To Stand By Him

"Try not to look too hungover." Chris grinned and kissed my cheek.

"I'll try." I glared at him, his grin just widened as he leaned in to kiss me. Slowly he pulled away but kept close resting his forehead on my own. I didn't want to go inside, I didn't want to be in a large cold empty house.

"I'll come by tonight." he whispered, "I have to see whats going on with my brother but I'll come back okay?" I nodded, brushing my lips over his, then climbed out of the truck.

I ran back to my house and unlocked the door. The first thing I did was change, I threw Chris' shirt into a pile, actually it was a pile of his clothing, clothing I neglected to give back to him after many times he lent me clothing.

I slipped on a red dress, and ignored the bags under my eyes when I walked past the mirror.

The house was relativity clean since my dad hadn't trashed it the last couple nights, and I hadn't been home to mess anything up.

I walked into the living room and paused, out of the corner of my eye there was a picture on the wall, since we moved here we hadn't bothered to add many touches to the house, there were still boxes in my room I hadn't unpacked. I looked at the picture, we didn't have many, but there were some.

This one had always been my least favourite. Why John put it up. . . I have no idea, spite? Anger? Longing for the past? I don't know, but this picture used to be stuffed in a box at the back of the hallway closet which I never went. Each house I lived in this picture was never to be seen, but now it was up on the freaking wall.

It was the only picture of my mom I had.

I hated it, because she looked happy, it was blurry and worn but I could see it. She smiled holding me in her arms, John behind her smiling as well, I however wasn't smiling, I was asleep if I was awake I'm sure I'd be crying. My mom had my hair colour, from what I could tell, I think she was a natural blonde but I couldn't tell. She looked like you would think, like trash. She was about twenty six here, John looked handsome why he chose my mom I didn't get until I got older. They were both fucked up.

Then she left.

The picture pissed me off, if anyone were to see it you would think they were happy, well if my mom was so happy then why the hell didn't she stay?

Why would John want this picture up? He only mentioned my mom when he was drunk, and then It was nothing but awful names and rude remarks.

My mom was a whore, I knew that and it sucked to know that, sucked even more that having a kid didn't smarten her up, and that I was stuck with John now. However he wouldn't leave it up if he didn't want it when he was sober.

It took everything I had not to pull it down and smash it on the floor.

"Anna?" my dad called when he entered the house, I turned to look towards the door.

"Hi dad. . .and Charlie." I barely got out the last part. Charlie looked clean just like my dad, important business men, anyone would be scared to upset.

"Hello Anna." Charlie smiled his greasy smile at me and I shivered involuntarily.

"Congratulations on the engagement." I said, my voice was stronger then I felt, they were completely sober which kept me at ease.

"Thank you." he smiled a broad smile.

"Uh why are you home so early?" I started to walk to the kitchen with them following close behind.

"A pipe burst in the office, we were sent home." John said sitting down at the table Charlie following suit.

"Oh." I was lucky Chris took me home when he did, but with the way Charlie was staring at me I was worried my luck was running out.

"Are you alright honey?" John asked. I blinked at him not knowing what he was talking about. "You look sick."
"Oh yeah, I haven't been feeling well all day."
"Oh well maybe you should get some rest." I nodded and started to leave the kitchen, if I had a way to get away from Charlie then I was going to take it.

"Oh no wait, don't you want to see the ring?" Charlie asked I stopped my eyes widening.

"Johnny go get the ring." he said smacking my dad on the arm.

"Oh no it's okay you don't have to get up." I said turning around.

"No I want you to see it, a woman's perspective would be good." my dad started to get up.

"Uh no I've already seen it remember?" I stood in the middle of the doorway to block my dad since he had stood up. "It's beautiful, she'll love it."
"Go get it anyways, I'll tell her the story of how I got it and how I plan to propose."
My dad pushed around me.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! I stood there a hand in my hair, my whole body felt cold, sweating like crazy, as my dad walked to the stairs.

I couldn't think of anything else to do but collapse to the ground.

"Anna!" my dad yelled coming back down the few steps he had climbed and to my side. I laid still waiting to see what would happen.

"Is she alright?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know, Anna, come on sweetie wake up." he patted my cheek and I gave a feeble groan which wasn't too hard to do considering I did feel awful.

"Should she go to the hospital?"
"No, no I think she's fine, shes moving. She said she was sick, god just walking around wears her out, help me get her upstairs.

I felt two pairs of arms lifting me up into the air.

Once laid down on my bed I kept my eyes closed.

"I think we should just go, come back later tonight, she needs quiet." my dad wasn't the smartest guy, in the time he had taken care of me I had rarely been sick, and he wasn't too sure to do with me, he assumed sleep would fix everything.

"Alright, lets just stay out for a while." Charlie said, that was code for, lets get drunk and not come home until morning.

The door closed and I threw the covers off of me. Breathing hard I finally let my body relax, it scared me to death. That was too close, I had to think of something. The wedding was going to happen and there had to be a ring in that box.

Chris would know what to do, no matter how pissed he was that I gave the ring away he would help me.

Short and not interesting chapter I know, but I needed the filler in here.

Anyway hope you have a great week.

Thank you again for the reviews love you all :D

-Lexi