Mended Hearts | Johannie

Chapter Eleven

Lauren's POV  
          "Annie?" Johnny repeats. I wince, watching as she flinches at the sound of her name. She turns to Hayden, whispering something in his ear. He nods, then he whispers something back. Annie reluctantly stands up, making her way over to where we're standing.
Annie and I briefly make eye contact, and I notice how tired and stressed she looks. She looks great, as usual, but you still see how worn out she is. She glances at Johnny, waiting for him to say something. His voice is surprisingly gentle as he asks her, "How are you? I've missed you and I just wondered how you were doing." Annie bites her lip, before she softly replies, "I'm alive aren't I? I'd say that's an accomplishment."
I see the pain in John's eyes, as he watches the person he loves suffer. My own heart breaks for Annie. She's been through a lot these past few weeks. Now she's stuck with unanswered questions and difficult decisions.
"Annie, I-" She cuts John off, her voice barely audible, "Please don't. No more apologies. It's my mess, my problems, you shouldn't have to apologize for my mistakes." For the first time since her brother's death, I see the vulnerable side of Annie. I see her hidden pain and guilt. I realize just how badly she's hurting.
John shakes his head, "You don't have to struggle alone, Anns. I'm willing to put aside my own feelings, for your sake. As your friend or whatever, I just want to help." For a brief moment, it appears she's going to accept his offer. But then, she changes her mind. She smiles sadly at John, "As much as I'd like to say yes, I'm going to say no. I'm trying to figure out my feelings right now. I'm afraid if you're around me, it'll just confuse me even more. I appreciate your concern but I'll be ok." I know she's lying, I can tell she's far from ok.
Just as she's about to turn and leave, John moves towards her, pulling her into a hug. Instead of pulling away, like I expect her to, she hugs him back. She lets him hug her and whisper words of encouragement, in her ear. When he finally lets her go, her expression is softened and there's a small smile on her face. John forces a smile of his own, a pained expression on his face. I think how hard it must be for him, to let her go...again.
She walks back over to where Hayden is waiting. She grabs her phone and her keys, saying something to Hayden. He simply nods, replying with what I assume, is an understanding answer. Dylan says something and Annie hesitates, before nodding. Dylan gathers her things and then, the two of them walk towards the back door. While Annie doesn't look back, Dylan does. She glances at Johnny, an unreadable expression on her face. Judging by the way she frowns and turns around, I can safely assume she's not happy with my brother. Based on the fact, she's Annie friend, I bet she's annoyed with John. She's probably hating that he's putting Annie in a tough situation.
I just hope Annie picks my poor brother, in the end. I wistfully think, glancing over at him. John's nonchalantly staring at his phone, but I can tell he's trying to act like he doesn't care, even though it's easy to see he's heartbroken. I sigh, hoping everything will work out, in the end.

Dylan's POV (Haha, didn't see that coming did you?)

I glance at Annie, who's biting her lip and trying not to cry. She catches me staring, forcing a laugh. "I must look pathetic. It's just thinking about how willing and selfless John was...it made me hate myself for putting him in this situation." She shakes her head, "He deserves someone who will put him first. He deserves someone better than me."
I frown, "Anns, any guy would be lucky to have a girlfriend like you. You're taking your time and deciding, most girls would just pick one of the guys without caring who they hurt." Annie smiles at me, "Thanks Dyl, that's sweet but I still feel bad." She uses the sleeve of her cardigan to wipe away her tears.
Once she's composed herself, she says, "John and I have a complicated past. We met when I was five and he was six. We grew up next door but he moved away when he was eleven. We met up a few years later, but everything was different. He'd changed...but so had I. We grew apart and I ended up dating his best friend. We became friends again, but it was really just for Hayden's sake. Anyway, once Hayden and I broke up, John and I stopped hanging out. We had never really regained the close friendship we once had."
She laughs sadly, "John was my first boyfriend and my first kiss. But, the best part was he still my best friend at the end of the day. I could trust him with a secret, I knew he wouldn't judge me. I miss that, but overtime I've made new friends and I spend less and less time thinking about the what if's. It's in the past. I'm living in the moment, but also thinking of the future. I can't spend all my time focused on the past."
I smile, "It's good to see you happy again. After you and Hayden broke up, you seemed to lose interest in life. These last few months though, you suddenly seemed to be yourself again. You were happy and carefree." Annie nods, "It was because of Carson. He would take me places, always ready for a new adventure. He was patient and understanding, but he also helped me regain my happiness."
She sighs, "Then, I met Asher. He was so friendly and upbeat. He was so full of life, didn't seem to care what others thought of him. He had goals and priorities, but always had time for some fun. He was also great friend material. But then, he starting falling for me. You know what happened next..."
For the first time, I realize just how hard it must be for Annie to make a decision. Each boy brings her happiness, but for different reasons. She loves them all, but again, she's loves them for different reasons. They're all special to her but for different reasons.
"We're here." Annie says, parking in front of my house. I glance at her, "You sure you'll be ok?" She nods, smiling, "I'll be ok. It's not the first time I've been in a situation like this." She lowers her eyes, "But, yeah. I'll be fine, Dyl. Thanks for being here for me, though. I'll call you later." I nod, "Ok, see you later."
I grab my things and climb out of her car. I head inside, setting my things down and immediately heading upstairs. I sit down at my desk and start writing. I hear the door open and the slam shut, before I hear someone coming upstairs. Caden appears, sticking his head in my room, "Hey Dyl, I'm home. What are you doing?" I shake my head, shushing him, "Working on a way to help Annie."

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𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝙳𝚢𝚕𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚍? 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛!
𝚇𝚘, 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚗 ❤︎