Last July

Chapter thirty one

My phone started to ring while I worked in the lakehouse, the early morning wind rustled through the trees and the streams of sunlight that had pushed their way through the window fell in spots around the room. For a moment I gazed off in thought thinking of yesterday when the consistent sound of my phone against the table pulled me back to reality. It was gale, I noticed checking the I.D first. I wonder what she wanted.

"Yeah" I said picking up

"Andrew"

"Well I think I'm one using this number"

"Really? Is that all you can say to me?"

" No. What'd you want gale I'm busy" I replied. "How's that?"

She groaned and I smiled. She hated when I was like this and I knew exactly where to irritate her.

"Andrew I miss you"

My gut tightened hearing her say that. I missed her much more than she'd ever understand, but I wasn't the one separating us. She was.

"I miss you too baby"

I placed down the hammer I held and leaned against the table. All we've been doing since she called was argue and while I was still upset I had to admit I was tired of it.

"I thought you wouldn't take my calls" she whispered over the phone.

I scratched my head. It did cross my mind to ignore it but there's no way I'm letting her know right now.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you haven't taken all my other calls"

Right. And I don't regret it either.

"You can call me anytime Gale you know that and if you really want to get my attention" I smiled a little . "Just add emergency"

She sighed. "It wasn't always like this"

"No, but you never lied to me either so..."

She sighed again.

"Gale"

"I'm coming home andrew"

Finally! I straightened and grabbed a bottle of water. I felt my anger subside only for me to honestly realised how much I'd felt great hearing her voice again, to almost touch her, to see her. My mind ran in different directions just thinking of what we'd do once she got here which only left one remaining question.

"When? Do you need me to pick you up?" I asked eagerly.

"Um no" she replied hesitantly "I'm going home first"

"You're not coming here tomorrow" the anxiety in my body dipped and my rage returned . This conversation was about to turn sour any moment.

"No, not tomorrow"

"And you wonder why I don't take your calls. Are you pregnant? Is that why you don't want to see me?"

"Andrew Steinman your pushing your limits"

"Gale" she kept mumbling something I wasn't taking any interest in. "Gale" I repeated.

"Yes"

My heart stopped. "What!"

" What! No, no I'm not pregnant, I'm not pregnant!"

I threw the bottle from my hand and stormed out into the lake, it was either my rage was pouring into the room or the temperature went up by a hundred degrees. When I heard her say yes my world crumbled, crashed, collapsed without warning. I watched it tear down, falling apart before my eyes. I was happy gale wasn't  around, she had never seen me upset before and hearing that stupid mistake, I couldn't tell what would happen.