Runaway Lover // Andy Leo

Chapter Sixteen

"I'm so glad you're back." I snuggle into Andy's chest as we lay together on our bed. He raises a hand up to stroke my hair.

"Me too." He kisses the top of my head, "And it's all thanks to you." I lift my head from my chest to look at his face and raise my eyebrow.

"Not me. I wouldn't have been able to do any of it without you. Or Megan, or Brandon or any of you guys, for that matter." I put my head back down and hug his torso tighter. "I missed you so much."

I close my eyes and feel my head rise and fall with his breathing. He moves his hand down to the small of my back and traces circles with his thumb.

"You're quite something, you know that?" He continues to trace shapes into my back, "I never thought - not even for a second - that you'd last a day outside of the Empire."

"Gee, thanks." I scoff.

"Hey, hey. No." He pulls my chin up with two fingers so that I'm looking at him. His eyes make their way over my face. "That's what I thought. But then you showed me that you're determined, and caring, and amazing." He leans in and kisses me, cupping my face with his hands. I smile into it, making us break apart.

"You're such a loser."

"But I'm your loser." He grins, and I resist the urge to punch him. Instead, I bury my head into his shoulder.

"That was so cheesy. I should sue you for that." I feel him laugh under me.

"But you're not going to." He says in a smug tone, making me lift my head up and ask exactly why he thinks that I'm not going to sue him. "Because, "He pauses to kiss me, "You love me too much."

I feel a blush rise up into my cheeks, and I push myself upright in an attempt to hide it. "I'm going to the bathroom." I get up from the bed and race in the direction of the small bathroom attached to our room.

"No you're not! I can see you blushing." I hear Andy get up from our bed and start to run, only managing to get a few steps before I feel his arms snake around my waist and pull me to a stop. He easily picks me up and tosses me over his shoulder, making me scream.

"Put me down! You know I hate people carrying me!" I say, only half meaning it.

"I don't care." He laughs. I start to poke his back, trying to get him to put me down. After I poke him a few times he throws me back onto the bed, where I sit for a second, dazed. He stands in front of me, smiling down at me in his jeans and a tank top, and I realise just how badly beaten up he was. The smile leaves my face as I look over his body, guilt welling up inside of me.

"They really made a mess of you, didn't they?" I sigh and look down at my hands.

"Hey, it's not as bad as it looks, okay?" He crouches in front of me and takes my hands in his. "Besides, I'd do anything to keep you safe."

I look up at him. "Show me." He gives me a confused look, and I take my hands from his. "Let me see what they really did to you." I bring my hands down to the hem of his tank top, and he lets me take it off of him. I disregard it to the floor and look over Andy's now bare chest. I stare at him, trying my best to not gasp or cry at what I see. A big black and purple bruise spreads up his left side, merging into one of the tattoos on his chest. I spin him around, tears welling up in my eyes as I see the amount of cuts and bruises that cover his skin. I take a shaky breath in and let a tear fall down my cheek.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper the words, afraid that my voice might crack if I speak any louder.

"Hey, you're not allowed to be sorry, okay?" He turns back around and wipes one of the tears from my face. "It wasn't your fault."

I look blankly at him, knowing that I could've spared him at least half of that pain if we had come for them early. I feel his hands run up my legs and I cling to their warmth, craving it desperately.

"Andy?"

"Yeah?" I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into me. He presses his mouth against mine as we fall back onto the bed. I run my hands down his chest, feeling him wince as I run over the bruise. I pause, and he breaks away from our kiss for only a second to murmur in my ear, telling me that it's okay.

I continue to move my hands down as we kiss, stopping when they reach the edge of his jeans. He moans and moves his hands down, pulling my grey shirt over my head and throwing it away to the floor.