Rose Garden

“And you just said no?” Taylor asked bewildered.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Andrea shrugged as she brushed her long hair.

“How the fuck did you say no?” Taylor shook her head. “Like, what the actual fuck?” She asked the last question to Michael who was lounging next to his girlfriend on Andrea’s bed.

Michael shrugged. “I’m just surprised they didn’t go at it like animals in the park.”

Andrea flung an elastic hair tie at him. “Pardon me, but some of us Canadians have actual manners. We’re not all sex crazed hockey players.”

“Notice how she didn’t deny the fact that Tyler is a sex crazed hockey player,” he pointed out, looking at Taylor.

“He is not!” Andrea protested.

“You still like him!” Taylor shouted. “You’re sticking up for him and shit and oh my God. You…you’re still in love with him! After all this time, you, Andrea Louise Darling, are still madly in love with Tyler-whatever his middle name is-Seguin.”

She couldn’t think of a decent comeback, so instead, she turned back to her mirror, smiling to herself. “Paul. His middle name is Paul.”

Picking up a pair of flip-flops, she turned to her two friends. “You two sex animals can go back to Taylor’s. I’m out of here.”

“Where are you going?” Taylor asked as they followed her down the hall.

Quietly exited the house so as not to disturb her parents who were no doubt eating dinner, Andrea turned around.

“Where do you think?” it was a simple question. One that Taylor would no doubt love answering.

“Tyler’s!” both Michael and Taylor shouted together.

“Get it in, girl!” Michael extended his hand to high five her, but Andrea smacked it away.

“No, you little shit,” Taylor nudged her boyfriend. “Wait, you’re not, right?”

Andrea sighed. “No, I’m not. You think I’d be wearing this if I was?” She gestured to her outfit of denim cut offs, tank top, and messy hair. (Her effort to brush it had ended in failure.) “I gave him the terms for trying a relationship again and he’s running with it.”

“Good for him,” Taylor consented.

And it was. Nearly three weeks ago, Andrea had given Tyler a set of rules and limits. He could see her every day, but she had to offer. They could spend time at each other’s homes, but only for a meal. Public outings together were fine, only if Tyler kept to his personal space.

She knew it was killing him because it wasn’t easy on her either. Every now and again, she would get a little reminder of Biel and would want that sort of thing to happen all over again. And of course, there were his constant hints.

Every day, sometimes multiple times a day, Tyler would make some effort to ask her to be his girlfriend. Sometimes, it was a text or even something as bold as a tweet about her, her handle mentioned in it. Other times, he would just flat out ask. And each day, it was the same answer.

No, she wasn’t ready.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Tyler never missed a chance to ask. Sometimes, while sitting on the couch or out and around town, they would instinctively lean into each other. He would turn his head, bending to her ear and say a few words, always ending in ‘Take me back?’.

Her answer hadn’t changed in almost 21 days, but that was okay. Tyler was grateful for the second chance at love with Andrea. And if it meant he had to work for it this time, that was okay too.

That night, they were seated on the back porch, drinking beers, talking. To any outsider that didn’t know who they were, they would look like old friends just catching up. Certainly not a couple, as they sat in separate chairs a few feet apart. Rosie and Marshall would go from frolicking in the night air to resting at their feet.

“She’s yours, you know,” Tyler said softly.

Andrea cocked her head to the side. “What?”

“Rosie,” he gestured to the younger dog. “She’s yours.”

“I-I don’t think so, Ty,” Andrea shook her head.

Tyler’s ears perked up. She had said Ty. His nickname. For the first time since that awful night so long ago when they had succeeded in breaking each other’s hearts.

“Why not?” he asked. “She’s the dog we always talked about.”

“That’s sweet,” she sighed. “But not necessary. She’s your dog.”

“But she could be yours too,” Tyler insisted. “Think about it, A.” He leaned forward, towards her. “We could have all the good stuff we talked about. The house here in Toronto, I could move out of this place and you could get away from your parents. And we could travel together on your tour bus, like we always said. Just think about it.”

“It’s a nice sentiment, I guess,” Andrea shrugged. “But unrealistic now.”

“How is it unrealistic?” he asked.

“You spend at least 6 months out of the year in Boston and I’m either in New York or traveling. A house would be a waste of money,” she bargained.

“No different than this place is for me,” Tyler pointed out. “And so what? You could move to Boston with me.”

“I have a career in New York, remember? It’s kind of the reason we broke up.”

Ouch.

“Can’t we let the past be the past?” he sighed, ruffling his hair.

“It’s hard when it’s the reason you are where you are today,” Andrea said, being both philosophical and a smart-ass.

“I have to leave for Boston tomorrow afternoon,” Tyler said. “I’ll be gone a few days, just for some PR stuff. If you want, you could always-,” Andrea cut him off.

“I’m not going with you, Tyler,” she smiled knowingly. “But I’ll take care of Marshall and Rosie while you’re gone.” It was a peace offering, maybe even a middle ground. “But you’ve got to make me one promise.”

“More promises?” Tyler joked. “Damn, I’m already following all your rules, aren’t I?” But he saw Andrea wasn’t fooling around, so he quickly became serious.

“Stop posting all that stuff on Twitter about me, okay? My PR team is going bezerk about it and I’m getting badgered 24/7,” she sighed. “It’ll make both our lives easier.”

“Yeah,” Tyler nodded. “Okay.”

For a few minutes, they sat in comfortable silence, just thinking. Tyler was a little offended that she didn’t want him tweeting about her. It wasn’t like it was anything bad that could get her into trouble with the media, but he supposed that she had a different image for herself than he did. People knew Tyler was a party-boy sometimes, but Andrea Darling certainly was not.

“I should get going,” she stood up, stretching. “It’s getting late.”

“You want me to drive you?” he asked hopefully.

She smiled. “I’m good, thanks. It’s not a far walk.” Even though her mouth said one thing, her mind was saying another.

‘No, I don’t want you to take me home! I want you to keep me here!’

But there was no way she would say that out loud.

Reaching under the door mat, Tyler handed Andrea a spare key.

“Don’t bother giving it back,” he said. “You’re welcome anytime.”

“Like I didn’t know that,” Andrea laughed. “Thanks, Tyler. For dinner and the key.”

On a burst of courage, Tyler opened his arms, fully expecting her to turn away. But this time, Andrea stepped into them slowly. Wrapping her arms around his torso, they breathed in each other’s scents.

“Be safe while you’re in Boston,” she advised. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

As she began walking away, Tyler watched her retreating figure.

“Hey, A!” he called out into the night.

She turned around, squinting through the darkness. “Yeah?”

“When I get back, can I take you on a real date?” He was hopeful, probably too hopeful.

Andrea smiled. “Not a chance, Ty!”

He had been expecting that. “You let me know when.”

Tyler wasn’t expecting a dinner date anytime soon.