The Intern (wattys2014)

Chapter 21: Broken

"Hi," I stammered. I straightened up, trying not to think the worst. "Is Andrew home?"

"He's in the backyard with my son, Riley," she said. "Come in, and I'll go grab him for you."

I walked in side, following after her. I tried not to hate her, despite her striking features and overly bouncy hair. Why was she here? And how long had she'd been here? What did Andrew do, just look her up the minute I did something wrong. That didn't seem like a good sign for our resilience as a couple.

"You must be Ann," Emily said. "He told me about you, the intern at that fancy company. He said you two sort of had a falling out."

"I haven't seen him face to face yet," I said. "It's complicated."

"I get it, really," Emily said, stopping by the window. "I mean, I cheated on Andrew too. I lied to him. I left him. But I've always regretted it, and I know I'll never do better. So forgive for saying this, but I think things are better this way. I won't make the same mistakes twice with Andrew."

"So you two are," I couldn't say the words out loud. I glanced out the window, seeing Andrew playing with a small boy with long dark hair and blue eyes. They were tossing a football, and my heart felt like it was going to explode with grief. She had everything he wanted, and I, well I was just some girl he'd met. How could I compete with her when I couldn't even get Andrew to speak to me? A darker realization settled in that I didn't want to have to fight, that I didn't want to be his second choice.

"It's not official," Emily said. "Andrew called me on Tuesday. He said he wanted to see Riley, and when he found out we were living in a motel, Andrew wouldn't have it. He offered to let us stay here until we get back on our feet. But that spark is still there, and I won't let Andrew go again." My mind tried to map out the timeline, realizing that Tuesday was the day Andrew had come and left the teddy bear on the sidewalk. Yesterday we were on the verge of reconciling; today his ex girlfriend was moved into his home.

"So how long until his furniture is up on EBay?" I retorted bitterly.

"Cute. I take it you've spoken to Gia. Well, she doesn't know everything about Andrew and me, and neither do you. It must bother you, that you're relationship isn't even over completely and he spent last night with me. It didn't take him long to run into my arms after you hurt him."

"He did what?" I asked. "You know, I'd really like to speak with Andrew now."

"Ok," she said. "I'll go get him, because Riley gets nervous around strangers. I'm sure you're very nice, but I'd prefer you stay here, away from my son."

At least she was a good mom, I thought as she walked away. What if she'd been telling the truth? What would I even say to Andrew? I had been so intent on seeking his forgiveness, I never considered he'd done something wrong. Was it possible Andrew could forget everything we'd felt and said in less than twenty four hours? We'd been together for less than a month, but I'd felt so deeply, so quickly. Now that porch swing we'd fell asleep on when we talked all night was a place he might have been kissing her, and it stung.

Emily walked out, saying something to Riley and laughing at the pair. I had to admit, Andrew seemed to love every minute with the little boy. Emily said something to Andrew and he turned to walk inside, my heart kicking up its frenzied pace. I watched as Emily grabbed Andrew's hand, pulling him back for a tender kiss before he could walk back across the yard. I've seen enough, I thought, he's made his choice. He loves her. I turned away from the scene, trying to will the tears away from my eyes. I didn't want to be the blubbering fool when Andrew rejected me, being the second man I'd fallen for to choose another woman. I stood up, resolving to be stronger than I felt. I didn't have to sit here and deal with this again, smiling while I pretended to be happy for him. I could just leave, and start over. A small part of my heart whispered that I didn't want to start over without him, and I didn't want to forget how good it had felt for a brief moment in time. I ignored the whisper, walking towards the front door.

"You came all this way," Andrew's voice called out. "And now you're just going to take off. Didn't you need to talk to me? You left me a billion voicemails."

The resentment in his voice and the anger made me feel like I was small. I had felt that way before, whenever I was with Robert, and I hated it. I didn't care how much it hurt to leave anymore, I didn't want to be there.

"I don't," I said. "Not anymore. Have a nice life Andrew."

I put my hand on the doorknob and started to turn it, his voice stopping me.

"Wait," Andrew said. The quiet of his voice made me stop, almost hopeful. "Just tell me the truth Ann, did you ever even like me? Or was I just there to make Robert jealous?"

I turned, feeling more anger than I ever could have imagined.

"You're an idiot, Andrew."

"Excuse me," he said, walking closer. "So I caught you kissing your ex, and you come here to tell me I'm an idiot. That's great Ann. Clearly, breaking up is the right call."

"No, nothing was happening with Robert. Yes, he threw himself at me, but that was it."

"Oh, so you're saying there's nothing going on with you and him. And I am just supposed to believe you, against photos and what I saw with my own eyes. You said so yourself Ann, you were in love with him for a long time."

"You should talk, since it took you all of five seconds to jump into bed with Emily. So I am just going to go."

Andrew didn't say anything, but the guilt in his eyes was unmistakable. I guess I didn't need to hear him confirm Emily's story.

I opened the door and got into my car, taking a deep breath. He didn't chase after me, and I didn't wait. At this point it didn't matter who was at fault, some things are too broken to fix. Tears streamed down my face, and I knew I couldn't go home to an empty apartment tonight. I drove away, heading to the one place I felt safe and secure. I pulled into my Dad's driveway, running up and knocking on the door. My dad came to open the door, his bright smile welcoming me.

"Ann, baby, what's the matter?"

"It's over," I said quietly. "He doesn't love me Dad. He loves her."

My dad didn't say a word or ask a single question, but just hugged me tighter. At least there was one man I could always count on.