Welcome back! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up, but thank you guys so much for all of your reviews, follows, and favourites. You guys are AWESOME, and I love hearing from you, so I hope you'll continue to let me know what you think!
As for the story Sam was going to tell Andy about Oliver, I'll have to get back to you on that one. You won't get it in this chapter, but I'll see if I can maybe come up with something that can be included later on…
Recap: Andy wakes up in the hospital after having been shot in the back of the head – she soon discovers that she's suffering from severe memory loss and can only remember the events from the day of the accident. Andy's drawn to Sam, but is confused to learn that she's engaged to Luke, a man that made a really bad "first" impression on her. While at a scene, Sam buys a stuffed animal poodle that reminds him of his conversation with Andy at the hospital. He also promises her that he'll be at the hospital when she wakes up, even though he's had enough experience as a cop to know that things can always come up last minute. In the end, Sam is just barely able to keep his promise, but things quickly become tense with Andy. Although they manage to smooth things over, Luke tries to throw a wrench into the mix when he asks a nurse to restrict Sam's visitor access... The doctors notify Andy that she can start walking, so she gets Sam to accompany her. In the process, Sam almost kisses her - more than once - the most obvious and closest time being the last one. Andy is left completely confused when Sam suddenly backs off and pretends he's trying to examine her head injury instead. Andy is released from the hospital and is shocked to discover that she lives with Luke. Terrified, she texts and calls Sam for help, but in the end, still has to face Luke... She ends up falling asleep that night to Sam's voice on the phone.
"You sure you're ready for this?" Luke asked, his eyes darting left and right in the parking lot. When he didn't see Sam's silver truck, he nearly sighed with relief. The last thing he wanted was a run-in with Swarek.
Andy bit down on her lower lip and stared up at the sign for The Black Penny, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. Was she ready? No. The prospect of being surrounded by so many people she didn't remember was daunting. And if she was honest with herself, she was terrified, but she knew that she couldn't hide forever. Still, she found her feet firmly rooted to the pavement as she stared straight ahead.
"We can go home if you want," Luke said gently. "We don't have to do this tonight."
Taking a deep breath, she slowly nodded. "I know, but I need to try."
Luke gave her a small smile. "Okay, but we'll only stay for as long as you want, alright? The second you want to leave, we're gone." Seeing her nod again, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the front door of the cop bar.
Andy shot him an appreciative smile. The two weeks since she'd been released from the hospital had been... different. Most of her time had been spent resting and going in for checkups. The rest of the time had been spent looking through the house in an attempt to figure out who she was, and who Luke was. She'd found a lot of things: little cards and notes from Luke with sweet sayings, and lots of pictures of them together. And the more she saw, the more she began to second guess herself, especially regarding what she'd initially thought and felt towards both Sam and Luke. It was confusing. And the more she learned about Luke, the more that feeling grew. Sure, he'd made a really bad "first" impression at the hospital, and yeah, there was seemed to something going on with Sam that she couldn't quite make sense of, but Luke was proving to be a good guy, even if it was clear that he loved his job a little too much and maybe didn't know her as well as she thought he should. He was really sweet and caring though, and even without remembering him, it was obvious that he loved her. After all, any time spent away from work was spent at the house taking care of her and making sure that she had everything she needed. And the more time they spent together, the less awkward their interactions gradually became. But, the less awkward things became with Luke, the more awkward they became with Sam. Not that she'd seen Sam since the hospital. They still text or talked everyday, but given that it was Luke's house and that she'd been confined to it, things had changed... at least, they had to some extent. The frantic calls and texts to him had largely stopped as she found herself more stable footing. It wasn't just that though. The nature of their conversations shifted and, as a result, she really started questioning whether or not she'd imagined a lot of things.
Nevertheless, as she stepped inside the cop bar, her eyes swept across the room, her face falling slightly when there was no sign of Sam. If the decision to come hadn't been last minute, she probably would have text him to see if he'd be here. But, even with the short notice, she'd assumed that he would be, since every time they talked, he was here. Tonight though, he was nowhere to be seen. Withholding a sigh, she let Luke lead her to two vacant stools at the bar. Once again, she found her eyes sweeping across the room, briefly pausing on Oliver, Traci, and a man that she didn't recognize.
Traci gave her a small wave, and for a moment it looked like she was going to get up, but her eyes settled on Luke before turning back to the dark-haired man at her side. Oliver, on the other hand, rose and walked toward them.
"Hey McNally," Oliver said, giving her a small smile as he watched her nervously sip on her water.
"Hey," she said quietly.
Oliver watched her eyes scan the room again and knew, without a doubt, who she was looking for. Leaning forward, he gave her a gentle hug and whispered in her ear so that Luke wouldn't hear. "He isn't here."
Andy tried to force a smile when he pulled away. If Sam wasn't here, then was he with another woman? Did he even have a girlfriend? Man, she was so stupid. Despite all of the hours spent together at the hospital, she'd never once asked. She'd just assumed that he didn't because he'd spent so much time with her... and then there was the way they'd interacted – there was something different about that. Something that made her feel warm on the inside. That made her heart flutter. And she'd been so sure that at one point he was going to kiss her. But he didn't, and now, as she thought back, uncertainty filled her. She'd been on a lot of meds, so maybe what really happened wasn't what she thought happened. She swallowed hard, clasping her hands together in a bid to stop them from trembling. It had to be real. Why though, she wasn't sure, but the thought that it had only been a figment of her imagination caused her chest to hurt and tears to spring to her eyes.
Oliver's eyes flicked from Andy to Luke and back again. With Luke's attention fixed on the bar, he reached out and gently squeezed her hand. "It's been a long day and everyone's exhausted... Most people went straight home to sleep. But, I'm sure if people had known you'd be here, they would have come." He gave her a pointed look.
She met his eyes questioningly and when he gave a subtle nod, she couldn't help but smile. Maybe Sam wasn't with another woman after all. Maybe she wasn't crazy. Then again, she was engaged to one man, and was getting upset thinking about what another might do in his spare time. And, to make matters worse, it was obvious that Oliver knew. A blush crept into her cheeks.
"That was my fault," Luke said, jumping into the conversation. He was oblivious to Andy's reaction. "I got off work earlier than usual and suggested we come."
"Well, maybe next time," Oliver replied, then turning back to Andy, he added, "Let me know if you need anything."
She squeezed his hand and nodded in thanks.
"Should we call him?" Oliver asked quietly when he returned to his seat beside Traci.
"So he can see that?" Traci asked bitterly, glancing across the bar again to find Luke's arm still draped around her friend. "I don't even get it. He made a terrible first impression, he's been keeping everyone away from her, and she knows something isn't right, yet she's acting like before..."
The dark-haired man, Jerry, shrugged. "Maybe it's a sign that Sammy needs to move on."
Traci elbowed Jerry hard in the side, eliciting a cry from him. "Say that again and you're sleeping on the couch."
"Look, I'm just saying that, that right there..." He nodded in Andy's direction. "That doesn't look like nothing, and I've already seen Sam get hurt. So, if there's something I can do about it, then I'm not going to just sit back and watch it happen again."
"He won't," Traci said sharply.
"I hate to break it to you Trace, but life isn't like those movies you watch," Jerry said. "And Sam's not going to wait for her forever. He's been through the ringer once; he's not going to do it again." Jerry paused and rubbed his chin. "You know, I have a friend—"
"I'm going home," Traci said, rising abruptly. When Jerry started to get up, she put a hand to his chest. "Alone."
"Trace, babe, come on," Jerry said, reaching for her.
"Swarek doesn't need one of your friends," Traci said, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "And you'd do well to remember that," she added, before heading for the exit.
"You know I'm right man," Jerry said, looking over at Oliver.
"She isn't his rookie anymore," Oliver said with a shrug.
"No, but she is Callaghan's fiancé and it looks like they're cozying on up again," Jerry spat out.
Oliver shook his head. "I worked with her a lot Jer, and I visited her quite a bit in the hospital too. She's different now. Changed." He smiled. "When it comes to Sam, she isn't as guarded about how she feels anymore... She won't tell me anything outright, but she always asks about him. So, just open your eyes brother, and you'll see it too." He paused. "And if you don't believe things are different this time, mention Sam in front of her and see how she reacts." He put some money on the counter and got to his feet.
Jerry let out a frustrated sigh. "Ollie, this isn't good for him. You know this isn't good for him."
His eyes settled on Luke and Andy once more. "That isn't, but she is," Oliver countered. "See you tomorrow buddy."
As the night wore on, Andy found herself bombarded by one officer after another. It wasn't even busy at The Penny, but it felt like the second one person left, another one was heading her way. Quite frankly, it was overwhelming, exhausting, and it was giving her a major headache. Still, they stayed because she didn't want to feel like a quitter. She didn't want to just throw in the towel, give up.
Luke looked over at her. "Don't push it."
She nodded. He was right. They could always come back another time. "Can we go?"
He put some money down on the bar, then wrapped his arm around her shoulder again and led her back outside.
As they headed towards the door, she looked over to find Oliver gone, but the dark-haired man watching her closely. She stared at him for a moment before letting her eyes sweep the area once more. When there was still no sign of Sam, she lowered her gaze and left. Withholding another sigh, she gave Luke a small smile as he helped her into the car.
"Hey Sammy, when was the last time McNally saw her dad?"
Sam looked over at Oliver and shrugged. "The hospital, I think. Probably when she first woke up."
Oliver nodded. "Well, I was thinking… maybe you could take her to see him."
"And why would I do that?" Sam asked slowly, frowning.
"Oh, I don't know," Oliver replied sarcastically. "Maybe because she trusts you."
"Well, I think she trusts Callaghan now too."
Oliver smacked the back of Sam's head. "And because I think getting out would do her some good... and don't tell me Callaghan can take her because you know the likelihood of that happening is slim."
"She'll go out when she's ready," Sam replied, unbuttoning his uniform.
"She was at The Penny last night. Luke brought her."
Sam's head snapped in Oliver's direction. Andy hadn't mentioned anything about going. Then again, they really hadn't talked much lately. "Well, there you go. Clearly Callaghan learned how to make time for her." It came out sounding bitter.
"They weren't there for long, maybe a couple of hours tops, but I think it was a little too much for her. And, it was a last minute thing, but I think if you'd been there, it would have been easier."
Sam remained silent. Knowing the conversation wasn't going to end anytime soon, he picked up his speed as he changed back into normal clothes.
"Don't do this," Oliver warned. "You want her, then you do this for her. Got it?"
"Buddy, you just said that going out was too much for her, so why do you suddenly think it's a good idea for her to go see her old man?" Sam said, throwing a shirt over his head.
"Do you have any idea how many times she looked around that room for you? How disappointed she was to find out that the one night she left the house, you weren't there?" Knowing Sam was about to argue, he held up his hand. "I know it wasn't your fault... She didn't even know they were going, so you couldn't have known either. But, it doesn't change the fact that she wanted you there."
Sam ran a hand through his hair before shaking his head.
"Are you really that opposed to seeing her?" Oliver asked, eyebrows raised. "Are you really going to leave her like this when she needs you the most?"
Sam turned back to face his locker. If Andy have gone to The Penny with Luke rather than Traci, then that would explain the shift in his interactions with her, and that could only mean one thing: Andy was warming up to Luke. And that meant he was being pushed to the sidelines again. Benched. He mulled over Oliver's words. Even if Andy had been looking for him last night, it could have been for any number of things. The only thing he knew for sure was that she wasn't as opposed to Luke anymore.
Oliver let out a frustrated sigh. "All I'm saying is that it would give you the perfect opportunity to spend some time with her. She'll probably feel more comfortable with you there, and maybe having her old man tell her some stories will help her remember something. If you can't even do that for her, then I guess you don't deserve her."
After shoving his wallet in his jeans and grabbing his phone and keys, Sam slammed his locker door shut and pushed passed his friend. It wasn't that he didn't want to help her; he just wasn't sure if Andy remembering would be a good thing or not. All he knew was that he was losing her and if he didn't do something soon… He cut the thought short.
Andy closed the door behind her, quickly locked it, and turned to find Sam climbing out of his truck. She swallowed hard, rubbing her sweaty palms up against her pants as she shifted nervously. She'd been surprised to receive his text; surprised that he'd wanted to take her somewhere. Where they were going, she still didn't know, but right now, it didn't really matter.
His eyes flicked up to her face and a small smile played out on his lips. She looked nervous, really nervous, and yet her eyes seemed to light up. "Hey," he said quietly.
As her lips twitched, she took the remaining few steps toward him and threw her arms around his neck. She hadn't meant to, not really anyway, but she'd missed him, and even if he had a girlfriend and even though she had a fiancé, she needed him here. Needed to feel his arms around her. Needed to know that everything was going to be okay. And right now, it was.
Sam stumbled slightly, then wrapped his arms around her, no thoughts given as to who might see. "What's wrong?"
Andy pulled away after another moment and smiled up at him. "Nothing."
His smile widened a little as he looked down at her. "Missed me?"
She pressed her lips together and shook her head.
"Liar," he muttered. "Get in."
Once inside the truck and on the road, he said, "I heard you went to The Penny."
Silence.
He hesitated. "How was it?"
"Fine."
"It's okay if it scared you," Sam said, glancing over at her.
"I wasn't scared," she said quietly, staring down at her hands.
He clenched his teeth, his mind going back to the moment they'd had in the parking lot after their first shift working together. She'd asked if he'd been scared and in turn had told him she hadn't been scared because he'd been there. This time, he hadn't been there. She'd been at The Penny with Luke, which could only mean…
"I was terrified." The words tumbled from her mouth.
His jaw dropped a little as he glanced over at her, but she seemed intent on avoiding his gaze. Turning his eyes back toward the road, he reached out with one hand and squeezed hers. She was trembling. He unconsciously started to run the pad of his thumb over her hand in a calming manner. "Hey, it's going to be okay... Alright? I promise."
She took a shaky breath. "But what if I never remember things?"
He hesitated, then pulled over and turned to face her. "One day at a time McNally."
"One day at a time?" she said, tears forming in her eyes. "What if I can't go back to being a cop? What if I just go through life making the same stupid mistakes because I don't remember making them the first time?"
"What do you mean?" Sam asked slowly. Had something happened with Luke?
Andy shook her head. "I don't know. I just… I don't want to always feel this confused or scared. But, maybe I was always like this. Maybe I—"
"You're strong," he interrupted. "Brave. Smart… You're going to get through this, and if you think you still want to be a cop, then that's what you'll be. Got it?"
She wet her lips and laughed dryly. "I know I should consider myself lucky, but it's just…" She let out a breath. "It's hard. And even after going through the entire house, I still feel just as lost as before. I mean, I know more, but I just... I don't know what to think anymore... Nothing makes sense."
"That's why we're going to see your dad."
Andy turned to look at him, eyes wide. "What?"
He looked out the window. "We're going to see your dad, and he's going to try to help fill in the blanks."
Her heart raced. "But you'll stay?"
Sam nodded. "I'm not going anywhere, McNally," he said, finally meeting her eyes.
She repositioned her hand and squeezed his, then taking a shaky breath, she nodded. "Okay."
"Okay?" he asked, a little surprised.
"Yeah," she said, her lips twitching. "Let's do this."
He gave her a small smile before pulling back out onto the road and heading to Tommy McNally's place. If this didn't blow up in his face, he might just have to thank Oliver.
"Does he know we're coming?" Andy asked nervously as they climbed the stairs in Tommy's apartment.
"He knows," Sam replied as they stepped up to Tommy's door. He raised his hand to knock, but let it fall. "You knock… whenever you're ready."
"Is he mad?" she asked quietly. "...that I don't remember him."
Sam turned her so she was facing him. "It's not your fault, okay? He knows that, and he just wants you to get better… be happy. He wants to help, but if you're not ready for this, we'll go. He'll understand."
Andy inhaled deeply, sliding her left hand into his right one before turning to knock on the door. The warmth radiating from Sam's hand almost immediately calmed her. Okay, so maybe she hadn't imagined that part, but had she imagined the almost-kiss?
As the door opened, Andy unconsciously shifted closer to Sam. Even once they were inside, she didn't release him, and when they made their way over to the couch, Sam was surprised when she sat so close to him that their hips were touching.
Tommy looked from their hands to Sam's face, struggling to hold back a smile.
Sam gave a subtle shrug, which caused Tommy's smile to break through. So far this plan was working better than he'd thought, yet he was still worried. Yeah, he was trying to help Andy, but right now, he was going behind Luke's back and she was leaning on him in a way that clearly had Tommy thinking something had happened. The line between what was acceptable and what wasn't seemed to be getting thinner. And, even though his intentions were good, he felt like the other man. The one who drove a wedge in someone else's relationship. The home-wrecker. The thought made him grimace. Sure, he despised Luke, and he wanted Andy, but just how much further was he willing to go? Was he prepared to risk fully demolishing the life she had in order to create the one he wanted? And what if she remembered everything? Realized what he'd done? He wanted her, but he didn't want to screw things up and risk pushing her out of his life completely. He shifted uncomfortably before getting up and heading towards the bathroom to give himself time to think.
Andy watched him go, frowning.
"...And when you turned thirteen, I taught you how to pick a lock," Tommy said. "Your mother hated it."
She looked around, but didn't see any sign of a woman's presence. "What happened to her?"
Tommy looked away. "She left. Things just, umm... things didn't work out like we planned. She loved you, but she hasn't been part of our lives for a long time. We managed though, just you and me."
Andy gave him a small smile. Based on the pictures she'd been shown for the last couple of hours, it was clear that her father loved her and that she'd loved him. "Was it hard... doing it alone?"
Her dad chuckled. "You were a handful, and I made a lot of mistakes, but I think you turned out alright. Got a good mix of Barbie dolls and baseballs."
She nodded, then changed the topic altogether. "So you were a cop? A detective?" Luke had told her that.
"Same division as you."
"Is that why I became a cop?"
Tommy smiled sadly. "I wish I could take the credit for that, but I wasn't always the kind of cop I should have been. I worked too many hours and after your mother left, I started taking every case too personally." He paused, shaking his head. "You've always had a big heart; always wanted to help others. And you and little Jimmy next door used to be obsessed with playing cops and robbers. Of course, you always wanted to be the cop. The good guy... Tackled that kid one too many times in my opinion." Tommy chuckled. "A real knucklehead if you ask me, and you got your first kiss out of it too... That kid didn't know what hit him, and quite frankly, I didn't either. When I found out, you both avoided me for a week. And yet, even after when you went back to playing, I couldn't help but be proud of you. And I knew, right then, that behind your little get-up, there was something real... something special. And when I found you lying in bed one night, tracing your fingers over my badge, I knew right then, that being a cop was in your blood. That it's the only thing you'd ever want to do."
Sam leaned against the wall and listened for another moment before turning around the corner.
"That kid wasn't nearly as bad as the guy you had your second kiss with... that kid was a real punk. Went from some snotty-nosed thing to a horny little..." Tommy trailed off and cleared his throat. "You uh, you had a string of unfortunate cases. None of them stuck around for long thankfully... You were a real heartbreaker."
Andy's face flushed when she realized Sam was in the room again. "He's joking," she rushed out, horrified by what had just come out of her dad's mouth.
"I wish," Tommy chuckled. "Sometimes I think you took great pleasure in finding the most obnoxious boys. Little troublemakers. The whole lot." His expression became serious. "To this day, you still haven't figured it out."
Her eyes flicked from her dad to Sam, who looked surprised but not confused. When her gaze returned to her dad, she frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Tommy hesitated. "Nothing sweetie," he said gently. "You just haven't figured out what really makes you happy."
Realizing things were taking a sudden turn, Sam cut in. "We should probably get going." When Andy remained sitting, he hesitantly held out his hand towards her.
Andy stared at her dad for another moment, then accepted Sam's hand and headed for the door.
Once back in the truck, Sam glanced over at her and smirked. "So I guess dressing up in a uniform, tackling guys, and trying to..." He cut himself off before he could finish with kiss them. "I guess that goes way back to when you were a kid."
She smacked his arm. "Shut up," she said with a groan, one hand covering her face to try to hide her embarrassment.
"You know, I actually kind of enjoyed that, hearing about little McNally, the heartbreaker and troublemaker... I think we should go see your dad more often."
Andy's hand fell from her face and she turned to look at him, eyes narrowed. "Yeah? Well, I think we should go visit Oliver and see what he has to say about you."
Sam bit down on the inside of his cheek. "How about I take you to the station instead?"
She frowned. "Why?"
He sighed. "You don't need to figure things out now, but I think you should talk to Frank. At least give him an idea of whether or not you're potentially interested in coming back." Realizing she probably didn't remember Frank, he said, "Frank is our—"
"I know who he is," Andy cut in. "He came to see me in the hospital once."
Sam nodded, studying her face closely.
"Would you go back? If this had happened to you, if you didn't remember anything, would you still go back?" she asked quietly, turning her eyes to the window.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I'd probably just do whatever my gut told me."
Andy nodded. "Then let's go."
She had just stepped out of the Staff Sergeant's office and was looking around for Sam when she heard her name being called. Turning, she saw Luke standing a few metres behind her with an eyebrow raised.
"What are you doing here?" Luke asked.
"Just saw my dad," she replied, giving him a small smile. "And I wanted to talk to Frank."
Luke opened his mouth to speak again, but his cell phone cut him off. Giving her an apologetic smile, he said, "I'll see you in a few hours."
She nodded, then headed down one of the hallways to try to find Sam, but stopped in her tracks when she overheard Jerry talking.
"So Friday night, Sam will pick you up around 7," Jerry said into the phone, grinning. "No, he's got reservations to this little Italian restaurant. Cute. Cozy. Romantic."
Andy pressed her lips together, struggling to keep composed, but between the sudden surge of jealousy that was passing through her and the feeling of being sucker-punched, she could feel tears springing to her eyes. She really wasn't even sure why it upset her so much that Sam was going on a date – he probably went on tons – but it did. It really did.
"Alright, well I've gotta go, but have fun, alright? And take care of him," Jerry said before hanging up and turning to walk down the hallway. A curse immediately escaped him as he caught sight of Andy. She was staring at him, or rather his phone, and she looked defeated. Worse still, were the tears in her eyes. Had Oliver been right? "McNally, it's not..."
Her eyes briefly travelled up to the man's face, but the second a tear spilled down her cheek, she walked passed him and headed straight for the exit, sidestepping someone on her way out.
Sam's eyes widened as he watched her go, reacting a little too slowly to stop her. His eyes flicked down the hallway and settled on his friend. "What happened?"
Jerry laughed nervously. "Gotta take this buddy," he said, before placing his cellphone back to his ear in an attempt to fake a call, all the while walking away.
Sam turned towards the exit and picked up his speed, scanning the parking lot the second his feet hit the pavement. "McNally," he called out. He could immediately tell something was wrong by the way her shoulders were sagging. When she didn't stop, he jogged to catch up to her. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly, when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Nothing," she replied, hastily wiping them away.
"Nothing doesn't make you cry McNally," he said, trying to wipe away the fresh tears, but she pulled back, leaving him confused. "Did I do something wrong?"
Andy shook her head. Pull it together.
He searched her face for answers, but came up with nothing. "Then what's wrong?"
"Stupid meds," Andy said, trying to laugh it off.
"I thought you weren't taking as many anymore?"
"I..." She bit down on her lower lip. "I'm not… I guess being out today…" She paused and took a deep breath. "I'm just tired. Tired, and the meds, and I… I'm just tired, that's all. But, I'm fine, really... Great." She forced a smile.
"Then where are you going?" he asked, not buying her answer.
"Back to Luke's."
"I said I'd drive you," Sam said, frowning.
"I can walk," Andy said, forcing another smile. "It's good for you, you know? And I've… I've been lying around a lot, not doing much of anything, so I should walk... I should definitely walk, and umm, it's nice out, so who wants to sit in a car when you can walk, right?" Her voice shook a little.
Sam's frown deepened. "But you just said you're tired." His eyes flicked skyward. "And it looks like it's going to rain."
Andy shifted nervously. "Yeah but you're umm… you're really busy so… so I think I should..." She grimaced. "I should just go." She took a deep breath. "And I'm not too tired to walk. Plus, I like the rain, I think... It's so… It's uh…" She let out a frustrated sigh. Why was this so hard?
"Hey," he said running his hands up and down her arms in a soothing manner. "Just give me five minutes and I'll drive you."
Hearing the door open, Andy looked over his shoulder. "You know what, you're right, I am tired, and there's Traci, so just take your time... I'll get a ride from her."
He continued to stare at her. What the hell was going on? Had Frank said something to her? Had Jerry? "Okay," he said slowly, confused. He really didn't want to leave things like this. "Do you want to talk later tonight?"
Andy swallowed hard and shook her head. "Uh, I'm busy tonight… with…" She bit her lower lip again. "With umm…" She silently cursed at her inability to come up with a decent lie, or any lie. With Traci nearly at her side, she called out, "Can I get a ride?" She hated how frantic she suddenly sounded.
Traci's eyes flicked from Sam to Andy. "Sure," she said, shooting Sam a questioning look. His eyes never left his partner though.
Without another word or glance, Andy turned to follow Traci to her car. She had to go; she had to put some distance between them before she completely broke down in front of him.
"McNally?" Sam called out.
She hesitated, but couldn't bring herself to turn around. "Have fun Friday," she said, emptiness washing over her. Fresh tears threatened to spill over.
Sam frowned. What the hell was happening Friday? Before he could question her, she was ducking into Traci's car. It was only when the vehicle had vanished and his eyes had settled back on the door to the barn that it hit him. Jerry.
Thanks again for reading! Let me know what you think so far.
I wasn't quite happy with this chapter, but I think you'll like the next one a lot more, so I hope you'll stick around and find out how this plays out.
Also, no guarantees, but would you prefer that I keep the current T rating or, further along in this story, would you rather have me bump it up to more of a M rating? Romance-wise, that is... Please let me know.
Twitter - RB_ADI2DE