JUST LIKE HER (ANDY BARBER)

10. IT WOULD BE A FINE PROPOSITION

Ever since Barrister's, a pit in your stomach grew and grew and grew. Something bad was going to happen, you were sure of it. You just didn't know what it was going to be or when it was going to happen. You just knew that it would, and that it would probably rock your entire world in the worst way possible. And, for that reason, you were terrified of telling Andy that you were done with him. Because he didn't like to be denied, and he especially didn't like to be denied you.

So you didn't say any more about it. In all honesty, you were trying to avoid Andy. Which, on its own, wasn't too difficult. He still didn't talk to you much at school—which, admittedly, had hurt when you started sleeping with him—and that was your saving grace. He didn't want to be seen with you in public so as to not draw attention to the relationship the two of you had. So, all you had to do was make sure you were constantly in view of other people. Then, when you went home, you would just have to take your phone off the hook lest he tried to call you.

If you had been smarter back then, perhaps you would have realized that doing all of that was a sign that Andy Barber was much more dangerous than you or anyone else ever could have realized. But you weren't smarter back then. You still had the naïve perception that no harm could be done unto you. And so you found yourself still playing right into Andy's hand. Anything he asked of you, you would give.

It was easier now, though, to avoid him. Finals week was fast approaching and you were scrambling to make sure you had all of your outlines together. You imagined Andy was, too, since his presence didn't linger quite as often as it had before.

But, of course, all good things must come to an end.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

You groaned at the sound, throwing your pen down on your desk before pushing your seat out, rising up to cross the room. You picked up the phone, holding it to your ear, and said, "Hello?"

"Sunshine! I'm s'glad you picked up!"

Your heart stopped. Damn you for forgetting to take the phone off the hook.

"I've been trying to call you for ages, sunshine! Why don't you ever pick up?"

"Andy, I told you. I'm done with this. You're married. You have a wife. Love her, be with her. I can't be toyed with anymore."

"But that's the great thing, sunshine! I'm gonna getta divorce! I'm gonna divorce Laurie and then I'm gonna marry you and then we're gonna have a nice, big family. I'm thinking a coupla kids, a girl then a boy. I hope our kids look like you, 'cause you're s'pretty and—"

You sighed, trying to squash out the hopefulness blooming in your chest. "Andy, are you drunk?"

"I only hadda coupla drinks!" he said. "Maybe more than a couple. I dunno. I wasn't countin'."

"Go home, Andy. Laurie's probably wondering where you're at."

"But I don't care about her. I care about you! I was thinkin', actually, that I come up and we have a lil fun—"

"No." You ran your hand down your face. "Listen. I can't keep doing this. I can't keep sleeping with a married man."

"But I'm gonna get a divorce—"

"I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, go home to your wife."

Andy was silent. For a moment, you wondered if he actually had left but before to put his phone back on the hook. Then, he let out a shuddering breath, as if he was trying to restrain himself, and he said, "Listen, sunshine, I've told you already. You can't deny yourself to me."