Page 61 of Fall of Us
My chest constricted, becoming more tight with each passing breath. “I don’t know if I can fix it this time. I love him and I hurt him.”
Mom’s arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a tight hug. I returned her embrace, gripping the back of her sweater in a vise-like grasp. My whole body shook.
“If there’s one thing I know about Andrew, he’s not going anywhere. I don’t know what’s been going on with you two, but I know things have changed. The love that boy has for you is something different and lasting. He might be angry right now, but he’ll come around.”
My tears and snot had soaked the front of Mom’s sweater at this point. It didn’t stop me from rubbing my face in it to gather her comforting smell of rose and eucalyptus.
We hadn’t fooled anyone. As much as I’d wanted to keep things between Andrew and me, everyone knew. Nathan and Chase implied it, and my mom just confirmed it. I’d always worn my heart on my sleeve, and it wasn’t any different where Andrew Hernandez was concerned. He was the light of my life. The motor that kept me going when all I wanted to do was quit. My purpose. My solid foundation through everything.
And I’d wanted him to be my secret.
“You didn’t see him. I’ve never—”
“Brandon Davis, listen to me. That boy has been smitten with you for years. Give him some time to cool off. I know you and I know him. You didn’t mean to cause harm, and I know he knows that as well.”
How was it that mothers were always the voice of reason? As her fingers sifted through my hair, my grip on her loosened. I didn’t feel on the verge of falling apart anymore.
Once I’d finally calmed down enough, I let go and pulled away. I looked up at my mother with bloodshot eyes. My face was probably a blotchy mess, and I knew she didn’t care. Mother’s love was unconditional, or at least it was supposed to be.
“I need to make this up to him, but I don’t think I know how.”
Mom smiled at me, pushing my hair from my face and straightening my glasses. “You do. I have complete faith in you.”
Chapter 37
Andrew
“You’re not your usual self.”
When I looked up from the paperwork I was filing, I couldn’t even bring myself to give Todd a half-hearted grin. Things had shifted between us since the whole performance evaluation thing, and he seemed like he was more invested in me as a person.
It had been three days since the blowup at the apartment and I had heard nothing from Brandon. While part of me was grateful for the space, it also made me worry about him. We’d never spent that much time apart. In twenty-three years, three days apart shouldn’t feel like a huge deal, but for us it was enormous. It was rare to spend more than a day apart.
Even the year my parents had tried to send me off to summer camp, I’d cried until Brandon could come with me. Joined at the hip didn’t even cover it, and the days made it feel like I was missing a limb. More than a limb, a vital organ.
Brandon was my heart.
“I’m...” I couldn’t finish the sentence. Todd placed the papers on the counter in front of me, and I turned to face him. Sincestaying with Joe, I hadn’t allowed myself to cry properly, and work wasn’t the place for it. Todd shifted back and forth, his discomfort with the situation more than apparent. He wasn’t a bad guy, but he wasn’t the person you came to with your emotional baggage.
“Do you need some time off? The afternoon maybe?”
I shook my head. My finances might have taken a turn for the better since the idea of moving in with Brandon, but I might be back in the same boat now that we were on rocky ground…
“I’d like to stay. My head isn’t with it. I can recognize that, but I’m doing my best.”
Todd gave my shoulder a squeeze and went back to sorting prescriptions. When my eyes closed, I struggled to pull in a full breath. A large part of my life was missing. How many more days could I go without seeing my better half? Because that’s what Brandon had been.
We completed each other, and now a part of me was missing.
“Andrew, there’s someone at the counter asking for you.”
My head snapped up when one of my co-workers called for me. If I was hoping for someone to set my mind at ease, I was sorely disappointed when Mrs. Davis appeared, as she wasn’t the most unwelcome sight. She gave me a small wave and something squeezed inside my chest. Did she know what had happened?
I took off my smock, leaving the secured pharmacy area, and pulling her to the side.
“What can I do for you?”
She fidgeted with her skirt, looking anywhere but at me.
