Chapter 27: Trust

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Annie stepped into the home she shared with Auggie that evening feeling very refreshed and like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water just as the door opened behind her and Auggie walked in. "Annie?" he called out as he closed the door.

She turned to look at him. Almost like a wave, this intense fury of emotion racked her entire body. Conflicting emotions. Everything from love and happiness to anger and guilt. Guilt? Why was she feeling guilty? What did she have to feel guilty about? And anger? Yeah, he had agreed with Calder and Joan about her taking time off but she had been fine with that earlier. But before she could make sense of any of this in her head she found herself throwing the full bottle of water at him.

Auggie barely moved before the bottle collided with his head. "What the hell?! Annie?" He started to step in the direction of where the bottle had come from but she screamed at him to stop.

"Don't come any closer, Auggie!" Her entire body shook with barely contained fury. She was so angry. Thoughts ran through her head so fast she could hardly register them before the next one came along. Thoughts about how he hadn't stopped her from going dark, he hadn't looked for her after she'd 'died', he hadn't looked for her after she'd disappeared, he had cheated on her with Helen, he had slept with Tash while she was nearby, he had planned on leaving her to go be with Tash, and finally, about how he had allowed her to be taken and raped. She felt so betrayed. She felt like she couldn't trust him. She couldn't trust the man whose babies she was carrying.

"Annie, what's wrong?" Auggie's voice was cautious and he held his arm out, hoping she would take his hand.

"What's wrong? What's wrong, Auggie? I'll tell you what's wrong!" She ran over to him and started beating his chest with her fists. Her eyes and cheeks were suddenly overflowing with tears. "It's all your fault! Everything! You did it all!"

Auggie tried to grab her fists. Unable to succeed without hurting her, he simply wrapped his arms around her and pulled her so close and tight she could no longer beat him. "What's all my fault? What happened?" he whispered against her hair.

She struggled against him but he refused to let her go until she calmed down. Her voice came strangled and angry, "You... did it all. You let it all happen. If not for you, I wouldn't be the mess I am right now. I... I finally realize why everything is wrong in my life, because of you. I can't... trust you anymore, Auggie. I want you out. Get out!" She screamed the last words and pushed at his chest as best she could from her position against him.

Reluctantly, he let her go. His face showed so much pain. So much remorse. So much confusion. "Annie..."

She stopped him before he could speak. "No, Auggie. I want you gone. Get. Out. Now."

Slowly, he nodded, turned and walked out the door. Sitting on the stoop, he called a the company car service to come pick him up, he would be sleeping in his office tonight. He then called Joan. "Joan, something's wrong with Annie. She flipped out on me tonight for no reason. She kicked me out of the house!"

"Auggie, are you sure she's not just upset at you for something?"

He hung his head in his free hand. "Joan, we were fine. We were making excellent progress after... after. She was talking to me. She wanted me there with her. Something is off. I can feel it. I think someone got to her somehow. We need to bring her in. "

He heard Joan sigh on the other end. "Alright, Auggie. I'll see about bringing her in in the morning. But I make no promises. Where you headed?"

"The office. Wouldn't be the first time I've slept there. Thanks, Joan."

"She'll be ok, Auggie. We'll figure it out, ok?"

"Yeah." He hung up the phone just as the car pulled up in front of him.

Annie watched the man she had thought she could trust with anything walk out the door. As soon as he had closed the door behind him, everything around her slowly blurred. Her vision swirled and swam. The room slowly faded from her vision. She felt herself slipping. Her first instinct was to call out to Auggie, yell his name, but her voice wouldn't come. She took a step towards the door, towards where Auggie would be, towards the man her subconscious mind knew would save her. Before she could take a second step, she crumpled in a heap on the living room floor, unconscious.