A/N: Also, if anyone reading loves the character Brooke Okun from the Orphan series, let me know. My girlfriend is writing a fic about her and she's going to put it on her website soon so if you want to be notified when she puts it on the site, please leave it in your review or e-mail with this subject line : Brooke Okun Story.
Chapter 21: Call For Help
I began to truly hate Foxworth Hall once I was enveloped in solitude again. Annie was gone, Melodie was gone. It was me and Trevor in that huge house. I sulked most of the time and found I couldn't concentrate on business or anything else. Money wasn't even important to me any more, believe it or not. I just keep seeing Annie's hurt face when she saw me in bed with Melodie, the way she looked in the backseat of the taxi cab. Those visions visited me often in nightmares.
I finally entered the room I had given Annie because I missed her so much that I hoped she had left something that I could use as an excuse to go back to her. I gasped when I saw it on the bed. The painting that she had done of me was lying there. The one that had been at the exhibit. Tears came to my eyes and I held them back, remembering that Foxworth men didn't cry … they just didn't. But I soon felt the tears disobey me as they cascaded down my cheeks.
"Annie," I softly whispered as I picked the painting up. I gazed at it, remembering that day and wishing I could go back to that day again. I finally sighed and took the painting to my bedroom. I hung it up in there and spent a lot of time looking at it. Not because it was of me but because I could see the love in each stroke of paint Annie had used to capture me. She had kissed me before she had sketched me and I could see I was still savoring that kiss ….
Three months passed and I barely recognized myself. I stopped shaving and soon I had a beard. I laid in bed a lot and forgot about my business, my stocks. Jory was disgusted and full of pity when he came to see me. He got on my computer and was shocked to see how I had neglected my money. He did what he could to help. I had lost weight and had to force myself to eat. Jory was surprised that I was so depressed over a woman but didn't say anything.
"Call her," he told me but I shook my head, refusing. He finally threw his hands up and went home, allowing me to wallow in my self-pity and stupidness.
During the middle of the night, I got a phone call. I didn't answer it but it kept ringing, annoying me. I finally groaned and picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" I said, forgetting to add my professional 'Bart Foxworth speaking.' I hadn't had a phone call in a long time ….
"Is this Bart?" I heard and my eyes widened. The voice sounded familiar …
"Yes. Who is this?" I asked curiously.
"Luke." My heart began to pound. Luke? As in, Annie's Luke?
"You're going to go see Annie, NOW. I don't care what you did. She needs you now. She won't pay for this all alone," he said angrily. I shook my head. Was Annie hurting herself?
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Look, just get to Boston as soon as you can. Here, I'll give you her address – go see her. No matter what. If she shuts the door in your face, the spare key is in the flower garden, under a rock beside the pansies. No buts. GO," he demanded. He gave me Annie's address which I hurriedly wrote down before he hung up. I stared at the phone stupidly for a moment. Annie needed me? Why hadn't she called? Was she still so hurt that she couldn't even call me when she needed me? It must be important.
I hurriedly shaved the 3 month's growth of hair on my chin, finding it wasn't easy but I finally had it off. I showered and dressed into a sweater and black pant before I got my wallet and cell phone before I hurried downstairs.
"Bart?" Trevor asked as he came towards me, looking surprised. He had started calling me Bart a while ago and I started to not even mind.
"I can drive myself," I muttered as I got into my red Mercedes, the car I had loved to speed in. I hadn't been in a car for a while but I quickly remembered how to start it and how all the buttons worked. I shot off down the driveway and forced myself to slow down on the highway, not wanting to kill myself.
I thought of going to the airport but dismissed it. I hadn't even brought my passport. I decided to make the long drive to Boston. I was in no mood to deal with the disadvantages of flying today. I couldn't possibly understand why Annie needed me but it must have been important for Luke, who had seemed to hate me, to call me.
When I arrived in Boston, it was late. I went straight to where Annie's apartment was and knocked at the door. I was exhausted but I needed to see Annie first, see if she was okay. The door opened and her eyes widened when she saw me. She wrapped the blanket around her even tighter.
"Bart, Luke was joking, I'm fine," she started and I opened my mouth but stopped when I heard a disgusted snort and saw Luke come up behind her.
"Joking? Come in, Bart. See for yourself," he said. Annie tried to block the door but Luke gently pulled her back. I entered and stared in shock. The place looked terrible, like she had stopped caring what her house looked like. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink and it looked like they had been there for a while.
"I was about to do some house cleaning. I've just been so busy with everything," Annie quickly said, darting her eyes away guiltily.
"She overworks herself and when she is home, she sulks around. Maybe you can get her to eat. There is a pot roast in the oven and potatoes. Enjoy," Luke said, looking at Annie for a moment before he left the house. Annie didn't look at me.
"You haven't been eating?" I asked softly, stepping towards her. She stepped away until her back touched the door.
"I'm FINE, Bart. Go away. Get away from me!" she cried and I shook my head.
"I can't do that Annie …. I've been as bad as you are. I spent half an hour shaving, getting rid of a terrible beard that I let grow out. And I know I need a haircut. I haven't checked on my business or stocks since you left. I barely eat. I don't even exercise," I said, stepping towards her.
"I NEED you in my life, Annie. What happened with Melodie was this. She was jealous of you and so when you weren't in my bed, she pretended to be you. It was dark, I couldn't see and it never crossed my mind that it might not be you. Annie, I would NEVER hurt you on purpose … NEVER," I emphasized. She looked like she believed my explanation but I could see she was trying not to.
"Bart, just go," she said, wrapping the blanket tighter around her.
"Are you cold?" I asked, reaching for the blanket. She shook her head and tried to pull away.
"BART! No, no!" she cried as I pulled the blanket away and I gasped at what I saw. What she had been hiding.