Page 34 of Buried Treasure
Chapter 11
The sun filtered in through Sydney's bedroom windows as she stretched out, thankful that she had enough to drink to make her feel good last night without giving her a hangover this morning.
Then she remembered that she wasn't the only one who drank last night, which is why there was a man who may still be asleep on her couch right now. A man who had kissed her the night before. The memory of Andy's lips against hers still lingered from the night before, and she had to quickly decide if she would bring it up when she got out there. Maybe she wouldn't have to. Maybe she could hope that he had already left and they could talk about it another time. No big deal.
Except it was a big deal. She walked into her bathroom and threw some water on her face to try and clear her mind. It didn't work. It also didn't clear out her overnight guest, who was still on her couch when she walked out to her living room. He looked like he had just woken up and ran his hand through his hair, sending it spiking in different adorable directions.
"Morning," she said.
His eyes snapped up to meet hers. "Um, hi," he said nervously.
Sydney quickly decided it would be better to ease into the potential kiss conversation. Instead of confronting it or talking about feeling, she made a beeline for the kitchen and got two glasses of ice water for them.
"Thanks," Andy said as she walked over and handed a glass to him.
She sat down next to him and the two of them drank quietly. Because really, what was she supposed to say? Where was she supposed to start? They had kissed, and he had apologized profusely afterward so did that mean he didn't like it? Because she did. The stuff that comes after the kissing part was stuff she couldn't deal with in her life right now — the drama, the lack of trust, the whole being in a relationship thing. But kissing Andy? Well, if last night was just a preview of the way that man could kiss, she would totally be willing to do more of that.
She could hear Andy gulp down the last of his water, and he set the glass down on the table in front of them. Sydney figured she should follow his lead and put hers down as well. But then… there was just more silence. Damn, it was awkward. Maybe it would be better to just get it out in the open and acknowledge what happened. But just as she was about to say something, he finally decided to speak.
"Can I ask you a question?"
She nodded quietly.
"Why did Alex come home with you guys the other night after you left the bar?"
She gave him a quizzical look, because that was definitely not the question she expected him to ask.
"Um, Ryan let him park his car in his extra spot in the garage," she explained. "He drove his Maserati and thought it was safer here than in some parking lot out there."
"Right, sure, of course," he replied.
Sydney noticed the slightly bitter tone in his response, which stuck out because it wasn't like Andy to act bitter. Well, it wasn't like him to act bitter about anyone except his ex-girlfriend. But then Sydney started to put the pieces together from the night at the bar. They were having a good time together despite the fact that his ex was there. The ex who dumped him because he was just the trainer. So when Sydney left with the hockey players…
"Wait, you weren't jealous that Alex walked home with us, were you?"
"No, I wasn't jealous," he scoffed.
Sydney's eyes went wide as she stared at him. "You were jealous."
He turned and rolled his eyes. "OK, I was a little bit jealous."
"It was just Alex!" she said. "Why would you be jealous of him?"
Andy got quiet and looked down at his hands. "Because he was going home with you."
Nice Andy, fun Andy, sweet Andy was sitting on her couch being quiet Andy. Not a word. Not an explanation. Just a guy who was sitting in front of her and, just like last night's kiss, was telling her so much with so few words.
She met him when her boss was arrested for being a crook. Since then, she had tried at times to close herself off from the world, especially emotionally. She had started to build the walls she thought she would need to protect herself, knowing that things were going to get worse before they got better.
And yet Andy had still been there. Even after the kiss last night that was sweet and awkward, even after that when he said he would be gone by the time she woke up, he was still here.
"Did you want to go home with me?"
Andy didn't respond — at least not with words — but his reaction gave Sydney his answer.
She needed to be closer to him. Perhaps it was because she had been so emotionally beat down that she had to cling on to something happy, or maybe she was just desperate for some human contact. Or really, if she was being honest with herself, it was because the man sitting in front of her wanted to be there with her. He was protective because he really believed she wasn't a bad person. He was jealous because he was the one who wanted to go home with her. He wanted to be with her, just like he was with her now. Not permanently, not seriously, but in that moment in that room, someone wanted her.
Sydney couldn't help herself. She reached over and put her hand on his cheek, forcing him to turn and face her, his piercing blue eyes searching her face for some sign. And she definitely gave him one: a small brief smile before she leaned in and kissed him. She was tentative at first, lightly brushing her lips against his, and when he responded, she instinctively decided to stop being so gentle. He quickly followed her lead, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him, his hand running through her hair like it had the night before. She got closer, teasing his lips with the tip of her tongue, causing him to growl in a way that made his chest vibrate underneath her touch.
