My Pace

Chapter 42

                             Anabelle's POV
I lied to him. I wasn't going to my mom's. I was going to Holy's. She knows her brother well enough to probably help me. I rang the doorbell and waited for the door to open.

"Anabelle? What's wrong? It's 4 am."

I walked inside.

"I-I need space from him."

"Why? Did you guys fight?"

"I don't even know."

I explained everything to her.

"Oh that? That wasn't about you at all. He's not lying. It was a 4 way phone call. We were all talking to Eric. Me, Holt, and Charlize were talking to him. You can ask her too. She'll say the same thing. He's not lying. He'd never lie to you."

We sat on her couch and kept talking. At like 11: 35 am, her doorbell rang again. I heard Holt's voice.

Don't say I'm here.

No, no, no.

"Princess go okay with your cousin."

I heard Ariella go around looking for Kylie. I quietly opened the bedroom door and walked to the staircase. I looked down. I saw Holt and Holy. I looked closer and saw Holt's eyes were red and puffy.

"I don't know what to do. I was explaining to her and.."

"She just took off and left?"

"Yeah. You know, I'm not lying. All of us, were talking to him. I'm trying to keep it all together for Ella but, I'm literally 5 seconds away from breaking."

I sat there and listened to them talk.

"And she's not at her mom's?"

"No. Ha-have you seen her?"

"No. I haven't. Why would she come to me?"

"I-I don't know. I thought...maybe since, you two are good now."

"No. I'm sorry. She's not here."

"Aunt Ana's here. Why are you lying?"

"Ana's here?!"

"Mommy's here?!"

Oh god.

No, no, no.

I heard people running up the stairs.

I'm not gonna even bother.

I felt arms going around my neck.

"Mommy!"

I started hugging Ariella.

"Why did you leave?"

I didn't answer.

"Ani!"

Holt sat down next to me. I kept hugging Ariella.

"Ani..."

"What?"

"How can I make this better?"

"I need you to explain everything."

"B-but I did."

"Don't lie."

"What the hell's gotten into you?"

"My head is all over the place."

"Ari go play."

She ran off with Kylie.

"I'm not going anywhere so, you gotta talk to me. Look, you should've told me. I would've explained."

He convinced me to go home. After Ariella fell asleep, I shut my bedroom door. Holt walked over to me and started kissing me.

"I love you."

"I love you too. Next baby name is, "Raven""

"Yes ma'am."

In the morning, he sat up. I saw what, I did to his back.

"Hey uh? Holt? Does your back hurt?"

"Why? Did you destroy it again?"

"Uhhhhh."

"Of course, you did. I've had worse happen to me."

"Oh."

He stood up. He grabbed some clothes then went to get dressed.

"Are you by yourself today?"

"God, I hope not."

I walked into the bathroom. I jumped onto the counter. I started watching him do his hair.

"You look fine."

"No. It looks like, a mess."

"So? Mine does too."

"Not what I meant. Am I bringing Ari to school today? I can get her a bagel or something to eat on the way there."

"Aw. You wanna do a little coffee date?"

"I'm getting coffee. She's not."

"I mean...if you want. Or you could be a rebel and let her get a donut. I assume, you were gonna do that anyway."

"You know me. I probably would anyway."

"I'm gonna go get her ready."

I hopped off the counter. I started walking to Ariella's room. I opened the door. I walked up to her bed. I saw she was already awake. She was on her phone. Yes. She's got a phone. It's just in case, anything happens.