The Other Side of Fairytale

Chapter Eleven: Discoveries

When the sun was high enough in the sky to light her room, Annabelle rolled over to look out her window at the apple blossom trees. Her body felt sore and achy. She never ate dinner last night and had been skipping more and more meals, due to stress. She opened her swollen eyes and saw a book sitting on her nightstand. She grabbed her glasses putting them on and picked up the book.

It was La Belle La Bete. The staff must have put it there when they unpacked for her. She flipped to the back of the book and gently ran her finger over her grandfather's words as she had done so many times before.

Belle would wait for a partner that saw her as his equal, that challenged her mind and relished in her strength. They would be strong together and fight their way to a better ending.

Annabelle had thought she found that with Drake. No, she shook her head. She was sure she found that with Drake. She was not just going to roll over and give up on love.

Annabelle threw her covers off her, renewed by her realization. She stood and made her way to the shower lost in thought. She was not just going to let him take her heart. She needed to talk to him and find out why he said what he did. Annabelle knew Drake too well. She knew that he pushed people away when he was hurt and she refused to let him do that to her. She needed to find out what happened and if he was not the man she thought he was, if they didn't have the love she thought they did, then he is not the partner she wants.

She turned on the shower letting the steam renew her and climbed under the water. She remembered the words of her grandfather as the water warmed her body, soothing her aching muscles.

She was intelligent, strong, kind and loving.

She had forgotten her strength, she had always been a fighter. She was going to fight for the ending she deserved.

Annabelle hopped out of the shower just as she heard a familiar knock at her door.

"Little Blossom, it's me" she heard Maxwell's voice sing song through the door.

"Just a minute, Max" she threw on a robe and opened her door. Maxwell looked at her with a grin. He was holding a bakery box and a large take out coffee. His face was still badly bruised, but the swelling had gone down some. She stepped aside for him to enter.

He walked over to the small side table in her room and set down the box and the coffee. He spoke to her over his shoulder as he began opening the box.

"You're up early today. And you look...better." He turned meeting her eyes with a smile, handing her the coffee. "Happier."

Annabelle smiled back at him. "I am better, thanks Max," she smiled as she delighted in the rich black coffee rolling down her throat. Maxwell handed Annabelle a napkin with a cronut on it. Her face lit up with a broad smile. "You got me cronuts?"

Maxwell had an equally large grin on his face. "I did indeed, Little Blossom" he wrapped his arms around her planting a soft kiss to her lips. "I was hoping they might cheer you up. Plus....can I be honest about something, Belle?" Annabelle nodded to Max as she took a large bite savoring the cronut. "When you were trying on clothes yesterday, you look like you've lost weight, Little Blossom." He said sheepishly not wanting to criticize her in any way. "And I realized, that you really haven't been eating much lately" he stated, his voice laced with concern.

Annabelle stopped mid bite. She was taken aback by the concern Maxwell was expressing. She had noticed it too, but didn't think anyone else had bothered to. "It's okay Max, that's just sort of how I am when I am stressed" she shrugged. He moved around her snaking his arms around his waist, planting a gentle kiss onto her cheek.