𝐒𝐊𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑

trente-deux: messed up

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:
"messed up"

Asher pulled up at the local ice-cream parlor. He wasn't really phased by the situation, he had been hurt multiple times before and this one was just another time added to his infinite list.

He didn't really need to know that his mom purposely lost him. To be honest, He was better before meeting her. Things don't always go as planned, do they?

"You okay?" Annie asked biting her lip. It might have not been her fault but she had the habit on blaming herself if anything went wrong ever since her brother's death.

Asher nodded, "Yeah, just expected something different I guess." He said.

"I'm sorry." She said once again, "I wish things would be better." She said.

"Your dad saw you didn't he?" Asher asked as they stood in the short line.

She sighed, "Probably." She nodded. "But I don't think he'd do anything now" Annie lied. She knew what he was capable of.

They soon ordered and sat in the corner of the store. Ice-cream always managed to cheer someone up.

She chuckled sadly, "We're so depressing."

"We can't blame ourselves. We didn't really sign up for this." Asher shrugged, laughing along with her.

She licked a spoonful of her basic vanilla bean, "True" She sighed.

"But I mean, I'm doing better than before-you guys really made my life a lot better." She said smiling genuinely.

He smiled, "You did too. I mean, I didn't know I had a sister" He laughed.

"Isn't your sister the absolute best?" She smirked.

He pretended to think about it for a while, "Eh," He said. "I don't know about that."

She playfully hit him, "Well you should! She's literally the best person you'll ever meet and her humour is the best." Annie laughed.

"Oh please, Her humour is dead." He deadpanned.

"As if yours is any better" She rolled her eyes, a smile still on her face. They were trying to lighten each others mood and it was working.

Yes, they were teasing each other but I mean in their relationship, how else were they supposed to make the other feel better?

"Hey, Asher?" Annie called out.

"Yeah?" He responded.

"You know about your mother.." She said, her voice trailing off as she reached the end of the sentence. "She..she was young and stupid she probably thought if she put you away, you would have a better life."

He shrugged, "And did that work?" He rolled his eyes.

"I guess..if you were with her..you would've been raised differently and I heard that my dad only went back to her because she called..for help. I don't think she would've expected for both of them to get back together" She said.

"She probably feels so guilty for leaving you but I'm pretty sure she wanted you to have a better life than her." She said biting the corner of her lip.

Asher looked at her, probably thinking through everything in his head. He then sighed deeply, "I guess your right"

"I'm always right." She smirked as the little entrance bell went off.

"You think you're always right" He rolled his eyes playfully. She punched his arm yet again and laughed.

Asher suddenly looked over and smiled, "Hey-" He started causing Annie to look behind to see who Asher was looking at and just as she made eye contact with him, She froze.

Guilt consuming her.

Annie immediately got up from her seat and rushed towards him, internally praying that he would understand.

But instead, he was definitely mad. "This is what you call studying huh?" He scoffed as she ran towards him.

She took a deep breath as her breath hitched, "Johnny lis-" He cut her off as tears threatened to spill out her eyes.

"-I didn't expect this from you, Annie." He said as he walked out.

His voice showing a huge level of hurt.

She watched as he left as quick as he came in, frozen right in place. She cursed under her breath. She really just always manages mess up everything.