The Self Destruct Button ~ Bratayley Fanfic

Chapter 30. Lunch Date?

Annie's POV

"Hey Annie," Hayley called a couple weeks later as she opened my bedroom door.

I smiled in her direction as I look up from my book. "Hey Hayley, what's up?"

"Not much, just bored," Hayley sighed as she plopped down on the bed with me. She grabbed a couple of pillows and stuffed them under her foot; her ankle still hurt a little, but she could now walk on it.

"Yeah, this summer has been pretty boring," I admitted.

"Everything and everyone has changed so much since we moved away," Hayley said. "It's like everyone is a different person."

I nodded. "Yeah. I remember before we left, I was so close with Katie and Sydney and all my other friends. Then after we left...it all just changed."

"Yeah. I miss the old days," Hayley put her head in my lap.

"Me too," I responded. "Life was easier."

Hayley shrugged. "Somewhat. Before you had cancer it definitely was."

"Yeah," I said with a slight scoff. "You can say that again."

We sat there like that for a few minutes before I heard Hayley slightly sniff.

"I miss everything," she cried. "I miss Caleb and our old friends and when you were healthy; I miss it."

"Oh, Hayley," I hugged her. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault all of this bad stuff happened," Hayley said.

"I feel like it is," I said quietly. "If I had tried harder, maybe I could've convinced Mom to let us still live here. We would still be close with our friends, and I'd probably still be with Brennan."

"Do you miss him?" Hayley asked.

I shrugged.

"I know you do," she said. "No offense, but you haven't been the same either after you two broke up."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You...you don't seem as happy. You're still happy, just not as much," Hayley explained. "I thought you would move on, but I don't think you have."

"I guess you're right, I just don't want to admit it to myself," I shrugged again. "Because if I do, I don't think our relationship would be the same..."

"Of course it wouldn't," Hayley said as she looked me in the eye. "But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good relationship."

•••

I decided it wouldn't hurt to accept Brennan's request to have lunch with him. I texted him the next day when and where, and I'm just hoping it won't be a disaster.

We were going to a restaurant that we once went to on a date a long time ago. We had a good time, so I'm hoping we'll have a good time here again.

On Friday afternoon I pulled up in front of the restaurant. I looked out the front windshield to see Brennan leaning against the wall by the door on his phone. His hair looked messy and somewhat wet; maybe he came from a water polo practice.