you’re crazy. I know about the pregnancy. Your pregnancy.”
It was not at all how he wanted to bring it up, but she was getting all worked up and it was the only thing he could think of to distract her. She shook her head and looked away for a minute before sitting on his bed.
“My mom didn’t spare a single detail about me, did she? And yet when I asked you what else she told you, you said nothing.” Her voice was low.
“It wasn’t your mom.” Corrine’s eyes darted questioningly toward his face and he sighed. “Jared,” he admitted finally. Corrine shook her head again and Andy sat beside her. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really.” She shifted to give him space. “Did Jared also tell you he was crazy in love with me? Still is, probably.”
“No.”
“Yeah, he was. Despite everything people said about me. Despite my unwanted pregnancy. Can you believe that?”
“So he wasn’t the father.”
Corrine laughed. “Of course not.”
“What did you tell him?”
Corrine jutted her lower lip and shrugged. “That I wasn’t interested.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know why, Andy.” Her voice was sharp and her eyes cut into him as she rose from the bed to face him. “Maybe because I was waiting for you. Maybe because I was convinced that despite what others thought of me, you’d always have my back. Maybe because I was in love with you.” Her words came out like bullets, exploding one after the other, hitting his chest until his lungs collapsed and he couldn’t breathe.
“Corrine, you don’t know what you’re saying.”
Corrine smiled sadly and sighed. “I know exactly what I’m saying, Andy.” She took his hands and gazed into his eyes. “You and I could run away and be happy together. We’ll make a great team. You have no idea, but I’m good at cooking and cleaning and stuff. God, I can’t wait to get out of this town. It’s suffocating me.” Her voice quivered and tears rolled down her cheeks as Andy watched.
“I can imagine how terrible it must be for you, Corrine. Living life the way you do. But I’m not your ticket to skip town.”
“You don’t understand. I love you. I’ve always loved you.” Her eyes were pleading.
“I’m sorry. I’m not…” Andy hesitated. “I’m not in love with you.”
“You’re lying! Maybe you forgot because you haven’t been here for a while, but you and I used to talk and share secrets we never shared with anyone else. I know you feel sick every time your father leaves on another one of his business trips. And I know you love Halversham as much as your mom did.”
Andy stood still and racked his brain for some recollection of Corrine’s version of the past. Were they as close as she’d made it seem, or were her memories warped? She was searching his eyes, but he didn’t say anything for a long time. If he said the wrong thing, it might upset her.
“That may be, but I’m not in love with you now.” Corrine dropped her head and her shoulders shook. Andy didn’t know what to do, so he stood awkwardly, watching. Seconds later, he put an arm around her shoulders and directed her back to bed. She sniffled and wiped away tears. He knelt on the floor and looked at her face. “Look, Corrine, someday you’ll find someone who will love you just the way you are, despite what everyone says about you. And you will be happy with him. There’s no pressure for that to happen right now.”
Corrine sniffled again and looked at him. Andy wiped her tears and she smiled. “It’s okay, Andy. I know you’re not a bad guy. You don’t love me. It’s just my dumb luck that I’m surrounded by losers and evil people.”
“What do you mean?”
She shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand if I told you.”
“Why don’t you try me?”
“No. Not yet. I’ll tell you when I think you’re ready to believe me.”
Andy took a deep breath. “What happened to your baby?” he asked.
She shook her head, her gaze darting out the
It was not at all how he wanted to bring it up, but she was getting all worked up and it was the only thing he could think of to distract her. She shook her head and looked away for a minute before sitting on his bed.
“My mom didn’t spare a single detail about me, did she? And yet when I asked you what else she told you, you said nothing.” Her voice was low.
“It wasn’t your mom.” Corrine’s eyes darted questioningly toward his face and he sighed. “Jared,” he admitted finally. Corrine shook her head again and Andy sat beside her. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really.” She shifted to give him space. “Did Jared also tell you he was crazy in love with me? Still is, probably.”
“No.”
“Yeah, he was. Despite everything people said about me. Despite my unwanted pregnancy. Can you believe that?”
“So he wasn’t the father.”
Corrine laughed. “Of course not.”
“What did you tell him?”
Corrine jutted her lower lip and shrugged. “That I wasn’t interested.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know why, Andy.” Her voice was sharp and her eyes cut into him as she rose from the bed to face him. “Maybe because I was waiting for you. Maybe because I was convinced that despite what others thought of me, you’d always have my back. Maybe because I was in love with you.” Her words came out like bullets, exploding one after the other, hitting his chest until his lungs collapsed and he couldn’t breathe.
“Corrine, you don’t know what you’re saying.”
Corrine smiled sadly and sighed. “I know exactly what I’m saying, Andy.” She took his hands and gazed into his eyes. “You and I could run away and be happy together. We’ll make a great team. You have no idea, but I’m good at cooking and cleaning and stuff. God, I can’t wait to get out of this town. It’s suffocating me.” Her voice quivered and tears rolled down her cheeks as Andy watched.
“I can imagine how terrible it must be for you, Corrine. Living life the way you do. But I’m not your ticket to skip town.”
“You don’t understand. I love you. I’ve always loved you.” Her eyes were pleading.
“I’m sorry. I’m not…” Andy hesitated. “I’m not in love with you.”
“You’re lying! Maybe you forgot because you haven’t been here for a while, but you and I used to talk and share secrets we never shared with anyone else. I know you feel sick every time your father leaves on another one of his business trips. And I know you love Halversham as much as your mom did.”
Andy stood still and racked his brain for some recollection of Corrine’s version of the past. Were they as close as she’d made it seem, or were her memories warped? She was searching his eyes, but he didn’t say anything for a long time. If he said the wrong thing, it might upset her.
“That may be, but I’m not in love with you now.” Corrine dropped her head and her shoulders shook. Andy didn’t know what to do, so he stood awkwardly, watching. Seconds later, he put an arm around her shoulders and directed her back to bed. She sniffled and wiped away tears. He knelt on the floor and looked at her face. “Look, Corrine, someday you’ll find someone who will love you just the way you are, despite what everyone says about you. And you will be happy with him. There’s no pressure for that to happen right now.”
Corrine sniffled again and looked at him. Andy wiped her tears and she smiled. “It’s okay, Andy. I know you’re not a bad guy. You don’t love me. It’s just my dumb luck that I’m surrounded by losers and evil people.”
“What do you mean?”
She shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand if I told you.”
“Why don’t you try me?”
“No. Not yet. I’ll tell you when I think you’re ready to believe me.”
Andy took a deep breath. “What happened to your baby?” he asked.
She shook her head, her gaze darting out the
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