The Girl & the Car

Chapter 9

Emma helped me get ready to leave. Andy seemed to have disappeared, so I got signed out and found some clothes to fit me since mine were shredded. When she returned, it didn't feel like the Andy I had fallen so hard for. I tried asking her, but it was no use.

"Come on, talk to me. What's wrong?" I pestered her on the bus for about the hundredth time.

"Oh my god, will you just shut up about it?" Andy angrily answered.

"Come on, please. I wanna know what goes on in the beautiful brain of yours." I giggled tickling her side.

She scoffed at me trying not to laugh. "Stop it. I'm not telling."

"If I guess will you tell me?" I plead.

She nodded. "Seems I have no option." I laughed.

And thus began the guessing game. "Not ready for a relationship?" No. "Scared for School?" No. "Worried about me?" Kinda, but that wasn't it. "Did something happen with someone else?" She got really quiet staring at the floor.

She looked into my eyes. The bright crystals I had expected were replaced by dark wet stones. "I can't tell you... I'm sorry." She let a tear fall. Here I thought I meant something to her and we could be honest. But I was a fool. Andy and I barely met a few days ago. I had fallen so quickly for her.

I let go of her hand and gave a fake smile. "I get it. I understand. We only just met and this is all too much for you." I rubbed my neck. There was still some lingering pain, but that would go with 6 weeks of physical therapy.

The rest of the ride to my apartment was long and quiet. It was almost as if there was nothing left to say. She didn't want to share. Why was I so hurt by this? Why did she make me feel this way? Then a scary thought came to my mind. She slept with Lucas the night of the party. She is confused and doesn't want to be tied to someone. We both got off the bus and slowly walked together.

"Do you need help getting up to your apartment?" she quietly asked me.

I looked at the building in front of us. I shook my head, but she seemed insistent on helping me. I know what that kiss was about. She liked me because she could care for me, she could help me. Maybe that is why I like her because she took care of me. We tricked each other into love through injury.

"Thank you, Andy." She looked up at me eyes filling with hope. "For everything." I smiled genuinely at her.

She began to lean forward as if she was going to kiss me. A part of me was dying to pull her closer and kiss her, but another part pulled me back. I leaned back and had my back now pressed against the building wall. She looked at me alarmed. It had to be this way. We needed to be friends.

"Have a better day, Wes. I'll see you around." She sighed handing me my bag from the hospital. As she turned away, I swear I saw her shed a tear. I've hurt her.

She hurt you. She slept with Lucas. Why am I trying to overlook all of this? It's very simple. Andy Lane is just another girl on another day. I make my way into the building and the elevator. I pushed the button for 5 and let my thoughts be drowned out by the awful music. I'm a man of true jazz, not this nonsense.

Suddenly, my phone began to buzz in the bag. I dug through and pulled it out as I stepped off the elevator. My phone had been cracked as I most likely fell on it. I got several messages from Horton, Lucas, and Allie. I opened Horton's to find a string of instructions and threats to remove me from grad school. All harmless. I was making music nothing could stop me. Lucas began as threats and rude comments but quickly adjusted into pleading and begging. Allie's were obscene. They were all naughty messages and pictures.

The recent ones were from Emma making sure I got in okay, I had eaten, take care of Andy, etc. Of course, as I read through them a new message popped up.

'I'm sorry I just can't be that with you. We've only just met. Can we be friends or maybe a casual thing? I want you in my life. -A'

It was Andy... Why was...? What? My thoughts were soon answered as I entered into Apt. 519, my home.

"Hey." Emma smiled. Next to her was my favorite little nephew, Calvin. He spun in my desk chair playing with a ball I kept on my desk.

"Hi." I smiled. "Now who could be spinning in my chair." I playfully joked as I approached the chair. I stopped it and Calvin was forced to look at me.

"Uncie Wes" He jumped out of the chair to hug me. I bent down and hugged him to the best of my abilities. "SuperMan?" He asked me to swing him like a superhero in the air.

Emma jumped over to him and picked him up. "How about we let Uncle Wes rest for now and when his back feels better he'll play SuperMan with you. Yeah?" She smiled at him as he let out a little sad sigh. He quickly sprang back up into his adorable peppy self and grabbed the little Cars backpack I had given him for his birthday last month.

"Uncie Wes, look Momma and I got rocks." He pulled out all kinds of pretty rocks and trinkets.  He beamed from ear to ear as he told me the names of them all. Then for a second, he stopped... "What's wrong?" He said reaching up to grab my hand. I leaned down a little and let him grab it.

"Nothing bubba. I just made a big mistake and I am starting to feel bad." I sighed as I gave Emma a small smile. Calvin looked down at the rock in his other hand and placed it in my palm. It was a white rock with gold specks all over it. "I can't take this pal. It's your rock."

"No," he insisted, "Yours. Called Happy. Touch and be Happy." He smiled as he demonstrated. The cute adorable smile melted my heart as I bent down to sit with him. He rushed over and gave me the biggest hug ever. This is what love feels like. Knowing someone can make you smile, even in your darkest moments. We broke away and Emma helped me stand back up. Calvin then led me to my bedroom and made me sit with him. "Naptime. Momma said."

"Did she now?" I asked looking between him and Emma who now was in my doorway. She giggled as he curled up in my bed holding my arm. "I guess it's nap time."

"Uncie Wes tell me a story. Please." He begged while giving me the biggest puppy dog eyes. I smirked as Emma sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Alright. How about I tell you the story of a girl named Andy." Emma's ears perked up when I mentioned her name. Calvin started clapping as he cuddled close listening to me tell the tale.

Every so often, I'd hear a little snore, and then suddenly he was awake yelling, "More!" By the time I told him about her angelic face in my dream, he was asleep. In fear of moving, I grabbed my phone staring at Andy's last message, until Emma's message came through.

'You love her. Why isn't she here? I wanted her to meet Calvin.' It read

I responded.  'It's been less than a week. I barely know her... she wants to have casual.'

'You hate casual.'

'I know.'

'What'd she specifically say?'

'Does it matter?'

She nodded at me and I let her read the message.  She handed me my phone back and sighed. Calvin let out a huge snore and that's when we knew he was out.

"You guys can stay the night. You know where everything is." I whispered to her.

"No, we should go home." She sighed.

"But you don't want to."

"That's... true. Thanks." She got up quietly and slowly left the room.

Sitting here alone with my thoughts, and a sleeping 4-year-old, I let my body guide my head to sleep.

The dreams that followed were filled with Andy. It killed me to see the beautiful temptress in front of me... yet I couldn't reach her or talk to her. It was like being separated by glass. A barrier meant to torment me. She was what I thought I wanted. But I was a fool.
A God damn fool. She was the girl I saved, I was the man she helped. But was that it? I wouldn't be feeling this way if it was. There has to be more. Or am I putting on the rose-colored glasses?

I need sleep. I need Andy. I need love. No-no-no. I need sleep.

What is happening to me?