Sleep wasn’t even an option. A feeling of dread took over as she wondered what had happened to Drake to pull away from her.
Later on, Love stuffed Drake’s tuxedo pants in a bag. She’d decided to take his suit to the cleaners when she took her dress. He’d already left for his afternoon shift.
She racked her brain trying to think about everything that happened at the ball. But nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She was tempted to talk to El. Maybe he’d be able to shed some light on things. But she didn’t want to involve anyone else. Her mother had once told her not to bring other people into her relationships. Whatever happened between her and Drake was between them.
Shaking her head to clear her mind, she checked the pockets and heard the crinkle of paper from the inside pocket. She pulled an envelope out and noted the return address: Johns Hopkins. The urge to open the envelope reared its ugly head. Love wasn’t the type to spy on her man.
She reasoned with herself about it. Drake had been acting strange, ever since they’d left the fund-raising event. She was taking his tuxedo to the cleaner and the letter happened to be in his pocket.
Giving in to temptation, she pulled out the contents and scanned them. Her heart dropped. Swallowing hard, she read the letter again.
Johns Hopkins?
She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but her father’s words came to mind.
Last I checked, Drake was looking for a career, not a wife.
Love choked back a sob. Had her dad been right all along? Drake had been there, fully vested in their relationship…until the acceptance letter arrived.
You are fundamentally different people. This marriage will be over before it starts.
Pressing a hand against her throat, she considered calling Drake, confronting him with the evidence that he’d lied to her. Except he didn’t lie, he’d omitted.
Mark my words, you’ll end up heartbroken when he wakes up one morning and realizes he wants more.
Her father’s words still stung, because Love had known it was a possibility, even then. But she’d chosen to believe Drake when he said he wanted to be with her, that he loved her.
Love stuffed the letter back in the envelope and set it on Drake’s pillow. He’d see it when he got home and have no choice but to mention it. She heard the door shut downstairs and figured the conversation was going to happen sooner rather than later.
When Drake entered the room, she asked him, “What are you doing back so soon?”
“I forgot I don’t have a lecture this morning. I figured I chill out with you for a while.” He walked over to her, leaned in and kissed her. “Want to get some lunch?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Frowning, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“I was… I was going to take your tux to the cleaners.” She picked up the envelope from his pillow and held it out. “This was in the pocket.”
Drake lowered his gaze.
“Were you going to tell me that you got accepted to Johns Hopkins? Or were you just going to leave without telling me?”
Sighing, he sat down on the edge of the bed. “It’s not what you think.”
“Isn’t it? You’ve been distant. And then I see this. What am I supposed to think? I’ve been asking you for days if everything is all right. You’ve been lying to me for days. I thought we were working toward something here.”
“Love, I was going to tell you.”
“After you accepted the offer?”
“I haven’t accepted the offer. I’m not going to.”
“Why? You’ve wanted this for years. Why wouldn’t you take it?”
“Because… I love you. I’m not going to just leave.”
“But you considered it.”
“Of course I did. It’s Johns Hopkins.”
“Take it.”
His eyes widened. “Love, I’m not taking it.”
“Please do.”
The fact that the minute she read the letter, she’d immediately thought the worst about Drake didn’t sit right with her. It was indicative of a greater problem. Lack of trust. She’d been burned before, and she didn’t want to get hurt again.
“Don’t do this,” he said. “Don’t push me away because you’re scared.”
“I don’t know why I thought we could do this, Drake. All I know is if we continue, I might wind up hating you. It’s bad enough that because of me you’re turning down a job you’ve always wanted. And I’m not willing to do another long-distance relationship. Bottom line, my dad was right. We want different things. It’s good that we know that now.”
“What?” Drake jumped up, staggered back a few steps. “I can’t even believe you’re going to use your dad’s words against me. I’m not that guy. I’m not him. I would never hurt you.”