Handle With Care

26. A Night to Forget.

HANDLE WITH CARE

26. A Night to Forget.

ANNIE

The morning after she had spent the night with Luke, all the memories came flooding back. The memories of what used to be, and what she used to have. She knew she'd never forget it, or them, but she hoped one day she could move on. Maybe more time was needed, that's what she believed, that in time her wounds could heal, and she could be back to her old self. She believed so anyways.

She'll never be the girl she used to be though. That girl had never felt loss, or pain or loneliness, that girl was young and naïve. Annie knew that girl was deep down, somewhere, and maybe she could be revived.

Annie spent most of the day with Nina, she was ready to go home but their flight wasn't until later tonight. She tried avoiding Luke, as hard as it was, trying not to meet his gaze.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Nina was picking up a top from a clothes rail, eyes quickly scanning around them as she made sure the boys weren't near. They were the other side of the shop, in the men's section, wondering aimlessly. Calum had resulted in wearing sunglasses all day, his head throbbing from his eventful night, along with Ashton's constant mithering just to annoy him more.

"Nothing happened," Annie shook her head, hand feeling the clothes she was interested in as she looked to Nina under her lashes, hoping she would drop the topic.

"You can talk to me y'know? I know I'm loud, but I won't say anything to them, not Calum, if you think I will." Nina took a step closer, reaching to Annie's arm in hopes she would confide in her friend. Nina knew everything she'd been through, and that's probably why she was pushing her towards Luke, hoping he could fix her. She didn't know the intricacies of their relationship, only about the whole therapist client thing, but she didn't think that was a big deal.

Annie could tell Nina was a bit upset by her keeping secrets, for as long as she remembered they would tell each other everything. To Nina, Annie was just like a fourth sister, and Annie thought the same. Although Annie wasn't as close to Nina's sisters, they were still her friends.

She couldn't bear to look at Luke in the morning, and she felt terrible for it, but she knew if she looked at him, she'd burst into tears. Annie didn't blame him for anything, he didn't understand how much she had been through, let alone just how important her job was to her.

Annie sighed, she wished she didn't have to gossip about her love life like it was some illicit affair the world was forbidden to know about. But in reality, the world could know, if people saw her and Luke together and got photos about his return, her face would be everywhere, and she'd no longer be just a therapist. "I know, thank you, we – well, we did it."

Nina nodded, trying not to burst out in joy as she realised this might not have been a good thing for Annie, at least she didn't make it seem that way. "ok, right, and that's bad because?"

"Nina you know why," she sighed, sick of explaining how much of a horrible idea it was to Nina, to herself. She messed up, royally, and there was nothing she could do about it. Nina looked over to the boys, seeing Luke look their way, and gave him a smile. He smiled back, then going back to listening to Ashton make fun of Calum's terrible hangover.

"I have an idea," Nina commented, a wicked grin on her face which led Annie to groan loudly, gaining the attention of the others across the shop. Annie knew what that meant. Nina was going to give some stupid idea, Annie would say no, Nina would tell her how they only live once and they shouldn't waste it, and then Annie would agree. "It's a good one I promise!"