Tales Of Secret Conversations And Impending Doom

Day 15 of The Andie Chronicles

James tells me his sleepover with GG and Taylor, my boyfriend’s brother, was completely innocent. 

“We didn’t have a threesome,” he keeps saying. 

I didn’t think it was GG’s thing to bring someone else into her bedroom. Not that my friend is possessive or anything like that. 

But she’s never been the super adventurous type. It wasn’t until after her divorce that she even stepped foot into a sex store.

But for the rest of Sunday, James wouldn’t tell me what they were up to. I must have asked him ten different times, in ten different ways, in the hope of coaxing the answer out of him. 

Eventually, my hangover took over and I left James and retreated to my sanctuary at 1 Lovelock Drive. 

I stopped by the local milk bar at the end of the street and picked up ice cream and Ice Magic. I’m obsessed with the chocolate sauce that hardens on the cold dessert. 

And after dancing and singing for most of Saturday night, my throat ached for something to soothe it.

When James arrived at work this morning, he found the empty container on the kitchen bench. 

“You didn’t leave any for me?”, he said, throwing the empty container in the recycling bin. 

“I didn’t think I had to,” I replied. “And I’m not into you analysing what goes into my mouth.”

“Well,” James started, “I’m not so into you analysing what comes out of my mouth. You were like a dog with a bone over my confession about Saturday night.”

I stared at James with this unhappy look. I took a deep breath. 

“You won’t tell me why you didn’t come home with me. You have this secret from me, that you’re sharing with GG and Taylor. With Douglas not telling me what’s going on, I feel completely alone.” 

I took another breath. 

“I thought we were best friends. I didn’t think you would keep secrets from me.”

I felt like I was manipulating James with a sob story. But it was the truth and I was lonely and miserable and wondering what I did wrong to deserve this.

“Andie,” he began, “We’re not keeping secrets from you. You left so early, with my keys, and I ended up going back to their house for a nightcap.” 

James put his hands on my shoulder. “Honestly, we were talking about your stupid boyfriend and how he’s playing with you and how bad it all is. I didn’t want you to hear we were talking about it. You have enough on your plate.”

I slid my arms around James’ waist and held him tight. “I get it.” 

I did get it, I wasn’t lying again. It sucked they couldn’t have this conversation in front of me, but I got why. 

Everyone talks about everyone, after all.

“Can you promise not to treat me like a delicate flower, though? Because I’m not. I’m so damn strong. I got this.” I repeated that mantra in my head.

James smiled at me. “Yeah, you do,” he agreed.

But I didn’t. Douglas, my absentee boyfriend, had messaged me earlier in the day asking for a sit-down chat this Friday. The talk. The big talk. And I was freaking out inside. 

I knew the relationship was over. 

To have it said, though? Cemented into history. Suddenly I felt petrified. 

The end of the week was looming and I had the rest of the week to stew over it. 

Not ideal.

Such is life though. And there wasn’t anything I could do to change it.

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You’re reading The Andie Chronicles, the 2023 romance-fiction series from the 1 Lovelock Drive (1LD) universe.

By the way, this all started when Andie turned thirty-five, and her then-boyfriend didn’t call her.

Or the day after that.

Or the day after that, too. 

Everything started to unravel when her BFFs got into bed with her ex, too… ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

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