Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 30747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Watching Andy play with Joey was a dream come true; I got to witness him diving into his personality for the first time, and I would forever cherish the memory. But I was equally as grateful to have this time alone with him and find out more about my precious mate.
"Are you comfortable?" I asked him once I was buckled in as well.
"Very," he smiled as he stroked the leather seat beneath him. "I love your car."
"Thank you. You know, I've never been one to covet many possessions, but when I saw this car, I had to have it. It's a bit strange; I saw the invention of cars and their evolution over time, and this is the first one that spoke to me."
Andy blinked his wide eyes. "How old are you?" He blinked again. "I'm sorry, that sounded rude. I didn't mean to blurt it out like that."
"No worries," I chuckled. It was definitely different than what he was used to, and I enjoyed his sweet honesty. "I want you to ask me anything. And to answer your question, I am eleven hundred thirty four years old."
"Wow," Andy whispered. "You must have seen some incredible things in your lifetime."
I nodded as I pulled out onto the road. "I've seen some incredibly wonderful things, but also the worst of humanity; famine, war, and disease. In my younger years, I saw many people die from human illnesses, and I was plagued with guilt because I wasn't affected by them. So, I decided to dedicate my life to finding cures for those diseases. I studied long and hard, became a doctor, and I work every day for medical advancements."
"Like the blood substitute," Andy concluded.
"Exactly."
I was surprised when he put his hand on my shoulder and told me, "I think you're amazing." And just as quickly, he pulled his hand away and blushed when he said, "Sorry."
I grabbed his hand once more and held it, resting it on my knee. "Duckling, please never apologize for touching me." Andy ducked his head and smiled shyly. "Will you tell me more about yourself?"
He thought for a moment before answering, "I live at the apartments in Highland Park, and, umm…oh! I like to cook."
"I didn't know I was riding with a chef," I teased, and Andy giggled sweetly. "What's your favorite thing to cook?"
"Grilled cheese, but not the boring regular kind. I make them special."
"I won't ask for the chef's secret, but maybe you can make one for me sometime." While I wanted to provide for him, I also wanted to share in his interests and talents, especially anything special to him.
Andy squeezed my hand and replied, "I'd like that."
After a few moments of driving in silence, my curiosity about Andy's sorry got the best of me. "Back at Ian and Joey's place you said that you had to drop out before high school. May I ask why?"
"That's when my mom left."
I was stunned not only by his words, but how calmly he said them. "She left you?"
"And Dalton," he nodded. "When I was growing up, she'd leave for days at a time, but she would always come back…until one day she didn't. I don't know what happened to her, but after a couple of weeks, Dalton and I knew that we were on our own."
"What about your father?"
Andy shrugged. "I never met him. It was just the three of us, and then just my brother and me. He was older, so he got a job to make money, and he put me in charge of the house, because I was used to cooking and cleaning. At first I couldn’t make anything more than ramen noodles or fried bologna, but I tried new things and taught myself over the years.”
“Your mom never cooked?”
He shook his head and answered, “She was very sick with her own demons.” I suddenly understood; I wasn’t ignorant to the drug problem in the city, and it seemed that it had claimed another victim in Andy’s mother. “I really think that she thought leaving was best for us, and maybe it was. She didn’t want to be a mom.”
My heart ached for him; most of his life, he didn’t have a parental presence, and even when he did, it sounded troubled. I hated that he didn’t get to finish out his education. The city was large and had its own problems, and I could see where a child could unfortunately slip through the cracks of the education system.
Andy was forced to be more mature than his years. Maybe that was why he was drawn to the little lifestyle; because he never got to enjoy playing or freedom in his youth. Maybe the craving for a feminine presence was why he preferred certain toys. Whatever the reason, I was there to support him and give him anything he needed. I just needed to know exactly how to do that.