Speak |h.s. a.u.|

Chapter 83

"Are you going to answer?" Harry asked, watching Annabelle's fingers pull at her bottom lip. He swatted her fingers away, knowing she had the bad habit of making her lips bleed.

Annabelle sighed, accepting the call and putting it on speaker.

"Annabelle, I know you aren't going to say anything, but I need to meet with you as soon as possible. It's about Gemma and her b-" Annabelle hung up the phone before her mother could finish the sentence, her eyes quickly looked at Harry.

"Why did you hang up, Annabelle?" Harry's eyebrows drew together, "What was your mum going to say about Gem?"

Before Harry could grab Annabelle's hand, she had shook her head and walked out of the room, rushing into the bathroom, locking the door. She quickly texted her mother and asked what was going on.

From: Mom
Girls meeting at home, come as soon as you can.

Anger rushed through Annabelle, since when was her mother a part of the "girls meetings" that she had with Anne and Gemma? She knew that she had to go, because she cared about Gemma and her baby. It seemed as if Annabelle were the only one who cared. Anne wouldn't even attend the first ultrasound due to having a date with a man she's apparently been seeing secretly for at least a month.

The meeting consisted of Annabelle volunteering to babysit whenever Gemma needed her to, because Anne wouldn't let her skip any school, besides when she had to be in the hospital. Julie also volunteered to babysit, but Gemma knew she'd be calling Annabelle and Harry to babysit before she would even think about calling Julie.

The meeting was so "important," because Gemma had to go back to university after skipping almost a week to attend doctor appointments and go shopping for the baby while she had the time, and she had to make future plans with everyone before it was too late.

Annabelle was distracted almost the entire time, thinking of how she would tell Harry, or if Gemma would tell him. She was terrified that Harry would be upset at her for not telling him, which made her think about whether she should mention his mother's new boyfriend or not.

After everyone was finished making plans, Annabelle pulled Gemma aside and typed a note on her phone, asking Gem when she'd tell Harry.

"Do you think you could mention it to him? I mean," Gemma looked away for a second, "I know he wont be proud of me. He's always been one of those guys who think having children should be saved for after marriage, and I don't think I can face him and tell him that his older sister got knocked up during her last year of uni- how would I even handle his reaction if-" Annabelle placed a hand on Gemma's arm to calm her down and let her know it would be alright. Annabelle would tell Harry, and deal with the consequences of keeping it a secret for an entire month.

Annabelle's phone continued to receive messages from Harry, asking where she went and why she left without telling him goodbye. She didn't message him back until Gem and Anne left, leaving her alone with Julie. She wanted to leave and walk back home, but it was pouring the rain and she didn't want to risk getting sick, for Harry was just getting over the flu.

i'm at my mom's house, please come pick me up as soon as you can.

"How are things with Harry?" Julie asked, sitting at the dining room table. Annabelle gave a sarcastic smile to her mother, walking out of the room to wait for Harry. Julie followed Annabelle.

"You could have told me, you know? I guess this whole I can't speak, woah is me, act kept you from telling me anything, hm?" Annabelle rolled her eyes, wondering what she did to ever deserve such a bitch of a mother.

Julie kept making rude and sarcastic comments while she could, even telling Annabelle that she should really get a hair cut and try harder with her outfit choices, to which Annabelle huffed and walked out onto the porch.

Harry arrived in seconds of Annabelle being outside. She scurried to the car, trying not to get soaked from the downpour. When she closed the door, she let out a small sigh and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. Harry asked what happened, only for Annabelle to shake her head and hold up her pointer finger, telling him that she'll explain later- and she did. She wrote about Gemma being pregnant for a little over a month now, how Gemma didn't have the heart to tell Harry, how Gemma told Annabelle the day she came over and pulled her into the bathroom for at least half an hour.

Harry had tears in his eyes, "Gemma's pregnant?" He asked in disbelief, a small smile on his lips. Annabelle nodded, her lips forming into a smile as well. Harry's eyes looked around the room for a minute, then his smile faltered and he started doing exactly what Annabelle feared.

"You didn't tell me for a whole month? You've known about my sister being pregnant for a month and no one has told me? No, Annabelle, that isn't fair," Harry shook his head when Annabelle tried to calm him down, "Julie knew about my sister being pregnant and I didn't?"

They were both quiet for a moment as Harry processed everything that was going on, trying to decipher how he felt and what he was trying not to say to Annabelle in his moment of anger. He learned to control his temper and words around Annabelle to the best of his ability.

"What else are you hiding from me?" Harry's voice was almost monotone as he watched Annabelle's eyes close and her fingers fumbling with each other.
"What- there's actually something else?" Harry's heart felt even heavier as Annabelle sadly nodded and continued writing in her notebook.

I think I know why your mom hasn't been around much lately. She's been seeing someone for, a month maybe? At least since she started pushing you away. I promise I didn't know until recently, and I didn't think it was my place to tell you.

"Not your place? Annabelle, you were the one who watched me have a break down all because my mum pushed me away- you," Harry paced around the kitchen, "Of course it was your place to tell me! Why have you been keeping things from me? Do you not trust me? Am I not worthy of your trust, precious, queen, Annabelle?" Harry sarcastically held his hands together as if he were begging her to accept him. Annabelle watched in disbelief.

"I tell you everything. I thought you would be the one person to never hurt me. Jesus, Annabelle, stop looking like a lost puppy or something, this isn't my fault for once."

That sums up how the next ten minutes went, Harry taking out his anger by making passive aggressive remarks and shaming Annabelle for not telling him such important things about his own family. He made sure to make her feel guilty. It ended when Harry tossed the notebook onto the counter and went into the bedroom, slamming the door on the way.

Annabelle felt so hurt, but she felt as if she didn't have the right to feel this way. It was her fault, right? She didn't deserve to sulk or have any attention from Harry. She felt so guilty, she tried not to cry, but failed as she sat on the kitchen counter, staying away from Harry to let everything calm down, and thought about her previous nightmare starting to come true.