her for the first time since moving, this was going to be one loud reunion.

— — —

And 30 minutes later, after wrestling with her carry-on in the overhead, the flight attendant nearly tripping her (by mistake) as they exited the plane, and one of the wheels of her suitcase snapping off, they were at the terminal entrance where Kayleigh was supp— “OHMYGOD, KEN.” Kennedy was suddenly whisked up in a blur of blonde hair and tight hugs. Somehow, she’d missed her best friend gollum-ing in the waiting area, waiting to pop up and surprise her. “Shit! Kayleigh!” Kennedy immediately dropped her bags and hugged her friend back. And again, just like it had so many times already, every single emotion came rushing toward her. The tears welded over and Kayleigh pulled back in concern.

“Oh, babe. It’s okay…”

Kennedy nodded, pressing her lips together to try and pull it together. Drew had spent so much time the last few hours trying to calm her down; she had to keep it together. Oh shit, Drew. She immediately looked around, finally settling on him. She reached out with one hand.

“Ah, yes. Mr. Reed. Nice to finally meet you.” Kayleigh looked much more intimidating than she should have in this moment with her arms crossed over her chest. She was eyeing Drew with suspicion but there was no reason to. After the first few weeks, Kayleigh had dropped the tune of ‘is this a good idea?’ and replaced it with ‘tell me everything now’. Kennedy kept most of the explicit material under wraps but Kayleigh knew far more than she should about that first night in the limo…

“Kayleigh…don’t scare him. He’s already got my dad to worry about…”

‘Of course I do,’ he told her. He knew she loved him, and he loved her, more than he would ever like to admit. It was scary, but in a good way. Definitely not as scary as meeting her family was, but. With just a small smile and another hand squeeze, he sat back in his seat and relaxed as they descended into LAX. He just hoped meeting the rest of her family was nothing like meeting her father. That was the last thing either of them needed. 

It felt like forever before they were finally on the ground again and back in the airport. God, being back in LA just reminded him of how much he hated Los Angeles. The airport was packed, as usual; people were almost like herds of cattle, all grouped together and moving as slowly as they possibly could. Not to mention how it was once they were outside of security. Add the people waiting for loved ones to return home to those from other flights trying to figure out where the fuck the baggage claim was and which carousel their luggage would be coming from, and it was absolute, total chaos. Thank God he had Kennedy with him or he would have gone just a little mad. And thankfully, they only had carry-ons, so they didn’t have to wait with the thousands of others for their suitcases.

Before he knew it, they were waiting on her best friend, who had come out of nowhere, it seemed. It slightly scared him when Kennedy just dropped her bags on the ground, but he kept his reaction minimal. He’d actually smiled a bit when he saw her get so excited to see her, even though he could definitely tell she was about to start crying again. But, he let her get reacquainted before butting himself into anything – or even introducing himself. It wasn’t like they were in any kind of rush. 

Drew took her hand when she reached out to him, taking a few steps forward to stand by her side, in front of her best friend. The look on her face was confusing, really; he couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or judgmental, or if she was secretly happy to be meeting him. Like he said, he couldn’t remember if she liked him or not. ‘You too. Heard nothing but good things,’ he responded. ‘Don’t remind me about your dad. But, let’s worry about him, or me. Besides, she just wants to make sure I’m really the guy you’ve told her so much about, right?’ 

Kennedy knew she was worrying Drew but she wasn’t meaning to draw unnecessary concern. Sitting next to him, with dozens of other unfamiliar faces and bodies was something she’d rather not do but they were too far away to drive and she’d wanted to leave as quickly as possible. Her mother told her not to rush, that the services wouldn’t be for a few days; they had to call family, friends, arrange everything. But Kennedy wanted to be there, for everyone involved - especially her mother. Without a doubt, her father would show up to pay his respects and while her parents were far more than just cordial with each other, high stress moments were always difficult for them. Kennedy was just hoping it wouldn’t play out as the knock out, drag out fight they’d gotten into at her undergrad graduation.

Drew’s hands on hers grounded her in a way she wasn’t expecting. For the first time in hours, her head wasn’t spinning. She pressed her lips together and her bottom lip quivered; tears were brimming over as she stared at him. He was trying so hard to help her calm down, to just take things moment by moment. She had to listen to him. She nodded along with his statement of concern about meeting her family. He wasn’t wrong. The first time he’d met her father had been under less than favorable circumstances. The entire day was one she’d rather forget, if she was being honest. And none of that was Drew’s fault. No one was ever going to be good enough for Kennedy as far as her father was concerned. He found something wrong with every man she dated - not wealthy enough, too eager, not passionate enough, too self-centered. There was always something that he didn’t like. 

But the rest of her family? Oh, they were going to treat Drew like a prince. Her mother would be a handful, even on the best of days. Under stress and in mourning? Kennedy was near positive that she was going to have to pry her mother’s hands off of him. Kayleigh was going to meet him face to face for the first time and while not blood related, she was Kennedy’s sister. Her cousin and aunts and uncles would be embarrassing, to say the least. It was then that she realized she’d never fully told Drew where in LA she’d come from. She wasn’t from the LA of the movies or the big time. She was from the LA where people were shot around the corner, cop cars at 3 a.m. blaring sirens, barking dogs through the night. Fuck, had they even booked a hotel? 

When Drew unbuckled himself, she choked out an “oh my god”. He was just trying so hard to help her feel better. She was so upset with the entire situation she’d dragged him into at 4 a.m. that she didn’t know how to respond. When he brought up his dad, she fought back more tears. He’d never gone into any explicit details about his father’s passing with her. She nodded as he spoke, trying to steady her breathing. “I…didn’t…” He knew she didn’t know any of that; she didn’t have to say it out loud. Leaning forward, Kennedy pressed her lips to his temple: a silent thank you for trying to help her rationalize her emotions. 

She tugged on his hands gently to pull him back toward his seat. They were starting the decent into LAX; things were about to get even more complicated. “Did I tell you that my mom wasn’t able to pick us up?” She forced a smile and lifted her brow. This was going to be a mighty interesting few days for them. “Kayleigh is going to meet us at the terminal…”

Feeling her lips on his head made him smile just a little bit. It was painful, remembering how he felt about not being there the night his father died, how he could’ve possibly saved his life, but there wasn’t really anything he could do about it now. Other than learn from the mistake, take responsibility – it was one of the reasons he wanted to make sure he ran his company properly, despite the fact he was deeply enveloped in the complete cliché of being in love with his assistant. But, that actually really helped him as a CEO, in the end. 

Kennedy was more than an assistant, more than just a lover, and that’s why he knew he was going to do everything he could for her. Including dealing with her family. What kind of boyfriend would he be if he didn’t put himself in that kind of situation, right? And what kind of boyfriend would he be if he didn’t share every secret or feeling or whatever. He knew he didn’t have to tell her that, but he wanted to. He trusted her with his life, so it only felt right. With a small shrug, he just shook his head, because he didn’t want to make this all about him. This was about Kennedy, and her dealing with her grandma’s death – not Drew and him dealing with his dad’s. 

As she gently pulled him back up into his seat, he squeezed her hands a little tighter, only pulling away to buckle his seatbelt so they wouldn’t get on his case. Hearing that her best friend was going to pick them up rather than her mother didn’t bother him too much. Although, he couldn’t remember whether or not she liked him. ‘That’s fine with me. As long as we’re able to get where we’re going right?’

After what felt like days, they were in the air, on their way to LA. In reality, it had been less than 12 hours. Everything was starting to meld together and Kennedy wasn’t even sure what she’d last eaten. Whenever someone spoke to her, the first few words were muffled and it took her a moment to focus in enough to understand what they were saying, even Drew. 

They’d been in the air for a half an hour by the time she had calmed down enough to hold a serious conversation with him. Drew had met her father a few months back but he’d only heard stories of her mother. Her mother was a whole other story - upbeat, flirtatious, and friendly, meeting her for the first time was going to be a unique experience for Drew under the circumstances.

She shifted in her seat and turned to him. “Are you…ready to…to meet everyone? I’m just…” Usually strong and reliable, Kennedy was struggling and it was very obvious. Never stuttering, even when angry, right now, she could barely get a full sentence out. She dragged her thumb nail across her opposite palm over and over; when it started to hurt, she began using the pad of her thumb instead, tracing the same path.

Her grandmother had played a vital role in her childhood with her father being MIA most of the time. She was at every single dance recital, every school event, and made the most amazing cake each year for her birthday. The memories hit her like a brick wall, bringing forth the tears again. She pulled her palm across her cheek and forced a laugh as she looked away from Drew, curling into herself the a large seat in First Class. “I promised I’d go back and visit…and I never did. I was here for 9 months and I didn’t go home to see her.” Kennedy knew it was silly getting this worked up over it, but she couldn’t shake it. She hadn’t called her grandmother in weeks. They had gone from seeing each other every single day to Kennedy not even bothering to call unless she had something big to share.

Kennedy glanced up to Drew and sighed. “Sorry…this is heavy. I’m sorry…”

The way she was acting from the time she woke him up until the time they got on the plane was disconcerting, but at the same time, understandable. She’d clearly lost someone who was she was close to, but it still worried him. What worried him more was the fact that he was on his way to meet her entire family. Aside from her grandma, of course. And then have to be face to face with her father again. But, nothing was more important than Kennedy, and he knew he had to be there for her. That meant having to be by her side no matter what – and probably keep his mouth shut for 90% of the time. Because he knew that he could be a little self-centered, and he did not want to make a bad impression on the rest of her family. 

Drew had experience with this, first hand; but that didn’t mean he knew exactly how he was supposed to help her get through this. Everyone dealt with death differentl– and just like that, his mind went somewhere else completely. Are you ready to meet everyone?  No, not in the slightest bit. But, was he still going to? Absolutely. 

With a small shrug, he looked at her and unhooked his arm from around her shoulders and took both of her hands in his – stopping her fidgeting. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever really be ready to meet your family, especially after meeting your dad and how that all went... But, this isn’t about me.’ Though, he felt as if his words didn’t make much of a dent in her psyche at the moment, because it wasn’t long before she began to cry once more. And seeing her in so much pain was so painful, not being sure how he could help her. That was the worst part of it all. After she looked away from him, he undid his seatbelt and kneeled down in front of her seat, his hands still holding hers. 

‘It’s okay, babe. Don’t beat yourself up so much. Things happen. We get busy... It’s not your fault,’ he said, trying to console her. The seatbelt sign beeped back on, but he didn’t rush to get back into his seat. His main priority was making sure she was okay. Besides, he had plenty of clearance to make sure he wouldn’t fall over and get hurt. ‘You want to know where I was when my dad died? I was out partying on one of his yachts. Drunk out of my mind. Instead of being at the office like I was supposed to be. He was supposed to be teaching me more of the ropes about his company... so he could pass it on to me. But instead, I was drinking and being irresponsible, and if I had been there...’ He could barely finish. Not only because it hurt to remember, but also because he had never told anyone about this. 

Thankfully, he moved almost immediately after she finished speaking, smiling sleepily down at her. She leaned in just closer enough to press her lips to his jaw. “I have to fly back to L.A…as soon as I can.” She took a deep breath in, trying to figure out how to word what she wanted to ask of him. Take a week off and fly down, meet me entire family, mourn my grandmother that you never even met? But none of that fit why she needed him there. Her fingers curled into his shirt. “I want you to come with me.”

Kennedy’s left foot was cramping from her curling and uncurling her toes; she couldn’t move it from it’s arch and she was still trying to keep her breathing steady. “My…my…” She took a slow, deep breath but it was no use. She couldn’t shake the sensation of anger in her system. Anger at her mother for not calling her when they had taken, anger at the doctor’s for not doing what they were paid to do. Or perhaps she was just angry with herself. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had spoken to Grandma Mae. 

Kennedy pushed off of him slightly, more to keep herself grounded on her own than anything. Relying too heavily on other people for emotional support had never been her strong suit and despite Drew’s unnatural ability to calm her down, she needed to do this on her own. Her fingers were still clenching his shirt, though she was further away from him now. She pushed up against him, unable to get comfortable laying down. Half sitting, she pulled her hand across her face, drying the tears that had started to fall onto her cheek. “My grandmother just passed away. My mom just called.”

There was no denying he was tired as fuck, but almost the second she said she had to fly back to Los Angeles, he almost woke up completely, slightly sitting up with his eyes opened a bit more. His mind went to an array of different places, wondering why she had to leave so abruptly. It was irrational to think it had anything to do with him or their relationship, because it probably wasn’t, but he always tended to think the worst first. ‘Oh?’ he asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. As she said she wanted him to go with him, his eyebrows raised back up, even more confused than before. Why would she want him to go with her? 

As the seconds passed, Drew could tell she was growing more uncomfortable and sad and upset, and truthfully, he had no idea how he was exactly supposed to deal with that. Well, not deal with, but... what was he supposed to do? How does one comfort another who clearly seems to be in distress? Sure, he’d comforted her before with her father visiting, but this was on a completely different level. She stuttered, struggled to get the words out but he wasn’t going to press – he didn’t want to pressure her to say whatever it was, especially since it seemed so difficult for her. As her fingers curled into his shirt and she pushed back from him a little bit, he sat upright, his back against the headboard and his eyes still completely focused on her. 

More moments of silence went by and he took in a few deep breaths, waiting for her to say whatever it was she needed to say. All he wanted to do was tell her everything was going to be okay and that she didn’t need to cry, but he had to know what exactly was going on before he could decide whether those were the right words to say right now. He wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders and slightly pulled her in a bit closer once she sat up more so that she wouldn’t move further away again. And when she finally said it, he sighed a little bit and looked down at the bed, immediately feeling the sadness she was feeling hit him right in the face. ‘Babe...’ he said, looking back up at her. He brought his free hand up to her face, wiping her tears away. ‘I’m so sorry...’ He didn’t really know what else to say... ‘Course I’ll go with you. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.’

It had been weeks since she and Drew had made that drive to see his mother and she hadn’t brought it up since. She wanted to forget everything that wretched woman had said. Kennedy wished that she could erase the trauma from that entire encounter, but unfortunately, they were both stuck with it. The only good that came from it was knowing that their relationship was stronger than ever; Drew had pushed back when his mother had been quick to judge and Kennedy hadn’t even had to put her foot down to make him do it. He had done it on his own.

But this particular morning, Kennedy had been woken far earlier than usual and the voice on the other end of the phone was shaky as she slipped into the living room of Drew’s apartment.

“Mom?” “Honey…it’s Grandma.”

Kennedy knew what had happened, in short, without any further detail. Grandma Mae was 96; well, she had been. Three different types of cancer, dementia, and type 2 diabetes. It was a miracle she had made it this far. Grandma Mae had helped raise the Marshall clan and had taught Kennedy so many things, she couldn’t even name them all. This was a long time coming but it hit Kennedy out of no where.

“It happened about an hour ago. We took her to the hospital…and…” “And you didn’t call me then?”

There was silence on the other end of the line for thirty seconds, at least. “Thanks, Mom.” Sarcasm was her only defense when she was blind sided like this. “Honey…” “We’ll be there on the next flight.” “We?”

Kennedy took a quick breath and exhaled; the ‘we’ had sort of just slipped out. “Yes, we.” And then, she hung up. 

The thoughts swirled; her breathing slowed, though she had to truly concentrate to keep from breathing too fast. A few short steps and she was back in Drew’s bedroom. It was so familiar, climbing back into bed with him, that she didn’t even have to think as she did it. She curled her body into him and nuzzled his arm a bit more roughly than she usually did. “Drew? Please, for once in your life, be easy to wake up…” If anything, just because she needed to hear his voice. To make sure he was okay.

Even when he was asleep, he could always tell when Kennedy was no longer by his side. But, now he didn’t have to worry so much about it since he knew that there was doubt she’d be coming back. It wasn’t like she really had anywhere else to go. This was her home as much as it was his. This was her bed as much as it was his. Drew shifted off of his side onto his back, though, once she exited the room, still very much asleep – he couldn’t hear her or anything she was doing. In all honesty, he probably started snoring just a tiny bit. 

A few minutes or so later, he felt a slightly rougher nudge than he normally would from Kennedy when she came back into the bed. There were a few words he heard past hearing her say his name, but most of it really just a bunch of mumbling to him. He slowly shook his head and blinked a few times before he saw a dark figure lying next to him. Obviously, it was Kennedy, but it was just so dark, he couldn’t really see much else. Though, she was probably still just as beautiful as she was when she went to sleep.

‘Good morning to you, too,’ he grumbled, but gave her a small smile anyway. ‘What’s up?’

Drew wasted no time in pulling her back toward him gently; he laid her down next to him and she nuzzled into his chest, though she nipped at his side playfully. “Come on, don’t be a buzz kill and groan at me like that. I’ve got a pretty fabulous night planned, and I’ll tell you now, it wasn’t cheap so no, we can’t just stay here for the rest of the day.” 

She wasn’t lying; it had been the better part of her paycheck to get the tickets. And she was still paying rent on that stupid one bedroom apartment downtown, though she had more than her fair share of things in his spare bedroom now; wether or not Drew realized that was unbeknownst to her. She rarely had to leave early in excess anymore to grab things from her place. It was nice, being able to stay a few extra minutes with Drew in the morning. More than one, the thought of officially moving in had crossed her mind but that was not for her to suggest.

“I’m praying you appreciate what I got for you.” Kennedy pulled herself up and placed a kiss to his jaw, then his cheek. “Because I love you and I know you. And you should appreciate this gift. And me. Forever and a day.” She was being obnoxious; she knew that. But she was being ernest, too. She had worked hard to put this together; she really just wanted to make his birthday special. He deserved a fucking break from the company crap and his mother, and all of the bullshit he had to put up with in being the CEO of this company. He deserved one damn night. And Kennedy was going to be the one to give it to him.

“Sit up, drink your coffee, eat the danish, and let me spoil my boyfriend for one fucking day. Please.” She really just wanted to give him the tickets; it had been eating away at her for weeks, ever since they went on sale. She had waited on the website for an hour, staring at the countdown clock, waiting for the tickets to go on sale. It had paid off, in the end, when she got the V.I.P. package seats, first 10 rows guaranteed, meet and greet. She had shelled out, big time, but Drew deserved every bit of it. 

When Kennedy insisted, she insisted. And all Drew could do in that very moment was groan at the thought of doing something more than getting out of bed right then. All he wanted to do was sleep, right there, next to his girl, happy beyond compare. Then she told him not to groan, which of course, only prompted him to groan once again, this time more obnoxiously. A small laugh followed. ‘Please? I’ll pay you back,’ he said. Technically, he could – after all, he was still her boss. Though, he was partially joking. Only partially. 

‘I love you – I appreciate everything you do for me, especially when you don’t have to. Or even when I tell you I don’t want anything,’ he told her. His birthday was not something he was keen on celebrating, or receiving presents for. But, she did goes through all of the trouble of doing whatever she did, and spent most of her pay check on it, for sure. Drew smiled at the feeling of her lips on his jaw and his cheek. It quickly turned into a smirk when she started making demands, because damn, she got hotter with every single word that left her mouth. ‘Alright, alright,’ he caved in. Slowly, he pushed his torso up and scooted back, leaning his back against the headboard, reaching for the coffee she brought him. ‘You know I can’t resist you when you get all bossy on me.’

Kennedy wanted to say more but Drew was right, he had to take Casey to school; he should change, though it wasn’t entirely necessary. She wouldn’t mind seeing him in a bit more of a cleaned up dress, though – a nice pair of slacks and a henley. Crap, now her mind was down in the gutter where it had once resided in regards to how badly she craved his sex. As he pulled out of the parking deck, Casey flailing in excitement, she pulled her hand to her mouth. The most important person in her life with the one man she had never stopped loving. She wanted to say that they were the two most important people in her life but she was still fucking scared; scared to let herself love him without reason; scared to let Casey get attached; what if things got messy again? What if she got hurt? Or worse, what if Casey got hurt?

Kennedy had always been one to overthink in the face of situations like this; but her over thinking lead to shutting down and cutting out. She didn’t want to be that woman anymore. She had Casey to think about now. And she wanted things to work with Drew, with them. Casey deserved her father; Kennedy knew she deserved to be happy.  —- Inside the car, Casey was bouncing from side to side, listening to Drew speak. So he liked her mom? That was good. Casey loved her mother, idolized her, even. Casey would try to tilt her head to show more sass or mimic the way Kennedy walked Pongo around the block. As much as she resembled and acted like Drew, the was no doubt that she was also Kennedy’s daughter. 

“That’s good. I think mommy is happy when you’re around. I liked the pancakes this morning. Can you cook for me again? Mommy makes good mac and cheese but I bet yours would be good, too. Hey, Drew, wait, I don’t –” She stopped short and sighed, stretching to try to tap him. “Hey…hey…Drew…” Sighing again, she relaxed back into her seat. “I think my mommy misses my daddy a lot but she smiles a lot when you’re here.” The ever and always observant, Casey Marshall-Reed.

As he drove through her apartment’s parking-garage, he just smiled, and grabbed his sunglasses out of the small cup holder beside him, slipping them on with one hand, pretty swiftly, too. ‘You think so, too, huh? Glad it’s not just me imagining things,’ he joked. Knowing Kennedy was happy was one thing – it was great, it made him feel great. it made him feel happy. But knowing that their daughter could see how happy she was, and how happy he was, well, that was just something he couldn’t explain. Whatever it was, it was absolutely incredible.

‘Yeah, sure, if your mom doesn’t mind being replaced every now and again with cooking meals.’ After the words left his mouth, he realised it sounded more like he was going to be around more than he was – which obviously, he wasn’t exactly sure, but he was hopeful. Surely, Casey wanted him around more, and obviously, Kennedy did too. And he was more than happy to be around. When he heard her speak, though, that was something else – it almost... hurt, but in a good way. And in a not so good way. Again he felt that need to tell her that her dad was right here, in the car with her, but he knew that wasn’t his choice to make. He knew he couldn’t do that to her. To Kennedy.