Reluctant Hero
Chapter Wordcount: 1278
He followed her in her primer-red and Bondo-grey Firebird back to her apartment, throwing the mismatched car a look when they got out.
“He’s a work in progress,” she smiled.
He smirked back as they ducked inside just in time for the first fat raindrops to fall.
***
She shut the oven door, setting the timer before turning around to face him, leaning against the cupboards and sighed.
He stared back, grasping for anything he could say to break the silence.
She took two quick steps, rising on her toes and curling her fingers in his shirt, bringing his lips down to crash on hers.
His hands hovered in mid air, caught by surprise at the sudden movement before he softly laid them on her cheeks and pulled away, dropping his head he closed his eyes and sighed before meeting her eyes again.
“Didn’t think you’d ever make the move,” she whispered, flutter stop of her pulse under his thumb.
“Andy…I…” he swallowed hard, cursing himself silently as he watched the shadow of doubt and embarrassment cloud her eyes.
“I can’t,” he whispered.
“Right,” she said softly, releasing the hold on his shirt she unknowingly still had and took a step back, schooling her features and inhaling shakily.
“It’s not…Andy…”
“It’s okay, I shouldn’t have assumed…”
“Listen to me,” he said softly, waiting until she met his eyes again, albeit reluctantly. “It’s not you okay, I know that sounds lame…but it’s the truth. There was…there was another girl…who tore me apart a couple months ago and I’m just…I’m not ready yet.”
She stared at him in silence so long he was about ready to make a joke about breaking her just to end the quiet.
“You think you’re the only one?” she whispered.
His brow furrowed, “What?”
“My parents died in a car crash when I was eight,” she said softly, watching the confusion that washed over his face at the sudden change of subject.
“I was bounced around in foster homes for the next ten years, some were okay, some…were definitely not,” she choked, swallowing hard as tears threatened to fall.
“When I got out…I…I needed money,” she chuckled dryly, false smirk tugging at her mouth. “I kinda…fell in with the wrong crowd…the wrong…career,” she whispered.
He forcibly pulled the air into his lungs, hoping against everything that her story wasn’t going where he knew deep down it was.
“I ended up getting pregnant,” she whispered, lone tear slipping down her cheek that he longed to wipe away, erase from existence, even with his own twisted feelings.
“It was, one of my…regulars,” she forced out. “He found out…got pissed, beat me to hell…and then proceeded to put a bullet in my gut and leave me for dead,” she said softly, raising the hem of her black tank top just high enough for him to see the uneven circular scar where she had been shot. “Needless to say I lost it.”
He closed his eyes, swallowing against the bile burning against the back of his throat and turned his head, wishing he could forget ever seeing something like that marring her, let alone from such an act.
“When I got out, I ran. I ran hard and long and fast and ended up here,” she said with a slight sniff. “And there hasn’t been a man since then that I….” she sighed, more tears slipping free as he looked back at her.
“Until you,” she whispered, a sob ripping its way from her throat.
“Let yourself out,” she hitched brokenly as she took off down the hall, slamming her bedroom door.
***
When he got to work the next day everybody just knew something was off. His hair was the deepest shade of blue he had ever worn, sunglasses hiding his eyes, black shorts and a shirt that read ‘I stopped fighting my inner demons…We’re on the same side now.’
By the time the lunch rush had come and gone and Andy was still nowhere to be seen Piper and Jen assumed his dark mood had something to do with her.
“Hey,” Piper said cautiously, pulling herself unto the counter.
“Hey.”
“You okay babe?”
“I’m fine.”
Piper shot Jen a look that said she clearly didn’t believe him.
“What’s going on Priestly?” Jen asked softly.
He calmly put the spatula down and leaned against the counter, dropping his head.
“I hung out with Andy last night,” he said quietly, causing the girls to share a look again.
“What happened?”
He swallowed hard, lifting his head to stare at the wall. “She told me why she came to California.”
“Look, Priestly, I love you and all but you gotta give us more than that,” Piper said carefully, running her hand over his shoulder.
He turned around, leaning back against the counter and giving a false small smile.
“Look guys, I just…I’m not sure I should tell you, it’s her deal ya know?”
Jen nodded. “She okay?”
“Yes…no. I don’t know,” he mumbled dropping his head into his hands and lacing his fingers through his blue spikes.
He sighed deep when he lifted his head again. “Without going into the details that I think is kinda her choice to tell you or not…she had a pretty rough life before she got out here. She was running from it.”
“Wow, she seems so happy though,” Jen said quietly, glad for the fact that the shop was empty at the moment.
“Like all of us haven’t covered secrets at one point in time,” he said sarcastically, fixing her with a look.
“Point taken,” Piper said.
“She almost had a kid,” he said softly, arms crossed over his chest, still warring with himself whether or not he should even share that private information.
“Wow, really?” Jen asked, eyes going wide with shock.
“What happened?” Piper asked, leaning forward.
“She lost it,” he said simply.
Piper had to look away, tears suddenly stinging her eyes. “My god…I never knew…”
“Yeah, I know.”
“She kissed me,” he finally whispered after a moment of silence.
Piper’s eyes went wide, shooting to the side to meet Jen’s.
“What…what’d you do?” Jen asked carefully.
“Told her I couldn’t…that I had been…hurt,” he sighed, “That’s when she told me about her past…and broke down, basically told me to get out.”
“Look, I know you don’t wanna tell us the details, and I understand, I really do, I just can’t see her being that mad at you,” Piper said quietly.
“Let’s just say she hasn’t had the greatest history as far as guys are concerned, and she…she took a leap of faith with me and I shot her down.”
“You didn’t know…” Jen soothed.
“No, I didn’t, but that’s not the point. You didn’t see her face, you didn’t…you didn’t hear her crying as she ran away from me.”
“Priestly…”
“No, okay. She’s been here everyday the past couple weeks and all of a sudden she doesn’t show up today?”
“She’s hurt Priestly, but I’d be willing to bet you that it’s not that she doesn’t wanna see you. She’s probably just freaking out.”
“You like her don’t you?” Jen asked, causing them both to look at her before Priestly dropped his eyes and looked away.
“Priestly…”
“I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I just…after…” he sighed, “After Tish…”
“She’s not Tish,” Piper said plainly, catching his eye.
“I know,” he said, standing quietly for a moment.
All of a sudden he untied his apron, throwing it on the counter and took off for the door.
Piper jumped down off the counter as Priestly all but ran past Jen.
“Priestly!”
The only answer she got was the diner door slamming closed.
***
Chapter Notes:
Andy's Bandit (1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am)
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