Here's another chapter for you guys! Thank you all so much for reading, following, faving and reviewing! I welcome any constructive criticism or compliments from you guys. c: It really means a lot.

Without further ado, here you go.~

Three loud knocks roused Annie from her sleep. She rubbed her bleary eyes tiredly, and peeked at the clock. The digits appeared blurry from the girl's sleep-deprived eyes: 8:05. Sunlight poured in her window, pooling on her covers. She had slept in.

The young farmer hopped out of bed and began to make her way to the front door, when she realized it was probably Raeger. She glanced at her right wrist, brace-free and healed. She bit her lip. Raeger was only coming to her farm every day because of her injury. Annie didn't want to go back to waking up and working alone. Unless...

Annie made a split second decision as she heard three more knocks on her door. "Coming!" She shouted, grabbing her wrist brace from her bag. She shoved away the bad feeling in her gut that told her she shouldn't lie, and secured the brace to her wrist.

Annie opened the door. "Morning," she chirped at the handsome young chef, attempting to sound more awake than she was.

He blinked at her, clearly trying not to smile. "You're uh... Nice PJ's."

Blinking back at him, momentarily confused, Annie looked down and realized she hadn't changed. Small polka-dot pajama shorts barely covered her underwear. Her skin felt hot under his gaze, and she nervously tried to block his view with her hands. "I, er - one sec."

Annie turned away from him, her cheeks burning, and retreated back into her house. She wiggled out of her shorts, unaware that Raeger had followed her inside.

"Whoa, hey, warn a guy before you start stripping." He chuckled.

Annie whipped around. "What are you doing?! Get out!"

He stood by her front door, his arms folded across his chest. She looked at him incredulously. Why wasn't he leaving?

Her heart skipped a beat as she noticed his cheeks redden slightly. He stepped forward. "Don't take this the wrong way, but," he swallowed. "You're very beautiful, Annie."

The young girl stood facing him in her underwear, holding her shorts in front of her in an attempt to cover up, her mouth hanging open. She managed to shut it and looked away. "Th-thanks."

Raeger paused for a second, and she saw his eyes sweep her body again before he turned to leave. Her skin felt as if it were ablaze, but she swallowed her embarrassment and quickly dressed suitably for farm work after she heard the door click shut behind Raeger.

Annie took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly, then went out to join Raeger. He was gone; he must have already gone off to the barn or coop, Annie assumed. She let the sunshine warm her sore muscles as she tended to her field nearly single-handedly.

She had been neglecting her crops lately - evident by the weeds that were beginning to choke her strawberry plants - so she began pulling them out of the soil.

Finished with the worst of the weeding, Annie made her way to the barn. She paused outside, biting her lip. It seemed Raeger always found new ways of bringing her feelings gushing into the open. She couldn't think of a time when she wasn't at least mildly nervous around the handsome young man. She closed her eyes, trying to remember exactly the way his arms felt wrapped around her. The way his gaze heated her skin, and the way she imagined his lips would feel...

"Annie?"

She snapped out of her daydream. Raeger was standing in front of her, his hands and arms covered in muck almost up to his elbows. He smiled a bit sheepishly at her. "Your water pump is broken."

"The handle rusted and snapped, so there's no water source out here 'til I can get Gunther over here to fix it." Annie gestured to the rusty pump. "You can come use the sink inside, though."

Annie led him inside, and ran to get him a towel while he washed in the kitchen sink. She handed him the towel and he patted his hands and arms dry, then turned and smiled at Annie.

"Well I've gotta get back to the restaurant," he said, hanging the towel on the oven handle. "But I've got a new cake recipe I need a guinea pig for. Are you free today?"

Annie nodded, and couldn't help but return his smile. "Yeah, I could spare a bit of time."

They walked to town while chatting comfortably. Annie couldn't help but notice how the sunlight caught his eyes, lightening them to a silvery blue. She shied away from his eye contact.

As they walked past the guild building, Annie noticed Dr. Marian was outside chatting with Fritz. Suddenly the brace on her wrist began to feel very heavy and noticeable, and she tried quickly to hide it, but her heart dropped as Marian looked over at her and Raeger. He frowned.

"Annie! Did you injure your wrist again, sweetie?" Marian asked, his perfect brow wrinkled in concern as he approached her.

"I... Uhm, n-no," Annie stuttered, pulling at a stray thread on her pants and averting her eyes. She could feel Raeger looking at her, and she was sure if she looked over she'd see confusion written on his face.

Doctor Marian tilted his head a bit. "I don't understand. Your wrist is better, yes? You can remove the brace now, you don't have to wear it anymore."

"I... I know," she said quietly. She sneaked a glance over at Raeger, and saw he looked... Angry?

Annie looked away and bid farewell to Marian, waving goodbye to Fritz as well. Her eyes flicked up to meet Raeger's briefly. "'Bye," she murmured, then turned and walked in the direction of the mountain path.

"Annie, stop," Raeger said quietly, striding after her and grabbing her arm. She twisted toward him.

"What?" She muttered, pulling her arm from his grasp.

He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "What are you doing? Lying so you could get someone to do your chores for you?"

Annie flinched at his angry tone. He must think she was some lazy girl who couldn't take care of herself without help. She knew she couldn't tell him the real reason for her lie, though. "I'm sorry."

Raeger stepped forward and hooked a finger under her chin, pulling her gaze to his eyes. "Do you have something you need to tell me?"

She felt her breath hitch at his closeness, but pulled away and broke eye contact. "No."

Raeger sighed. "You know, I have a lot of things to do at the restaurant. I've been working nonstop since I took on your work too. I didn't mind helping when you were injured, but," he nodded his head briskly at her wrist. "You're capable of doing your own work now. I'll see you around." He turned and walked away, toward his restaurant.

Annie dug a finger nail into her palm to keep tears at bay. Angry at herself, she ripped off her wrist brace and threw it in a nearby trash can, then walked home, feeling a tight knot in the pit of her stomach. Any chance she'd had at winning over Raeger's heart was gone - that was for sure. She wondered if they could even remain friends after she'd lied to him. A tear managed to escape onto her cheek, and Annie wiped it away quickly, feeling pathetic.

She walked fast to avoid bumping into someone in her current state, not wanting to socialize with anyone. When she reached her house, she flung the door open and leaped onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow.

Annie's stomach rumbled, and her thoughts drifted to her home in the city. She remembered the scent of her mother's cooking - she often liked to bake roast with vegetables - and suddenly, she felt homesick once more. Apart from her chats with Raeger, and sometimes Agate, Annie was alone. Veronica occasionally came to talk to her and to check on how she was doing, but it wasn't the same as being with a family, or having the warmth of friendship. Annie surprised herself with how badly she wanted a family with her in the country. She loved her family of course, but they all had futures in the city. Annie knew she belonged in the country. Just the feel of the fresh country air made her feel better than she ever felt in the stuffy city, and she also knew she could never leave her animals. But no matter how much she loved the country, she couldn't shake the loneliness that overtook her almost daily. Annie sighed.

Suddenly soft fur brushed her arm, and Annie heard Rusty meow. She smiled weakly, reaching over to scratch him on the head. She found a tinfoil ball she'd crumpled up for a toy for the cat on her bed sheet, and threw it to the other side of the room. Rusty ran energetically to grab it, picking it up in his mouth and carrying it back to the bed. She threw it again for him.

Her mind involuntarily drifted to thoughts of Raeger. The feelings she knew she had for him often drove away her loneliness, except at times such as these. She didn't want to be lonely anymore.

Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, Annie decided she didn't want to sit at home feeling sorry for herself. She marched to her closet, and pulled out her blue waterfall shirt, and changed into it. She also exchanged her ratty farm jeans for her black skinny jeans, then went to the bathroom where she brushed her soft golden hair out, letting it fall free over her shoulders.

A few seconds later she left the house with light smokey eye shadow darkening her eyelids. She made her way to town confidently, any sign of tears suppressed by her determination.

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon as she walked to the west end of town, not even glancing at Raeger's restaurant to the east. She was even so bold as to smile flirtatiously at Klaus, a gentleman fifteen years her senior, when he waved a greeting at her. She walked up to her new friend's door and knocked.

The door opened, revealing Agate. Seeing Annie's outfit, she grinned. "Where are we off to?"

"The bar? I could use a drink," Annie told her.

"Uh oh. Alright, I've got your back. Hold on, I've just got to change quick."

Agate ran upstairs to her room and came back down a few minutes later, wearing a red long sleeve shirt that fit her curves perfectly.

They walked together toward the bar. Agate looked over to Annie. "What's up with you? Are you okay?"

"I will be," Annie murmured. At this point, she just wanted a few drinks to forget about the day. She realized her ominous response would worry her friend, and continued. "It's... Raeger. And other stuff I guess, too."

"It's always Raeger," Agate smiled knowingly. "Did you ask him out?"

Annie shook her head, and as they entered the bar, she explained how she'd lied to Raeger. They sat down and ordered cocktails as she finished.

Agate pursed her lips. "Hmm. That's rough. But he's a good guy, he's probably just stressed. You'll get another shot at him, I bet."

Annie gulped her cocktail. "I don't know. I hope so," she admitted.

They ordered tequila shots next. Annie noticed Agate's attention was focused behind her, and she turned around to see a young man seated at a table. They were smiling at each other, and he waved a hand in greeting. Annie looked at Agate, an eyebrow raised.

"Who's that?" She asked accusingly.

Agate smiled meekly. "Kamil. He's from Bluebell. I've been showing him around."

"Didja show him your bedroom? 'Cause from the look he's giving you..."

Agate let out a little shriek, and punched Annie in the arm. "Shhh! He'll hear you!"

The farmer girl hunched over with laughter. "Well take your own advice, and go ask him out. You obviously like him."

Agate bit her lip, considering it. She shook her head. "No, I'm here with you! I'll do it tomorrow. Or actually maybe next week..."

Annie laughed at her friend. "If you don't go over and talk to him, I will. I'll tell him you like him if you won't."

"You wouldn't!" Agate glowered halfheartedly.

"Try me!" Annie countered, grinning at her victory as Agate stood.

"Wait, wait... One more shot." Agate threw a tequila shot back, then fixed her hair and adjusted her shirt. She pulled the front down a bit more, revealing cleavage. Annie giggled.

"Go get 'em, Tiger," Annie encouraged her.

Agate shot her a sidelong glance. "I'm getting you back for this. I know the guy you fancy too."

Annie rolled her eyes in response. "Quit stalling, go!"

Muttering an insult to Annie under her breath, Agate went and sat with Kamil. Annie saw his smile widen at the pretty brunette's presence, and felt a mixture of happiness and hope for her friend, and a twist of jealousy that she pushed away, hard. She got the attention of Maurice, and ordered another shot. The amount of alcohol she'd had already plus her empty stomach probably weren't a good mix, but it felt good to relax and forget about the events of the day.

She had downed two more shots when she noticed a man sitting in the corner of the bar who she'd never seen before. As soon as their eyes met, he smiled and finished his drink before standing and making his way over toward her. In her drunken state, she couldn't tell exactly what he looked like, but knew he was tall with broad shoulders and dark hair. Her head buzzed as he sat next to her at the bar.

"Hey, pretty lady," the man said with a deep voice. "Here all alone? Let me get you a drink."

He put a hand on her thigh, and Annie's gut wrenched with fear. Something about this man terrified her.

"Uh no. No, th-thank you," she stuttered through numb lips, shoving his hand away.

The man scowled at her, and leaned in, replacing his hand on her thigh, a little higher this time. "Come on, let me get you some more tequila."

"I said n-no." Annie stood, swaying slightly, but able to walk away. She didn't get more than two steps away before she felt fingertips dig cruelly into her arm, wrenching her back. She slammed into the counter, her heart pounding. "Stop."

"Stop? I'm just trying to get you a drink. Why you being so rude, chick?" The man's hands grabbed her waist, pulling her in.

Annie slammed her palms into his chest, trying to push away. She could feel his hot breath on her forehead and smell alcohol as he chuckled. "Let's get out of here, babe."

"Let me GO!" Annie howled at the top of her lungs. She saw Maurice emerge from the back room at the ruckus. Agate, Kamil and several other faces had turned to see what was happening as well. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friend stand up.

Annie desperately swung a punch in the direction of his face, but he pulled back.

"Fucking tease, quit it-"

Suddenly, the man grunted and fell backward. Someone had grabbed the back of his shirt and wrenched him away from her. Annie leaned on the bar drunkenly, her vision swirling. The man spun around to face his aggressor. "What the fuck-"

Annie saw his head snap back as a spray of blood fanned toward the ceiling. He fell to the ground sideways, clutching his bleeding nose and groaning in pain. Raeger stood looking down on him, rage in his eyes. She saw his hands were still clenched into fists. "Get out, now," He barked.

The man stumbled to his feet, walking as quickly as his drunken state would allow him out the door. "You're fuckin' crazy," He mumbled as he passed Raeger.

Maurice thanked Raeger for his intervention, muttering "City folk" unhappily under his breath. "Are you alright, hun?" He asked Annie. She nodded.

Raeger turned to Annie. "What are you doing here by yourself?" He snapped.

She felt tears sting her eyes, unable to wrap her drunken mind around what had happened. She gestured toward Agate, who ran over to her and hugged her tight.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you." Annie saw that Agate was trying not to cry, too. "Let me get you home. Or do you want to stay at my place for tonight?"

Raeger stepped forward. "I'll take her home."

Agate looked at Annie, who nodded her consent. "Okay. I'm still so sorry," Agate murmured sadly, hugging her again.

Raeger reached for Annie's arm, to help her, she assumed, but she recoiled. "I can walk." He blinked, but nodded mutely in response.

As they left the bar, she stumbled on the steps slightly. He reached out a hand to steady her, but she flinched away at his touch. Raeger stared at her, looking offended.

"I'm not going to hurt you," He mumbled, sounding hurt himself.

"I know."

He stopped trying to touch her, and instead stayed close to her as the pair walked up the mountain trail in the dark. Annie had trouble seeing anything but dim swirling tree trunks and bushes, but instead focused on the sound of Raeger's breathing beside her as they made their way through the chilly night.

Once they reached her house, Annie bid him farewell, thanked him, and stepped inside. To her dismay, he followed her inside for the second time that day. She looked at him, a bit annoyed.

"I just want to make sure you're alright," he said at her sour expression.

She grunted, turning her back to him and changing out of her jeans and shirt without bothering to warn him. She didn't even know why she was angry with him; She was just too stubborn to do anything else. He turned away modestly while she dressed.

"I'm tired, Raeger," she said to him as he stood by her bed, watching her expressionlessly. She stood in front of him, her arms crossed.

"Annie-"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Annie."

She looked up at the insistent tone of his voice. He didn't look angry anymore.

Suddenly she realized she was crying, and that realization made the tears come out faster. She felt a sob escape her mouth, and then she was in Raeger's arms.

"You're alright, I've got you."

She cried harder, soaking his shirt. He rubbed her back gently, his lips pressed to the top of her head. At some point, they sat down on the bed so that she was curled up in his arms while he leaned against her headboard. They stayed that way until her sobbing ceased. She hiccuped suddenly, and then felt his lips press into her cheek. She gasped softly at the heat that they left, as if he'd branded her. She gripped his shirt, nuzzling her face into his chest slightly.

Annie tried to think of something she could say to convey what she was feeling, but then she felt a rumble start in his chest, and realized he was humming a song softly. Her heart clenching, she felt her stomach flutter with affection. He smoothed her hair with one hand, then rested it on her back once more, rubbing slow circles on the silky texture of her pajama shirt.

The warm, rhythmic patterns he traced on her back lulled her to sleep, and the last sound she heard was the sweet lullaby he hummed.