Drew studied Elmira secretly. She had changed for sure over the years he hadn't seen her, and he didn't like what he was seeing. Her hair was still tortilla brown. It had gotten way longer and was in a desperate need of a haircut judging by the split ends. A few strands of grey had made their way into it but he didn't mind that. Her eyes were still a deep, rich green but they were so full of sadness whenever she raised them from the floor to actually look at him.
The main thing that had changed was her attitude. She used to be happy and full of life. Now she looked defeated. There was no happiness left inside the woman that he had never been able to get out of his mind.
"How is it living together?" Elias asked.
"Oh, you know," Rhea said. "Just two good friends being roommates. He's a good chef though."
Drew and Rhea shared a look. There was a reason he chose to return from Scotland to America, and she as his best friend was the only one who knew why. Elmira was the reason. He needed some closure. They had never been together but apparently he couldn't fall out of love with her. Rhea had warned him that Elmira had changed a lot. He had refused to believe it until this moment when he saw her with his own eyes.
"Come on, spill the beans," Elias smirked. "I know you hooked up."
"What?" Drew asked.
"Why the fuck would you think that?" Rhea asked.
"Men and women can't live together without hooking up," Elias said.
"You're an ass," Drew said.
Elias' smirk fell. He had never met Drew. He only tolerated Rhea because of Elmira. He had managed to cut all other friends out of Elmira's life but Rhea was hanging in there like a tick on a stray dog. It was best to keep her there where he could keep an eye on the two women. Maybe if Drew and Rhea ended up together, he would see less of Rhea and that way make Elmira cut contact all together. He needed these two to hook up.
"I just think you'd make a cute couple," Elias said.
Drew and Rhea looked at each other and rinkled their noses.
"Ew," Rhea said.
"Yeah, that's a hard no from me," Drew chuckled.
"We'll see," Elias smirked again. "I do hope you'll bring him with you next time as well. I like him."
"I'd be happy to," Drew said.
Elias kept the smile on his face. So far it was going the way he wanted to. Maybe he should throw a party, get them both drunk, and push them into the bedroom together. One way or another, he would figure it out. Drew was his ticket to get Rhea out of his life for good, and Elmira would have no one left. Elias would be all she would have. Just the way it was always supposed to be in his eyes.
"Alright, time to go home," Rhea said. "Come here, sweety. I need my hug."
Elmira stood up and hugged Rhea. Drew wasn't missing out on a hug either. Elias might have changed Elmira, but that didn't mean Drew didn't still care about her. He cared. A whole damn lot. Way more than he probably should. He wrapped his arms around her and held her right.
"It was really good seeing you again," Drew said.
"You too," Elmira said.
"Alright, let go of my girl before I make you," Elias chuckled.
The sentence was delivered as a joke but it felt like a threat. Drew let go, and Elmira looked down ashamed. Elias stepped over to her and placed an arm around her shoulders as if he wanted to show Drew she was off limit. Drew put on a fake smile and left the house with Rhea. They went to her car in silence and got in.
"I hate that guy," he finally said.
"Me too," she said.
"And I think Elmira was trying to tell me something," he said.
He put his hand in his pocket.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I could feel her hand in my pocket," he pulled up a note. "And she left me something apparently."
"Shit, what does it say?" She asked.
He unfolded the note and read it out loud.
"I need help. Don't call. He checks the phone," he said.
"I fucking knew it!" She growled. "I'm gonna walk right back in there and give him a piece of my mind."
"No, you won't," he said. "Let's go home and come up with a plan. We don't know what she needs help with."
"She wants away from him. I fucking know it. He never lets us be alone so she hasn't been able to tell me," she said.
"But now she told me," he said. "So let's go home and figure out where to go from here. If we barge back in there, he's gonna put up a fight and somehow take her away from us. You know I'm right. I've seen guys like him before. They're up to no good. She needs us, and we need to be one step ahead."