STARVING, hollyoaks

𝒅𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓

"No."

"Please."

"No. Next question?" Annabelle said as she rolled her eyes at her mum. "You're looking at me like you're about to ask me again."

Maddie sighed. "Anna. He's your father. And he just wants to get to know you," she told her.

Annabelle shrugged. "He could be Draco Malfoy for all I care. And the answer would still be no. He never bothered with me growing up. Now all of a sudden, I'm expected to play the doting daughter?" She said.

Maddie smiled. "Anna, no one is saying you have to do that. Just, have lunch with him. I'll be there too. And then whatever you want to do after, you'll have my full support. Okay?"

Annabelle sighed and nodded. "Fine. But only if you buy me seasons 14-19 of Law and Order."

"You drive a hard bargain girl. It's a deal."

Annabelle nodded. "Rafael Barba. Your girl is coming home," she said as she walked off.

Maddie frowned. "Your obsession with middle aged men scares me."

"I have daddy issues."

Maddie shook her head. She sighed and smiled. "It's a good job I love you isn't it?" She said as she watched her walk off upstairs.

****

Annabelle and Maddie arrived at the coffee shop. Patrick was there. He had another woman with him. "Oh. Is this my stepmum? I know you like them young," she said.

Patrick looked to Annabelle in shock. He shook his head. "This is Sienna. She's your sister. Sienna, this is Annabelle," he told her.

Annabelle frowned as she looked to her mum. "You never told me I had an older sister. What's next? A twin?" She asked.

Patrick smiled. "No. But Sienna is a twin his name is Mark," he told his daughter.

"A brother and a sister? Wow. The family just keep on coming don't they?" Annabelle said as she rolled her eyes. She turned to her mum. "I came, I saw, I conquered.  Can I go?" She asked.

Maddie scoffed. "I don't think so. Sit down. I'll get you a drink," she said as she walked over to the counter.

"I'll give you a hand."

Annabelle sat down. She saw Sienna looking at her and frowned. "Can I take a photo for you? Might stop you gazing at me," she said.

Sienna smiled. "You just remind me of someone. Someone I used to know pretty well," she told her.

Annabelle nodded. She just sat there and checked her phone. Maddie walked over and smiled. "You okay hun?" She asked.

"I'm fine."

Maddie frowned. She knew Annabelle. And she knew that when she got uncomfortable, she clammed shut. It was something she had always done.

Patrick came back over with drinks. He handed Annabelle her hot chocolate and smiled. "So Annabelle, your mum tells me you have a thing for dance."

"Yeah. I do. I was dance captain at my old school. Don't think I'll find much like that here," Annabelle said. She sighed. "I hope you don't think this is going to be a regular thing. I know what happened with you and my mum. She comes first. She's always looked after me."

Patrick nodded. "I can understand that completely. Your mother has done a wonderful job with you."

Annabelle saw how Sienna was looking at her. "Why does she keep looking at me? Does she have a disease?" She asked.

Maddie slapped Annabelle's arm. "Don't bother with that Anna. You promised me you'd try," she said as Sienna walked off to get some cupcakes.

Patrick looked to Annabelle. "I know that this is hard for you Annabelle. But I am your father. And I want to be in your life. If you'll let me."

Annabelle turned to Maddie who smiled. "It's not up to me. This has to be your choice," she told her.

Annabelle sighed. She just nodded. "I'm not playing the doting daughter. At school, no one knows you're my father. And I'm staying with my mum," she said.

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Patrick said.

****

Annabelle walked through the village. She smiled as she saw Warren. "Hello again."

"Aren't you supposed to be in school princess?" Warren asked as he turned to her.

Annabelle shrugged and smiled. "Well, normally I'd say yes. But it's half term. And I don't have to go in."

Warren nodded. He looked to her. "How old are you? You seem a bit young to be looking at a club."

"I'm sixteen in three weeks."

"Nice try princess. Come back three years," Warren said as he winked and walked off.

Annabelle smirked. "You don't know what you're missing!" She called as she turned and walked off.

****

Maddie walked through the village with Patrick who sighed. "She's certainly got character. That's not always a good thing," he said.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Do not try and change her. That's one thing I won't allow. She's her own person. That's how I have raised her. She will stay the bubbly girl she is now," she told him.

"You're telling me it's acceptable for her to say what she wants?" Patrick asked.

"No. I'm saying that Anna is perfect the way she is. She's a teenager. And she will say what's on her mind. You have to accept that if you want to be part of her life, Patrick. She's not another teen girl. She's your daughter. You missed out on her life. Don't make me regret bringing her into your life now. We do this on her terms," Maddie said.

Patrick took Maddie's arm and pulled her close. She felt him pressed against her. "You always submitted to me."

Maddie looked into his eyes and saw the lust. She was about to kiss him.

"Mum?"

The two of them pulled apart. Maddie saw Annabelle there and frowned. "Anna, this isn't what it looks like," she said as she looked to her.

Annabelle shrugged. "Not fussed at all," she said as she walked off.

Maddie sighed and went after her. She grabbed her. "Anna, that was nothing. It was just a moment," she told her.

Annabelle shrugged and sighed. "I don't care. You're an adult. You clearly did this before. How else would I be here. It's fine. I don't care," she said as she walked off.

But Annabelle had no idea how things were about to completely change. And it wasn't going to be all good.