Chapter 16 Do Not Disturb
Pete froze.
His shoulders shrank inward. His lips parted slightly, then closed again. He swallowed hard, eyes darting down to his hands, fingers twisting together as he went silent.
Amelia shifted beside him immediately, her body angling toward Pete. Her hand moved instinctively, hovering near his knee but not touching.
“Babe, calm down,” she said softly, her voice smooth, coaxing.
Andrew scoffed, rolling his shoulders back against the seat.
“I am calm,” he snapped. Then his eyes flicked briefly to Pete before hardening again. “He just talks too much. He could clearly see I was trying to read something on my phone, and he kept asking all those damn fucking questions.”
Amelia turned fully toward Pete now. She bent slightly, lowering herself to his eye level, her lips curving into a gentle smile.
“Daddy’s busy right now,” she said in a light, soothing tone. “If you want to talk, you can talk to me, okay?”
Pete hesitated, then nodded.
“Okay,” he whispered.
Silence settled back into the car. The road noise hummed. Andrew’s phone screen lit up again as he resumed scrolling, his leg bouncing faintly.
Minutes passed.
Pete shifted in his seat, fingers fidgeting. He glanced at Amelia, then slowly turned toward Andrew again.
“Dad…”
Andrew sighed through his nose but looked up.
“Yes?” he said, adjusting himself against the seat.
“Can I ask you something,” Pete said quietly, “and you won’t be mad?”
Andrew paused. His phone lowered slightly.
“Of course, honey,” he said, forcing a softer tone as he dropped the phone onto his lap. “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier.”
Pete nodded, his eyes lifting but stopping short of full eye contact.
“Okay…”
He hesitated, staring at Andrew’s chin, his mouth opening and closing without sound.
Andrew tilted his head slightly.
“What’s wrong, bud?”
Pete swallowed again.
“I— you promise you won’t be mad?”
“I promise,” Andrew said instantly.
Pete took a breath.
“Aunt Amelia called you ‘babe’ earlier,” he said slowly. “I thought that was what you and Mom only shared together.”
Andrew’s lips twitched. Then he smiled.
He turned his head toward Amelia, holding her gaze. Amelia’s lips parted slightly, her eyes flickering with something unreadable.
“She did?” Andrew said lightly.
“Yes,” Pete replied. “She did.”
Andrew looked back at Pete, his voice calm, measured.
“We’re adults,” he said. “And we can choose whoever we want to share things with. It’s alright. Aunt Amelia can call me babe… and you’ll probably hear me call her babe too.”
Pete’s brows furrowed deeper.
Andrew paused, then continued, his eyes drifting back to Amelia as he spoke.
“Aunt Amelia isn’t really your aunt, like I told you earlier. She’s not related to you in any way. She’s my girlfriend.”
Amelia didn’t look away.
“So you’ll definitely hear us calling each other babe,” Andrew added, “and other pet names.”
Pete blinked.
“What about Mom?” he asked, his voice small, confused.
Andrew answered quickly.
“Your mom knows,” he said. “And she’s fine with it. She understands.”
Pete stared at him.
“You can ask me anything, bud,” Andrew added. “Do you hear me?”
Pete nodded slowly.
“Okay, Dad.”
“Do you have any other questions?” Andrew asked.
Pete shook his head.
“No.”
Andrew picked up his phone again, his attention snapping right back to the screen. His face hardened instantly, the softness evaporating.
Silence returned.
The car rolled on.
A few minutes later, Andrew’s phone buzzed sharply in his hand.
He glanced at the screen and hissed under his breath.
“What is it this time?”
He answered immediately, his voice flipping into false warmth.
“Hey!”
“Hey,” Maggie’s voice came through the speaker. “I’ve been trying to reach you since yesterday. It kept going to voicemail.”
“I was busy,” Andrew replied flatly. “I needed to attend to something important.”
“For a whole day?” Maggie asked.
“Yes. For a whole day,” Andrew answered without hesitation.
“I’m even busy right now,” he continued. “So can you please be quick with whatever you have to say?”
There was a brief pause.
“I was calling because today is the day I’ll be discharged,” Maggie said.
Andrew straightened.
“Today?” he asked sharply.
“Yes,” Maggie replied softly. “Today.”
“Alright,” Andrew said. “I’ll make arrangements for someone to come pick you up and drop you home.”
“Arrangements?” Maggie asked, startled. “You’re not coming to pick me up?”
“I can’t,” Andrew said. “I’m out of the country.”
“But—”
Andrew ended the call.
The screen went dark.
Amelia leaned slightly toward him, lowering her voice.
“Was that…?” she asked.
“Yes,” Andrew replied.
“What did she want?”
“She wants me to come pick her up.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her I was out of the country and I'll have someone would pick her up and drop her home.”
Amelia nodded slowly.
“Good.”
The car continued forward.
Andrew’s phone buzzed again.
Then again.
He stared at the screen, jaw tight, then flicked a setting on.
“Do Not Disturb.”
The phone fell silent.
He leaned back, eyes forward, expression unreadable as the road stretched ahead.