"secrets revealed"
Andrew's POV
"Girlfriend is waiting on ya," One of my coworkers smirked as he walked past me, continuing his shift as I just finished mine. I shook my head as I looked through the window to see her waiting in the car, walking through the exit.
"You know every time you're at my work it just reminds me of when you were stalking me." I teased as I got in the passenger seat.
"Really? I pick you up and I don't even get a thank you kiss." Rachel said, making a smile creep into my lips before leaning over the center console to give her a kiss.
She smiled brightly, "Thank you," I told her as she started to drive. "Stalker." Finishing my remark which earned me a quick glare from her. "It was stalkerish you got to admit."
"No, it was me trying to make a friend."
"Yeah, by tracking me down to my place of work. I don't know if people go that far to just make 'friends'."
"We'll be just friends if you keep teasing me about it." Making me smirk and jokingly put my hands up in surrender. "That's what I thought."
I laughed and then continued to talk, "So what are we doing right now?" Getting a little relaxed in the passenger seat.
"What I'm doing is going to shop for something to wear for Haley and Nathan's party." She replied causing me to frown at the emphasis on the second word. "You are going to get dropped off at your house."
"And I can't go with you because?"
"Because I don't want you to."
"What if I need to get something to wear too?" I threw back to which she said.
"Then you hop on that motorcycle of yours and you go by yourself as for me, I'm going to enjoy my shopping time by myself." She smiled briefly at me.
I analyzed her words and actions. See I'm not trying to be with her every second, attempting to watch her every move. I am not that boyfriend. It's just usually she is more for spending any quality time together. Doesn't matter if I was going to the most boring place ever, she would join, or if it was the other way around she would want me to join. However, these past days I've known she wanted more time to herself.
So it's a little confusing for me, but I don't know maybe Rach found out that she actually does like being alone awhile. If that is the case then I'm happy for her.
***
The day went by quickly and the next thing I knew it was already evening. I tried calling and texting Rach to get in contact. Hours went by with no response before a message from her came saying she was still shopping and to go to the party without her. I said I would just wait until she was finished doing what she needed to do. Yet, Rachel just said to go and that she'll meet me there.
I walked into a mostly empty Tric beside a few people helping here and there before hearing, "Andrew! You're here." Brooke skipped, grabbing onto my arm tightly before pulling back, "You came early."
"Yeah, well I can't be late for my acting debut." I joked making her smile. "Eh, I had nothing planned other than this so here I am." Tucking my hands into the pockets of my jacket.
"And Rachel?" She asked, her tone a little softer than in previous moments which made me tilt my head. There was always bitterness in her voice but it was missing.
"Still shopping is my best guess. Why?" I squinted my eyes in suspicion.
"Well just because you two usually come together that's all." She replied before looking around, "No no the picture should be more in the center!" Brooke instructed a man and walked towards his way. She's hiding something.
Before she could get another step in, I grabbed her hand to make her stop. Which caused Brooke to face me again. Her eyes fell on mine, and I could see she was going back and forth in her head. Then she let out a small sigh, "I saw her at the mall and-" She stopped herself before speaking again. "Just check on her, okay, that's all I'm going to tell you."
I furrowed my brows, more confused than before as she pulled herself away from my grasp and resumed her walk to the man.
A train of thoughts came crashing into my mind about Brooke's words. What did she hear or see about Rach that made her say that? Have I missed anything these past times? Which is a yes cause even Brooke, her archnemesis, pointed it out. I'm the worst boyfriend.
"Andrew?" A voice called as someone shook my shoulder eventually my brain came out of the haze to see that it was blondie. "Got lost in there, huh?" Peyton smiled as she tapped on my head.
"Yeah," I sighed, "Something like that. How are you doing especially with the little getaway you had?"
She nodded her head and I saw her smile waver like I brought a sore memory. "I uh went to see Jake." Making me widen my eyes slightly and an 'oh' escaping my lips. "Wasn't expecting that name huh?"
I shook my head then spoke, "No, but it's good to hear that you two reconnected. How is he and Jenny, assuming he has her?"
"He does, well he shares custody with Nikki now actually." Making me nod my head as I listened. "But they're doing good." She put on a tiny smile before it faded away quickly as she looked around.
"Are you?"
"Hmm?" Peyton turned back to me, a little thrown back like she wasn't expecting me to catch on.
"Don't answer if you do not want to. It just seems like this trip you had should be a good thing. You got to see Jake and Jenny, yet it doesn't seem like you're happy." She opened her mouth but then closed it. "Again you don't need to reply or anything. Just know I'm here if you do want to talk." Giving her a brief side hug.
"Thank You, Andrew." She smiled and I replied with one of my own before Peyton walked away to help with the setup.
Which left me back alone and the thoughts that consumed my mind came rushing back.
I need to talk to Rachel.
*
Third Person POV
People started to fill in the empty chairs and soon enough the whole play of Nathan and Haley's love story was about to start.
So as Brooke was getting ready to introduce the opening act with Bevin and Fergie. Andrew was behind the stage currently scanning the room every few minutes, trying to spot his favorite redhead.
Yet, no matter how many times he looked there was no familiar face. However, that didn't stop the boy from repeating the action until...
"Andrew, you're about to be on-" Brooke stopped her sentence as she saw a worried expression on his face. "Are you okay?"
"Rachel is supposed to be here already." He stammered, pacing back and forth with the little room he had. "Why isn't she here?"
Brooke mentally cursed herself for the nervous state he was in, she put him there with the words she shared earlier. Resulting in him becoming anxious
about his girlfriend.
"I mean we're almost done with this whole thing and she's nowhere to be seen."
"Andrew-" Brooke tried to get him out of the daze he was in as the teenage boy was thinking out loud of his theories about Rachel. Yet, her words were never heard from him as he kept talking. Eventually, when he paced back towards Brooke's way, she reached both hands to grab his face and angled it down so he had no option, but to look at her. "Rachel is going to be here alright. You will get the chance to talk to her. I could be wrong, but is she punctual to begin with?"
"...No."
"See, she's probably just running late. Which sucks for her because you're about to pull an award-winning act." Brooke grinned making Andrew chuckle at her words.
The girl loved seeing him smile but what she loved more was being the reason for it. Whether it would be a stupid joke or him poking fun at her for doing something, it made her feel happy. It was one feeling that she could never get enough.
The boy yearned for the brunette's touch since the evening they met. How he wished that craving would just disappear yet it didn't and her hands were still warm on his skin like the first time.
Ultimately, Andrew felt like this intimate moment had lasted too long for both of them, and cleared his throat while he moved back from Brooke. She peeled her gaze from his green eyes and pulled her arms back to her sides. "Well, we better go out there before I get replaced." He awkwardly smiled before walking away from her as he went to take his spot on the stage.
Leaving Brooke by herself in the secluded area. Reminding herself that she had a boyfriend and it was not Andrew Stone, but Lucas Scott.
**
So, unfortunately for Andrew, his debut was cut very short. Only getting out one line before his 'Haley', Gigi, grabbed him by the collar and kissed him. Which earned laughter from everyone in the crowd including Andrew who faced the crowd to see Rachel had finally arrived at the party making him let a breath of relief go. Due to the scene already being cut short, the curtains closed.
"We could've tried it just one more time." Gigi smiled as she looked at Andrew making him raise his brows.
"I think the first one was enough of a success. Come on let's go." Brooke stepped to drag the younger girl away who remained giggly about the kiss she shared with the star player who just waved goodbye. He then turned to quickly move decor from the short-lived set so they could arrange the next scene.
The urgency to talk to Rachel was still very much present, but he had to stay back behind the stage to help with a few stuff to assist Brooke as she was now the one on stage with Lucas.
Right when their scene was done he jogged down to get to Rachel who was now standing by herself at the bar. As Andrew approached, he took how quiet she looked which was not a great sign but that demeanor quickly changed when she noticed he was coming.
"Hey babe," He greeted her with a peck on the lips. "I was wondering when you would show."
She smiled, "Yeah, sorry about that I kinda lost track of time. Though I do wish I missed that kiss you shared up there." Rachel teased with a playful glint in her eye.
Allowing Andrew to go along, "What can I say all the girls want me." With a smugish grin earning a laugh from her before she responded. "So how much space do have left in that closet of yours with your recent mall trip? " He leaned against the counter.
Rachel broke her eye contact with him for a minute as she looked down. Andrew tilted his head at the shift, "Enough for you to buy me more clothes." She faced him again with a smirk.
"Oh really?" He smiled, gaining a nod from Rachel who kept the same expression. Andrew chuckled at her simple response then Brooke's words from earlier came running back.
'Just check on her...'
Now it was his turn to avert his eyes somewhere else for a second, "I talked to Brooke earlier." That sentence made Rachel straighten her stance which Andrew mentally noted.
"About?" One word. It was a quick reply but slow enough for him to pick up on her tone which was eagerness. And the likeliness of Brooke telling Andrew about her smashing a mirror today was high.
Rachel knew it was an idiotic move to pull at a public store but it was getting to her. The anger she held for herself for releasing the time capsule was strong and it built along with the guilt, especially from keeping it from Andrew. But she still believed it was for the best to maintain that secret from him no matter how hard it was for her.
"Hey, Rachel you mind if I steal Andrew for a bit?" Andrew heard Nathan's voice ask behind him.
She looked at her boyfriend and then back at Nate, "No he's all yours." The girl saw her way out of an intense conversation and she took it. "I need to talk to someone anyway." She kissed Andrew's cheek and then walked away as his eyes remained glued to her in suspicion before Nathan blocked her as he got in front of his friend.
"Trouble in Paradise?" The young Scott brother asked with his brows raised.
"Yeah, something like that." Trying to look over the groom's shoulder to spot her but she was gone.
"Want to talk about it?" Nate asked his teammate who looked at him.
"No, this is yours and Haley's party. We're celebrating you two. I'll tell you about my relationship problems after your wedding but for now, it's on hold." Nathan just shook his head as Andrew spoke again, "So what did you need?"
"Okay well, I'm not one for making great speeches nor emotional ones for that matter."
"Proposing to me too?" Andrew joked, earning him a tiny glare from the groom. "Sorry, please go on."
"Two years ago I would've never thought I would be saying this, but you've grown to be one of my closest friends. You've been one person I can talk to or rely on. I'm just gonna say it, I want you to be my best man."
Andrew felt a smile creep onto his lips before capturing Nate in a hug. "Hell yeah man I'll be honored to be your best man." Separating as Haley approached the two.
"I'm guessing you already told him?" The bride grinned up at her husband and then turned to her childhood friend.
"Yup, now I can throw the quickest bachelor party ever!" Andrew beamed knowing it would get a reaction from her. "Just a joke, don't kill me, Hales." He momentarily put his hands up. "Really though this means a lot. Couldn't think of a better wedding I would want to be involved in." The couple smiled at their friend before Brooke took the stage to inform the crowd that the next and final act would start soon. The future bride and groom started to walk back to their table as Andrew scanned the room, looking for Rachel once again.
"Wait, Haley did you see Rachel go anywhere?" He asked the girl who stopped her steps to give an answer.
"Yeah actually, I saw her step out the front." She told him as gave he gave a quick thanks before heading toward that way.
He was expecting to see her on the stairs, but she wasn't. He looked towards the parking to see if her car was still parked and it was. Andrew walked down the stairs to see if maybe she was in her car, but that was out the window when he heard her voice talking from the side of the building, So Andrew took a few more steps and then turned to his left to see Rachel on the phone, her back facing him. The teenage boy was about to try and get her attention until she spoke again.
"I can't tell him." Those words made him stop in his tracks and step behind the corner, away from Rachel's open view. It took a minute before she spoke. "I can't look Andrew in the eye and say I was the reason he was in the hospital bed." That sentence alone was enough to deepen the fact that this wasn't an innocent call. "Mouth, it was my fault, it wouldn't have happened if I didn't release the stupid time capsule."
And just like everything was racing his heart, world, and mind, yet he stayed still unable to move. Questions came slamming into his head along with pieces of the puzzle of why Rachel had been acting the past weeks. Due to his brain being foggy since he heard her, he didn't catch that she already finished her phone call.
Her steps grew closer and close... Rachel expected to go back inside Tric and see Andrew among the group, unbeknownst of what she talked about outside. Yet, she couldn't predicted more wrong. The second she turned the corner, everything in their relationship crumbled. And her stunned gasp as her eyes met his captured that.
"Andrew!" Terrified that she got caught, there was nothing she could say to reverse what had been done.
His clenched jaw was enough to show how angry and betrayed he felt. "It was you."
"Let me explain-"
"There's nothing to explain Rachel!" He shouted in her face causing her to take a step back. "What did you release it for huh, laughs, drama?" Shaking his head as Rachel's eyes swell with tears.
"I didn't think... I didn't think it would go the way it did." Trying to gather her words.
Andrew scoffed, "You don't think, that' the problem. Thinking stuff through is not something you do or else two people would not have died that day."
Rachel grabbed his arms, "Trust me when I say that I would take everything back in a heartbeat."
His eyes wandered behind her until they fell back on her. The admiration Andrew once had when he would see Rachel was missing and it was replaced with betrayal. That was all he could see now and the pain she was causing him at the moment.
He yanked away from her grasp before it was his turn to step away from her. "Well, you can't." As he began to walk up the stairs to get away from all this.
"Talk to me, please!" She pleaded, following him on his way up, trying to catch his hand.
"You told Mouth!" Turning to her once more, "Yet, I was going to be the one in the dark." His jaw clenched once more as her tears rolled down her cheek.
"please." Rachel sobbed, heartbreaking every second she looked at those green eyes knowing it wasn't one she was familiar with.
"I was wrong about you Rachel." Was the last thing he said to her before walking back into Tric.
Just like that Rachel's heart wasn't breaking anymore.
It was shattered.
Not Edited
Hope you enjoyed!! Looking into doing other stories, but I can barely keep up with this one so we'll see. Thank you for reading and see you in the next! 💙