change the way she felt about him?
Andrea had really cared for William and had been devastated when out of the blue one day he told her he didn’t love her, he’d fallen for another girl, and that they were through. Was what she thought she felt for Jake just a band-aide to fill the hole William had left? She honestly didn’t know. But she knew she needed to figure it out before she let things go any farther with Jake.
She needed to take some time to herself and figure it out.
Thirty minutes later, Jake called back. She didn’t know what to say to him, how did she explain? Instead, she let the call go to voicemail. After his third call in under an hour she turned off the phone. She couldn’t figure anything out with the noise and talking to him would only make things harder, for both of them.
She went to work and came home, the whole time in a haze of depression. She hadn’t been home an hour when someone knocked on her front door. Before she got to the door she saw Jake’s truck in the yard. She couldn’t talk to him yet. It was too much.
Fighting back tears she stood behind the door, her head leaning against the thick barrier.
“Come on Andrea, I know you’re in there.” His voice was muffled but she had no trouble hearing him.
“I don’t want to talk to you right now, Jake. I don’t want to talk to anyone.” She blinked as tears burned her eyes. “I just need some time.”
“Time for what, baby?” He sounded confused. “Let me help.”
“You can’t, Jake. This is something I’ve got to do on my own.”
“I don’t understand. But I’ll let you have tonight. Tomorrow we need to at least talk. I need to know what’s going on.”
She listened to the quiet scuff of his shoes on the porch as he walked away, then the slam of his truck door and the engine turning over. Hearing the crunch of gravel under his tires, she stopped fighting the tears and let them flow down her face. Why did this have to be so hard? That night as she lay in bed, she couldn’t keep the tears from sliding quietly from her eyes, she wished he were there, beside her, holding her. She wished she knew what the right thing to do was.
~~~
J ake was the first thing Andrea thought of when she woke the next morning. She wondered what he was doing and if he was thinking about her. She forced herself to get out of bed and get moving. She didn’t want to but she needed to go to work. It wasn’t the early shift this time, instead it was a rare half shift she’d taken to help someone out. The upsides were it would keep her too busy to stress about her personal life and she wouldn’t be as tired when she got off.
She was almost ready when she picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number.
“Hey, Mom,” She said when her mother picked up.
“Hello dear, what’s up?”
“Nothing much, I just wanted to check in before I had to go in.” She did her best to sound cheerful and happy, knowing she wasn’t quite achieving it.
“Nothing new here, but it’s nice to hear your voice. When you coming by again? I have something for you.”
“I’ll try to swing by after work today, but I’m not sure if I’ll make it.”
“All right, dear.” Her mother paused. “Are you sure you’re all right? You sound a little off.”
“I’m just tired Mom, I didn’t sleep well last night.” She hoped her mom would let it go. Sometimes, when her mother sensed something wasn’t right she was worse than a bulldog.
“If you’re sure...” her mother trailed off, sounding uncertain.
“I’m sure, I’ll be fine once I get some more sleep, but that’s not going to be till tonight.”
Her mother sighed. “All right. You take care of yourself. You don’t need to get sick.”
“I will Mom and I’ll try to get by there this evening.”
They rang off and Andrea turned off her phone, assured that her family wouldn’t panic since she’d already spoken with her mother. She felt a little guilty about avoiding Jake again as she
Andrea had really cared for William and had been devastated when out of the blue one day he told her he didn’t love her, he’d fallen for another girl, and that they were through. Was what she thought she felt for Jake just a band-aide to fill the hole William had left? She honestly didn’t know. But she knew she needed to figure it out before she let things go any farther with Jake.
She needed to take some time to herself and figure it out.
Thirty minutes later, Jake called back. She didn’t know what to say to him, how did she explain? Instead, she let the call go to voicemail. After his third call in under an hour she turned off the phone. She couldn’t figure anything out with the noise and talking to him would only make things harder, for both of them.
She went to work and came home, the whole time in a haze of depression. She hadn’t been home an hour when someone knocked on her front door. Before she got to the door she saw Jake’s truck in the yard. She couldn’t talk to him yet. It was too much.
Fighting back tears she stood behind the door, her head leaning against the thick barrier.
“Come on Andrea, I know you’re in there.” His voice was muffled but she had no trouble hearing him.
“I don’t want to talk to you right now, Jake. I don’t want to talk to anyone.” She blinked as tears burned her eyes. “I just need some time.”
“Time for what, baby?” He sounded confused. “Let me help.”
“You can’t, Jake. This is something I’ve got to do on my own.”
“I don’t understand. But I’ll let you have tonight. Tomorrow we need to at least talk. I need to know what’s going on.”
She listened to the quiet scuff of his shoes on the porch as he walked away, then the slam of his truck door and the engine turning over. Hearing the crunch of gravel under his tires, she stopped fighting the tears and let them flow down her face. Why did this have to be so hard? That night as she lay in bed, she couldn’t keep the tears from sliding quietly from her eyes, she wished he were there, beside her, holding her. She wished she knew what the right thing to do was.
~~~
J ake was the first thing Andrea thought of when she woke the next morning. She wondered what he was doing and if he was thinking about her. She forced herself to get out of bed and get moving. She didn’t want to but she needed to go to work. It wasn’t the early shift this time, instead it was a rare half shift she’d taken to help someone out. The upsides were it would keep her too busy to stress about her personal life and she wouldn’t be as tired when she got off.
She was almost ready when she picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number.
“Hey, Mom,” She said when her mother picked up.
“Hello dear, what’s up?”
“Nothing much, I just wanted to check in before I had to go in.” She did her best to sound cheerful and happy, knowing she wasn’t quite achieving it.
“Nothing new here, but it’s nice to hear your voice. When you coming by again? I have something for you.”
“I’ll try to swing by after work today, but I’m not sure if I’ll make it.”
“All right, dear.” Her mother paused. “Are you sure you’re all right? You sound a little off.”
“I’m just tired Mom, I didn’t sleep well last night.” She hoped her mom would let it go. Sometimes, when her mother sensed something wasn’t right she was worse than a bulldog.
“If you’re sure...” her mother trailed off, sounding uncertain.
“I’m sure, I’ll be fine once I get some more sleep, but that’s not going to be till tonight.”
Her mother sighed. “All right. You take care of yourself. You don’t need to get sick.”
“I will Mom and I’ll try to get by there this evening.”
They rang off and Andrea turned off her phone, assured that her family wouldn’t panic since she’d already spoken with her mother. She felt a little guilty about avoiding Jake again as she
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