Please Note: This is My OWN Story. I have not based it off of anything any other author has wrote. Though, I may end up adding in certain things.
Phases – Chapter one.
She lay with her feet pressed firmly to the opposite side of the bathtub as she pulled her body into an upright position. A strange pang of pain ran through her lower back as she made a face, nose scrunching just at the bridge. Everything seemed so complicated these last two weeks. Not only had she been taking extensive trainings at the local gym, for four hours a day, every day, but she had also endured doubling her classes at her college. When she finally brought her eyes to look at the messed bathroom, it bothered her.
Never had AnnaLynn liked a mess. That was one of the few things that drove her crazy, in a home, that is. Messy things. Just as she made her way out of the tub, she heard the phone ring.
With a muttered, "Shit!" She hurried from her bathroom to the living room, tripping over three pieces of furniture on the way; she actually managed to catch grasp on her phone. Though, of course, just as it stopped ringing. Just her luck. Having been expecting his call, she immediately checked her caller I.D., only to find it was her father, again. When would this end? When I forgave him? She questioned this in her mind as she watched a simple Blue-Bird outside the window, on her main terrace.
••• Andrew Danvers, Father. That was his title. Though he was only a young man of twenty-one years old when AnnaLynn was born, he is now forty-two. Living without Family, Friends, and even Alex, his own wife. To him, nothing was more important than his life-long addiction: Work.
He never had laid eyes on AnnaLynn until three years ago, her eighteenth year, he had attempted to tell her who he was, yet, he had failed at a miserable attempt. After a year passed between his trying to tell her, he gave it another shot. Talking to her. Actually having to talk to her was going to be hard. Going to her law practice in Savannah, Georgia, was idiotic. About time he arrived there he realized that. Though, he figured, what the hell, right? Even though he felt like an incompetent idiot, he pushed his way through to her office.
Knowing nothing of her, he could only hope she would be forgiving to him. For everything he had done, though, as he entered into her office he realized just how much she had changed. Feeling like a fool to his mind, he thought to himself, 'My Lord, she is her mother's twin…' With this, he sighed while he glanced at her. She turned to him, with an expression that showed a far beyond tired AnnaLynn. The look on her face was enough to tell him not to show his true identity.
Pitching out in a mellow tone, Andrew spoke, "Hello, are you AnnaLynn Danvers?"
"Yes, that's me…and you are? …" Letting her voice trail allowed him to see the curiosity in her own voice as she showed a defined smirk on her lips. Aimlessly wandering about the room, he noticed several photos of family, perhaps? Almost allowing himself to ask the question of who they were, he caught himself. Pausing, he realized she had answered his question. Fitting a gaze on her he grinned, holding a hand to her.
"Andrew…Andrew Grander! Uh... Assistant District attorney. Washington D.C. It's a pleasure to meet you."
With these words he offered her a hand, making it a point to sound convincing though AnnaLynn wasn't entirely believing him. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she shook her head to him. This was one thing AnnaLynn was good at, judging if someone was being honest, or not. He wasn't, she could tell. The look in her eyes showed it, and that was his cue to split.
His hand immediately pulling back from her arm span, he shook his head. Speaking with a clear voice, "Look, I shouldn't have come here. I am greatly sorry."
The look on her face was a mix between confusion and recognition. Why would she recognize him though? This question lingered in the traces of his mind as he made his way for her door.
Her words stopping him, "You aren't who you say. I know you, Andrew Keith Danvers?" Her voice questioning as her face went an unwanted shade of pale. Though, he wanted to tell her 'yes, I am you father', but he couldn't, there was something in his mind that was stopping him. Telling him no. Making him feel like a bigger idiot than he had when he pulled up in front of this building, this would forever be remembered in both their minds. Yet, all he bared to do was shake his head to her soft spoken words.
Great! He knew his daughter for a total of twenty-minutes and had already managed to lie to her. Not such a hot start. He knew, even though he refused to admit it, that she knew the truth. That she had been told about him by her mother. Hell, maybe she even remembered him? Shaking his head and bringing his eyes to meet hers once more he turned, leaving. This was it.
His words slowly fell from his tongue with a cracking noise, "I'm sorry, I made such a horrible judgment call."
As he made his way to his car he began muttering the name he had come up with on the top of his head, 'Andrew Grander'. What an arrogant ass he had become, especially to his only daughter. Just hear the hurt in her voice made him think about all the stupid things he had caused to happen in both her and her mother's life. Sitting in the safety of his car, had lead him to his own thoughts/. His eyes closing with the memories replaying in his mind, every little detail of what exactly was so damned important to miss his daughter's childhood. •••
Tapping her fingers along the key-pad of her phone as she watched the sky's colors change from a rose petal red to a deep navy blue, hours had passed. Still, no phone call. With an exasperated sigh she shook her head. Ash-blonde locks of hair dusting her shoulders just as her back pressed into the cushion of her favorite black satin chair. Muscles aching from every which direction and serious pain, her head still seemed to pound with everything that she did. Why did everything have to happen all at once? Sometimes AnnaLynn wished she had never left her true place of home. Lookout Mountain, just outside of Trenton, Georgia, having lived there from the time she was eighteen, that was the year that changed her life. For the better? She feared she could never be sure.
AnnaLynn grew up on 95 WestCrow Road, just at the end. A little white house, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, she supposed that was a typical small family home? When she was only five years old, she met a boy that went to the local school with her, John. John Bentley lived with his parents; Mary Elizabeth Bentley and Joshua Jackson Bentley. Growing up around such loving people, AnnaLynn was always sweet natured, and good-willed. All through-out their years of schooling (K-12th grades.), John and AnnaLynn were always close friends. Nothing could have brought them apart, although many tried, none had succeeded.
While the years pulled them closer to one another, something else started between them, something that was more than a regular friendship. John had laid alone in the middle of Samsons Lake as he replayed the small, yet so perfect kiss they had shared. Both their first. Everything had been right; he had asked her to dance earlier that week at the ice-rink. Not the best idea, he would admit, though, it was fun. When she came close, clearly showing him she liked the idea, she took grasp of his button-down shirt, pulling him close as her boy-friend; Jexton, watched from the sides. Her ruby red lipstick stained lips sparkled as the disco ball shined on then from above, john's eyes practically remained glued to her as her breathed out a chuckle. Relief.
It's a new song as AnnaLynn pulled in close to John, her gaze falling along his, her lips curving into a smile with a soft laugh. Her arms hooked just to his neck as they circled the rink. Before John had time to speak, she had lifted her lips to meet his, pressing just perfectly along his as her eyes fell closed. The kiss so soft, yet firm, his eyes had fallen shut in the same moment as he grinned. Just as she felt his grin she smiled, lifting her right hand over his left shoulder, overturning her hand and flipping the bird to Jexton as she laughed. John already knew what she was doing.
Though, that was her way of showing John just how her ways were, he had already known. He loved her sweet-talking along with that perfect balance of bad-assiness. From the moment he had felt her lips to his, he knew, he couldn't afford to lose her. With a mere contented sigh, they fell into a soft sync with each song that echoed through the walls of the old rink. Even as people were watching them with marveling eyes, they stayed in the moment. Keeping their minds on nothing more than one another, that was the way to do things. For them, anyways, it was.
It felt like it had been years that they were moving in time with each other, though they were purely happy years. Just as AnnaLynn rested her chin along the blade of his well-toned shoulder she began to think about him. He was always more a family man than anything. Not everyone thought he was he did always seem a bit…rough around the edges. He had always been taught, by Joshua, to keep his composure 'correct', no matter what happened. That was the only thing he kept the same all these years, aside of AnnaLynn.
His father had cracked down hard with John since his beginning year of High-school. There wasn't a girl in the school, or town that would pass up an opportunity to watch John work down at the old Sawmill. Everyone had taken quite a notice in his 'Sculpture' as AnnaLynn had put it. Though, he drove the girls crazy with his devilish good looks, he always had AnnaLynn with his words filled of pure wisdom. Well, as much wisdom as anyone could have…at the age of twenty.
John had suffered the pain of losing his younger sister, twelve, last year. She was hung just outside the distance of West Roams woods. The detectives with the local police department had found her on October 30th, the night before Halloween. Coincidence? Though the police had called their parent's phones, no one had answered, and the only one home when they called was John.
About an hour after AnnaLynn had been drove home by John, she received a phone-call. Crying? Was that crying? Sitting on her day-bed in her rather large room, she could finally make out the rough sounding words, "Sister…Alee…help!"
Realizing who it was, she quickly picked up her bag, stuffing in a few shirts along with shorts; she let John know she was on her way. There was absolutely no way she was going to leave him alone. No sure of what had happened, her heart raced in worry for him. For his sister, Alee had become close to her last summer, and was now a good friend. Just as her eyes narrowed, she pulled up to John's house, the premise covered with blue and red flashing lights, her eyes began to water. This couldn't be good. The police chief nodded to her, allowing her to gain access into the house, finding a weathered John laying on his bed, crying. He was clearly upset over what had happened, whatever that may be. With a shake to her head, AnnaLynn crawled onto the bed, refusing to allow John to speak. She knew if she did let him ramble on, that it would only cause torment in his mind.
Seeing Through a New Lens – Chapter Two
Two days had passed since the horrific scene of Alee's murder. Everyone on town had been practically on edge every waking moment any of the Bentley's was around. John having been put into a basic depression, he was struggling with all of this. Today was her funeral, and something was off, but what? The look on John's face showed pain, though he had his mind stuck on whom could have done this. He had been probably doing more than the police. Writing all day and night at his desk, John had accumulated nearly forty-five pages of notes on her. On everyone who knew her. Determined was an understatement for John Adam Bentley at this point, he barely had gotten any sleep, and that worried AnnaLynn most.
Having to watch him in agony of the mind for two days, she hoped that the funeral would ease his mind. Maybe the police would come up with at least a suspect? Though she was doubtful of this, AnnaLynn kept hope. She did know though, that if they didn't he would. John was never one to let something go when it was something close to him. As she crawled to the edge of his bed, she reached over taking grasp of his shoulders. Feeling of the tense muscles of his shoulders as she slowly worked her fingers in the muscles pressure-points. He smiled as he let his head roll back on his shoulders, puckering his lips out to her as if to ask for a kiss. With a laugh AnnaLynn leaned forward, over him, setting a deep yet tender kiss along his soft lips. Knowing that helped him a little, she didn't mind, plus, it was also her pleasure to kiss him. That always gave her a sense of knowing that he was only hers.
Just as AnnaLynn had pried John from his pen and pad Mary knocked on the wood of his door. Her voice calling out, "The funeral is in less than two hours."
Her voice shaking with a clear tone as AnnaLynn looked to John; he shook his head in dismissal. She couldn't blame him for not wanting to address the situation as she wouldn't have either. With few movements she brought out a pale green shirt along with some nice khaki pants for John to wear. Though he hadn't asked her to, he smiled at her efforts, knowing that it had helped him. Maybe not in a major way, but helping him in any way was all she was asking to do at this point. With a soft gaze on John, Mary stepped from the room, nodding AnnaLynn to the bathroom just as she backed out. AnnaLynn's voice perched out in a light tone, "Thank you, Mary. I really appreciate all you have done for me. You and John both."
The nod from Mary was enough as AnnaLynn quickly moved to the bathroom, looking over the pale pink dress she had laid out for her, she nodded. She hated the color pink, but this was her daughter's funeral. AnnaLynn was not about to say a word. Only minutes had passed before AnnaLynn had swiftly changed from beneath her old blue-jeans and tank-top to her dress. As she returned to John he gave her a smile. Though he meant it to soothe her, it didn't, it only made her that much more wary of all of this.