Origami Heart (Book 3 - DP series - COMPLETE)

19. Secret

"I love how you've managed to dodge the most important part of this conversation," I tell him, using my fingers to walk up his arm before booping him on the nose. "You." I settle into a more comfortable position and cross my arms. "Why are you always in town? What's your addiction? How long's it been going on? When'd you become such a freakin' health nut? Why do you hate goodbyes?"

"Wait, who says I hate goodbyes?"

"Not important," I tell him, waving him off. "Now, stop asking questions and start answering them."

Any smidgen of lightheartedness that once danced between us gets whisked away in the breeze and I sit watching Andy as he nibbles his bottom lip in thought. He catches my eye after a moment and scratches the side of his head before blurting out the truth.

"I lost my job."

I stare at him a moment, brows dipped in concern. "Like, let go?"

"Fired."

"Oh..." I bob my head once, slowly, watching as he lets out a long breath and then drops down onto the ground again, eyes pointed at the sky. "How?"

"The typical kind of way, I suppose," he tells me simply. "I kept showing up too late or calling in. I knew it was coming. I knew I was screwing up even before they rubbed it in my face with a phone call one morning telling me not to bother coming in. I was like, 'oh sweet, a day off,' until they mentioned there was no need to come back at all. They even told me not to bother swinging by to get my stuff. They'd rather mail it to me than see my face again." He laughs, and even though I should sense bitterness woven into the sound, I don't. He actually finds it funny.

"You okay?"

He waves off my concern, tilting his head to catch my eye. His laughter dies off, though the smile remains.

"My addiction got me fired." He tucks both hands behind his head and gazes at the stars. "Guess I'm more of a screw-up then you ever imagined I could be, huh?"

I shrug one shoulder. "Yeah."

He sighs, dropping his head to the side and lifting an eyebrow at me as if to say that wasn't the answer he was looking for.

"But you're not the only screw-up sitting beneath the stars tonight," I tell him, stretching my arms behind me and using them to support my upper body as I glance at the sky. "We've all got secrets."

Andy sits up, positioning himself with one arm looped over a bent knee as he stares at me challengingly. "Prove it."

He grins arrogantly at me, almost like he doesn't believe that my secret could outdo his. That single look is what motivates me to stand up and reach a hand down to Andy.

"Wha—"

"Fine," I say. "I think you could use a little cheering up. We can be failures together. What do you say?"

"Sound wonderful." He slaps his hand into mine

"Okay then," I laugh, pulling him up. "Let's go meet my secret."

———

I pull up outside my house and glance at Andy whose eyes are already focused on the bungalow he's spent a fair share of his college spring and summer breaks in. With unhurried movements, he turns a skeptically lifted brow at me as he opens the door and steps out.

"Didn't realize you'd be bringing me back to your place," he says as I walk around the car and join him on the sidewalk. "It makes sense though... I always knew you were obsessed with me."

I slap his shoulder, earning a chuckle from him as we make our way up to the front porch.

Stepping inside, I flick on the lights and usher Andy through the living room and down the narrow hallway.

"Are your parents home?" he asks, glancing around the quiet rooms.

"Yeah," I nod. "Sleeping, probably."

Stopping in front of my door, I pause, placing a hand on the doorknob as I turn to face Andy. I'm taking this moment to try and talk myself out of doing what I'm about to do, but I already know it's too late. From the look on Andy's face, he either suspects my secret to be horrendous or incredibly embarrassing because he's wearing that typical expression of his—the one that means he's both worried and amused.

"So..." he says slowly, "you're going to reveal your secrets to me in your bedroom... while your parents are sleeping."

I bark out a laugh and then quickly clamp a hand over my mouth to muffle the sound. "You wish."

He simply shrugs as he mutters, "maybe," before placing his hand over mine on the doorknob and forcing it open.

I grab his shoulder as he tries to sidle past me and when he catches my eye I know he's seeing the fear woven into them. He reaches a hand up to cup my jaw and runs a thumb along my cheek as he smiles reassuringly.

"We're going to be okay," he whispers softly, and I realize just how much I ache for that statement to be true.

I take a deep breath and nod, knowing that his words are meant for him too. We both have issues, closeted lives that could destroy the way people view us. Sure, most of the guys know about my daughter now, but none of them have met her. Meeting her, learning who the father is... it could change everything. 

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Favorite thing about this chapter? How do you think Andy's going to react when he meets Lindsey's 'secret'?

Teaser: A few more puzzle pieces come together. ;)