Andy Barber - Secrets Past 💜

Chapter 5

Elizabeth opened her classroom door, kicking the little door stopper to keep it open. She looked up to see Owen doing the same across the hall.

He looked up and smiled, "Liz. How you settling in after the first quarter?"

She nodded, approaching him, "it's good. I like it here. I grew up on the east coast, so it was pretty easy to settle in."

"Oh yeah? Where from?"

She smiled, "Connecticut."

"Neighbors!" She laughed as he chuckled, hesitating for a moment. "Hey, I was wondering if I could take you to dinner sometime?"

Andy overheard Owen asking out Elizabeth as he arrived at her classroom with Laurie. He saw her look at him before looking back at Owen.

She nodded, "I'd love that. I'll talk to you after the conferences?"

Owen grinned, "looking forward to it." He nodded at Andy and Laurie before going into his own classroom.

Elizabeth sighed, "Mr. and Mrs. Barber, come in. Please." She watched them both takes seats next to each other as Andy stared at her. She swallowed hard, "there's nothing really to say. Jacob is very smart, and along with Arwen is at the top of the class."

Laurie nodded, "he said he's been reprimanded a few times."

Elizabeth chuckled, "no. Not really. Just noticed he has a lot of the same annoying habits someone else had when they were in high school."

Andy laughed, "like what?"

She shrugged as Laurie looked between them, "tapping his pencil. Chewing on his pencil. Playing with his hands." She motioned to Andy's hands that he had clasped tightly, moving back and forth on each other.

He chuckled, releasing his hands. "Right. Still endearing?"

Elizabeth blushed slightly, looking back at Laurie, "that's it really. Not reprimanded. Just told to stop when some of his more..." She looked at Andy, "endearing qualities get too loud and start to disturb the class." She looked back at Laurie, "it's fine. Arwen does the same things sometimes. No big deal. Any questions?"

Laurie nodded, leaning forward, "you guys know each other better than simply going to the same school, didn't you?"

Elizabeth looked at Andy.

"Don't look at him! I asked the question. Not him. How do you know my husband?!"

Andy groaned as he watched Elizabeth glare at him. He stood up from his seat as Laurie did.

"Get her out of here Andy!" Elizabeth let out a long breath as she sat at her desk, trying to remain calm.

Andy nodded at Elizabeth, "I'm sorry. Thanks Lizzie." He grabbed Laurie's arm, forcing her out of the classroom with him. "What the fuck is your problem?"

Elizabeth shook her head as she mumbled to herself. "Your husband was mine first. Fucking..."

"Liz? Are you okay?"

She looked up to see Owen standing in her doorway. "Yeah. I'm sorry. You must think I'm mental." She chuckled awkwardly as he approached her desk.

He shrugged. "No. Not at all. Some parents are harder to deal with."

She smiled, "thanks." She scribbled her number on a piece of paper before handing it to him, "here. Call me about dinner?"

He grinned, "I will!"

✨✨✨

Andy watched Laurie glaring out the window with her arms crossed as he drove. "What's your problem with Lizzie?"

"Lizzie." She looked back at him, "how do you know her Andy?!"

"I told you! We went to school together! I've known her since I was like 10." He rolled his eyes as he pulled into his driveway. "What's the problem?" He sighed as he watched her storm from the car, inside the house. He followed her inside as she started to go through things in the living room on the shelf.

"She's the girl that you left back home for me, isn't she? When I got pregnant?"

Andy sighed, placing his hands on his hips, "yes. So?"

Laurie stood up, "because she's the one you've always been in love with. You only married me because I was pregnant."

"What did you expect me to do? Have Jacob grow up without a father the way I did?" He saw Jacob come to the bottom of the stairs, but he pointed back up the stairs as he watched Jacob go back up.

"You didn't have to marry me! I've lived in her shadow for the last 17 years Andy! Now I have to do it in person! How do you think it makes me feel?"

He watched her pulling stuff off the shelves, "how do you think it makes her feel? I broke her heart and left her for you. Now she has to live with that seeing you here in person all the time." He watched her pull more books off the shelf, "what the fuck are you doing?!"

"I'm looking for something!" She scoffed, "and poor her! Whatever. Is that why she is here? She's here for you?"

"What?! Of course not. She had no idea I lived here. I haven't talked to her since she graduated high school. You sound ridiculous Laurie."

She turned to glare at him as she pulled out a book, "do I? When did she graduate?"

Andy shrugged, "in May something, 2004, why?"

Laurie stopped on a page on the book, "and how old is Arwen?"

He shrugged again, "I don't know 16. Why?!"

Laurie shoved an old photo album at him, "because she looks like your mom did when she was young."

Andy looked at the picture of the young woman with long dark hair and big blue eyes, plopping into the chair he stood in front of as he heard Laurie storm up the stairs. Laurie was right, take away Elizabeth's features and Arwen looked a lot like his mother Marianne. He heard Jacob come to stand at his side.

"Is Arwen my sister?"

Andy groaned, slamming the book shut. "No. There's no way. She would have told me. I'll be back." He turned to Jacob from the front door, "and not a word to Arwen until I find out the truth."

Jacob nodded, placing his hands in his pockets. "Of course dad."