Underestimated Too Read Online Free PDF Page A

have like toys and stuff?”
    “Do you have toys and stuff?”
    “Yes, but Drew has a permanent one that is always
there.”
    “Celeste sort of does too. There is not a human on earth
that knows how to use their mouth better than she does.”
    “I’d argue that. Drew is amazing with his tongue.”
    Alicia’s phone rang first, and then mine. I could
hear Celeste yelling before I ever answered mine. Drew did his own yelling,
both ordering us to stop talking about our sex lives. I would let it go, but
now I was really curious. I’d just wait until we weren’t in my bedroom to carry
on this conversation.
    ***
    We spent our next Thursday with Deidra, talking
about me once again. I think she was easing Drew into it, knowing I’d cooperate
a little more than he would. I was worried about his turn to share. Drew was so
attentive, listening to me describe the way I’d been raised, the hard times we
fell on, and the lack of things most people took for granted.
    “I don’t think I take things for granted,” Drew
interrupted. “I am very thankful for what I have.”
    “You do, Drew. I’m talking about things you don’t
even think about.”
    “Like what?”
    “Hot water. Have you ever heated water on a gas
stove that you had to light yourself? Heat, have you ever had to pry frozen
wood apart to stay warm? Have you ever eaten popcorn for supper because it was
the only thing in the house? I can name a hundred things in five minutes that
you take for granted,” I assured him, raising my voice. He had no clue. None
whatsoever, and his little pity party was pissing me off.
    “Now, I’m going to stop you. We’ve established that
Drew was to blame for Justin. Honey, Drew’s not to blame for this. Drew had
nothing to do with the hardships of your upbringing.”
    Well, hell. She was right. I was getting mad at the
wrong person. “I’m sorry,” I said, looking to Drew. He was wearing a sad smile
and a heavy heart for me. Drew would take it all away if he could. I knew he
would. 

Chapter 4
     
     
     
    Drew refused to visit the beach house, using the
excuse that he had too much to do. He could have done it there. He didn’t want
to see my mother. He was carrying a lot of animosity towards her after the last
few sessions with Deidra. He was forced to listen to things he had no clue
about. He didn’t like it, nor did he like the fact that my mother was a barroom
slut and left me to take care of her baby.
    “Drew, you know how I lived. You’ve been to my
mother’s a dozen times. Why now? Why does this bother you now?”
    “Because I can’t imagine anyone, letting their
children be brought into a situation like that. Why would she even have kids if
she wasn’t planning on taking care of them?”
    “She takes care of Caroline.”
    “Yeah, and that pisses me off too. She tossed you
and Justin away and ran off and had another family. Who does that?”
    “Drew, you’re the one that told me she deserved a
second chance, and she was trying to make it right. Isn’t that what you’re
doing? Are you not using your second chance right now? Please come with me,” I
begged. I didn’t want to go if he wasn’t coming too.
    “Okay, fine.”
    Yes!
    That was exactly what Drew and Celeste did the whole
four days we were there. They may as well have stayed home. All they did was
work. Alicia and I spent time on the beach, looking for sea glass with Caroline
and Vincent. My mom kept Nicky while we walked the shore in search of treasure.
Caroline and Vincent had a little rivalry going on. Vincent now had twenty-four
pieces of gems, and Caroline had twenty-nine. Of course it wasn’t really fair,
Caroline lived on the beach. Vincent lived in the desert.
    “If you don’t pay attention to me soon, I’m going to
explode,” I tormented Drew. It was the first time in three days I’d seen him
alone, without Celeste stuck to his side.
    He smiled and kissed my lips. “One conference call
and I am finished for the day,” he