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Jude walked a few steps away and then turned back. “You’re just going to let him marry into your family?”
“Short of murder, there’s not a lot I can do.” Charlie sighed. “This isn’t really about him, though. It’s about the three of you. You’ve been her world forever. Andrew was a piece of shit and I think deep down she knew it. That shit with him broke her for a while, but if she lost the three of you? I don’t know how she’d come out the other side.”
“There is no other side for me.” Sam looked at me and Jude. “I don’t think there is for them, either. I’ve loved Poppy for almost two-thirds of my life, Charlie. I’m not letting her go.”
My chest tightened, the same fear creeping up that I always felt while thinking about commitment. It came with the territory of having a mother who walked out on you as a kid.
Jude looked like he was feeling as terrified as I was. “I’ve never considered a life without Poppy. I’ve never considered what that means, either, though.”
I nodded. “Without Poppy, life is colorless and dull. The whole time she was gone, I looked for her. Every time a door opened, I looked up to see if it was her. I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life not knowing that she was going to walk through the door in a few minutes. It’d be pointless.”
Sam didn’t bother looking at us as he spoke about us. “I know them better than I know my own family. They’re both in love with her. They probably have been for just as long as me, but they were just too stupid to know it. They’re still clinging to the comfort that comes with not loving someone. There’s a lot of fear that comes with giving someone the power to crush you. But Poppy already has that. She could crush all of us in a second, with one look. She somehow, without trying, has the three of us living like sister wives. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”
Charlie laughed out loud while also managing to look like he felt sorry for us at the same time. “Only Poppy.”
Jude put his hand to his forehead. “I think I need to sit down.”
47
***Poppy***
Bogiebarkedupatme while I got his dinner ready. It jarred me from the daze I was in and I hurried to finish mixing in his fish oil before dropping his bowl in front of him.
“There. Don’t yell at me again. It’s rude.” I went back to staring off into space while he gobbled his food down. I was worried about what my brothers were saying or doing to my best friends. I couldn’t even imagine.
The sound of the front door opening rang out and I winced. I knew that the guys were going to lecture me about not locking my door. I’d had a lot on my mind. It wasn’t my fault. Even if they were going to lecture me, I didn’t care. I tried not to run as I went to the living room to see them, praying there were no black eyes or bloody noses.
I stopped short when I saw Andrew standing just inside my front door, looking around. My stomach dropped and I grabbed the closest thing to me, which ended up being Bogie’s fetch stick. “What the hell are you doing?”
Andrew flinched as he looked up at me. “Jesus! You scared the hell out of me.”
I waved the fetch stick at him. “What are you doing in my house?! Why did you just let yourself in? Why are you here?”
He adjusted his stance into something more relaxed and looked me over. “You look good, Poppy. Sorry to just barge in like this, but I remember you never locked the door and wanted to see if things had changed. Looks like nothing has.”
“A lot of shit has changed! Including the fact that you’re no longer welcome in my house! Andrew, you need to leave. This is insane.” I pointed at the door. “Go.”
He held out his hands and inched closer. “I’m sorry I scared you, Poppy. I should’ve knocked. For a moment, it just felt like old times. You never learned to lock your door. You always were so open and trusting.”
Tension rolled over me. “Yeah, well, that only applies to my front door now, Andrew.”
“Why, Poppy? I always loved how sweet you were. You would’ve followed me to the moon with stars in your eyes.” He ran his hands through his hair and looked up at me through his lashes. “Are you really seeing someone else? No one in your family thought you were.”
I ground my teeth together. “It’s none of your business, Andrew. I want you out.”
“I was thinking about what that asshole said to me on the phone when I called. He was right about me regretting letting you go.”
I held up both hands and shook my head. “Nope. Stop it. Whatever you’re doing, I want none of it.”
“Sorry, Poppy, but you’re going to hear me. I do miss you. Do you remember the first time you told me you loved me?” Rushing to close the gap between us, he grabbed my upper arms and stared deep into my eyes. “Do you remember? Because I do.”
My stomach twisted painfully and I wanted to vomit. Of course I remembered. It was one of my worst memories.
“I wasn’t ready for what you were willing to give me then. I was wrong for that. I want that again. I want that young girl looking at me with stars in her eyes.” He tugged me into his chest and leaned his face into mine. “I want your love again, Poppy.”
I turned my face to the side just before his mouth landed on mine. The feeling of his lips on my cheek and ear made my skin crawl and I used all my strength to shove him away. He stumbled back and I rubbed my face to get the feeling off. “What the fuck, Andrew?!”
He frowned at me. “What? Come on, Poppy. This new thing can’t be serious.”
