CHAPTER THREE
Ethan stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Annie on the fourth step up on the staircase. Her hands were tucked firmly between her legs as her legs were firmly planted on the third step down. Her face was set in a grim unbelieving expression. "How could you have fallen for such a evil person?" She breathed out as she stared into his nonplussed face.
Ethan tucked his hands deep into his blue jeans pockets, "I didn't how far gone she truly was. I didn't know evil her heart was – I still saw her as a little five year old. I was in the same preschool class as she, Addy and Silver were in. Navid was a good playmate for me."
Annie's right eye brow rose high on her forehead, "How could you have fallen for such a evil person?" She repeated in low dark voice.
"She grew close to my brother -" Ethan sighed, "She knew how to calm him down whenever I couldn't control him. It grew from there – I learned about her hardships with her sister; Victoria; I listened and entertained her. It quickly grew from there – we decided that we needed more of a bond than just friendship – we needed to be there for one another – as boyfriend and girlfriend. Obviously as time went by – we slept with one another. We were both our first – it was amazing and epic at the same time. We knew than that our connection ran even deeper than sex – it ran through out our souls."
Annie swallowed deeply around the hard lump in her throat. "You aren't the guy that I met on the beach two summers ago. Were you dating … sorry sleeping with her when I met you?"
"No, I swear to you that we didn't start to sleep together until after that summer. It was three months actually …. " Ethan looked at her with pleading in his eyes.
"So you were just dating than …. you cheated on her with me …. even through we never did anything …. just hung out as friends and flirted …. but still you cheated on Naomi with me." Annie shook her head firmly as she locked eyes with him, Ethan was still standing where he had been when he had first noticed her – half way between the stairs and from the room where their meeting had taken place.
"We had broken up." Ethan said.
"You still had feelings for her." Annie pointed out.
Ethan sighed and nodded.
"That's the same as cheating, at least in my book." Annie breathed out.
Ethan licked his lips. "So what now? So you aren't even going to allow us to have a chance because I'm not perfect as you!" He couldn't keep the anger from his voice.
Annie balanced. Tears fell down her checks and she began to breath heavily …. she couldn't get control of her breathing and she was quickly beginning to hyperventilate, barely hearing Ethan's cry, "Annie, Oh my God Annie, what have I done." She soon felt his arms move protectively tightly around her and her head was against his chest – she could hear his heart beat. She closed her eyes as the tears came.
"It's going to be all right, Annie, I promise you. Everything will be all right." Ethan kept saying over and over again as he just held her tightly into him. He could tell that allow Annie allowed him to comfort her – she didn't trust him enough to receive the comfort.
"What the hell is going on?" Silver barked as she rushed from the hallway that led from the living room too where the stairs were located. She had come by earlier to visit Annie – but the housekeeper told her that Annie and Dixon were busy elsewhere … that she and the entire staff had orders not to disturbed them for any reason what so ever. But the housekeeper told Silver that she could wait till Annie was free. So Silver went into the living room too wait for her friends. Curiously she asked if Mr and Mrs Wilson were with the teens – receiving the answer no – she began to wonder what top secret protect Annie and Dixon were up to.
It had been two hours since arriving at the Wilson's home and being in the cozy but yet overdone living room had suddenly turned lonely. So she decided that she would go upstairs to Annie's bedroom and wait for her best friend there. The room would be empty of course – but the essence of Annie was in there and she knew she would be comfortable and could relax fully. She had walked down the hallway when suddenly tears hit her ears. Those won't any tears either – no that was Annie. Silver's heart broke as she felt the heartbreak in her best friend's tears. What had happened? Who had heart Annie? She began to pick up her pace – she had to get to Annie and found out what was wrong.
What she saw shocked her too the core – Annie was in Ethan's arms on the stairs – her head was against his chest, his arms tightly around her pulling her more closer to him. But Annie's arms were in her lap and she wasn't receiving his attempts of confronting her. She rushed up the stairs and knelt down in front of the couple. "Annie -" she whispered.
Annie's eyes opened and she saw Silver's face in front of her – she jerked her head and body away trying to force Ethan's arms from her body – she had to get to Silver – she had to protect Silver. Ethan's arms loosened and Annie managed to leaned forward and suddenly flung herself at Silver.
If Ethan hadn't acted quickly by wrapping his arms around both girls – than Silver would have fallen backwards onto the ceramic floor with Annie on top of her. As soon as he saw that both girls had a firm seating on the stairs he slowly let go – he moved a few inches away from the two best friends and just watched as Silver comforted Annie.
Silver soon felt wetness glide slowly down her neck – Annie had managed to press her face against her neck – if she didn't get control of Annie soon – she would be taking a teary bath – at least her neck and chest and back would. She held firmly but ever so gently at the same time to the shaking upper half of her best friend – she began to whisper soothing words in Annie's ear; hoping that her friend would get herself back together again.
She wanted to find out what exactly happened to cause Annie to be this way? How was Ethan involved in Annie and Dixon's private independent discussion? Because she was told by the housekeeper that their parents and grandmother were not. She just figured that the adopted siblings were planning a Christmas gift for their parents. But Ethan was included … this didn't make any since. Besides that Annie wouldn't be this upset over a gift.
Annie began to softly whimper and Silver lowered her eyes and saw Annie's brown eyes look up into her own in a gaze. Silver knew that Annie had exhausted her self with her weeping …. "It's going to be all right now, Annie, I'm here."
"S-silver …." Annie breathed.
"Yes, it's me." Silver whispered lowering her head and gently kissing her best friend's forehead. "Are you strong enough to get up – so I can either help you up to your room – or if you would like to the nearest couch."
"You won't ever leave me right?" Annie whimpered holding more tightly to Silver's all ready painful arms.
Silver's blue eyes widen in surprise - "Where did this come from?" She gasped. Due to pain of Annie's gripe on her arms and due to the very unexpected question – but the fear behind it truly surprised her.
"I have too know, Silver – I have to know that you won't leave no matter what I end up doing."
"Of course I'll never leave you, Annie, you are my best friend and always will be." Silver gently brushed a tear from Annie's check before it could roll down the right check.
Annie closed her eyes and leaned back into Silver.
"Annie – we need to get you more comfortable." Silver said in a concerned voice.
Annie nodded with her eyes closed. "Bedroom." She simply said in one note.
"Can you walk with me supporting you? Or do you want Ethan to carry you?" Silver asked.
Annie tightened in Silver's arms at Ethan's name.
Silver felt raw anger coarse through her body – so it was Ethan Ward whom had caused this pain and fear in Annie. Well he would not get away with it. Not by a long shot. "Dixon can carry you."
"No, I can walk." Annie said opening her brown eyes and looking up into Silver's concerned ones.
"Ok," Silver said gently pulling Annie a few inches away from her, "I need to stand up, than I'll help you. When I help you up, I want you to hold as tight as you can on the banister – than I'll move in closely to your side – you just lean on me and the banister up the stairs. Than we'll use the wall for added support until we get to your bedroom."
Annie silently nodded weakly. She allowed Silver to help her up and she obeyed her best friend up the stairs. She leaned more into Silver – causing Silver to softly let out a grunt or two as they slowly made their way up the stairs – tears began to fall silently down her checks once more. She was causing Silver more pain by her leaning into her – but she could not use her own strength at the moment – she had to relay on Silver's just to get to her bedroom. But she would make this up to Silver – by granting her; her Christmas Wish.
Silver was relieved to see that Annie had left her door slightly open – so she didn't have to try to turn the knob with Annie's weight mostly on her. She tried to hide the grunt as she half carried – half dragged Annie towards her bed – Silver had Annie's full weight due to no wall support – lucky for her it was only a few feet. But, Silver could tell that her pours had all ready opened up half way up the stair case – she was wet with sweat – she just prayed that she didn't lose her precious gripe on her best friend – she didn't want Annie too be hurt by her – even my accident. She breathed in relief as her legs hit Annie's bed.
"Annie – you need to let me get you onto the bed – I can't do anything with you having a death hold on me." Silver chocked around Annie's hands which were clinging tightly to her neck, the slightly younger girl didn't respond. Silver sighed and knew that she had to do this the other way. She had to choices on the way to do this – but one of the choices would just hurt Annie the most – so it had to be the latter choice.
Silver turned around so her back was against the bed – taking one calming breath – she had to prepare for the sudden action that she was about to take – fully realizing that mentally she could be prepared but her body would betray her no matter what – it was the law of physics after all she was dealing with here. Her body suddenly fell backwards and hit the bed – Annie's body slamming hard against her chest and she let out a loud breath against Annie's face as her breath was knocked out of her. She closed her eyes and held Annie more tightly against her as she tried to get her breathing under control once more – and to allow her body to get used to the extra weight – but she couldn't control her breathing – Annie's added weight felt like it was pressing her down against the mattress – she couldn't keep the tears or the chocking sounds from her throat – she felt everything was closing in on her – she couldn't breath or stop the uncontrollable shaking that had over come with her. She tried to fight the weight off of her – but it remained – heavy – pressing her down – down to the pits of hell – she's screaming – but she's falling in a bottomless pit – Oh My God she's seeing the devil now – she has to get this weight off of her – she has to breath – she'll die if she couldn't the weight off her chest ….
Annie suddenly came to herself as she felt the body underneath her grow cold and shaking. Her eyes wide as she saw Silver began to hyperventilate and try to scream – but no sound came out. Silver's eyes suddenly opened wide and Annie was horror stricken by how wild and truly crazy Silver had become. She rolled off of Silver quickly – trying to dodge the flying fits and legs as she did so – she couldn't get off of her best friend without receiving wild aimed jabs in her stomach, chest, legs. Silver had managed to grab hold of her hair and was pouring it back, and Annie had to choke back the screams that the pain was giving her – she didn't want anyone to come running in and seeing this. It wasn't what it looked like – plus Silver would never allow anyone to come near her to calm her – expect for herself. But Annie had to get free from Silver so she could try to wrap her arms around her best friend. She jerked away and almost shouted as the pain of Silver's hand being jerked from her hair – two kicks to the stomach, and one fist into her chest – she managed to roll beyond Silver's grasps – and she quickly tried to get her breathing under control.
"Silver – it's Annie – you are safe." Annie cried as she moved forward and wrapped her arms around her wildly struggling friend. "It's all right now, Silver, it's all right now." She said in a soothing voice.
Silver had tighten up tightly as soon as she felt the walls coming into her – but than the words of the walls began to filter in – how old that the walls sound just like Annie. She tried to fight the against the lies that the walls were telling her – but than Annie's essence began to surround her – than this was truly Annie, her Annie – protecting her. Her body began to relax. She leaned her head and touched another head. "A-annie." She breathed out.
"Hey." Annie softly said in her voice. She pressed her lips against Silver's wet forehead.
Silver's eyes opened slowly and she met concerned brown eyes. "I should have mentioned that I'm claustrophobic huh?" She softly said.
"I'm so sorry." Annie whispered. "I shouldn't have lost control like that earlier – I also should have just allowed Dixon to carry me to my room."
"What happened to make you so upset? What did Ethan do to you?" Silver asked her anger coming back to her.
Annie's arms tighten around her. "It wasn't Ethan's fault."
"Than what happened?" Silver demanded.
Annie licked her lips. "It was nothing."
"You are lying." Silver's right eyebrow rose.
Annie's eyes teared up and she lowered her head.
"This isn't the time to get into it. You are exhausted – so how about you take a nap and get your strength back – than you can tell me what has happened." Silver said in a gentle firm voice.
"You aren't going to leave me – are you Silver?" Annie looked worriedly.
"Of course not." Silver said in a reassuring voice.
Annie moved her head to rest on Silver's shoulder bade, just above her heart. She closed her eyes and sighed, "You will always trust me, right Silver, no matter what I do?"
Silver began to brush Annie's hair away from her face, "Always and forever." She softly said leaning down and kissing Annie's forehead.
Annie's breathing even out and Silver knew that Annie had allowed her body to take over. She closed her own eyes and was soon asleep also.
END CHAPTER THREE
Author's Note: Just to let you know this story is going to be fast paced. I'm not going to go into much detail on one issue here. I'm just trying to get Annie to the main points of finally taking the blinders off of her heart.