I used to be so upset at authors who wouldn't update regularly. Like how do you take 6 months to write a 30 chap story? Lol. Well, now I know. I have a life, other stories I'm feeling, and I'm thinking of ideas for this one. Anyway, it's almost over...maybe...
Chapter 39
After a couple of days of Drew secretly working at the orphanage after work, the orphanage is getting used to seeing him again. He hasn't had many chances to interact with May, though he is getting along well with Betty. No headaches have occurred lately, and Drew is starting to doubt that the orphanage has the answers he's looking for.
Nonetheless, regardless of his lost memories he's searching for, Drew prefers the orphanage over anywhere else. He feels comfortable here and like everyone is authentic towards him. No one is trying to kiss up to him due to his money. Out of all the people Drew thought would try to milk his money, he really believed the poor orphanage would be at the top of the list. The man finds comfort at this orphanage where he can relax freely.
Since Betty is busy helping Tyler and May with officework, Drew decides to start on the dinner preparations. He doesn't recall knowing how to cook, but a few days ago, Betty took him to the kitchen to help her prepare dinner, and he somehow knew what he was doing. Did he learn how to cook during those three years? How come he doesn't cook more often? Oh yeah. He's rich, and he has cooks for that.
While Drew is preparing dinner, Benny wheels himself into the small kitchen. Drew smiles at the little boy. The man isn't sure why Benny seems so familiar. Plus, Drew knew his name before anyone told him. "Hey, Benny."
"Hi, Drew." Benny grins. Although he remembers bits about Drew, Benny was too young to recall what exactly Drew had done for him. Benny knows to be quiet about Drew ever being here though. "What're you doing?"
"Making beef stew. Got any requests?"
The boy thinks. "Can we have cookies for dessert?"
Drew chuckles and checks the fridge where he doesn't see any cookie dough. He isn't sure how to make cookies from scratch either. "Uh. Do you know how to make them?"
"May and Betty showed me once. Tyler isn't good at it." Benny giggles. He wheels himself over to Drew. "Will you help me, Drew?"
Drew ruffles Benny's hair. "Yeah. I'd like to learn."
As Drew lets the stew boil, he and Benny roll out the cookie dough Benny surprisingly knows how to make. The two are engaging in conversation, or as much conversation as Drew can have with a 6 year old. "That's too much flour, Drew!" giggles Benny when the flour from the dough puffs up in Drew's face.
Chuckling, the man wipes his face with his sleeve. It's a good thing he was given this cheap red volunteer shirt. He couldn't imagine dirtying his other nicer shirts. "I know now." Drew decides to swap dough with Benny, allowing Drew to roll out Benny's dough while Benny fixes Drew's dough. "What else has May taught you how to make?"
Benny shrugs. "Sometimes we bake cakes for people's birthdays, but May uses the oven. She says I'm too young."
"We can use the oven together." Drew offers.
"Yeah!" Benny grins excitedly. "Betty says tomorrow is May's birthday. We should bake a cake, Drew!"
The man gives Benny a surprised look. He didn't know it is May's birthday. Should he get her something? Will that be too weird? "Uh. Sure." Drew nervously replies. He's not too sure how to bake a cake, but Benny will help him.
"We always cook together!" The boy recalls the times Drew would be babysitting him. Thus, Benny would always watch Drew cook.
Drew, though, stops rolling out the dough to give Benny a look of confusion. "What?" This is his first time cooking with Benny. His first real conversation with the boy. Sure Drew has seen Benny around, and the two have had a few small conversations. However, Drew has always been curious why the 6 year old is so comfortable around him. Now, Benny says something about how they've cooked together before.
"Huh?" Benny curiously glances up at Drew. "You don't remember?"
"When did we cook together, Benny?"
Benny thinks about why he said those words, and then he realizes he hasn't cooked with Drew in a long time. Nervous, he quickly stammers, "Uh. I mean I always watch you cook, so it feels like I'm cooking with you too." That's not a lie. It's what he constantly did as a toddler in Drew's care.
"Oh." Drew mutters. "If you ever wanna cook, I'm happy to have you help." The boy nods, grateful that his lie worked. How would Drew know if he's being watched or not? Benny is usually seated in the cafeteria, so he can catch a glimpse of Drew.
Once Drew helps Benny put the cookies in the oven, the two start serving out bowls of the stew and bread. May and Betty walk into the kitchen to help. The woman raises a curious eyebrow up at Drew. "What're you two doing?"
"Cooking." Drew smirks and flicks his hair.
Benny eagerly nods. "We made cookies!"
May returns Drew's smirk. "You know how to bake?"
"Benny taught me." Drew sets down the ladle and takes a step closer to May. "I'm the whole package. Handsome, rich, smart, and I can cook."
May scoffs in amusement. "You're so full of yourself."
Chuckling, Drew winks at her as he resumes filling up bowls with the stew. "You make it too easy to tease you, April."
Seeing May's face heat up in anger, Betty quickly wheels Benny out of the kitchen, much to the boy's dismay. "Let's pass out the bowls, Benny!" Betty says to make the boy feel better.
May sticks her tongue out at Drew. "Grasshead. Why are you even still here?" She had expected him to stop volunteering already. Isn't he busy? She heard something on the news about how Hayden Corporation is struggling with their sales. Drew should be helping his company rather than pouring time and money at this orphanage that obviously doesn't benefit him.
He shrugs. "I like it here."
The woman frowns slightly. She knows how much the old Drew prefers the orphanage over his home life. However, this new Drew is different. He seems more arrogant and careful. "This isn't your world." She'll use his words against him.
Drew raises an eyebrow at her. "Really?" May had wanted him gone in the beginning, but Drew showed her he wasn't leaving unless by his own accord. She hasn't said much about his attendance lately, so he's slightly concerned she's saying something now.
"Obviously." May crosses her arms over her chest. "You're not poor, and you're not an orphan."
Drew returns his attention to the stew. In a low voice, he says, "I feel like it though." Chuckling sadly, he adds, "Yeah, I'm rich. I have parents. I have everything everyone would want, but I'm not happy, May. I feel poor. I feel like an orphan. My parents only care about the company." He glances back at her with a small smile. "I wish this was my world."
Sighing, May walks over to help him with the stew. "Stop getting sappy on me, Drew."
He grins. "You said my name." She's constantly been referring to him as Mr. Hayden. Drew likes that she's getting more comfortable around him.
May rolls her eyes. "If it'll stop you from crying."
"I wasn't crying."
"You were close to it." she teases. When May looks from the bowl to Drew, she notices he is a few inches away from her.
Their eyes lock, and Drew lowers his face towards hers. "Why?" He breathes out.
"Why what?" May softly asks.
Drew's gaze warms up from her sapphire orbs. "Why are you lying to me?" He isn't sure why he asked that question. At first, he was going to ask why she lets him continue to volunteer, but seeing those familiar sapphire orbs again tells him there's more to her and this place than everyone lets on.
May quickly looks away as her face heats up. "What are you talking about? You were almost gonna cry."
The stew is forgotten as Drew grabs May's chin gently with a finger. He effortlessly gets her to gaze at him again. "Not that, May." Drew takes in a deep nervous breath. "From the moment I met you, I knew there was something special about you."
"I'm just an orphan who's doing my best. Nothing else." May panics, but she can't tear her eyes away from his mesmerizing emerald ones.
"No." He shakes his head. "It's more than that. I may not remember it, but I know you have something to do with my lost memories."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." May denies. Occasionally, he has brought up questions about those three years, and May has been pretty good at dodging them. Nonetheless, these dangerous green orbs are proving difficult to avoid right now. "Please let me go."
"I'm not even holding you." Drew just has a finger on her chin. Sighing, he removes his hand and returns to the stew. "I don't know. I just feel comfortable here. Like I belong when I clearly don't."
May grabs two bowls to start helping Benny and Betty pass out, and to avoid spending more alone time with Drew. "This isn't your world, Drew, but we welcome everyone." She then walks out, and Drew smiles slightly.
The man knows this means May approves of him being here. It's her way of giving him permission to be at the orphanage and in her life. He gets so immersed in this world that he often forgets the struggles of his own. For example, his suspicious angry wife when he walks inside his home after a late night at the orphanage.
"Where have you been?" she seethes.
"Working." Drew passes her to go up the stairs.
"You leave the office every day at 4PM! Where are you going?" There are no accounts of him anywhere, and Brianna can only assume he's where she doesn't want him to be.
"Since when have you cared about my work?" Drew is tired from the day. Well, he is most relaxed at the orphanage, but having to return to his crazy world isn't that nice. If he could stay at the orphanage forever, he wouldn't mind it.
"I always care about your work! Our companies are combined!"
"And your company is going under." Drew takes off his tie. "Worry about your business, and I'll worry about mine."
Brianna furrows her brows. "We have a partnership-"
"Then you better hope it stays." Drew glares at her. "Stop worrying about my business when you're at risk of bankruptcy. When I take over Hayden Corporation, I won't be as nice as my parents. I will cut Wakana Enterprises off."
Furious at the threat, Brianna exclaims, "You should cut off that shitty orphanage if you care so much about business! It does nothing for you!"
Drew slams his palm against the wall by her head. Mere inches in front of her, he growls, "Do not talk about the orphanage." That is his safe haven. There are innocent children there who call that place home. Drew isn't a monster. He can't believe he wanted to pull the funding for business purposes before.
Brianna, although slightly scared by his outburst, resumes glaring back at him. "I'm pretty sure your parents want you away from there too."
"What you and my parents want for me isn't what I want." Drew backs away from her to grab his coat. Being here sucks. He'll stay at a hotel or something. Brianna lets him walk away because she's mad at him too. While she wants to tell his parents about his trips to the orphanage, Brianna knows her family isn't on good terms with the Hayden parents right now.
Before Drew leaves the mansion, he decides to take a calming walk through the garden. After his many car accidents, he is careful about when he drives. The man rarely drinks alcohol, and he doesn't drive when in a bad mood. There's a lot he has to live for right now, so he will be careful. Drew's garden is always a place that calms him, especially from his pesky wife.
Under the moonlight, the garden looks beautiful. Sure there are a few lights and the lit up fountain, but the garden still looks magnificent at night. Drew soon reaches his favorite plant, the red rose bush. It's a bush he has been caring for since he came out of his car crash with lost memories. He's always enjoyed roses with his mother; thus, he figured he is drawn to them because of that. The man constantly makes sure the roses are well taken care of. They're the only ones he can be seen watering.
One bright red rose calls out to him, so Drew gently reaches out to it. He sniffs it and smiles from the sweet calming aroma. Despite the many thorns, this rose grows beautifully. Drew needs to be careful so that he doesn't get pricked. Fortunately, it's not his first interaction with roses. The red reminds him a lot of the red volunteer shirts at the orphanage. Moreover, the beautiful rose with its thorns make him think of her. That brunette who is beautiful yet deadly. Something about her tells him he needs to be careful, but unlike with the roses, Drew doesn't want to be cautious around her. He wants to learn everything about her. He wants to be by her side.
After cutting off the rose and shaving the thorns off, Drew finds himself calling the woman who is constantly on his mind. They're just friends, so it's not like he's cheating on his wife who he doesn't love. His wife who he is starting to think he only married due to business purposes. Even though everyone tells him that he and Brianna were in love, Drew just can't believe it.
How is it that he feels an instant connection to the orphanage, but he can't feel any sort of spark between him and his wife after all the stories everyone tells him? Despite not having his memories, Drew knows his feelings haven't been wrong. They brought him to the orphanage, and he's starting to believe the orphanage knows more about his memories than they let on.
To his surprise, the call is picked up after a few rings. The tired voice of the woman on the other end greets him, "Is everything okay?" She wasn't going to answer him; however, Drew never calls her. When he does call her, it's during business hours. May was scared to think he possibly got in another late night accident and this was Solidad or someone calling her to let her know, even though May knows Solidad is in Slateport City.
Moreover, certain nights entail the brunette not sleeping. This is her first birthday alone in years. The past few years, she had Brendan. When she was growing up in the orphanage, she had Brendan. The times she didn't have Brendan, she was very sad. Birthdays are supposed to be celebrated with friends and family. However, May barely has any friends besides for Dawn who is busy. And family...May doesn't have that. She has the orphans, but it's not the same.
Maybe that's why she picked up Drew's call? She did enjoy her birthday that one time he got to celebrate with her, though they were dating at the time. That was her happiest birthday in a long time. Does she want to feel those emotions again? That happiness? There is already too much pain living every day while her family is gone. Their death anniversary and May's birthday are the days the woman feels the worst.
"Wanna go somewhere?" Drew finds himself asking.
"Aren't you married?" May doesn't need to be involved in any drama. It's already enough that he comes to the orphanage every evening.
He frowns from the reminder. "Does it matter?"
"You know it does."
Chuckling, Drew gazes up at the moon as his other hand twirls the rose. "Not in my world. Love isn't a thing. It's only money." People only marry for money.
May can hear the pain in his voice. Why does he sound worse than her? Although there are many voices in her head telling her to just go to sleep, she can't. She still cares about this man immensely, and their time together lately reminds her how important he is to her. Even though May doesn't plan to be in a relationship with Drew again, he is currently her friend and a volunteer at the orphanage.
Sighing, she replies, "I can only go if it's a part of my job."
Drew smirks. At least she isn't turning him down. "As the liaison between our organizations' partnership, I would like to invite you out for some community building."
"Well, I can't object when our sponsor is asking to meet for professional reasons." May giggles. "Where should I meet you?"
The man is already walking out of the garden with a huge smile on his face. "I'll come to you. Dress warm."
"See ya." the call ends, and May finds herself smiling largely too. While a part of her head is scolding her for this late night meeting, May's heart is happy. Drew has been at the orphanage long enough without remembering anything. Also, the orphanage hasn't been threatened, which must mean Drew has that under control this time around. Despite knowing she really shouldn't interact with Drew, for both of their sakes, a vulnerable night like tonight makes May forget all reason. Maybe it's why she's been pretty nice to Drew lately?
Nonetheless, the woman will curse herself later. For now, she needs to do something comforting for herself. After the breakup with Brendan and then the constant worry over Drew's involvement, May needs a break. It's surprising that she thinks this break will come from the very man who has caused her so much stress already. Is it so wrong for her to believe that this is okay? That they're just hanging out as a partnership for their organizations?
The past couple of times she's interacted with Drew has been subconsciously reminding her how much she enjoys his company. While she was cautious at first, she's been slowly growing more comfortable around him. So much so that the two joke around with each other occasionally. Fortunately, she hasn't let anything about their past slip up, and she knows she should be careful. However, May just wants to be by his side.
About half an hour later, Drew shows up at the orphanage to see May is already outside. She's in a coat to protect her from the night breeze. Drew opens the passenger side door for her, much to her surprise. "Wow. You know how to be a gentleman." She half expected him to be used to his servants and drivers opening doors for him.
Chuckling before he closes the door, he says, "Only to ladies."
As May blushes, Drew walks around the car to get in the driver side. "Seat belt, milady."
"What a cautious man." May giggles.
Drew flashes her a small smile. "I kinda have to be. I did lose 3 years of my life from reckless driving." He sighs and remains focused on the road. "It sucks, ya know?"
May knows. A part of her wishes she had lost those three years. It'd be a lot less torture and painful if she didn't remember. He was the one who broke her heart and embarrassed her. Nevertheless, it's better Drew lost that time because May hated how torn he was between their two worlds. She's only ever going to be involved in her world. Drew has no way of escaping his. Everything happens for a reason, so it's better that Drew lost his memories.
After a while of the two driving in silence, Drew awkwardly breaks it, "So why'd you agree to meet me? I thought you hated me?"
May shrugs. "Couldn't sleep." It's not a lie. She finds it difficult to sleep on certain nights. "And I don't hate you."
"Seems like it." He smirks.
Rolling her eyes, May replies, "I can't hate the person funding the orphanage."
"You could."
"I won't." May sighs. "You do so much for the children. I can set aside my selfish feelings for them."
The man raises a curious eyebrow at her. "What are your selfish feelings?" He really wants to know. Out of all the opinions in the world, he only cares about hers, and he isn't sure why.
May keeps quiet. That's a very dangerous question. She's glad he's very focused on the road, else those mesmerizing green eyes of his will make her cave. Her selfish feelings are selfish for a reason. Being the caregiver at the orphanage, May has suppressed her selfishness for the good of the children. The last time she was selfish, it put the orphanage in jeopardy, which is the reason she left LaRousse City. She's come back since then, but May won't push her luck again. There's a reason she can't be selfish.
When they stop at a red light, Drew expectantly looks at the brunette. "So?"
"So what?"
"What are your selfish feelings? Just cuz you stay quiet, it doesn't mean I'll forget the question." he knowingly remarks. Once the light turns green, May still hasn't said anything. Letting out a breath, Drew tells her, "It's okay. You have no reason to trust me with that anyway."
"It's not that I don't trust you." May finally speaks as they enter a dark road. Despite the lack of cars and the dim road, May isn't scared. She trusts this man wholeheartedly. "I don't trust your world."
"My world is my problem. You're not in it for a reason." He adds, "No offense." Drew would rather not be in his rich world. Sure he has all the money he wants, but he's not satisfied. He's happiest at the orphanage regardless of the money his company has put into it. What makes the orphanage feel like a home is all the people involved there. Heck. Even stoic Tyler is better company than the wealthy people Drew has to interact with.
"None taken." May understands fully well how his world isn't the best place. She's glad she doesn't have to be in it anymore, but the more time she spends with Drew, the more likely she'll be dragged right back into that environment.
Soon, Drew pulls over to the side of the road, and May is slightly nervous. Despite trusting this man, that was the old Drew. Yes, this Drew shares some similarities with the one she fell in love with, but that doesn't mean he's the same person. He only started being nicer once he began volunteering at the orphanage. Has she really fallen for his charms believing he's that same man she loved?
When Drew swings open her door for her to step out, he sees she is still seatbelted, like she'd been too deep in thought to take it off. Frowning, he mutters, "I'm not gonna hurt you. That's not the type of guy I am." One, he's rich. This scandal would be everywhere, and Hayden Corporation stock will plummet. Two, he respects women too much for that. Three...he could never hurt May. It took him long enough to get her to trust him until this point. He wouldn't do anything to risk losing that.
May gives him an apologetic look as she unbuckles her seatbelt. Stepping out of the car, she thanks him. "Where are we?"
He locks the car and starts walking a few feet away down the ditch towards the forest. With his words from earlier, May doesn't feel as nervous anymore. She absentmindedly follows him, and they soon stop in front of a large scarred up tree. "The place I lost it all." Drew chuckles sadly.
She curiously glances at him where she spots the frown in the moonlight. "What?"
Nodding towards the tree, Drew tells her, "This is where I crashed almost four years ago. It's where I lost those three years of my life."
May glances back at the tree truck with the faded scars on the trunk. Walking towards it, she gently rubs her hand across the rough bark. "Maybe you didn't lose anything."
"I lost three years from my memories, May. I lost a lot."
She shakes her head. "Maybe you gained something instead." Turning her head to gaze in his confused emerald orbs, she says, "Maybe you gained the blessing of forgetting? Like those three years would be too painful, so you had them wiped from your memory…" She wishes she could forget those three years. That time with him.
He furrows his brows and approaches her. Gently rubbing the tree too, Drew's hand soon touches her soft one, and she doesn't pull away. Their eyes are still locked as he replies, "Nothing could be more painful than not forgetting."
May gives him a small sad smile. "Heartbreak is more painful."
The man tries to read those pained sapphire orbs. The same ones he constantly sees in his dreams. What is she hiding? What more is there? Why can't he remember? Is she talking about that lawyer guy she recently broke up with? Does she want to forget ever being with him? If May is still hung up over Brendan, then that would explain why she's so cautious around Drew. She isn't looking to date anyone, though Drew is married. May shouldn't be so nervous around him.
"Do you wish you could forget the heartbreak?" He finally asks.
To May's surprise, these enticing emerald eyes make her instantly change her mind. She used to constantly wish she was the one who lost her memories instead. Drew broke her heart. He chose his life over a life with her. He doesn't deserve to live in obliviousness while she's constantly hurting from his decisions. Nonetheless, she's glad her memories haven't been erased. Without them, she wouldn't have all these lessons she's learned.
"Not anymore." she honestly admits.
Drew's eyes open wide in surprise. "Not anymore?" Why?
May nods. "My memories make me into the person I am today. The pain and heartache are reminders of-" She catches herself. The woman almost admitted that she's reminded of how cruel his world is. She can't let him know that she knows about his world. It'll cause too many questions.
Drew, though, caught the hesitation. "Reminders of what?"
"That's personal." Please stop asking. She's not sure coming out tonight was a good idea.
Fortunately, Drew doesn't push it. He invited her out tonight. As much as her mysteriousness causes him to question her, he won't. He doesn't want to push her away now that he's finally getting close to her again. With his hand still touching hers on the tree trunk, Drew gently slips his hand under hers to intertwine their fingers. "Why do I feel so drawn to you, May Maple?"
His gaze is on their hands rather than her eyes, so May can breathe and think better. Nevertheless, that large warm hand of his is very distracting. "Because you like the orphanage, and I'm the only one near your age there." She suggests.
The man shakes his head. "No. It's more than that. I felt it when you were at the mall."
May is slightly sweating. Please don't let him gain back his memories, despite a part of her wanting him to remember. It's too painful remembering the times they shared together by herself. However, it's worse for everyone if Drew regains her memories. Regardless of knowing this, May constantly finds herself spending more time with him. She's conflicted between what's right and what she wants. It's like back when she chose her happiness over the safety of the orphanage.
"You must have me mistaken." May mutters.
Drew returns his attention from her hands to her eyes. He rubs his thumb gently over the back of her hand as he offers her a small smile. Winking, he says, "Drew Hayden doesn't make mistakes."
May's face heats up slightly from his sexiness. C'mon! She knows better than to fall for his charms...again. "Everyone makes mistakes."
Chuckling, Drew glances up at the dark sky. He's starting to believe he made a huge mistake marrying Brianna. Did he really choose her over Dawn Berlitz? Gosh. The old Drew must have been a tool. "I don't." He lies.
May rolls her eyes. "You didn't know how to mop."
"I think I did a pretty good job." He boasts.
Giggling, she responds, "Betty had to teach you. You didn't even know how to use a washing machine!"
Drew stops smiling to give her a confused look. Since when did he use a washing machine? He's only been on floor and cooking duty. It's the teenagers who are on laundry duty. Drew has never had to do laundry before in his life. He's not sure how to use those dreaded machines. "What?"
Still laughing, May recalls when Drew had to keep asking her for new shirts because he didn't know how to wash his used ones. "Yeah. You make lots of mistakes, Drew. You don't know how to do basic chores."
"No. What do you mean by, 'I didn't know how to use a washing machine?' I still don't." Drew tells her, and May stops laughing.
Her eyes open wide in shock as she realizes she just slipped up. The one thing she's been telling herself all night was to be careful of her words. However, here she is telling him she recalls him using a washing machine. Of course he did, but that was before he lost his memories. Awkwardly clearing her throat, May finds the courage to say, "I heard from Betty. So you didn't use a washing machine?" She'll just play dumb.
"You've always been a bad liar." Drew furrows his brows. Why won't anyone be honest with him? It feels like his life is one huge secret, which could be due to his lost memories. Nonetheless, May claims to have nothing to do with that, so why does she keep lying around him? Why won't she tell him anything? She's so careful with him, and he hates it. He wants to get to know the real May Maple.
"You don't know me well enough to know that." May mutters. He does. He knows her well enough to read her mind. She never has to say anything to him, but that was the old him.
"I know you're bad at lying." Drew takes a step closer to her as his grip on her hand tightens. "I've known it since the day I met you. You've been hiding something from me, and I'm gonna find out what it is."
"I don't even know you." It's not really a lie because this is an entirely new Drew with some old Drew tendencies. May won't back down. She knows better than to back down from him.
Sighing, Drew searches those challenging blue eyes of hers. He can see it. That hint of pain that's constantly there. Even when she's happy, she always has that small pang of hurt in her eyes. Drew recognizes it easily because he has it too. Despite everything he has, he isn't happy. He's constantly hurting, and ever since meeting May, his chest has been aching more. Drew knows what pain looks like regardless of the lies.
"Why won't you trust me?" She's been avoiding many of his questions, especially tonight. Drew just wants to get close to her, but she's guarding herself from him. He's been nice to her, so why won't she let him in?
"You said it yourself." May narrows her eyes at him. "Your world can't be trusted. Therefore, you can't be trusted."
"You trust Dawn."
"She's my friend."
"And I'm not."
"Never." She doesn't even hesitate to say this.
Frowning, Drew releases her hand and takes a step back. Why does his heart ache so much from her coldness? Why does he care so much about what this woman thinks of him? "It's late. We should head back." This road is secluded, and it's a decent drive back to the orphanage.
Nodding because that's the best thing she's heard from him tonight, May follows the man up the slope back to his car. He still opens the door for her, but the two don't speak. They make the drive back to the orphanage in uncomfortable silence. May does feel slightly guilty for her hurtful words, though she needs Drew to stop getting so close. It's troublesome if he does.
When they arrive at the orphanage, Drew opens May's door for her. Before she can walk away from the car, he says, "May."
Sighing, she turns back around to bid him goodnight, but instead, she sees a bright red rose. Drew is slightly blushing as he tells her, "Benny says today is your birthday." He sheepishly rubs the back of his head using his free hand. "I wanna be the first to wish you a Happy Birthday." It passed midnight on their drive back to the orphanage, and Drew will be back later to help Benny bake a cake for May.
Out of habit, May finds herself slowly reaching out her hand towards the rose. The last birthday she ever celebrated with Drew has been too painful to remember. He had helped the orphans surprise May by keeping her distracted in the office with his kisses. Those were such happy times. If only they all could have stayed that happy.
Recalling her last birthday with him, May takes a step closer to accept the rose. Both of their hands are gently on the flower as May's eyes lock onto his emerald ones. Even these eyes don't seem completely the same as they once were, but she doesn't mind. She knows she isn't who she was years ago. Maybe that's why she inches her face closer while he does the same.
Under the moonlit night, the two adults are lost in each other's gazes. May slides her hand down the rose's thornless stem to wrap around Drew's hand. With their faces mere millimeters apart, Drew forgets everything holding him back from his desires. He thought he wanted his memories back, but now, he prefers this woman over anything else. For some reason, he wants her. Thus, he closes his eyes in anticipation of those lips that only belong to her.
Once Drew closes his eyes, it's like May is snapped from her hypnosis. She quickly shakes her head and backs away from him. Gosh! She was so close to kissing a married man in public! What if someone saw? That'd be terrible for the orphanage! She can't have the orphans go through the same thing again due to her selfishness. Turning her head, she mumbles, "Night."
Drew opens his eyes in surprise. What just happened? Why'd she stop? She was the one who initiated it, but he understands why she stopped. He's a married man. They're both in entirely different worlds. Sighing, Drew also averts his gaze while extending his arm further towards her. "Take it. It's your birthday present."
He has all the money he wants to buy her anything, though he chose a single red rose from his garden to give her. He felt like that would be the best gift. While wealthy families usually give expensive gifts to one another, Drew didn't find the need to do that for May. Not because she isn't wealthy but because he believes she'd prefer this rose over anything else.
May hesitantly nods and grabs the rose from him. "Thanks."
Awkwardly, Drew scratches the back of his head. "Uh. I'll see ya later. I told Benny I'd help him bake your cake."
The equally awkward woman nods. "Okay. I'll be going now."
"Night, May." Drew watches her wave and walk inside the orphanage before getting in his car and driving off.
When May reaches her room, she brings the rose to her nose. It has that familiar sweet aroma. Ever since breaking up with Drew, May has avoided anything to do with roses. Roses remind her of him, which is why she bought him that rose embroidered shirt. He once promised to replace the roses before they died. It was his way of assuring her that he'd come around the orphanage regularly. His last rose is long dead, but May has never thrown any of his roses away.
Pulling out a box from under her bed, May grabs an old clear plastic cup from inside. She pours some water from her water bottle into the cup and then places the rose in the cup. Glancing in the box before she closes it up again, May spots countless dried up roses. After she returns the box to under her bed, May admires the beautiful lively rose on her desk once more. Her heart beats quickly for the man who gave it to her. Whether the rapid heartbeat is due to her feelings for him or due to her knowing she's entering dangerous territory with him again, May knows she's going to sleep happier than she's ever been in years.
There. Some contestshipping for y'all since I kept you waiting for so long. And this is twice as long as my other chapters. Hope to see ya soon lol.
