Andy Barber - Secrets Past 💜

Chapter 8

Elizabeth sighed as she heard her phone ringing Sunday night as she laid in bed, seeing Andy's name. "Andy. What?"

He chuckled, 'rude. Did you talk to Arwen?'

She groaned, "she's only been home a few hours. She's asleep. I don't know what to say. I don't know how to say it. I'm kind of freaking out Andy. I kept this from her her entire life. She's going to hate me."

Andy sighed, 'calm down love. She won't hate you. You're her mother. Do you want me to talk to her with you?'

"No. I'm sorry. I think it should be Derrick."

He groaned, 'yeah. Okay. When is that going to be?'

"I talked to him. He said he'd come tomorrow night and take off Tuesday."

'Okay. Good. I have to go. I love you Lizzie.'

She groaned, "don't say that Andy." She heard him sigh before she hung up the phone without letting him say anything else. As soon as she hung up she heard her phone dinging with messages from him.

Andy
I'm sorry
I do though

Lizzie
You have no right to love me
You've caught me weak

Andy
LOL
Love isn't weak
You love me too. That's all

Lizzie
What if I don't want to love you?

Andy
It's far too late for that and you know it
I've loved you since I was 10
I wasted so much time without you

Lizzie
You made your choice
I made mine
We have to live with them

Andy
We have to fix them

Lizzie
How?

Andy
Idk yet

✨✨✨

Arwen stood up from the couch the following afternoon as Derrick entered, "daddy? What are you doing here?"

He sighed, looking at Elizabeth. "We needed to talk to you about something princess."

Elizabeth turned to Jasper, "can you go up to your room please?" She watched Jasper nod before rushing away to his bedroom. She sat down as she turned to Arwen, "sit. Please."

She nodded, looking at them both, "you're kind of scaring me guys. Are one of you dying?"

Elizabeth groaned, "no. Of course not sweetie." She sighed, looking from Derrick to her, "now you know that Derrick has always been your dad your whole life, but he isn't really your father.."

Arwen nodded, "yes. I know. But he's still my dad."

Derrick smiled, "I always will be princess. Nothing will ever change that."

Elizabeth nodded, "yes. Nothing will ever change that. Well, you know how I told you that I didn't know who your father was?"

Arwen nodded hesitatingly, "yes..."

"Well I lied. I do know who he is. And I'm going to tell you and I need you to not freak out. Please."

Arwen didn't say anything as she looked from Derrick back to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth groaned, standing up, "Andy Barber is your dad."

"What?!" Arwen leapt to her feet, "Jacob's dad is my dad? Jacob is my brother?! Is that why we moved here?! Why haven't you told me before now? We've been here for months!"

Elizabeth sighed as Derrick stood up next to Arwen. "I'm sorry Arwen. Yes Jacob is your brother. I did not come here for him. I had no idea he was here."

"Were you ever going to tell me if we hadn't moved here?!"

She groaned, "I... I don't know."

"I can't believe you! You've been keeping me from him my entire life!"

Elizabeth watched Arwen storm from the house, slamming the door as she did. She started to go after her but Derrick grabbed her.

"Let her go and calm down. She'll come back." He sighed as Elizabeth started crying and he wrapped his arms around her.

✨✨✨

Andy opened the front door after incessant knocking to find Arwen with tear streaked cheeks in front of him. He groaned, "Arwen honey."

"Did you know? Did you know this whole time?"

He looked past her to see she was all alone, "did you walk here?"

She nodded, "did you know?!"

Andy sighed, looking behind him to see Laurie watching them.

"She isn't welcomed here."

He rolled his eyes as he stepped onto the porch with Arwen as he closed the front door, "no. I didn't know. Come on, I'll drive you home."

She didn't move from her spot as she watched Andy walk to his car. "No. I'm not going home. I hate her. She kept this from me my entire life!"

Andy shook his head, "you don't hate her. It isn't her fault. It's mine. Come on. Get in." He opened the passenger as he watched her hesitate before getting in. Once she was in, he sighed. "Look. I loved your mother very much. In fact, I still do. I always will. She told you I broke up with her after her graduation?"

Arwen nodded, watching him as he drove, "yes."

"Well. She's right. But there's more to it. I came home to watch her graduate." He hesitated, "and we slept together. And I told her that Laurie was pregnant and I intended to marry her. She was obviously upset. Which she had every right to be. She ended up getting pregnant herself. But at that point she knew Laurie was pregnant so she never told me." He shrugged, "because I broke her heart. It isn't her fault Arwen. It's all mine." He pulled into Elizabeth's driveway as he turned to look at Arwen.

"So.. let me get this straight. You were dating my mother but at the same time dating your wife now while you were away at college and got her pregnant. You came home and slept with my mother before you told her your wife was pregnant?"

He groaned, "yes." He sighed as he watched her get out of the car. "Arwen."

She shook her head as she stood in the middle of the yard. "I hate you both!"

"No you don't." Andy saw Elizabeth open the front the door. He looked back at Arwen, "I'm sorry. We're both sorry."

Elizabeth came out of the house to stand next to Andy, "I'm sorry sweetie."

Arwen sighed, shaking her head, "you were barely older than I am now. I.. He was a dick."

Andy laughed, "I was. It's something I'll always regret Arwen. But it's my fault. Not hers."

Arwen nodded, "I know." She hesitated before wrapping her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.

Andy smiled, wrapping his arms around her, "I promise we'll get to know each other. Okay?" He looked up to see Derrick on the porch, "Derrick is still your dad too. Okay?"

She nodded as she pulled away, "does Jacob know? That I'm his sister?"

Andy sighed, "he does. He found out a few days ago when I did." He looked at Derrick as he came up to them, "thanks Derrick. You have been taking care of her this whole time."

Derrick shrugged, "you didn't know Andy. It's fine."

Andy looked down at Arwen. "I'll talk to you soon, okay? You can't just show up to my house. My wife.. Laurie. She hasn't taken this well and I'm still figuring some stuff out, okay?"

Arwen nodded, "okay. I'm sorry."

He shook his head as he brought his hand up to her cheek. He wiped away a few stray tears, "don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for. I'll see you soon, okay?" He grabbed Elizabeth's hand, squeezing it before going back to his car.