If this is love//Andy Fowler//Road Trip

Part 4: Fear

"I'll give you it all, but I'm not gonna lie, 'cause no one can promise that love will ever learn how to fly." -Dying to try, Brendan Murray
Confusion and fear, were the only two thing Andy felt when he called to mind the face of the girl he'd met at the shopping centre. She was so beautiful, so polite and so gentle, yet there was a huge part of him telling him to step back. Part of him wanted to get to know her, the other told him to step away while the still didn't know her name.
Both sides had fair reasons, she was an amazing girl, he could tell that and he'd only seen her for about five minutes, she had a long way to go and a part of him wanted to be with her on that path. That part wanted to call her his own and feel her in his arms each morning.
But there was another bigger part that said no. This part had watched Rye hurt when his girlfriend had left to study abroad, watched one of his best friends fall apart because of a girl, and he didn't want to go the same way. It was the same part that was wary because of what had happened to Brooklyn, someone who had been so close to Brook and who he'd really cared about had abused him, torn him apart and that frightened Andy. No one was ever as vulnerable as they were in love and he didn't want to be vulnerable.
All the thinking, and the puzzling he'd been doing over the girl had made him agitated and for that reason, hew as struggling more than normal to sleep. So, he crept out of the bedroom, as quietly as he could, taking refuge in the kitchen where he foot himself a drink. He was stood there, facing the window slowly sipping some water, when another person came suddenly around the corner.
"Are you okay?" They asked, clear concern in their voice as Andy realised it was Rye.
"I'm just so confused," he said, then relaying everything he'd been thinking and worrying about, all of it stemming from the girl at Westfield's. And as he was coming to the end, the tears starting to build up, Rye put an arm around him. He'd listened so attentively, hating seeing his friend so worked up. He knew Andy's fears were not misplaced, after all he'd felt the pain of losing someone he loved.
"You have the girls number, right?" He asked, once Andy has calmed down. He nodded in reply. "Text her, get to know her." Rye said, looking Andy straight in the eye. "I know you're scared, but you'll regret it if you don't a t least try. From what I could see of that girl, she will never deliberately hurt you. Just know that if she does, if things do get tough, then me and all the other boys are here for you. You won't have to suffer alone, and something tells me you won't have to suffer at all."
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