Andley One-shot

It had been three weeks. I still hadn't got over the fact that he'd cheated and left me for that bitch. I slowly got up and walked over to my mirror. I looked like your typical teenage girl who had just gone through a breakup, even though I'm a 20 year old guy. I was in my Hello Kitty pyjamas, the ones that he bought me on our 1 year anniversary. I remember opening them in a crowded restaurant and squealing in delight. He had shown just as much happiness when he opened his Batman pyjamas. That was four years ago today. I had asked him what he'd wanted for our anniversary this year, but he said to not get anything too expensive. I now saw why. I felt so stupid; I had actually gone and bought a ring! I was going to propose to him today! A fresh wave of tears fell down my face as I remembered what had happened.

<Flashback>

I was getting worried. Andy should have been back hours ago. He'd only gone to see his parents for a few hours. I would have gone with him but I had work and his dad didn't really like me. I had a reputation before I was with him, and Andy's dad didn't want his son dating a 'sex addict'. In truth, I got drunk at a party and banged a few chicks. Then I got a bad name and things went downhill. Then I met Andy, the funniest, sweetest, cutest guy in the world. When I was with him I would constantly stutter and I was so shy. We were really good friends and then I built up the courage to ask him out. Ever since then we've been happy.  Sure Andy sometimes seems distant and he seems to be visiting his parents more often. I hope nothings troubling him. I looked at the clock, it read 10:36. I decided to go to bed. I knew he'd be back by the time I woke up.

~~9 hours later~~

I woke up alone. By this point I was getting seriously worried. What if something had happened? Horrible thoughts swirled around my head as I got up and headed to the kitchen for some water.  As I walked through the door I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. I turned around to see Andy sat on our couch with his suit case by his feet. Before I could question him about where he had been or why he had his bags he spoke.

"Ashley, it's over. I've been with Juliet for a while now and she's just better than you.  You can keep our flat, I'm moving in with Juliet now." His words were alien to me. He hadn't even seen Juliet after they broke up! Then it clicked. He'd been seeing her when he told me he was at his parents' house. I felt so stupid!  I tried to hold back the tears as I spoke to him.

"But Andy, I love you! How could you do this to me!" my voice broke as I spoke, and I couldn't help but let one silent tear roll down my cheek.

"Because I love her! Get that through your thick skull Ashley! You're just a pathetic guy who looks and acts like a girl! I'll never love you!" he shouted at me. I broke down into a mass of sobs as his last words echoed through my head 'I'll never love you!'

"Get out now! I never want to see you again!" I screamed at him. Without another word he took his bags, threw his keys on the floor and walked out the door. After he had gone I fell to the floor in floods of tears.

<End of flashback>

I went to the bathroom and dried my eyes. I looked at myself in the mirror again. I was a wreck; my life meant nothing without him. I didn't need to live. He didn't love me, he never had. I opened my bathroom cabinet and searched around before I found what I was look for. Sleeping pills. I smiled and then reached for the bottle. Another tear rolled down my cheek as I noticed that his aftershave was still there. I closed the door quickly and ran to our room. My room. Oh it didn't matter anymore. I reached under the bed and found half a bottle of Jack Daniels and the ring. I opened the bottle of sleeping pills and shook them out into my hand. There was eight left. I shoved them in my mouth and gulped the Jack down. My throat burned as I stumbled towards the bed fell onto it. I clutched the ring box in my hand and then the world went black.

~~3 days later~~

I could hear a faint a beeping noise. Why was there beeping? And why did I feel numb? My thoughts were interrupted when I heard someone crying. And not crying like they'd hurt themselves, crying like all that was dear to them had been taken away. I wanted to comfort this person, but my eyes refused to open and my arms wouldn't move. Why couldn't I move? And then I got it. I wasn't dead. I was in hospital. I might have groaned if my brain would let me. Then I heard what I assumed was a nurse checking my heart monitor and tapping what I'm sure was an IV tube. The nurse paused a moment before she spoke.  

"Sir, I think you should go home. It's been three day and the chances of Mr Purdy ever waking up are very slim." she said in a sympathetic tone. The cry stopped at the person stood up.

"I will not leave him. Can't you see that I'm way past the point of ever leaving his side? This is all my fault, as I'm sure the other nurses will have told you. He is my life. You want me to leave, you can go to hell." the person said angrily. His voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite tell because his voice sounded hoarse, as if he'd been crying for a long time.  The nurse sighed and then walked away. The man sat down and gently held my hand in his. His hands were cold, like he'd been outside for a long time. He started rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.

"Oh Ashley, why did I do this? Why did I let my dad tell me to leave you? To lie to you and tell you I was happy with someone else? If I had only stayed with you, then none of this would have happened. I know you probably can't hear me, but I love you. I always have and I always will. Please wake up baby. Wake up for you Outcast." And then I realised who it was. Andy, the only person in the world that mattered to me. I tried as hard as I could to show him I was awake. I managed to squeeze his hand a little. He gasped and gripped my hand tightly.

"Ashley baby? Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me. Please wake up." his voice sounded desperate. I tried as hard as I could and I managed to squeeze his hand again, this time a little harder. I started to feel my fingers and toes. I wiggled them as the feeling came back to my body. I grabbed his hand with more force and held on. After a short moment I could open my eyes. The room was bright; all I could see was the white walls and ceiling. Then my eyes focused on Andy, he stood out from the all white with his black hair and clothes. His eyes had fresh tears in them, and he was gripping my hand as if it was keeping him alive.

"Oh Ashley, I'm so sorry. I know you probably hate me. But please let me explain first." he said, the tears falling silently down his cheeks. I looked at him for a moment before I spoke.

"Andy, I could never hate you. Don't you see that? I did what I did because I love you, but you didn't love me. My life felt empty without you, so I tried to end it." I silent tear rolled down my cheek. We stared into each other's eyes for a long time while he decided what to say.

"You shouldn't love me. After everything I've done, I don't deserve your love. My dad told me that he would disown me if I carried on seeing you. My mom tried to defend me but he hit her and told her to stay out of it. Every time I went to see them my mom would have a new bruise. Once she even had burn marks. My dad was forcing me to end things with you by abusing my mom and threatening to disown me. He told me to lie to you and say that I was back with Juliet. It got so bad that my mom had to go to hospital and say she fell down the stairs and broke her leg when really my dad pushed her. I tried to reason with him but he wouldn't have it. So I lied to you, to save my mom. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I was scared for her. Scared that if I let this go on any longer, my dad may have killed her. I'm sorry, but my moms the only person that has ever accepted me for who I am. I didn't want to see her hurt, but I didn't want to hurt you. After I left I drove to a motel and cried for days. I didn't eat, I barely slept and I remembered all the things we had done. Like the time we went to the beach and you got a crab in your shirt. Like the time at the fair when you wanted to go on the big rollercoaster and you screamed all the way through it. Like the time in that crowded restaurant when we both opened our pyjamas and squealed like teenage girls. All the great memories we shared. I missed you so much that I went back to our flat. I knocked but you didn't answer. I went inside and found you layed on the bed with an empty bottle of sleeping pills on by your side and a whiskey bottle in your hand. I dialled 911 and stood by your side until they got there. They put you on a stretcher and wheeled you to the ambulance. A few minutes after we had set off a medical assistant gave me something that was in your hand. I opened that box, and if the questions still open, my answer is yes." he smiled as he put the ring on his ring finger. I was full on crying now. I felt whole again, like Andy had given me a missing piece I had been searching for. I leaned over to kiss him but stopped because the stupid IV was ruining the moment by preventing me from reaching him. He leaned in and kissed me with such passion that I melted. It was like our first kiss all over again. My heart monitor was beeping embarrassingly fast but he didn't notice. We broke apart for a breath and he pulled me into his chest.

"Looks like I've gotta buy a suit." I joked as he rested his head on mine. I never wanted this moment to end, but the stupid nurse came back in because my heart rate had been going up and down. I let her check all my tubes and monitors while Andy held my hand. After the nurse had left I fell asleep in Andy's arms.

~~3 months later~~

"Do you Ashley Purdy take Andrew Dennis Biersack to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do"

"And do you Andrew Dennis Biersack take Ashley Purdy to be your lawful wedded partner?"

"I do"

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."

We shared a love filled kiss as the church erupted with cheers and applause. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Andy's mom crying and clapping. She was a lot better now, Andy's dad was in jail for abuse and she said she was so much better for it. At the after party me and Andy had danced and laughed all night. We were together forever, and that's all that matter to us.

THE END