Ethan stopped at a fast food joint, grabbing some burgers, fries and drinks before stopping at a beach.
The beach was secluded around a forest of trees, and due to the time of night, absolutely peaceful.
Annie grabbed the drinks as Ethan grabs a blanket from the backseat while also grabbing the food. Ethan set the blanket down.
Once they settled, Annie grabbed a few fries, biting down on the salty potato goodness. A small smile graced her lips. Annie then turned her attention to Ethan, "why did you take me here?"
Ethan shrugged, "my dad took me here a lot when I was a kid, it kind of became my peaceful place after he died. I know you don't have the same connection, but it is peaceful, so I figured you'd like it."
Annie nods, as Ethan takes a bite of some fries, "your dad was a good man, a good father. I'm sorry you had to loose him," Annie offered Ethan a sad smile.
"He was," Ethan agreed, "your mother was a good mother to, she was very kind. I'm really sorry for your loss, Annie."
Annie bit her lips and looked away from Ethan, biting back the tears. 'No crying, no crying, no crying!' She chanted in her head.
"Annie have you cried since...?" Ethan asked, noticing Annie holding back her tears everytime they appeared.
Annie let out a shuddering breath, staring out at the oceans waves, taking a deep breath of the salty air. Not meeting his gaze Annie replied, "not yet, no."
"You don't have to tell me- if I'm overstepping just slap me and tell me to shut up, but, why? Why are you holding your emotions back?"
Annie took another deep breath, swallowing the ever growing lump in her throat. Annie moves her gaze to the sand, making different designs in it with her finger, "I'm afraid that if I cry it means she will truly be gone... youknow?" She whispers. "I mean I know she's gone, but I don't know. It's like if I cry and the pain in my chest goes away, I'm afraid I'll forget her," she let's out a heavy breath.
Ethan noticed Annie's shoulders slightly sagging as she rambled on, he figured it was because she hadn't talked to anyone about this subject yet.
Ethan let's out a light breath, his hand placed on the back of her shoulder, "it's okay to cry," he reassured, "you won't forget her, the loss gets easier over time, but you'll never forgot."
"You sound so sure," Annie mumbled, entranced with the sand.
"I am sure," Ethan smiled, pulling Annie out of her trance, her gaze on his. "Do you want to talk about her?"
Annie shook her head, "Not right now," she breathed a sigh.
"Okay," Ethan smiled, leaning back on his arms, "I heard about the dinner tomorrow, you excited?"
Annie shrugged in response, "pretty sure only like three people there will like me, so I'm... Okay?"
"I hope I'm one of those three people," Ethan smiled an easy smile.
"If you want to be," Annie shrugged again. "Who all is coming?"
"Then you should be elated for tomorrow because definitely one person there likes you," smiled Ethan, earning an eye roll from Annie, "as for people, I'm not entirely sure who Kyson invited but I invited two guys from the football team. Oh! Riley's sister is going to loveyou, hold up let me text Riley to invite her too," Ethan rambled as he pulled out his phone, sending a quick text to Riley.
"I also invited Max, but I'm sure Kyson already talked to him anyways," Ethan shrugged.
Annie sighed inwardly. Max was probably the most outwardly rude amongst the men that bullied her. Most of the bullies were girls, as the boys were more concerned getting into trouble with a girl.
But Max didn't care, even he had shoved her once.
"So I have to ask, is there anyone in particular I should be worried about around you? I wouldn't want to invite someone who would make you uncomfortable," Ethan looked at Annie, noticing the turmoil in her head.
Annie sighed meeting his gaze, "the past is the past, I forgive everyone- well, except two people. Everyone is starting on a clean slate in my books. If someone else has a problem with that then that is their problem until it truly becomes my own. Don't worry about the people around me, I can handle myself."
"Doll, I just don't want a repeate of three years ago," Ethan sighed, sadness apaarent in his eyes.
"What do you know of three years ago anyways?" Annie asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Ethan took a sip of his drink as he formed an answer, "I know about the attempt, and you being sent away," Ethan bit his lip, feeling like he's tip toeing on dangerous land.
Annie scooted her body over to face Ethan better, "you don't know how I got there? Or how I got out?... From the bridge?"
Ethan stilled, he hadn't known how or why she ended up in the lake under the bridge. He never asked, all he knew was that she was drowning and bleeding.
"No, not really," Ethan shook his head.
"I have been trying to rack my brain for the last three years to figure out how I got out of the water and into my bed that night. The last thing I remember was the water," Annie signs, the image flashing in her head. The watery silhouette of the bridge above her, her hand sat still in her vision as she watched two figures run away. Then she noticed the blood seeping from her arms.
Shoo-ing the image from her head she turned her focus back to Ethan who looked deep in thought.
"I'm going to be honest with you Annie, I don't know what happened before you jumped, but I know how you got home because I was there," Ethan shared.