The Whys of Us

33

warning: sexual assault! please skip ahead if you're not comfortable!

*

Sabina's bed—the bed that used to be hers—hasn't been occupied, and MJ and Andy celebrate.

"Good to know my spirit won't leave anytime soon," Sabina jokes when the two of them video call her.

"Your spirit resides in the bottles of whiskey you left here," MJ counters with a wide smile. She throws an arm over Andy's shoulder. "We'll keep them safe, promise."

MJ is a senior now. Andy is a junior. When she finished her last day at the school, the teachers and Mrs. Florence threw her a nice little party with food and cake and flowers and a plaque that read Best Volunteer!. To no one's surprise, she cried, and then she took lots of pictures with the staff and cleared out her cubicle, and promised to make a visit once in a while and return next year.

Rhysand picked her up, biting his lip to keep from laughing at her—she looked like a sobbing mess, and she was holding flowers and the plaque and cards from the kids. He kissed her head with a grin and took her out to eat dinner and ice cream afterwards.

Andy wants to do well in her third year. With her work experience, she's confident and eager to learn throughout the semester. When she graduates, she wants to be a teacher. Nothing else.

But as soon as she leaves her second class of the day, Bash catches her.

"Andy." He grips her wrist, panting. Smiling. "Hey, I haven't heard from you since the beach. You...weren't answering me."

She takes a deep breath and pulls her arm away, hugging her books to her chest. "Bash," she starts quietly, biting her lip. She thinks about her talk with Rhysand, what she promised she'd do. "I don't want to lose our friendship."

He stares at her, putting his hand down. His chest heaves with heavy exhales as he swallows. "Is this about what I said? About the kiss?"

"If you want to keep being friends," Andy says, stepping back, "you have to stop. I don't like you, I'm sorry. I don't see you as anything more than a friend. If you make a move on me one more time, I'll stop talking to you."

Bash's jaw tightens. His eyebrows furrow together. "I told you I'd wait."

"And I just said that I don't want you to," Andy tells him, frowning. She's starting to lose patience. "Bash, please. You have to respect me and my decisions, you have to respect that I'm in a relationship and I'm happy in that relationship."

Her friend swallows hard. Steps back. "Okay." He exhales heavily and raises his palms. "Okay, I got it. Friends, nothing more. I'd hate for us to stop talking, Andy. You're friends with Piper and Sam, too."

Andy's relieved. She nods. "Okay. Good. I'll see you later, then."

He tries for a smile and waves. "Alright, see you."

It's a good start to the semester. She'll do well.

*

So Andy and Rhysand work things out. Always.

Even on his birthday, when Rhysand scared her.

They spend the day with popcorn and drinks, napping in bed, lazy kisses and soft touches. Then Andy goes back to her dorm to change, even when Rhysand pulls her arm the moment she gets out of bed to leave, whining and asking her to stay, that she doesn't need to shower and put on a nice outfit. Andy pushes him on the bed, kisses him hard, asks him to be patient for their celebration of his 26th.