Treacherous (Andy Barber)

Chapter 30

"Andy! You're going to be late!!" I yelled up the stairs. "I'm coming!!" He yelled back, jogging down the stairs now fully dressed in his suit. He grabbed me and gave me a passionate kiss before grabbing his briefcase out of my hands. "I wouldn't be running late if you didn't keep me in bed this morning..." He mumbled, kissing me quickly once again. "Sorry Mr. Barber. I couldn't help it." I smiled innocently at him and he took one more kiss before grabbing his keys and walking towards the garage. "I'll see you tonight?" He asked. "I'll be there with your favorite glass of whiskey." I said. He winked at me before shutting the door behind him and getting in his car.

It was a new year. After coming back to Colorado, I fully moved into Andy's house, and everything was perfect. Nate wasn't looming over our heads and I was blissfully happy. I was even back in school.

Once my dad found out I had to drop out, he made sure I was enrolled in the upcoming semester, offering to pay for it all. I told him he didn't have too, but he insisted. Said he owed it to me. Which I didn't believe, but he was adamant that I let him pay. So I was back in school, studying psychology. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do yet, but psychology interested me the most.

Jake also started a new year at school. He was a senior now and had made lots of friends here in Colorado. Ones that didn't make fun of him for his young, hot, step-mom. Well, almost step mom. Andy and I hadn't gotten married yet, but we had a date set for this upcoming April. Mainly because any earlier was too cold and we were opting for a small outdoor wedding ceremony in the backyard.

I made my way to the campus and sat through my two Monday lectures before heading to the bar. "Afternoon, Jim!" I smiled, placing my stuff in the back office and clocking in before serving some drinks. "Rory. How was class today?"

I shrugged, "good. I've got a test coming up soon that we're getting ready for."

"And you like what you're studying so far?"

"I do!" I said, throwing him a smile. "Good." Jim said, retreating into the office to do some paperwork. I was going about my day, serving drinks and bar bites, until one particular whiff of food sent me running for the bathroom. I emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet and sat back against the wall.

"Rory? You okay in here?" I heard Jim knock on the door. He must have seen me run. "Yea." I said, reaching over and opening the door.

"Sorry. I've been feeling nauseous lately." I said, accepting Jim's extended hand to pull myself up off the floor. I splashed my face with some water and rinsed out my mouth. "How often?" Jim asked me. "A few times a day." I said, shrugging. "Rory...are you pregnant?" Jim asked, raising his eyebrows.

"What! No!"

"Rory, I have 3 kids, sweetheart... I know the signs."

I laughed slightly and shook my head, "No. I can't be." "Humor me. Go home, take a test." He said. I wiped my forehead with my wet hand and shook my head again. "Jim, I'm getting married in 4 months! I can't be pregnant!" I started pacing in the bathroom and shook my hands, flinging water around the bathroom. "Rory, calm down. Everything's going to be okay."

"Jim...I'm not ready for kids. And Andy! Oh god, Andy. I don't know if Andy even wants more kids. He's already got Jake."

Jim put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed them gently. "Just talk to him, Rory. It'll all be okay. That man loves you more than anything." "I know... but what if he leaves when he finds out." I said. Jim scoffed and shook his head. "Rory, you didn't see him when you were missing this past summer. He was utterly broken inside. He would never leave you."

Jim had me take a few deep breaths and we walked back out to the bar. "Go home." I shook my head at him and poured myself some water. "No. Andy's coming in. I'll be okay." I said, taking another gulp of water. Maybe I was just getting a stomach bug. That's all it was. A stomach bug.

-

"Your whiskey, Mr. Barber." I said, pushing the lowball glass filled with amber liquid towards him as he took off his jacket and sat down at the bar top. "Thank you, sweetheart." Andy leaned forwards and I met him with a kiss. "How was class today?" He asked. "Good. Nothing too exciting. How was court?"

"Long." He mumbled. I smiled, giving him one more kiss before walking around the bar to take some food and drink orders. Andy continued to sit in his normal spot, drinking his whisky while I worked around him. It wasn't even 7pm yet when the closing girls came in. "Hey! You girls are early." I said, smiling at them. "Jim asked if we could come in early." Mads said. "Jim!" I yelled, walking to the office. "Yes?" "You called in Mads and Gabby?"

"I did. You're off the rest of the night." He said with a smile, "Go home. Take a you know what. And talk to Andy." He said. I glared at him slightly. "Gabby has a test for you." "I hate you sometimes." I grumbled. "No you don't!" Jim yelled after me. I walked up to Gabby who passed me the drugstore bag. "Good luck." She said, winking at me.

I stuffed the bag into my backpack and threw it over my shoulder. Mads had already counted the register and my tips and held it out to me. "Thanks." I mumbled. She smiled at me and winked as well before I walked up to Andy. "Jim is letting me off early, are you ready?"

Andy finished his whiskey in one gulp and placed a $20 bill on the bar top. "I am now."

He met me at the end of the bar and I laced our fingers together as we walked out to his car. I had walked to campus and to the bar today, so Andy drove us back home in his Audi where we found Jake and a few of his friends playing video games. "Jake, we're home!" "Hey dad! Hey Rory!" Jake yelled as we walked inside.

"Pizza?" Andy asked me, opening up one of the many pizza boxes that Jake and his friends had ordered. I nodded and Andy handed me a few slices on a plate. "Thank you." I gave him a kiss on the cheek and we made our way upstairs since downstairs was full of teenage boys screaming at the tv. I watched Andy as he stripped out of his blazer, shirt, and tie while stuffing a slice of pizza in my mouth. "Like the view?" "Always." I smiled. Andy laughed and walked over to give me a kiss.

"You okay?" He asked me, his brows furrowing. "Yea? Why?" "You seem a bit hot." He mumbled. "You always think I'm hot." I laughed. "Well, yes, but I mean temperature, Rory. You feel hot." Andy placed a hand on my forehead and I sighed. "I think I have a stomach bug. I threw up at work earlier... it's why Jim sent me home early." I mumbled.

"We should get you to a doctor then." Andy said, finishing getting undressed and pulling on some sweatpants and a t-shirt. "No, I'll be okay. I just need some rest I think." "And to stop walking out in the cold and snow. Please drive to class and work."

"I will." I sighed and looked over at him as he moved around the bathroom, "what do you think about kids?"

He looked over at me from the bathroom. "What?" "Kids? Do you see yourself having anymore? We never talked about it." I asked. "Well, I mean, to be honest, until I met you, I never imagined having any more kids." He replied, coming over to me and kneeling in front of me. "Why?" I felt his hands on my thighs and I sighed.

"I think I might be pregnant." I blurted out. Andy didn't say anything at first so my mind started going into over drive, "and I understand if you want to call this off if having kids isn't something you want. So, I'm sorry."

Andy smiled at me and took my hand in his. "Aurora. Look at me." I glanced back at him. "Did you hear anything I just said?" I shook my head, "not really." To be honest, I had tuned out anything he said after I asked him if he wanted more kids. I zoned out automatically expecting him to have said no. He laughed slightly. "I said, I never imagined having anymore kids until I met you. I want kids with you Rory."

I let out a sigh of relief and pointed at my bag, "Gabby stopped at the drugstore and got me a pregnancy test." Andy nodded and walked over to it, finding the bag, and brining it back to me. "I'll be right here. I promise. I'm not going anywhere."

I gave him a kiss before standing up from the bed and going into the bathroom to take the test. Once I was done, I set the test on the counter and walked out to wrap my arms around Andy. "I'm nervous." I whispered. "I know. But it'll all be okay." He kissed my head and held me until the timer went off on my phone. "Do you want me to look?" Andy asked me. I simply nodded against his chest and he let go of me for a moment to go look at the test.

"Well?" I asked him, as soon as the test was in his hand. A wide smile crossed Andy's face and his bright blue eyes met mine, "we're having a baby."