Lovely Affair ||COMPLETED||

||Gone||

While her mind fills with thoughts of Olen, her phone lit up and buzzed.

Chris.

She picks her phone up, debating on answering it, by she does anyway.

"Hey, how are you, my sunshine?" Chris asks.

Annabelle hesitates before answering, but says, "I'm good, a little tired, it's kind of late."

"I know," he responds laughing. "I missed your voice, I just wanted to hear it before I went off to bed. I hope I didn't wake you or anything."

"No! No, of course not, I haven't slept all day so I'm just tired from today."

Chris laughs at Annabelle and asks her about her day. Annabelle, of course, tells him about her day, leaving out various details that she should not say to him and stays on the line with him until she feels too tired to keep the conversation going.

"Hey, Chris, I'm getting a bit tired, I think I'm going to head out to bed."

"Of course, babe."

"Babe? That's a new one," Annabelle replies laughing.

"Yeah, uh, I have been meaning to give you a name that wasn't yours. Not because I hate it!" Chris replies trying to correct himself. "I love your name! Your name is beautiful, Annabelle."

"Don't worry, Chris, I understand. I will see you on Monday. Goodnight."

Annabelle ends the call and looks back at the message and sends it. She quickly places the phone down and leaves the room. She didn't need to look at it right now, it was a lot on her head. So, instead, she heads downstairs where her brothers are watching the television, arguing about a topic Annabelle doesn't understand nor care for. Austin watches her and instantly stands up.

"Why were you crying? Was it Chris? Annabelle, you better tell me."

Annabelle, confused, staggers back and shakes her head and arms in front of her. "No! Absolutely not!"

He looks confused.

"...then what?"

"I just...I'm a teenager, Austin, do you not get sad sometimes? I was listening to a song, I promise," she replies laughing.

"I get that way too," Arthur perked behind them.

Austin pats his sister in the back and goes back to sit down with his brother. He could tell Annabelle wasn't being completely honest, but he couldn't always be on her, he remembers how much he longed for personal space when he started dating Melissa. He remembers that day exactly as if it had just happened yesterday, but in reality was nearly three years ago. Melissa was a little punk, down to the way she dressed, as he remembers her, and was aggravating at first, but once he got to know her more, he couldn't help but take a liking to her. Eventually Austin asked her out and, of course, she had been falling for him as well so she said yes. They also went to prom together, the soccer team's all-star, and the punk girl, but Melissa stopped dressing that way and begun taking interest in the new fashion and makeup fads around her. After a year of their relationship, Melissa's parents decided to move due to their financial status, and, of course, took Melissa with them about a twenty minute drive away, which strained their relationship.

"So what now?" Annabelle asks her brothers.

Arthur seems to think, then says cheerfully, "do you guys want to go get some late night food?"

"Oh yeah, baby," Austin responds.

Annabelle and Arthur only shake their heads at their brother and race towards the car, debating on who would be driving and who would take the gunshot seat, unsurprisingly it always being Arthur if Austin was driving and vice versa. If Annabelle, luckily, got to take the front seat, one of her brothers would lift her up and disregard her yelps. They really loved their seats.