A little over two weeks have passed since Annabella went to get the kids from Alex's parents house. The day of the party was approaching. Annabella phoned Penny.
"Hi, Penny. Could you watch the kids tonight and tomorrow?" She asked.
"Tomorrow's Christmas, are you sure you want me to watch them on Christmas?"
"Yes, I'm going to a party at your son's house." Annabella responded, "and I don't trust anyone else except for you."
"Did you get them presents? If you did then you should probably bring them over if you think you won't be stable enough to watch them yourselves." Penny said, "they can stay for however long you need, Anna."
"Thank you and I'm packing them up now. Alex might take them between New Years and Christmas, I still have to figure that out with him."
"Okay, yeah whenever you do, just make sure you tell me."
Annabella hung up the phone, "Cillian? Are you ready?"
Cillian entered the room, he was wearing a black cardigan and blue jeans, "yes. I'm a little excited to meet Alex."
"You'd be surprised, he's a nice guy."
"And you're other friends, too." He added, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
Annabella wore a sweater and sweatpants, she turned to finish doing her makeup in the mirror.
"Mum, are we going, yet?" Complained Charlie.
"Soon, just another minute!" Annabella shouted, "I think Alex invited my sister. And god knows who she invited."
Cillian sighed, he walked behind her and placed an arm around her neck, "I won't let anything happen to you. Not again." He put his lips on her neck.
"I'm inviting you so I don't feel so alone."
He smiled, "and so you don't get assaulted."
"I'm hoping she stopped being friends with Grant, but if she hasn't then I hope he isn't at the party."
"Yeah... well you did everything you could with your sister and her friends." He turned on his heel and walked out of the bathroom.
Annabella finished up with her make up and made her way down the stairs, "you'll stay with your grandparents for a few days, okay?"
"Okay mum." Charlie said.
"Come on, let's head out." She helped Charlie put her scarf on. And she grabbed her keys and a box. That had the presents in them, but she'd told her children that it was something she was going to give to Penny.
Cillian sat in the passenger seat, he gripped the outside of the frame of the jeep.
Annabella parked the car and rang the doorbell, Charlie and Daniel entered the house. She handed Penny the presents after telling her that it was the presents for her kids.
She walked back to the car and started, "Annabella, what if Grant, Michael and Nico are there?"
"I'll try not to let them ruin my evening and I'll try to avoid them." She said as they drove.
They reached Alex's house in ten minutes, her old home was plastered right in front of her face. Uncertainty filled her face as she pushed the door open.
"Annabella." Cillian called out to her, "if you don't want to go in, no hard feelings from me."
She grabbed the plate of food from the backseat, "it's okay. I already made some food. Let's just... go in." She said hesitantly.
The pair approached the door, Annabella rang the doorbell, "hey!" Jamie shouted as he opened the door.
Annabella's face lit up, "Jamie!" She shouted, hugging him.
"And you must be Cillian." Jamie said he seemed laid back and on his way to be drunk.
"Hello." Cillian held his hand out, Jamie shook it.
"Well, come on in. The both of you."
Annabella held the plate as she walked to the kitchen. She knew the layout of the house well, music was blasting from the living area and someone was singing or at least trying to sing.
"Anna, hi." Alex said, as she rounded the corner to the kitchen, "could I get you something to drink?"
"Uh- do you have Irish whiskey?" She asked, putting the plate down.
"I wonder what's under the tin foil..." his voice was soon tuned out by the obnoxious singing, "yeah. I think I still have some Irish whiskey laying around. I'll have to look."
"Annabella." Matthew said, walking to her from the office.
"Matt." She smiled before embracing him in a hug, "how is your daughter?"
"Good. How are the twins doing?" Matthew was almost always the only one to stay sober out of all the men in the band.
"They're doin' alright. If you want more information about them, then, please feel free to ask Alex."
"Did someone just say my name? Ow." A bang, Alex emerged from the cupboard, his hand on his head.
Annabella sighed, as Alex handed her the bottle of whiskey, "do you want one?" She asked Cillian.
He waved her off, "if you get too drunk that you can't even drive. Then I have to be the one to drive and I'd much rather not be drinking beforehand."
As soon as Nick saw her, his face changed to a big goofy smile. He approached her, "hi." He said, still smiling.
"Hello, Nick. I can see you're doin' pretty good."
"Pretty good would be an understatement." Mick raised his eyebrows.
Annabella giggled, "yeah. I agree. I'm doin' fuckin' great right now."
Lily appeared and hugged Alex's arm as if she was scared that Annabella would try to take him back. She poured a little bit of the whiskey as the song died down, "what the hell's with the singing?" Cillian asked Jamie.
Jamie sighed, "I don't even know at this point, mate, I just got here with my wife, legitimately a minute before you did, which is why I was the one who answered the door and not Alex."
Annabella drank from the glass, "would you at least like water or something?" She offered Cillian.
"We have soda too." Alex said, looking at Cillian, "or just water."
"I'm not thirsty." He responded to their offer more intrigued with what Jamie was saying.
Annabella was glad Cillian and Jamie were hitting it off so well.
"How old's your daughter now, Matt?" She turned to ask.
"Four. Still tiny as usual. My wife she's at home watching her, which is why she isn't here." He sighed, "I tried to convince her to come but she insisted on staying."
"That's unfortunate," Annabella sighed, "Miles?!" She practically screamed realizing the person who was singing karaoke was Miles.
"Annabella." He said, doing a little spin as he walked towards her, "how have you been, my dear?" He bent at the knees, reaching into one of the cupboards.
"I've been doing well."
"Alex tells me you two have split." He re-emerged with a bottle.
"Yes. We have." She glanced at Alex, sighing, "it was bound to happen, anyways, that's just something that happens when one person's always away from the house, you know, they meet new people. Maybe fall in love while they're at it." She threw a quick look in Cillian's direction as she was saying the last sentence.
"Your sister's here too. With a bunch of girls and guys."
"Expected her. She doesn't exactly focus on her studies like me."
Miles learned towards her ear, as if to tell her a secret, "to be honest, Anna, I don't really like all of them."
"Yeah. Me neither." She said, "Now I love your voice and all that shit, go on. Go!" She pushed him in the direction of the living room.
He laughed as he walked backwards, doing a little shimmy before grabbing the microphone and holding the bottle, while singing.
"Your wife is a very nice person, Matt. I'd hate not to see her again."
Jamie walked towards her and patted her shoulder, "he's a nice guys and I approve."
Annabella rolled her eyes, "I don't need your bloody approval, Jamie."
Cillian leaned against the wall, Jamie turned and returned to him to continue their conversation. Alex had gone into the living room with his new girlfriend. Nick was gone too, probably to listen to Miles sing.
"Everyone else is in the living room." Annabella pointed out.
"I don't like being around people who reek of alcohol."
"Me too, Matt." She admitted, sighing, "how's everything at home?"
"It's doing good. Where do you live now?"
"If you want to know then just ask Alex, I'm certain he'll be happy to give you my address." Annabella said, looking at Matt.
"Eh, I'm doubtful."
"I'll text you later then, you dumbass because you have two contacts saved as my name and you've been texting the wrong person for the past three damn years."
"I was beginning to wonder why you weren't answering."
"The person was probably pissed."
"Extremely. I wish I could say I'm sorry to whoever that person is." Matt's gaze lowered, "why'd you change your number?"
"Because- uh... I lost my other phone in the ocean when Alex and I were on vacation. Not my best moment." She laughed.
Matt scoffed, "how? I mean... I don't want to know."
"Okay fine, that'll save me some breaths because the story is really long." Annabella said.
"Uh-huh. Likewise." Matt stood up straighter, "why didn't Jamie ask you out?"
"Jesus, do I look like I would know? We were probably better off as friends."
"I can see that." He nodded his head, "definitely can see that, Annabella." He grinned, "that sounds a lot like Jamie too."
"I think he may have been dating his now wife. When I became friends with him." Annabella shrugged, "I don't know." She looked up and didn't see Cillian or Jamie anywhere, Matt looked as if he was getting bored of the conversation.
"Matt go over to Miles and tell I him I want to talk to him." She said, taking note of how bored he looked.
Matt nodded and walked towards the living room.
Annabella's back was facing the living area, a hand grabbed her waist from behind, "Cill-" she started as she turned around, realizing it wasn't Cillian who'd grabbed her.
It was Grant.
She froze.
She was pinned in the corner with the man who assaulted her, pinning her to that corner, "hey. Annabella." He said.
"Get away." She whispered, frozen in fear and disgust.
"Come on, baby. Let's have some fun. It's not like he would know."
"Get the fuck away from me." She was trying to be polite to him, hoping it was all just a misunderstanding on both their parts.
His hand was up her sweater, she hadn't noticed him moving it, until she felt the coolness of his hand creeping up her stomach, "go away. Please." She pleaded, her eyes fixed on him.
He moved his face closer. Was he going to kiss her?
"Stop." A stern voice said, Annabella had completely forgotten that she'd asked Matt to get Miles, "when she said get away. She means to fucking get away." Miles said, Grant glanced over his shoulder and sighed.
"I'll be seeing you later." His words sent a shiver down Annabella's spine. He turned and walked towards the living area to the safety of his friends.
Miles walked towards her, one of Flora's friends was up singing karaoke, "are you okay?"
She nodded, "yes." Her face was pale, like she'd seen a ghost.
He wouldn't budge, "are you sure? I knew there was something fishy with him."
"No. No. I'm not." She buried her face in her hands, "Miles, could you find Cillian?"
"Hey Jamie, can you find Cillian?" Miles asked.
"Why? What's happened?" Jamie held a look of concern and confusion on his face.
"I don't know, she won't tell me." Miles replied, he tried his best to comfort her until Cillian arrived.
"I was gone for three minutes in the bathroom and something happened. What the fuck happened, Annabella?" He was leaning on the counter next to her.