The Broken One ✔

Chapter 23

"Then I jumped over the dock completely naked" she laughed.

Andi and I sat at a booth over two hours later, just enjoying each other's company. She was one of the few people I had met whose crazy stories matched mine.

I shook my head "I can beat that" I challenged "I once flashed a cop at a house party"

That story was true. The two male cops just exchanged amused looks then proceeded with wrapping up the wild party.

"Yeah mine still wins" she smirked proudly.

I genuinely enjoyed that night with Andi. It made me think that maybe it couldn't have all been possible if Sarah hadn't fine-tuned me.

Later on, I realized that Andi and I bonded over how screwed up we are, which was something Sarah had nothing to do with.

"Can I just say" I started "this is the best first date ever"

"This is not a date" she rolled her eyes, still maintaining a smile. "On a date, people always lie to try to impress the other person, I feel like I'm on a fucking job interview, you know?"

"That's true" I agreed as sipping my beer.

"I think people should do the opposite" she admitted.

I learnt later that this wasn't a sudden thought or an epiphany. In fact, this was something that Andi had thought about a lot.

"What do you mean?" I raised my brows.

She licked her lips nervously, acting as though she were about to bare her soul to me, or perhaps it was just embarrassment that she was manifesting.

"I think on a date you should sit down and say, hey let's get all the bullshit out of the way and instead of giving each other all the reasons why to give me a second a date, give each other all the reasons why you shouldn't" she explained "that way there are no games, you present them with your flaws and then they decide if they can look past them" Andi then drank her scotch.

Deception had always been a big part of my life. I constantly had to hide the bruises that my dad would give me and well, I guess that I had to hide a lot of my life in general, to be honest. When I started hooking up with randoms, deception was my greatest tool.

"That sounds....insane" my eyes widened before grinning "Let's try it"

"Really?" She raised a brow in surprise.

On dates, no one is as they seem. They only display their greatest selves, so this was something that I was interested in.

"Yeah" I smiled, "You said this isn't a date so what's the big deal?"

"Okay" she nodded hesitantly "You shouldn't give me a second date because....I'm a hot mess... I keep people at armlength because I have crippling trust issues that I probably developed at some point during my parent's ugly divorce....I've had a total of two boyfriends, both I left of course...I can tell you with absolute certainty that I will get bored and leave you too....because that's what my dad did to me....and when I'm feeling angry at the world I solve my problems at the bottom of a bottle which I've been told is an inherited trait from my screwed up parents"

I comprehended everything that she had said. The only thing that bothered me was the part where she spoke about her tendency to leave people, because as we have already established, I had a fear of abandonment.

And then it was my turn.

"You shouldn't give me a second date because...I'm damaged beyond repair" I shrugged "my mum walked out when I was four, I was beaten by my dad most of the time and so I'm still dealing with those repercussions...oh and speaking of trauma my sister died in high school....I'm the biggest fuck boy you'll ever meet, I have had zero girlfriends because I'm too fucked up to maintain any relationship and when I'm feeling really really shitty, I'll hit up my local bar and or strip club"

Andi paused for a moment. I had no idea how she would respond to my confessions.

"...Your dad beat you?" She rested her head on her hand.

That was the only thing that stood out to Andi. Nothing else I stated worried her in any way - to my surprise.

I nodded "It started when I was like ten...maybe eleven" I admitted "it was a classic case of an angry cop who took it out on his family...or maybe I just reminded him too much of my mum"

"Yeah, I feel that" she half smiled "I get shit every day for being too much like him...I could never do what he did though"

Smiling is one of Andi's coping mechanisms. She does it when she is upset, scared, uncomfortable, angry sometimes. Rarely when she's actually happy. Andi actually cries when she's happy and laughs uncontrollably.

"Which was?" I asked.

"Leave my family high and dry" she admitted. "He and my mum got into a fight one night and he just never came back...I see him once, maybe twice a year....but I could never do it...I won't ever get married unless I knew with one hundred per cent certainty that it will last"

Unfortunately for Andi, what she said was impossible.

"Same here" I agreed "my mum just walked out while I was sleeping....never heard from her again"

It seemed that the perfect stranger and I had a lot more in common then I originally anticipated.

"To being abandoned" she raised her glass.

I followed her actions "to being abandoned"

Andi and I locked eyes. She could see all my anger and resentment, and I could clearly see her fear and pain.

At that moment we both stood up from the booth. I took a step towards Andi slowly, maintaining her gaze. I wrapped my arms swiftly around her waist, and she placed her arms over my shoulders.

That's when our lips met. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

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Hi guys,

I hope you all are enjoying this story so far. I'm very curious about who you guys ship with Ned, if anyone at all. So please let me know :)

I have attached a song to this chapter, which I think depicts the previous and future chapters very well, so please check it out and tell me what you think.

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Happy reading!