Chapter 11 Exes and Oh No's
The rush of adrenaline from the wreck wore off quickly, and Andrea found herself fighting a yawn.
“Am I boring you?” Case teased, flashing her that crooked grin. “We should be to your hometown in less than an hour. The roads are getting better now that the sun is shining.”
“You’re not boring me,” she said with a giggle. “I’m just worn out from the accident.”
“You seemed to sleep pretty well last night.”
Andrea raised an eyebrow and looked at him. He didn’t pull his eyes away from the road, but she thought she saw a hint of a smile. Did he know what she’d done? That she’d woken up on his chest “Did you sleep well?” she asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.
“I did. It’s been a while since I shared a bed with someone, but you don’t snore, so that’s good.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I can’t imagine any of your dainty ex-girlfriends snore.”
Case chuckled. “I won’t say which ones.”
“More than one?” She suddenly wanted to know if Sarah Lockton snored but wouldn’t dare ask.
“Anyway....”
“You’re changing the subject.”
“Maybe.”
“You brought it up,” she reminded him.
“I’m sorry I did.” He looked out the side window, but he was grinning.
“I hate snoring. You don’t snore either, by the way.”
“Good to know. I take it that some of your ex-boyfriends have snored?”
Now, she felt the pink creep into her cheeks. “I’m not saying that.”
“Uh huh. I can’t imagine the handsome and debonair Leo Esposito snores.”
“Oh, now who is naming names?” Andrea jabbed him playfully in the side, but she was annoyed. Her break up with Leo had been a few years earlier, and it had not been pretty.
“Sorry—I’m just saying. He doesn’t look like a snorer.”
“Does Sarah Lockton snore?”
Case’s face went pale, the smile gone, and Andrea wished she hadn’t mentioned Sarah’s name. She was only joking and hadn’t expected that reaction, but she felt bad. Still, why could he tease her but couldn’t take it?
After a moment, Case said, “We probably shouldn’t talk about her. I know the two of you don’t get along.”
“That’s an understatement.” Andrea turned to face forward, folding her arms. She didn’t want to talk about Sarah either. He probably knew some of the things Sarah had done to her, but likely not the most heinous of her acts. Andrea didn't want to think about it. Or her.
Despite his comment, Case said, “I think... what happened was a misunderstanding. Sarah’s not as bad as you think. She has some good qualities. And she had a rough childhood.”
Andrea was starting to feel offended. She decided to point out some of the smaller offenses. “Do you know that she told the press I had ogre feet? That my breath smells like old cheese?”
He swallowed a laugh, which just made her more angry. “I’m not sure I heard those particular comments.”
“Sarah hates me. She’s tried to keep me from getting important roles. She's stolen more from me than you could know." Andrea stopped talking. She didn't want to get into all of that. "I know about tough childhoods, believe me.”
“I wasn’t implying you didn’t, Andrea. I’m sorry. I was just saying... Sarah keeps a lot of those things to herself, so you might not know. She seems so put together on the outside, but she isn’t always.”
She stared at him for a second, wondering if he still had feelings for her. It was Andrea’s understanding that he had broken up with Sarah, though no one knew why. “You’re right. We shouldn’t talk about her.”
“I’m sorry.”
Andrea shrugged. There was nothing else to say. A distance settled between them, and she didn’t like it. There had to be something she could say to make it feel warm and cozy again. Just as she was struggling to come up with something, her phone dinged.
The message was from her mom. “Oh, no. Grandpa is having a complication from the surgery!” She closed her eyes, fighting tears. She thought he was out of the woods.
“We are almost to town,” Case assured her, but he sped up. “What is it?”
“She didn’t say. Only that the doctors were in with him now, trying to decide if he needs another operation.”
“Don’t worry, Andrea. He’ll be okay.” Case rested his hand on her knee, and Andrea put her hand on top of it, hoping he was right.
In front of her, she saw the familiar buildings on the outskirts of Elkhart Lake and began to give Case directions to the hospital since his phone had her home address. He wasn’t driving like a race car driver, but he was going faster than normal. Soon enough, he pulled into a spot near the hospital entrance. Andrea grabbed her wallet and her phone and ran for the door, Case alongside her, thankful there was no paparazzi to get in their way or take their photo. She had to get to Grandpa before something terrible happened. She prayed she wasn’t too late.
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