“Excuse me.” When my ex-lover stands and leaves the table, CJ frowns at me with a question mark.
I shrug. “I told him I was staying here in the south. I thought he’d be happy.”
CJ’s chair scrapes against the floor and in a heartbeat, the athlete’s footsteps bound up the stairs. The shouting that follows makes me want to crawl into a hole and die.
Andy’s voice echoes through the whole house. “None of your goddamned business. Stay out of this, CJ.”
When Mrs. Quinn cringes, I’ve had quite enough. “I’ll be right back.”
I stomp up the stairs, into the bedroom, and face the two brothers about to come to blows. “Stop it right now, both of you. The cursing is making your mother uncomfortable.”
One of CJ’s little girls starts to cry and he mutters something to his brother about being an asshole as he leaves. When he passes by me he says, “He’ll come around.”
Don’t hold your breath.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” Andy frowns, turns, and just like that disappears from my life.
I keep waiting for a text that says he made a big mistake but it never comes.
By the next day, I know he’s gone for good and the sadness is so overwhelming I can barely get out of bed but the show must go on.
After a couple weeks of work, I’m able to rent a small room over a garage and leave Andy’s mom’s house. I stuff my few outfits into a knapsack, grab my guitar, and hug Mrs. Quinn.
“Thank you. You’ve been so nice to me, even after…” I still can’t admit that me and Andy are through. “You’ve been more of a mom than I ever had.”
“Hush now. Just because my stupid lunk-head of a son doesn’t know a beautiful soul, I do. You come by for Sunday meal, understand? Me and you? We’re friends, no matter what happens between you two.”
“I will.”
I’m sure she knows I’m lying. How could I stay in the house where Andy grew up? Everywhere there’s reminders of him. Even though she means well, I need to start over, find my own way. Maybe, I’ll save up enough to go back to New York someday.
