Amore

Chapter 3

I woke up to the sound of light snoring in my ear. I opened my eyes and saw that Andrew was very close. I was actually in his lap, my arms wrapped around him. 

I sat up quickly, arousing him. He yawned, then smiled when he saw me. 

"Good morning, Cassandra," he said. 

"How did I get into your lap?" I demanded. 

"You were cold," he said simply, standing up and rolling up his blanket. The fire had already gone out.  

I ducked my head in embarrassment as I moved away to my side of the camp. I quickly packed my blanket in my pack and stood up, ready to go. 

Andrew gave me a questioning look, "Aren't you hungry?" 

I nodded, "All the time, but one learns to forgo such pleasantries." 

"Pleasantries? Food? Food is a need," he said, taking a chunk out of the bread and handing it to me. I looked down at it, but didn't take a bite. "What's wrong with it?" 

"I-it's just...I've never had this much food before," I mumbled, looking down at the bread feast in my hands. 

"What?!" he claimed in astonishment. 

"You should know, you lived there for a year." 

"Well, yes. But I always thought you had more food." 

I shook my head sadly and said, "The only food I got was from the scraps you left me." 

He frowned, then scowled, "Those no-good, dirty, scum buckets! They always told me you had more food and were just naturally skinny. And really you were starving all along." 

I blinked at him, "You didn't know?" 

"I swear I didn't. I didn't even know about this ridiculous marriage arrangement." 

"I know about that last part. You seemed very surprised when they talked about it." 

"Yes, well, I disagree with most anything they think of. It was just easier to have a place to go home to at night, and a bed to sleep in, and hot baths to take." 

"I wouldn't understand how that feels, but I guess it makes sense." 

Andrew bowed his head and sat hunched over for a minute. I watched him carefully, not sure what he was going to do. Then he sat up and stared at me for a long time. I stared back calmly, used to such perusal. 

"Eat up, we still have a long way to go," he muttered, biting into his own hunk of bread. 

I slowly ate the bread, relishing in the taste. Andrew watched me carefully as I ate, also when we stood up to leave. I drifted behind him as we walked, but he kept coming to get me, to talk to me, or just study me. I got annoyed of it after a while. 

"Is something wrong?" I asked angrily. 

"No, no. I just like to watch you, you're very graceful." 

I snorted as I stumbled over another rock, "I know you're lying to me, I've spent all my life with liars. I know all the signs." 

He sighed, "You're just very pretty." 

I stopped walking and gaped at him, my mouth slightly open. He took a few more steps before realizing that I had stopped. He turned around and looked at me. 

"What?!" he exclaimed, coming to stand in front of me. 

"I've never met anyone who thought I was pretty. Actually, I've only known you, Bill, and