Against Medical Advice

Chapter 18: Love Will Keep Us Together

      When Courtney told Amy that Andrew had stopped by the previous night, while she'd been sobbing softly to herself in the bathtub listening to Duffy's melancholy track, "I'm Scared," she felt more than a little guilty, especially when her best friend gave her the beautiful bouquet of roses and the love letter. It was a love letter that she had read to herself about fix or six times before she finally decided, it was time to stop avoiding him and pay him a visit. 

Since she didn't remember the address to his apartment complex, she went online to Google "Otis Apartments" and printed herself a map. While the map would help her get there, she was having a hard time remembering which apartment he lived in. She could recall it being on the second floor, but couldn't for the life of her remember the letter outside the apartment door. If she wasn't so intent on surprising him, she would call and ask him.

Well she couldn't wander around like an idiot knocking on doors. She'd call Michael and ask for his apartment number, but honestly, he was the last person she wanted to talk to right now, especially after all that had happened. He'd betrayed her trust and if she had to talk to him, there was no way in hell she would be able to bite her tongue. She would bitch him out once and for all. Unfortunately, as she stopped her VW bug at a crosswalk along Sunset Boulevard, who else did she happen to see but Michael himself, sitting outside of Mel's Drive-In having dinner...but he wasn't alone. Much to her astonishment, he was with Tina, her second best friend, Tina Baker.

What was he doing with Tina? What was she doing with him?

Well, she had a pretty good feeling what she was doing with him. Flashing back to the conversation she had had with Tina last week, she recalled her friend asking her permission to start dating Michael, and her telling her that it was all right. It shouldn't bother her. She and Michael were over with, but as she sat there in the car, watching the two of them talking and laughing together over burgers and fries, she couldn't help feeling just a little jealous. She scowled deeply, heaving a deep and woeful sigh. 

As much as it pained her to do it, she had to remind herself that she already had a boyfriend and that she and Michael were over. He could go out with whomever he pleased and so could she. Shaking her head in disbelief, she rolled her eyes and slammed her foot against the gas pedal, her VW bug lunging forward with a low rumble.

Screw him.

She didn't need her heart broken again because of his stupid job he loved so much, probably more than her. He might beg to differ on that one, but if it were between keeping her or his job, as well as she knew him, she had a feeling he would choose his job. Why doesn't he just go marry his stupid job? She heaved an irritable sigh, shaking her head once more in disbelief. "Screw him," she grumbled to no one in particular but herself. "He can keep his stupid job and everything else that goes with it. Damn doctors."

Shrugging off her vexation, she picked up the map beside her and looked it over once more, turning right and pulling into the parking garage of Otis Apartments about five minutes later. A smile crept across her face as she pulled up beside a familiar red Camaro, putting the car in park and shutting off the engine. Reaching into her purse beside her, she pulled out Andrew's hand-written love letter and unfolded it, reading it to herself for what felt like the thousandth time, but his choice of words never ceasing to warm her heart or make her melt:

Dear Amy,

This might seem kinda cliche, writing you a letter like this but right now, I feel like its the only way I can get through to you. Hopefully you didn't rip this thing up and throw it in the trash, which, if you're reading it right now, proves that you didn't, so thank you in advance. I hate that you insist on boxing me out like this. Look, I don't know what happened between you and that asshole ex-boyfriend of yours to give him a reason to beat on you, but it pisses me off, more than you could ever know and I can't help but want to protect you from it. I want to fight for you, Amy. I want to make sure that asshole never hurts you again, even if it means getting my ass kicked myself. It would be worth it in the end. I wish you'd open up to me and tell me who this asshole is. I can't work. I can't sleep at night not knowing. If anything worse were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do. I never, ever, felt this close to or cared about a girl as much as I do you, but as they say, there's a first time for everything.