| |
FLAMES ATE UP HIS SIDES. No wait, pain burned up his side. He’d been burned and it seared in a different way. Josh had said something about staying quiet. Stay quiet and they’d be back for him. Andy couldn’t remember who “they” were.
Rachel. She had to be worried sick about him. The kids. He cracked his eyes open to find scant light filtering through leaves enveloping him in his hiding spot.
Josh. How had his best friend found him? He’d said something about Rachel sending him. And Cole. Andy’s oldest son had been there, but where had they gone and what had Rachel thought about seeing Josh again. Did she remember him?
What the hell was Andy thinking? Of course Rachel remembered him. Josh had almost been the choice she’d made. Andy had been certain she’d already chosen and he’d lied. Like a dog. Convinced Rachel Josh had impregnated a girl in his econ class. She’d bought it. Married Andy. But their first year had been rough. Andy had cut Josh from his public life, keeping him a secret. He’d never come clean to his friend or his wife. Why should he?
When Josh had convinced Andy to buy the land, Andy had honestly thought there was no way his family would ever need to use it. He’d made it a hobby, inventing ways to get off the grid. Enthusiasm for conspiracies had overtaken Josh and his excitement had been contagious. But Andy had returned somewhat to reality when he’d gone home to his family.
If Andy had actually considered any of it a real and direct possibility, he wouldn’t have put his wife in the same path as her “long lost” possibility. Or better yet, he would have come clean to the two of them, purged his lies, and let the chips fall where they may.
Then Rachel had pulled back from him and the kids after her return from Rhode Island. Andy spent more time with Josh and consoled himself with the possibility she wouldn’t care one way or the other. He’d avoided telling either of them. It wasn’t immediate.
Andy couldn’t risk losing Rachel. He needed her. But at the same time, he needed Josh. Halves of himself shared with two important people who might actually prefer each other over him.
Crap. And Rachel had believed him to be dead. How fast had she turned to Josh? How fast had Josh gotten into Andy’s spot? Damn it. Wait, that wasn’t fair. Or was it? The pain scratched his state of mind.
Andy lifted his head, leaves rustling with each movement. Had Josh and Cole covered him with fresh plants and abandoned him? Time blurred, marked by the throbbing in his side and the fog in his head. He relaxed back on the ground. Focus. Don’t think about Rachel, and Josh consoling her. Or their children.
Josh had said they’d be back for him. He’d be back. Andy may have dropped the ball being a friend, but Josh had never let him down. He wouldn’t this time, either.
Grinding his teeth together, Andy muffled his groan. His side hurt, but what the hell, the guilt hurt worse.