Young Annabelle Series: Young Annabelle, the Truth About James, What My Heart Wants (36 page)

“Oh cool, hoped you had good time.” Peter grinned, scanning me.

“I did.” I answered. Then I said something I shouldn’t have. “I know someone who knows your cousin at Pleasant View.”

Again, I don’t know why I said that.

“Oh yeah, who?” Peter asked, curious.

“Dean.” I answered
, timidly. I didn’t get myself sometimes. 

Peter gave Tom a look before glancing back to me. “Oh really, the pitcher guy from Pleasant View? We just slaughtered them.”

Peter and Tom burst out laughing, slamming hands in a ‘Yeah bro’ kind of way.

“So Anna, you going to our victory party later at Thompsons Park?” Tom asked.

“I’ve got plans sorry.” I told them, feeling my face go red. What was going on? Why were they talking to me?

“What! What kind of plans?” Peter asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I’ve got things to do.” I answered.

“What about James?” Tom asked out of nowhere.

My jaw dropped a little. How did they know about James and me? “What are you talking about? What do you mean, what about James?”

“Weren’t you guys hooking up?” Peter smirked, giving Tom another look.

Oh my God, he told his boys about us! How could he!

“What exactly did he tell you guys?” I gulped, my heart pounding a mile a second.

This was really happening. 

“Um, we’re not going to spill on our boy.” Tom smirked, giving Peter another knowing look. Well if that was how they were going to play it, two could play at that game. And I was guessing that they probably knew everything.

“Yeah, well then since you two seem to know every dirty detail, there is nothing between James and me.” I snapped to them.

“That’s not what he said.” Peter said like he had some information.

“I don’t care. Besides isn’t he with Donna now?” I snapped again. They didn’t answer me, shrugging instead. “Whatever, I’ve got things to do, you know, people to see. Congratulations on winning boys.”

I quickly got back on the path and started to walk away.

“Hope to see you at the party Anna!” Tom yelled from behind me.

I didn’t answer them and they started laughing. I quickened my pace. I needed to get away, far away.

Damn you James!

“Dude, she really is a Fireball!” Peter exclaimed loudly. My face
felt enflamed, he even told them my nickname!

“She got cuter though, her body is looking good!” Tom said loud enough, on purpose so I’d hear obviously.

Great.

CHAPTER
28

On my way to the parking lot, my phone beeped loudly. I pulled it out of my pocket and halted abruptly when I saw who my latest text was from.

James!

What the hell was he texting me for?

Wasn’t it a rule that when you broke up to never ever talk again with your ex?

I was confused.

I opened his text.

Tiger:
Where are you?

I would have deleted his number, but he still had mine. I didn’t want a phone call from him to show up as unknown. With his name still attached to his number, I could happily and easily avoid all calls from him.

Where was I?

Why did he want to know? Shouldn’t he be off celebrating or making out with Donna? What he shouldn’t be doing is texting me. Someone really needed to give this guy a lesson on priorities.

I was clearly a waste of time.

I texted back anyways, curious.

Annabelle:
Why do you want to know?

My phone beeped quickly after a few seconds.

Tiger:
Were you at the game?

Shit, how was I going to answer that? Knowing James, he was going to think I came to watch him specifically play. Which couldn’t be farther from the truth, I mean there’s no ‘I’ in team and it’s not like I still liked him.

Honest.

Okay, maybe I still had a little thing for him, but that’s totally understandable, I mean we did just break up. I wasn’t a robot. I couldn’t just switch off my feelings.

Annabelle:
Yes I was. I came because my friend Jenna asked me to.

Tiger:
I see. So when do I get my congratulations kiss?

My jaw dropped, shocked.

What?

His congratulations kiss?

Why was he speaking to me like this?

Annabelle:
James you can’t talk like that to me anymore. We’re not together and no there will never, ever be anymore kisses from me to YOU! Besides it seems you already got your congratulations kiss from Donna. Why don’t you make things official with her, it’ll make her day.

Tiger:
Donna? What are you talking about? I’m not into her. I’m into someone else. Where are you now?

Annabelle:
Well good luck with that. I’m somewhere that you don’t need to know. I’ve got to go, I’m meeting someone.

I sent the text and waited a few seconds, but nothing came in. Maybe he was finally getting it, that I wouldn’t be back for whatever he was offering.

I tucked my phone into my pocket and walked across the parking lot. Most of the lot was still packed. Kids from school were still hanging around listening to music loudly, laughing and enjoying the high of the win. On the opposite end of the parking lot, there was a huge huddle of
Baseball players and Donna and her hot girl crew. James was for sure probably in that huddle so I hunched over, hoping the height of the cars would shield me from his prying eyes.

I did not need another confrontation with James, especially since I was meeting up with Dean soon. I needed to be nerves and anger free.

Cool, calm and collected.

Now, where was Dean’s Honda? This was going to be tricky, trying to find his car without being noticed by James and his boys, who as I’
d just found out knew everything. I had to escape all their prying eyes. They’d probably been spying for him too. James probably also knew about my conversation with Peter and Tom, them giving him every single detail.

They’re worse than girls gossiping.

I circled around a few more cars keeping myself low and my ears open for Dean’s voice. I stopped when I heard my phone beep, crunching down to the ground immediately.

Just great! I should have put my phone on silent. I pulled out my phone. Dean just sent me another text.

Dean:
Anna! I’m sorry I had to leave, my coach told us all to get back to our school for a mandatory meeting. I’m so sorry! I didn’t want to go. I wanted that talk with you.

I’m too late! I took long, I should have left earlier.

Disappointed, I texted him back.

Annabelle:
No I’m sorry, I took too long. Well hopefully your meeting will go okay. I hope your coach doesn’t give you guys a hard time for losing considering it was so close.

Dean:
I’ll text you after, that okay?

Annabelle:
Yeah, that’s cool.

Success!

Grinning like a fool, I tucked my phone back inside my pocket. It could have gone better, but at least we’d have a talk later. Now all I had to do was get off this parking lot without letting James or one of his boys seeing me. I could feel my forehead starting to really sweat and I was wearing a jacket. Yes it was a light jacket but still, it was freaking hot today. I peeled off the jacket, holding it on my arm and fanned myself with my available hand.

That’s better!

I leaned back up, deciding that I wasn’t going to crouch and sneak out like I was a criminal on the run. If I ran into any of them, I’d just ignore them.

I will not hide and damn it if James snuck up on me suddenly I would have a showdown with him so loud he’d never want to be within five feet of me again. I quickened my stride, I was almost out of the parking lot and onto the path that led to the sidewalk next to the main street. Just as I was stepping off the pavement and onto grass my phone beeped loudly.

Damn!

How did I forget to put it on silent again? I took it out of my jacket pocket and looked away from the screen, exasperated.

It was James.

What the hell does he want from me!
I cried quietly.

Tiger:
Where are you?

I texted him back.

Annabelle:
Why do you need to know?

Tiger:
Stop it. Tell me where you are.

Annabelle:
James, I don’t know how many times I need to tell you this, but we are over!

Tiger:
Where are you?

Annabelle:
Enjoy Donna, later!

Tiger:
I don’t care about her, I care about you!

Annabelle:
Please! Like I believe that! You don’t care about me, you just care about your image!

“That’s not true, Fireball!” A familiar voice called behind me, making me freeze.

Oh no! I’
d been found!

I slowly turned around finding James circling around a car separating us. I instantly held out my palm. “Don’t come anywhere near me!”

He didn’t listen and kept walking towards me. He stopped moving when his hard chest collided into my palm. “Don’t be like that Fireball.” He pouted, his green eyes looking sad.

“It’s not going to work this time James. You have abused my feelings too much already!” I snapped. He grabbed my palm, using his strength to push it down. He didn’t let my hand go as he wrapped his other arm around my waist, pulling me in.

“No, let me go.” I ordered, using my available hand to push him off, but he was too strong.

“Please let explain.” James pleaded, trying to meet my eyes, but I did my best not to. I swear his eyes had this amazing power. I didn’t think I could last if that connection happened. 

“Let you explain what?” I snipped, panting from using all my might to pull away.

“Last week, that wasn’t how things were supposed to go! I got angry at the end.” He tried to explain, using his sensitive voice, the one that used to work on me.

“James, why do you even bother, you clearly don’t want to be with me!” I snapped.

“That’s a lie, I do want to be with you!” He urged, tightening his hold.

I snorted, bitterly. “Well you have a funny way of showing it!”

“What do I have to do to show you?” He pleaded.

My eyes snapped up, meeting his. “What?”

“What do I have to do?” He said quietly, his voice full of emotion.

“You kissed Donna, aren’t you guys practically together now?” I gulped, not liking where this was heading.

He shook his head. “Donna? No way, she surprised me on the field, what was I supposed to do, push her back?”

“I don’t care.” I snipped quietly, eying the ground.

He shook me delicately and leaned closer to my ear. “You do care.”

“I don’t.” I informed him meekly.

Oh
God!

“Baby, you do care.” James exclaimed, caressing the side of my face as his eyes took in my entire body. “Baby you look so good, this is the first time I’m seeing you in a dress.”

“My mom got it for me.” My shoulders slumped, all fight leaving me.

“It suits you.” James hummed. “And you’ve been losing weight since the beginning of the school year, baby you look amazing.”

I didn’t know what to do. I should have pulled back, but his touch was like a drug, one that I couldn’t pull away from. Not without having some sort of super power and right now, I was all out of those.

“You’re not going to change.” I whimpered.

“I swear, this time it’ll be different.” He promised.

“It might be too late, there might be someone else.”

James pulled back, fury taking over his body. “Who?”

“You don’t know him.” I muttered, straightening my dress.

“It’s that pitcher!” James fumed. “I’m going to
fuck
that kid up. Didn’t he learn his lesson today, not to mess with me?”

“He’s nice, treats me nicely. It’s more than I can say about you.” I told him, feeling that bitter bug consume again, stopping ‘this’ from potentially happening again. We stood in silence for a few seconds before his arm wrapped around my waist again, pulling me into his embrace.

Why was I letting this happen?

What was wrong with me?

I was so messed up!

I was letting him do it again…pull me in.

“Oh really, how nice is he. Does he make you feel like I can make you feel?” James’ green eyes melted into mine, his hand trailed down to my waist, grinding his body against mine. My eye lids closed as the first wave of pleasure shot throughout me.

“Stop.” I whispered.

“Nope.” James head curled into my neck, kissing the skin underneath my jawline, rolling his tongue across my skin. “Baby, I’ve been dying. I’ve been dreaming about touching you since that
fucked
up day.”

“Really?” I gulped.

He nodded. “Really.”

“You told all your friends about me, all our business.” I told him.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I. I like you.” He informed, sounding light hearted. It made my skin tingle.

“But you didn’t want to talk with me at school in front of everyone.” I exhaled, feeling every depressing emotion from the last month come back to me.

I couldn’t go back to that.

I couldn’t.

“Do you see those girls that hang around us, they’re freaking piranhas. If they saw me with another girl besides one of them, they’d be on you like fresh meat.” He said quietly.

“You were just trying to save me?” I asked him meekly, staring at him wide eyed.

Before I knew it, James leaned in pressing his lips on to mine, kissing me deeply. I grabbed his shoulders, pulling him closer.

He was just trying to protect me.

My lips moved more powerfully against his, showing him how much I missed him even though I tried to convince myself that it didn’t. I missed him so much. I’d been a walking corpse this last week without him. I needed him.

What about Jenna?

I promised that I’d never speak to James again. She was going to kill me.

I casted the nervous thought of telling Jenna about what had just happened to the side. James’s tongue entered my mouth, swirling around mine, making me feel….things. I grabbed the back of his neck and pushed him further into the kiss, plastering his sweaty, dirty uniform all over me.

We had a whole week to make up for.

*~*~*

Somehow I found myself in James’s room, all alone in his house. His parents and siblings were off to the cottage for the weekend. His siblings’ school was closed tomorrow and their parents decided to get a head start on the long weekend.