Chapter 3
We both know that I shouldn't be here
This is wrong
And baby it's killing me, it's killing you
Both of us trying to be strong
"The Hardest Thing"
Drew Lachey
"He's late," said the short man. He was wearing average street wear of a
red T-shirt and semi-baggy pants with tinted glasses and a baseball cap. The
man sat on one of the stool situated by the window of one of the many corner
Starbucks in Manhattan Island. While waiting, he impatiently read the same
page of the paperback he brought with him, alternating with fast tapping of
his fingers on the table. His Frappoccino has long been consumed, along with
his Danish, and his patience was slowly dissolving. "What's taking him so
long?", he shouted to the almost deserted place, getting the attention of
the people who were working behind the counter.
"Sir, is everything alright?", asked a tall young woman with dark hair from
behind him.
The man jumped at the woman's intrusion of his mind's ranting. He turned
around quickly, startling the woman in turn. The man was even more surprised
when he recognized the person he was facing. "Sam?"
The short man was starting to scare the young worker. "How do you know my
name?" she asked warily.
The man took of his cap and glasses revealing a pair of beautiful hazel
eyes and a shock of spiky light brown hair. "It's me, Drew." Then all of a
sudden the girl wrapped his arms around the youngest member of 98 Degrees
with the hold of a vice. "Need. To. Breathe. Let. Go. Sam.", stammered Drew,
then Sam let go with a very red face. Sam then slapped his arm with all her
might.
"Ow. Geez Sam. What was that for? Did you forget that I just came out of an
accident?"
"You're an ass, Andrew John Lachey! How dare you scare your cousin out of
the state of New York and of three years growth! Just be glad I'm on duty
right now or I would be kicking your tiny butt all the way back to Ohio,"
Sam threatened.
Drew smirked in irritation. "It's not all my fault! You scared me first
before I saw you, so stop being a bitch." Both of them just laughed off the
incident. "Do you have time to sit down and talk? By the way, what are you
doing here? I thought you're still in college."
Sam nodded. "Yeah, I'm in college but I'm also the branch manager here. Let
me just tell the crew that they have to fend for themselves for an hour or
so. Want anything? It's on me. Sorry about the arm and all."
Drew put his hand on his head in a thoughtful pose. "Hey, no biggie. I
don't know. How about a Mocha Grande Frap and a Danish? I don't know how
long I'm going to be here."
Sam left him to get his order. As soon as she left, Drew's pager sounded
off and he frowned as he read the message.
HONEY, GOING TO BE AN HOUR LATE. PRODUCERS MADE ME STAY. PLEASE WAIT FOR
ME THERE. SORRY.
Drew sighed in frustration. Resigning himself to his anxious state, Drew
started to clear the table of his beat up Jack Higgins book and Orange
backpack. He soon settled his gaze upon the gray mid afternoon that New York
was currently immersed in. everyone just getting on with his or her own
business, while the young singer was anxious to finish his. All this waiting
proved to be taxing because just wanted someone to know his secret. He
thought that the person that he was going to meet was going to be his
secret-keeper. Drew guessed if there's anyone that he could trust, it's
family.
"Okay, here's your stuff," said Sam as she sat across from Drew. "Now, how
are you, Andy?"
Drew gave her a disgusted look. "Don't call me that. You know I hate that
nickname." Sam just smirked.
"I aim to please. Now seriously, what's been going on with you popstars and
your significant others? Is Jeff available and dating?", asked Sam giddily.
Drew's face became neutral with thought. "Well, Nick is with me. We're
going to guest host TRL for a couple of days. Justin is still single and
loving it. And Jeff is still with his girlfriend so quit it." Sam snapped
her fingers as if to say, "Damn".
"What about Jess? Is she still dating Nick?"
"No, they're parting ways for a while and doing an open relationship. They
both don't really have time to stay together but they don't really want to
break-up, so this is what they came up with."
"Damn stupid, if you asked me. So what about you? How's married life? Is it
making you settle and everything?", she asks with bobbing eyebrows.
Drew's expression became even more somber. His face tried to stay calm; he
thought that all the tears had fallen a week ago. His composure slowly
crumbled as all the events that happened began rushing back. He started to
shake with pain and fear as the tears fell down in streams.
Sam was shocked at Drew's reaction. All of the sudden, she feared the worse
for her older cousin. She gathered him in a tight hug as to reassure that
things weren't all that bad. The workers looked with curious faces as they
went on trying not to mind them as they served a lone customer. Sobs echoed
the place as Drew released his pent-up sorrow. After a good 15 minutes, Drew
finally calmed down and began to tell Sam his secrets as he held on to his
coffee like a lifeline.
"I guess it all started about 2 months ago. For some reason, Lea has been
acting really strange. I guess the first sign was that she was always tired
and always slept whenever I was home. Then came the headaches and the coming
and going of appetite. I thought something was wrong but Lea told me
everything was fine. It came to a point that I was pulling away from her
slowly. One night during a party..." Drew exhaled. Sam listened expectantly.
"I slept with someone." Sam gasped in disbelief. She had a hard time
picturing her faithful cousin being able to cheat. "I was really drunk that
night but I know that is no excuse. I don't regret it at all because
something happened."
Sam waited for a few moments for Drew to find the right words to say. "You
know when you're sure that one person was meant for you, you marry them or
stay with them forever, right." Sam nodded, not quite sure where this was
leading. "But what if someone came along and makes you question about it.
What if I did not marry my soul mate?'
"Drew, I don't understand," Sam said in confusion.
"Well, it's like this. I know Lea is my soul mate but I met someone who I
think is my soul mate also. I can feel it in my heart, my soul. And you know
how I am with things like this. I have a wife who I know I love with all I
have, but I also have a lover who gave me the same feelings I have when I
met Lea. I hate all this. Why is life so fucking screwed up?", Drew raised
his hands in despair.
Sam could tell that there was more. "Drew? There's more to this, isn't
there?"
Drew shook his head violently. "Last week, Lea asked me to go with her to
the doctor. Apparently, she's been getting tests done on herself to see if
anything was wrong." Drew took a deep breath as his hands slowly crushed the
half full Grande cup. Sam gingerly took it to prevent any mess, so Drew
decided to hug himself. "He said that Lea's going to die."
Sam felt as if the air in the room was sucked out in a vacuum. She was in
even more disbelief than hearing Drew cheat. "What did the Doctor say?"
Trying to fight back the tears again, he steadied his voice. "The doctor
said that she has a tumor in her brain. It's the size of a small woman's
fist."
Sam gasped in shock. "Isn't there some sort of procedure or medication that
could save her?"
Drew just hung his head, wanting not to feel any worse. "They say that it's
in the part of the brain that all vital functions are being regulated. Any
form of surgery would damage that portion of the brain. To do surgery would
mean a quicker death. The tumor is so big that any medication to make it
smaller would be ineffective. The only thing to do is to wait and to make
Lea comfortable until she dies."
Sensing the utter despair of the Drew, she embraced him again. She
whispered, "How long?"
"6 months, at most."
Feeling the tears in her eyes, she tried to shut them to prevent them from
flowing. "So what are you going to do?"
"Remember that person I'm going to meet here." She nodded. "I'm meeting him
here to break-up with him."
"Him?" For the third time that day, Sam was stunned speechless. Giving a
few moments to process the recent information, she said, "You're Gay?"
"Bi," Drew said in a sad tone. "You don't have any problems with that, do
you?"
"No. Not really. It's just surprising that's all."
"Glad you're okay with it." Drew hugged her back with all his might.
Both of them broke the embrace and wiped off the saltwater off their faces.
"So, what's breaking up with the guy got anything to do with all this?", Sam
asked.
Sighing, Drew ran his right hand through his scalp. "It's my decision. For
weeks, I wondered what the heck I was going to do about the whole situation.
What's good about this whole mess is that he understands. He would have
backed-off if I didn't beg him to stay. He said the moment that I say that
we're done; we're done. He's placing it in my hands. I wish it wasn't but
that's the way he wants it. I know he loves me, but now I have to let him
go. I don't want to though. I love him too much."
Sam regarded her cousin with quiet contemplation. The adultery, the tumor,
the mass of emotion in him, and the love he had for two people. He had to
give up one to love another. Her sadness rallied towards Drew. "Drew, I
won't tell you what to do but if it was really meant to be like you say,
then he will wait for you. Don't push him out completely yet."
Drew's line of vision left the view of his cousin. It moved to the street
where the number of pedestrians doubled in the pass hour. In the far side of
his gaze, he noticed a figure running towards his direction from across the
street. He recognized the figure and he began to prepare himself for what he
was supposed to do. "Sam, my guy is coming now. Can you give us a few then
come over so I can introduce you."
"Sure" Sam left and went back behind the counter. The doors opened and a
tall young man of 21 entered with a black hat. He saw Drew and quickly sat
down in the chair that Sam had previously occupied. He gave him a handshake
that seemed to last longer than usual. After that, Sam turned her head and
headed towards the backroom with Gina and Alex, her co-workers, close behind
her.
"Sam, isn't the guy you were talking to Drew Lachey?", asked Alex.
She shifted her head slightly and smiled. "Yeah, he's my cousin."
"Oh my God, Sam. That's Nick Carter with him right now. Right?", babbled
Gina in a star struck manner.
Sam just nodded and prayed silently to God that everything will be okay.
It's the hardest thing I'll ever have to do
To turn around and walk away
Pretending I don't love you
I know that we'll meet again
Fate has a place and time
So you can get on with your life
I've got to be cruel to be kind
Chapter 4
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