CHAPTER 2: Crawling back to you
It'd been a week since the fire at Southfork, the situation between her and Bobby was almost fixed even if she couldn't kiss him in the same way she was always used to. She was still loving Bobby but her feelings weren't the same anymore. She was feeling something for Harris, she didn't know exactly how to call it: attraction, desire, passion or just confusion. That kiss brought up a lot of question in her mind. She needed to find some answers and maybe that's why she was in the elevator of Ryland transport. Her bones was trembling at the thought of seeing Harris, she didn't know what to expect from him. That was the only solution she had come up with as she would have never be able to ignore whatever she was feeling for him. Sooner or later she would have to face him, so it was better if she would be alone, especially without Bobby. The elevator stopped at the requested floor, she walked out as the door opened. Johanna, Harris' secretary, was walking over her, with her coat and handbag in her hands.
'Mrs. Ewing. Are-are you here to see Mr. Ryland?' asked her with a surprised tone. Everybody knew that she had shot him, that's why it was a surprise to see her in the offices of Ryland Transport. Ann smiled at her.
'Yes. Is Harris in his office?' asked her hoping he was.
'Yes, he is. I'll announce you right away, Mrs. Ewing' she turned to go to her desk.
'Don't worry, Johanna, I'll do that' said her with a friendly tone. The secretary smiled and thanked her before to walk in the elevator. Ann started to walk on the hall of the Ryland Transport thinking of what to say to him. She was in front of his office and slightly opened the door. She could hear him talking at the phone about some deals. She had a moment of hesitation before to open the door and walk in. She took few steps trying to not make a lot of noises. Harris was too focused on that conversation that he didn't noticed that she was in his office. She stared at him for few seconds feeling her heart beating faster. 'H-Harris..' said her trying to have his attention and she got it. He rose his head immediately stopped talking as he saw her and a spontaneous smile appeared on his lips. She could see the surprise in his eyes. He shook his head and turned back to his phone.
'Yes.. yes, I'm here. Listen John, can I call you back later? I have to go now' started him moving his hand on the phone 'Sure. Thank you!'. He picked down the phone and stood up, starting to walk over her. 'Annie.. what are you doing here?'. She hesitated for a second before to take few steps over him and put her coat and handbag on the chair at her right.
'I.. I need to talk you..' started her keeping distances between her and him as he laid to his desk '.. did you really mean you said that night?' asked her standing his look.
'Yes, I meant every single word I said'. That wasn't helpful to her, she went there to clean up her mind, not to get more confusion. He took few steps towards her but she just stayed there, not a step back, not a step forward. 'You changed my life, Annie and I hate my mother for whatever she has done to you during all these years. I believed to all her lies and never gave you a chance to really be happy' started him lowering his head. She was shocked at his sweetness, she had been used to it during the early months of their relationship, but now? After all the pain she had been through because of him, he's been so caring about her lately. *Why?* asked to herself, even if she thought she already knew the answer.
'I was happy, Harris. You made me feel worthy of love and attentions. Do you remember the first time we met? We were in a bar, I just had a fight with my mother and I was trying to forget everything drinking. Then you arrived and sat in front of me without asking anything..' started her remembering everything of that day. She couldn't help but smile.
'You were there, all by your own. I had to meet you, no matter it would take. When I sat in front of you and our eyes met, it was like a lighting in a sunny day. I.. I just fell in love' said him getting closer. All those memories was getting her even more confused.
'Then we went out and had a walk in the park in front of the bar. You suddenly touched my hand making me turning around to look at you before you pulled me close and made me fall back slightly. We stared at each other for a while..' every single move was so clear in her mind.
'I lost myself in those green eyes' finished him making her blush. She lowered her head, hiding a little but spontaneous smile. He took few steps towards her again until he was in front of her. 'Annie.. maybe what happened that night it's just a mistake for you but for me? It means a lot' whispered him. She slowly rose her head to look at him.
'I..I can't help but thinking of it, over and over' she watched straight in his eyes. She didn't know why she confessed it to him but it was the truth. He rose his hand and caressed her cheek, without taking his eyes off her. He got closer to kiss her but she stepped back. 'No.. it's.. it's wrong, Harris' said her turning away from him. She started to walk but he grabbed her hand making her stop just few steps away. She didn't know what to do. Love Bobby wasn't enough anymore. She wanted something more. She wanted someone else. She turned to him fast and pressed her lips against as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He was surprised at first but he kissed her back as he held her hips and pulled her closer. That kiss was different from the last one, she wanted it. She needed it. She felt a thrill tracing her spine as their tongues started to explore each other moving as one. She could feel her lips burning for the desire. It's been a while since the last time Bobby had kissed her in that way, a kiss full of passion and craving. She had missed it so much and now Harris was giving her exactly what she needed. Something was changing inside her, she started to want more from him, so she moved her hand on his shirt, caressing his chest. She started to unbuttoning his black shirt slowly but he suddenly broke the kiss and put his hands on her shoulders to move her back. She watched at him surprised. 'I.. I thought you wanted it too' started her hardly 'I'm so.. ridiculous!'. She took few steps back letting his hands falling down her shoulders.
'Annie, wait! I want it, I really do. I want you back in my life, a fresh start but..' started him getting closer '..not like this!'
'What-what you mean?' asked her trying to understand what he was saying. He wanted her, she was sure about it. *So why he stopped it?* wondered her.
'You're still married to Bobby and we both know that you're gonna regret what happened as soon as you walk out of this office' he was watching straight in her eyes. She couldn't stand his look so she lowered his head knowing he was telling the truth. No matter how many problems there were between her and Bobby, she was still loving him and she didn't want to hurt him. She couldn't do that to him, she wasn't a cheater. 'I've waited twenty years to have the chance to kiss you again. I don't want you to regret it just because it happened. I.. I still..' started him before she interrupted him.
'Harris, don't!' said her raising her head. 'Don't say it.. please'. She was aware of his feelings but if he had finished that sentence, it would have been too hard for her deny it. He slowly moved his hand towards hers and held it.
'I don't need to, Annie. We both know what's happening between us. You just have to admit it to yourself' whispered him before to get closer with his face. She thought he was about to kiss her but he gently and softly kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes at that sweet and honest gesture. He moved his face few inches away before to whisper to her ear 'Don't fight it, darlin''.
After a busy day at work, Harris was finally walking in the driveway to go home. He had had meetings to attend to and deals to close all day but his permanent thought was about Ann. That impulsive gesture of her wrapping her arms around his neck was still shocking him, but that kiss had been heavenly. Their tongues had never forgotten how to move as one, making each other trembling for the passion. Twenty years had vanished in a second. He had thought he was dreaming when she had started to caress his chest, unbuttoning his shirt. *She really would have gone so far that afternoon?* wondered him. He had wanted her, he would have grabbed her hips and taken her in his arms to make her sit on his desk. His whole body had desired her like never before. The flame was still burning inside him, it had never been extinguished. He could still feel the goosebumps all over his spine but he had stopped the kiss before it would be too late. No matter how badly they both wanted it, he had realized how wrong it was. He had felt so stupid interrupting it because it was everything he ever wanted. He always had wanted a second chance with her but not in those conditions. She was hurt and he knew it but he didn't want to be just a revenge, a sex revenge, for her. All he had wanted to tell her was the he was still in love with her, always have and that he was there for her if she would have ever left Bobby, but he somehow he knew she would have never left him. He was regretting every single thing he had done to hurt her, especially manipulating her the way Judith always had manipulated him. Bobby had brought happiness and hope in her life. She deserved that.
He walked into the house, hoping his mother wasn't there to bother him again. He started to believe that her obsession to hurt Ann would never end. *What she would do if she ever finds out about them kissing?* wondered him, thinking of the worst. He shouted the main door behind him and walked straight upstairs in his study. He was trying to avoid her as much as he could lately, her present always irritated him. Harris reached his desk and poured himself a glass of whiskey. Sitting on his chair he let the whiskey burning up right down his throat, but neither the bitter taste of it could take away the sweet taste of Ann's lips. He slowly traced his mouth with his tongue remembering her lips pressed on his just few hours before. That sweet scenes in his mind was ruined by the sound of his mother's steps, walking over his study. *Somehow she always finds a way to ruin a good moment* thought him snorting and turning over the door. Just few steps later, she appeared at the edge of his study, smirking she walked in with her irritating crutch. She stood right in front of his desk without saying anything.
'What do you want, mother?' his tone was full of irritation. He couldn't stand her anymore. She just grinned at him.
'I want facts.. son!' said her with a provocative tone. He wouldn't let her piss him off about John Ross again, so he took another sip of whiskey and ignored her. There was a moment of silence between them before she took a deep breath and started talking ' As I thought, you are not doing anything to stop John Ross or to bring Emma back..' He was working on something to stop that little Ewing but he would have never done anything to hurt Ann again by taking away Emma. '..well, you're gonna regret it, Harris!' said her starting to turn around.
'What are you talking about?' asked him knowing his mother was capable of anything if she wanted to hurt someone. She stopped at halfway, laughing. He knew that something was wrong.
'Apparently I have your attention now' she turned back to him. He stood up, right in front of them, only his desk was separating them. He was watching straight in her eyes, waiting for answers. 'I just thought you needed a little encouragement to do what I asked you to' said her standing his look.
'What did you do?' immediately asked him. He hated her when she took pauses before to reply to his questions. She always acted like that when she was hiding something.
'I saw you kissing Ann last week..' started her with a pissed tone '..you'll never learn the lesson will you, Harris? You're just like your father!'. He was shocked hearing those words. *How the hell did she find out about that kiss?* wondered him. Then immediately gave to himself the answer: she was at home. He remembered that she had been at home that night, she hadn't showed up while he was talking with Ann in the living room, but he had no idea she had seen what happened. 'You're so stupid that you still love her!'.
'You don't even know what love is!' said him hoping it would have shouted her up but anyway he was getting nervous. He needed to know what his mother had done to 'encourage' him.
'Don't do that, Harris. I won't let you judge me or shamelessly compare me to that worthless woman like you did while ago..' said her getting mad. That afternoon, after Emma has walked away, he had found enough strength to face her confessing, once and for all, his real feelings for Ann. *I loved her because she wasn't you!* remembered him to had said before he threw her against the wall. She never forgave him for that. They stared at each other for few seconds before she turned away and started to walk away without giving him any answer. She was really pissing him off, so he reached her and grabber her arm and roughly made her turn around.
'What did you do?' his tone was full of anger now.
'She's just a distraction to you, always been and always will. So maybe if she's no longer around, you'll put more attention on what really matters, like what I've asked you to do' she pulled back her arm. Those words sounded like an endless echo in his head, trying to find an explanation to them.
'Where is Ann?' he was raising his voice.
'Hopefully far away.. for good. I don't care about what's about to happen to her' said her, proudly smiling at him. Something bad was happening to Ann and he couldn't do anything until Judith would tell him what was her plan to hurt her. He wouldn't let her doing anything to cause Ann more pain, so he rose his hand roughly put it around her neck, closing the grip more and more. That smile vanished from her face, now she was terrified. The crutch fell at the ground as Judith tried in vain to move away his hand with both hers hands. 'Harris.. I.. can't breathe' said her hardly.
'Tell me where she is.. NOW!' said him watching straight in her eyes, without loosen the grip. He couldn't control himself, he needed to know what was happening to Ann.
'She.. won't come..' started her before Harris tightened his fingers around her neck even more. He could feel her heart beating faster and faster under the palm of his hand.
'WHAT DID YOU DO?!' shouted him only at a few inches away from her. her eyes were full of fear and her breathing was slightly slowing down.
'The-the mexican.. they have her' replied her hardly. Those words shock him in his bones. Harris slowly released her neck, trying to understand what she had done. She coughed few times before to take deep breaths. 'She's out of our lives now, for good this time!' said her proudly ignoring the fact that he could still grabbed her neck again, but he didn't.
'You asked them to take her away just because you thought she was a distraction to me?' asked him rhetorically as he already knew the answer. The cartel had already threatened to kill both Ann and Emma if they didn't get what they wanted. He was trying to not make any bad move to protect them but Judith ruined everything. Ann was in danger because of her, but even more because of him since they would ask him anything to not hurt her.
'Wasn't she? She only brought problems to our family but she won't anymore'.
'YOU are the problem for this family!' shouted him, trying to control himself to not kill her with his hands. He couldn't stay in that room one more second, he needed to go and find Ann before it would be too late. He walked over her reaching the door. She followed him leaving the crutch at the ground.
'I can't believe you're really going to save her'. He kept walking, ignoring her. The only thing that he was thinking about was Ann. 'There's nothing you can do to save her now!' said her with a funny tone walking downstairs, helping herself with the handrail of the stairs to not fall.
'You have no idea of what you have done!' he didn't even turn around, he just kept walking over the main door.
'I did it for you, Harris' she was trying to find an excuse for what she had done. He was literally ignoring her as he knew she had never done anything for him, it was always for her purposes. 'Don't you dare walking away from your mother!' shouted her putting her hand on his shoulder to stop him. She finally realized that he would always put Ann first. He roughly turned to her and pushed away her hand.
'You're not my mother, not anymore! I want you out of my life!' said him watching straight in her eyes before to turn around and slammed the door in front of her. He walked fast to his car, he had to find Ann.
Ann was alone in the stables, putting in order all the equipment she had used that afternoon. After she had left Harris' office she had gone for a ride. She couldn't see Bobby in the same way lately, especially after what happened that day with Harris. She had been so close to make love with him in that office. *What's happening to her?* wondered her walking in the stables. She couldn't explain what had pushed her so far, she had wanted him, she had desired his body around hers so badly. When she had put her hand on his chest she had felt his heart beating fast, he had wanted it too. But he had stopped her and he was right, she would have probably regretted it but she hadn't seen it in that way, not when their tongues where moving like never before. She bit her lip thinking of what it could have happened between them. She turned to the house, seeing that the lights in the living room were on and she felt ashamed for what was happening inside her. *That's not fair* thought her about Bobby, she didn't want to hurt the man who brought happiness in her life after all that had happened in the past with Harris. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud noise behind her back. She immediately turned around to see if someone was there but she didn't see anyone. She let it go thinking that maybe it was just a horse that kicked against the stables. She took the saddle that she had used and brought it in the storage room. Leaving it on the table she heard another noise from outside. She was getting scared and her shotgun was too far to reach it. 'Bobby? Is that you?' asked her. No answer. She decided that it was better to go back home where she could feel safe. She locked the took behind her and she jumped when her phone started to ring in her pocket, breaking the silence. She took a deep breath before to take it, she was trembling. 'Harris?' said her picking up.
'Annie?! Where are you?' asked him with a worried tone. She could feel that something was wrong.
'What- What happened?' she didn't reply to him, it didn't matter that.
'Lock yourself in the house. You're in danger!' said him raising his voice. She frozen at those words. She slowly turned to run at home but someone, a man, was in front of her, staring at her in the darkness.
'Harris!' her voice was full of panic. She took few steps back to walk away from that man but she hit something, so she turned and saw another man. 'Oh my God.. Harris!' shouted her. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't escape from them. She didn't notice that the man behind her reached her until he grabbed her. 'NO! Let me go!' shouted her trying to escape from his grip. Her phone fell at the ground. The man covered her mouth with an handkerchief. She held her breath as much as she could but she couldn't fight for too long especially because she couldn't move. The other man started to walk toward her. She started to feel powerless against them. She slowly started to lose control of her own body, her eye were closing because of the chloroform, no matter how hard she was trying to stay awake. One of the men took her cell from the ground. The last thing she saw was Harris yelling her name before he closed the call. Then the darkness.
Harris was driving as fast he could to reach Southfork. What his mother had told him was true, she really had asked to the cartel to kidnap Ann to keep her away from him. If anything happened to Ann, he would have never forgiven it to himself. The sound of her voice screaming his name was stuck in his head, he had felt all her fear in his bones. He was blaming himself for everything that was happening to her. He arrived at Southfork only after someone had taken her, he was starting to thinking of the worst. He left the car in the driveway and jumped off it to go straight to the house. He went to the sliding door and opened it fast. Bobby was in the living room and he immediately turned to him when he heard all those noises.
'What the hell are you doing here, Ryland?' asked him surprised but pissed by his present.
'Where is Ann?' asked him louder than he meant. Watching around he noticed that she wasn't there. Bobby walked over him and when they met each other's glance he realized that something was wrong.
'What happened?'.
'WHERE IS SHE?!' shouted him, without replying to his question. There wasn't time for any explanation, he needed to find Ann.
'She-she is in the stables' said Bobby hardly. Harris took two seconds to understand what he just said before to turn around and run out of the house. Bobby followed him running behind him straight to the stables. Harris was clinging to the last hope to find her there but he knew he was wrong. *It's too late* thought him remembering again her screaming his voice. They both walked in the stables to call her name out loud, in vain. Harris knew she wasn't there. 'Annie?' shouted Bobby looking for her everywhere.
'She's not here. It's too late' said him getting mad with himself. Bobby stated to walk over him, he could see how scared and upset he was. He grabbed his shirt to pull him closer, ready to punch him. Harris didn't fight back because he thought he deserved it.
'What happened to her?' shouted him at few inches away from him. 'Where is Ann?'.
'The men of the cartel took her..' started him trying to push away all the bad things they could do to her '..because of me!'.
'You son of a bitch!'. Harris couldn't agree more at those words. Bobby rose his hand and punched him so hard that he almost lost the control of his body. He brought his hand to his lips, it was bleeding. 'What the hell did you do?'.
'My mother asked them to kidnap her to keep her away from me. I tried to warn Ann but it was too late' said him with a broken voice.
'To keep her away from you? W-why? She's my wife now, your mother keeps messing with her life! How could she think she was a threat for you or for her?' asked him surprised and trying to pick up all the pieces.
'Ann and I.. we kissed last week' he was ready to be punched once more. 'Actually I kissed her, she broke it and walked away. It was all my fault but Judith will always blame her for everything'. He could see the shock and the anger growing inside him, Bobby could have just beat him to death and he wouldn't fight back either one time.
'How could you dare kiss my wife? You just brought troubles and darkness in her life. When you will ever realize that you're the cause of all her failings?!' said Bobby raising his voice and pushing him back by pressing his hands on his chest.
'I've made so many mistakes in the past. I've hurt Ann in so many ways and she never deserved any pain..' started him thinking of every single time she had suffered cause of him, '.. but this? My mother did this to hurt me because she will never accept the fact that I love Ann more than her, I always will'. The anger to his mother started to grow inside him. For a moment he didn't say anything, thinking of how close he had got to kill her less than an hour before. 'Kiss Ann was a mistake and if she's been kidnapped it's because of me. I will do anything to save her and my mother will pain for it!' said him with a serious tone.
'I warned you to stay away from her, that day in your office when you sent her that note. But you just kept messing with her and making her suffer only to get what you wanted' stared Bobby taking few steps towards him, the he rose his hand pointing his finger against him 'If anything.. anything will happen to Ann, I swear, I will kill both you and your mother with my own hands, Ryland!'. Bobby watched straight in his eyes without failing, he really had meant it. He turned around and walked away leaving Harris alone in the stables. He took a deep breath before to turn and punch a wooden door. He couldn't control the anger inside him but punch a door wouldn't be useful to save Ann. He took a look at his hand, it was turning to a vivid red but he didn't care about the pain because save Ann was the only thing that really mattered.
