“Well, fuck me, Allison.
“Now I’m standin’ here, confused as fuck.”
“Sorry,” I whisper,
because it’s the only honest thing I can say.
“He’s… protective.”
Of his fuckin’ allowance every week.
Andrew stares at me for a long second.
“Brother?”
I shake my head.
His brow lifts.
“Family?… Friend of the family?”
I shake my head.
Again. Again.
Each one slower.
“Co-worker?” His voice fractures.
He already knows the truth,
but he’s clinging to hope.
I don’t answer,
and not answering says everything.
His shoulders sink as the reality settles in.
His eyes lose focus and stare past me,
trying to process it.
And it hurts watching the way it hits him.
When he swallows,
his throat works hard to force it down.
His eyes focus back on me,
but now they're different.
“Allison.”
He hesitates.
“Is he your boyfriend?”
