Page 156 of Catch Me
“That doesn’t mean I’m weak or in the wrong place.”
Andreas slips a hand behind my back, pulling me closer to him.
“I won’t be returning to Michigan with you. And, in all honesty, I probably won’t be returning at all for a very long time.”
“Ivy—” my mother says.
“I’m going to be busy working and completing my fashion design degree.”
Andreas looks down at me, but I keep my attention on my parents.
“And falling deeper in love with the man who, in six months, has proven to know more about love than either one of you proved in a lifetime.”
Both of their mouths fall open.
“Please don’t come here again without an invitation.”
Mya’sdaaaamnis the only sound in the room for almost a full minute. That is, until Andreas walks over to the door, and opens it.
“That’s your cue to leave. Now,” Andreas says firmly.
I watch my parents file out of the apartment without another word. Andreas isn’t shy about slamming the door behind them and locking it.
“It’s about time,” Mya says, pulling me into a hug.
“My …” I strain to say. “I … can’t breathe.” My words come out mumbled because she’s squeezing my face against her so tight.
Laughter spills from me when we pull apart.
“I’m so proud of you.” She wipes a tear from her eye. “I thought …” She trails off.
“I know.” I squeeze her arm. “I just, um, I needed a little bit to snap out of it.”
She nods before moving away as Andreas comes up behind her.
“I’m sorry for checking out like that,” I tell him. I hold up the magazine. “Thank you for this.”
He cups my face. “At least you’re not apologizing for having a panic attack.” His smile widens. “But if you apologize again for taking what you need, I’m going to make it painful for you to sit, baby,” he whispers against my mouth.
“Okay, well, that’smycue to leave,” Mya says, laughter in her voice.
She hugs me again and then heads out.
“How are you feeling?” Andreas asks sometime later as we eat Thai food, on the couch.
“I’m … I don’t know,” I answer honestly.
We’ve spent the past hour talking out all of the mess that’s been spinning in my head for weeks. I finally confessed about losing my job at InTuition. Which, I then had to climb into his lap to pry his phone out of his hands to keep him from calling the head of the studio and cursing them out.
He only calmed down after I told him that my freelance work was keeping me busy and paid enough so far. And that I already had another interview lined up with a different studio.
“I think it's time I go back to Dr. King again. Regularly, this time.”
He squeezes my knee. “What about your parents? What they said was heavy.”
I push out a breath.
“Honestly, it’s kind of a relief to know. I think I always suspected it on one level or another. People would always comment on how much Aunt Gloria and I looked alike whenever she was in town. The way she was closer to me than Rose or Stephen. Not to mention, I often wondered why I felt so distant from my parents, like they resented me. As a kid, I didn’t have words for what I felt, but now I do.
