seen him since I was fourteen.” Travis spat.
“Why not?” she asked, surprised. Annabella didn’t know what she’d do if she didn’t have both of her parents.
“He cheated on my mom, then left us for the woman, got married and now they live a couple hours away.” Travis mumbled.
“I’m sorry Travis. That’s got to be hard to deal with.”
Travis shrugged. “You get used to it. Pain is something I’ve always known, but I can only let him hurt me if I choose to. I let go of it a long time ago. Everyone suffers; we just have to learn to find our way back to happiness...”
Annabella walked in silence thinking about what Travis said. It was like he was reading her mind and speaking right to her fears. She was suffering, and she couldn’t stop it. She’d been suffering for months, but she couldn’t let it go. He was still hurting her, and he’d always be able to hurt her because she couldn’t let go of the past.
“You okay?” Travis asked as he watched her face fall.
“I’m fine, I’m just tired. The run I took is kind of wearing me down right now.” It was a half-lie.
“Do you want to stop for a little bit?” Travis offered.
“No, I’m okay, I can make it. Plus, we’re almost there,” Annabella told him.
“Okay, so what do you say about doing something fun sometime,” Travis suggested.
“I’ve been here for nearly four months, and yet I’ve never seen anything fun to do, Travis.” As she spoke, they came up to her house.
“You just haven’t been hanging around the right people. You stick with me, and you’ll have loads of fun,” he told her with a wink.
“Full of yourself much?”
“No, I just know how to have a good time,” Travis teased with a smirk, his brown hair falling in front of his eyes.
“Alright Mr. Hotshot,” she teased back. “What’s there to do for fun in this town?”
“Well, you’ll just have to trust me and let me show you around tomorrow,” he said.
“And If I said I don’t want to?” She said in a playful tone
“I could always make you.”
“I’d love to see you try,” Annabella dared as they made it to her door. “Would you like to come inside? I can get you some water, and then I can take you home if you want, so you don’t have to run back.”
He just wanted to spend more time with Annabella to get to know her.
“I’d love to come inside, but you don’t have to take me home,” Travis said. He loved the offer, but he was okay to run back.
“Okay. First though, I feel the need to warn you, you might get scolded by my brother.” She opened the door only to be met with her three best friends, her brother, and Matt. They all stared as Annabella offered Travis water.
“Well, who’s this?” Ryan said as he came to the counter where Annabella and Travis sat caught up in conversation.
“This is Travis, and he’s a friend. Travis this is my brother Ryan.”
Ryan smiled as he extended his hand. He was glad that his sister was finally making friends. His parents told him she never hung out with anyone. “It’s nice to meet you, Travis. Would you like to stay for dinner tonight? We’re ordering pizza.”
“You don’t have to.” Annabella said, not sure if he’d want to or not
“Do you want me to?” Travis asked with a smirk. Looking to her friends, she felt their judgment.
“I’d love it if you stayed.”
“Then I’ll stay.” He smiled.
“Bella, can I talk to you for a sec?” Aubrey cut in. She was clearly angry and didn’t bother trying to hide it.
Looking up, she knew that it was time to face her once and for all. “I’ll be right back. Be nice to him,” she said to her brother. She then went upstairs to wait for the intervention that was her friends.
“What the hell is going on?” Aubrey asked. Any trace of a supportive friend was gone.
“What are you talking about?” Annabella asked, genuinely confused.
“What’s with that guy? You said you were going for a run, not to go find the
“Why not?” she asked, surprised. Annabella didn’t know what she’d do if she didn’t have both of her parents.
“He cheated on my mom, then left us for the woman, got married and now they live a couple hours away.” Travis mumbled.
“I’m sorry Travis. That’s got to be hard to deal with.”
Travis shrugged. “You get used to it. Pain is something I’ve always known, but I can only let him hurt me if I choose to. I let go of it a long time ago. Everyone suffers; we just have to learn to find our way back to happiness...”
Annabella walked in silence thinking about what Travis said. It was like he was reading her mind and speaking right to her fears. She was suffering, and she couldn’t stop it. She’d been suffering for months, but she couldn’t let it go. He was still hurting her, and he’d always be able to hurt her because she couldn’t let go of the past.
“You okay?” Travis asked as he watched her face fall.
“I’m fine, I’m just tired. The run I took is kind of wearing me down right now.” It was a half-lie.
“Do you want to stop for a little bit?” Travis offered.
“No, I’m okay, I can make it. Plus, we’re almost there,” Annabella told him.
“Okay, so what do you say about doing something fun sometime,” Travis suggested.
“I’ve been here for nearly four months, and yet I’ve never seen anything fun to do, Travis.” As she spoke, they came up to her house.
“You just haven’t been hanging around the right people. You stick with me, and you’ll have loads of fun,” he told her with a wink.
“Full of yourself much?”
“No, I just know how to have a good time,” Travis teased with a smirk, his brown hair falling in front of his eyes.
“Alright Mr. Hotshot,” she teased back. “What’s there to do for fun in this town?”
“Well, you’ll just have to trust me and let me show you around tomorrow,” he said.
“And If I said I don’t want to?” She said in a playful tone
“I could always make you.”
“I’d love to see you try,” Annabella dared as they made it to her door. “Would you like to come inside? I can get you some water, and then I can take you home if you want, so you don’t have to run back.”
He just wanted to spend more time with Annabella to get to know her.
“I’d love to come inside, but you don’t have to take me home,” Travis said. He loved the offer, but he was okay to run back.
“Okay. First though, I feel the need to warn you, you might get scolded by my brother.” She opened the door only to be met with her three best friends, her brother, and Matt. They all stared as Annabella offered Travis water.
“Well, who’s this?” Ryan said as he came to the counter where Annabella and Travis sat caught up in conversation.
“This is Travis, and he’s a friend. Travis this is my brother Ryan.”
Ryan smiled as he extended his hand. He was glad that his sister was finally making friends. His parents told him she never hung out with anyone. “It’s nice to meet you, Travis. Would you like to stay for dinner tonight? We’re ordering pizza.”
“You don’t have to.” Annabella said, not sure if he’d want to or not
“Do you want me to?” Travis asked with a smirk. Looking to her friends, she felt their judgment.
“I’d love it if you stayed.”
“Then I’ll stay.” He smiled.
“Bella, can I talk to you for a sec?” Aubrey cut in. She was clearly angry and didn’t bother trying to hide it.
Looking up, she knew that it was time to face her once and for all. “I’ll be right back. Be nice to him,” she said to her brother. She then went upstairs to wait for the intervention that was her friends.
“What the hell is going on?” Aubrey asked. Any trace of a supportive friend was gone.
“What are you talking about?” Annabella asked, genuinely confused.
“What’s with that guy? You said you were going for a run, not to go find the
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