Andy's Nightmare

20. First Argument

Linc came to the hotel to pick Andy up to take her to his house for dinner.

He lived in a gray brick and wood one-story house. And she was surprised that when she walked inside that it was immaculate. She could smell dinner that he had already started cooking before coming to pick her up. He made a pot roast with potatoes, carrots and baby onions, which was roasting in the oven when they got there. And she noticed that the table was already set with two place settings.

"Oh my goodness, Linc!" She started. "Dinner smells heavenly. Can I help you with anything?"

"I wanted everything to be perfect for tonight. But it's been a while since I've used this kitchen, so I'm not sure how it will actually taste." Linc laughed. "I just want you to sit and relax for now. Maybe you can help with the dishes later." He said with a wink.

Andy laughed and said that she would be happy to help with the dishes since he took the time to cook for them.

They talked and laughed throughout the meal and everything was perfect until they were cleaning up at the end of the meal. He asked what made her decide to stay in town.

"I came here to meet with prospective parents interested in adopting the baby." Andy started and told him about her time with Kim and Kyle over the weekend. She told him that they had agreed they would be adopting the baby. He listened attentively to everything that she had to say.

“How does the father feel?” he asked. “Is he. . .”

“He’s not important,” Andy interrupted more hastily than she meant to. “He doesn’t have any rights to this baby or anything I decide for it.”

“How does he not have any rights? He was important enough to sleep with and end up pregnant from, but you don’t think he has a right to know?” he started. “If I were going to be a father I know I’d want and expect to know. In fact, I'd prefer being given the chance to raise my own child instead of having it being raised by strangers.”

“But you’re not,” she answered, a little too fast again. “You don’t know the situation. I didn’t want this baby.” She dried her hands and started to pace, wishing he would offer to take her home now. “I didn’t even find out about the baby until it was too late. I’m not keeping it.” She started to tear up, but turned to hide from him and hugged herself. “I hate the father and never want to see or hear from him ever again. He isn’t the kind of man I would even think of choosing to be the father of my child.”

Unconsciously, she looked down at her arm where there was still some light scarring from the attack. Scars that not many people noticed. She remembered where they came from, and this pregnancy was also a constant reminder. Linc saw where her eyes had drifted and saw some minor scarring on her arm that he’d thought could have been childhood scars. His voice softened when he asked, “Did he cause those?”

Andy just looked away, she couldn’t bear to answer his questions even though Linc’s mood softened when he asked that question, and he genuinely seemed to care.

She thought for a moment then decided she didn’t think he was ready for the truth. She’d only known him for a short time and wasn’t sure how he’d react. “I’d rather not talk about them. Or the father.” she started. “Can you please just take me home? I’m suddenly not in the mood for company right now after all.”

Linc grabbed his keys from the counter, and he drover her back to the hotel. They didn't talk during the drive back to the hotel. And Andy was wondering if she should open up and tell Linc what had happened since he seemed to have the wrong impression of her all of a sudden. In the strained silence, Andy felt tears well up in her eyes, but she fought them back. She didn’t want Linc to see how hurt she was at the memory.

This was the first time since she met him that she hadn’t felt completely at ease. But it wasn't him that she was uneasy with, it was the conversation. She knew it would have to be discussed.

When they got back to the hotel, he tried to apologize to her in the car and reached out to hold her hand. But she pulled away from him, lost in her own thoughts. He got out to come around to open her door before walking her into the hotel.

He could see that she was visibly upset and put his arm around her in an effort to comfort her, but she pulled away from him, although she wanted to be in his arms. She wanted his shoulder to cry on. That brief contact felt good, but she also didn’t want to give in to it until they talked.

Once again, he offered to walk her to her door, seeing how shaken she was after their argument at his place. She could sense that he felt guilty for what he had said to her, but she also knew that he probably would not have said some of the things if he knew the whole truth regarding her pregnancy. She didn’t argue this time when he offered to walk her to her door.

Even though she told him at his place that she was no longer in a mood for company, she didn’t want to let him leave yet.

He walked her to her door without talking. He moved to kiss her goodnight at her door like he had the past couple of nights when he dropped her off, but she turned to talk to him instead.

“I’m sorry for my abrupt change in mood.” Andy started, tears still starting to spill from her eyes and her voice shaky. “It’s not something I normally do, but would you like to come in and talk some more? I'll explain the situation. ”

He seemed surprised by her invitation, and followed her into the small suite.

She was thankful now that she had a suite that had a couch.

He sat on the couch, and she asked him if he wanted some water. Knowing that she was in a hotel, she didn’t have anything else to offer him to drink. She got water for both of them and sat down next to him.

He put his arm around her gently and pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder and he held her like that until she sat up.

She finally calmed down enough to talk. She didn’t really give much thought before she started.

“This is something that I don’t like to talk about much, but I was r***d. That is why the father doesn’t have any rights to the baby and has no say about the adoption. The scars which you asked about are from his attack.” She started crying again as she repeated her story and he reached out to hold her hands. "Back in January, I had gotten home from a long day at the grocery store. Opened my apartment door and was pushed inside by someone behind me." She started between the tears. "He shut my door and I tried to get away. But he grabbed me and hit me across the face a few times."

Andy paused when she heard Linc gasp in shock before going on. "I tried to fight him off, with every ounce of strength I had in me. I got away briefly and threw a lamp at him. But it didn't stop his assault. He caught me again and cut me with the broken glass and a knife from my kitchen until I passed out. Then he r***d me."

Linc had been sitting there listening to her, holding her hands, but reached out to hold her close to his chest as she started crying uncontrollably.

"My neighbors were woke up by the commotion and knew that I was normally a quiet neighbor that they never had issues with. I would go to work, come home and maybe watch a little tv, eat and sleep. They knew something was wrong and called the police. The i***t was still in my apartment when they arrived, even though he had knocked me unconcious. He was going through my apartment to try and rob me after he r***d me."

Andy was crying on Linc's shoulder as he held her tightly against him, trying to comfort her. "I was a virgin before this happened." she whispered.