breath. “I have to just clear my head, okay, sweetheart? I just ... I just wanna go to bed.”
Everything had happened so quickly and the ease in which he went from hot to freezing was startling. I stood on shaky legs as a flood of tears sprung to my eyes. He noticed and the cold demeanor was stripped away, revealing his compassion underneath.
“Andy,” he said, coming to me as the tears began to fall.
I slumped against his chest and laid my hands against the defined structure of his sternum. “You're mad at me. I don't want you to be mad at me. Was it the blowjob? I can do better, I swear I'll do—”
“Stop, no,” he said, running his fingers through my hair. “It's not that. It's not even you. I swear, I'm just too fuckin' distracted tonight.”
I nodded against him and said, “Yeah, okay, yeah. I understand, baby. Um, maybe ... maybe we should go out to my parents' house? You know, go swimming and hang out, just to relax and get a, uh, a grip on things. You know? What do you think, baby? Do you want to do that?”
I hadn't seen my parents since the wedding. And although I knew they weren't thrilled with my decision to marry Vinnie, they were still my parents and, up until just a few months ago, I'd been with them constantly. I missed them and I hoped he'd agree to see them with me.
His sigh was heavy with guilt. “I can't. I need to step up my game at the pizza place. Jenna's getting suspicious and she'd only have more fuel for the fire if I took off. But you should go, sweetheart. Get the hell away from here for a while. It'll do you good.”
“Being away from you could never be good,” I said, holding on tightly to the fabric of his shirt.
“Well, I guess you don't know until you really try,” he replied in jest, as my heart ached at the possibility of what was to come.
***
“Anybody home?” I called into the house, closing the front door behind me.
It was strange, as I stepped into the living room and surveyed my childhood home. I remembered sitting on that couch, watching Saturday morning cartoons, while waiting for my dad to cook breakfast. I remembered birthday parties and running through the house with the few friends I'd made. I remembered hide and seek, Easter egg hunts, and sparkling Christmas trees. Then, I remembered the dreams I had once, of growing up and getting married, of everything little Andrea Bennett wanted for her adult life.
She had never wanted this.
I was still that girl, the last time I had set foot in this house. But everything was different now, and I no longer felt that I belonged here. It no longer felt like mine.
But that was my father, coming down the stairs and that was my mother, walking into the living room from the kitchen. They both smiled like they recognized me. Like I was still the daughter they knew.
“Hey, honey pie!” Dad exclaimed, approaching with wide-spread arms and a grin. “We weren't expecting you today.”
“Yeah, I thought I'd surprise you guys,” I said, relaxing into his hug.
“Where's Vinnie?” Mom asked, eyeing me warily over Dad's shoulder.
“Working.”
“Everything okay?”
Dad released me but kept his arm around my shoulders, as I replied, “Yeah, everything's fine.” She let out a short contemplative sound and I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Seriously, Mom. We're good.”
“Have you been getting enough sleep?”
I nodded, forcing a smile. “Oh, yeah.”
She stepped toward me, reaching out, to lay her hand against my cheek. “You have such dark circles under your eyes,” she commented softly, brushing the pad of her thumb over the top of my cheek in a gentle, caring embrace.
I fought the ache of emotion as I turned from her touch. “Mom, I'm fine,” I insisted, faking a laugh. “Stop worrying so much!”
“I'm your mother,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I'd be worrying even if there wasn't a reason to.”
“There isn't a reason to,” I muttered, slipping out from under my father's arm to head for the stairs.
Then, as I made my way upstairs, I heard her mumbled reply, “You'll have to work harder than that to convince me.”
***
My disdain toward the ghosts had only increased since discovering I could turn them off while under the influence. They were more of a nuisance now—at work, on the train, along the sidewalks, at home, and, apparently, at my parents' house,