Annie made her way down the stairs to the kitchen when the pizza arrived. Peggy, Vanessa and Ethan stood around the kitchen island holding a slice of pizza each. Kyson hip checked Annie to the side as he entered the room around her. Making her side briefly hit the wall.
Annie rubbed the side of her arm as she made her way into the kitchen, Annie looked into a cubbort before opening the next.
"What are you looking for?" Ethan asked kindly.
"A glass," Annie replied meekly.
"There right here, you would know that if you had ever visited," Kyson scoffed.
Annie sighed, turning to look at Kyson in the eye, "you very well know why I didn't visit. And even if I had wanted to, I wasn't allowed to."
"It's not my fault you tried to k1ll yourself," Kyson rolled his eyes.
Annie rolled her eyes, folding her arms and popping out her hip as she looked Kyson in the eyes. "Hard to not want to when your step brother makes it his life mission to belittle you."
"Oh so it's my fault, it's always my fault," he scoffed.
"Kyson that's enough, she just go home," Ethan pulled at Kysons shoulder.
Kyson's brown eyes shinned in definence, his blonde hair framed his face messily. "This isn't her home and it hasn't been in a long time."
Annie sighed turning around and grabbing her coat, "I know when I'm not wanted, have a good night," she said as she shut the front door behind her.
Annie had never knew the reason why Kyson hated her so much, all she knew is that his hatred burned deep. And she knew, if she stayed around to long, she was going to get burned- like the last time she was here.
Annie stalked down the road, the minutes passed-10,20,30, before she found herself at the old Rock Bridge she had a vague memory of.
Annie stopped at the entrance of the bridge, her heart pounding. She hadn't been there in three years. The wildlife continued to make noises around her, birds chirping, squirl cheetering. The trees and grass wafted in the breeze.
Annie heard tires on gravel behind her as she turned around to see a dark blue truck pulling up behind her.
"Annie, are you okay?" She heard as the truck stopped and turned off, the door opened revealing Ethan.
His posture seemed relaxed with relief, his hair tousled in the way of his hands running through his hair one to many times. His green eyes boring into her soul as he took slow deliberate steps towards her like she were a wild animal about to run away.
"I'm fine," she breathed as she turned to look back at the bridge.
"Do you want to walk the bridge?" Ethan asked gently.
Annie removed her attention from the bridge to Ethan, "no," she shook her head, wrapping her arms protectively around her chest.
"Then come with me, your parents are about to be home," Ethan offered Annie a small kind smile.
Ethan noticed a slight well up of tears in Annie's stark blue eyes. The water making her eyes shine like bright blue diamonds.
The sun had long set, the street lights glowed yellow light as Ethan opened the passenger side door to his truck, helping Annie into the tall truck.
Once they both sat inside the dark truck, Ethan started the conversation, "if you ever want to talk about it, you can always come to me."
Annie let out a shaky breath, "there's nothing to talk about."
"If you say so, but I know what it feels like," he sighed. Annie knew very well that Ethan knew.
Ethan had lost his father in a work-related accident when they were 12 years old. And though he never seemed to talk about it much with Kyson or his other friends, Annie had always offered him a hug, kind words and smile. And though Annie didn't know it, Ethan appreciated it more than anything in the world.
Kyson- ever so caught up in himself, never bothered to ask Ethan how he was, Kyson had never acknowledged Ethans fathers death. Although at the time Ethan held resentment for Kyson never being a friend to him at that time, Ethan let it go.
"I know," Annie whispered, "thank you," she breathed.
"Anytime, Doll," Ethan smiled.
Doll.
The old nickname from their childhood. When Annie moved to the new area after her father had remarried, beside them was the little family- the Hawthornes, Ethan's family. So at the young age of 8, Ethan, Kyson and Annie met.
Though Kyson often pushed Annie away while him and Ethan hung out, that didn't mean that Ethan and Annie didn't develop their own type of relationship.
Some would say acquaintances, others would say barely even that. But they thought of eachother as friends due to the mutal respect they had for one another.
Annie snorted at the nickname, "still going to call me Doll even though I'm practically a woman?"
"Even the more reason to call you Doll, most Dolls are made as women, you know, like barbie?" retorted Ethan.
Annie felt a small smile on her face as she made another small laugh, "what about her younger sisters? Or baby dolls?"
"You want me to call you BabyDoll? I mean, I have no objections-"
"No!" Annie cut him off, a slight blush on her cheeks, "don't call me BabyDoll, never call me BabyDoll. I was talking about literal baby dolls."
Ethan let out a loud laugh, "whatever you say, BabyDoll."
Annie gawked at Ethan, slapping him playfully on his shoulder, "you totally suck."
"You're lucky you're cute, or I might actually be offended," replied Ethan, "but seriously Annie, you look good," he smiled.
Annie rolled her eyes as they pulled up to her old house, "thank you Ethan, I appreciate the ride, and the kind words," she smiled at him.
"Anytime babydoll," he gave her a cocktail smile.
Annie slapped his arm again, "seriouslystop, it's weird," she smiled before pulling him into a hug, "thank you, have a goodnight and drive safe."
"Always Doll."