Aware

twenty

• BRAD •

"We're warning you, Anna. We're opening the door!" Tristan shouted so loud the lady occupying the room beside Anna went outside to reprimand us.

Before we could even turn the lock on the door, Anna opened it causing us to stay frozen in place. I could see her eyes were bloodshot which I know I have caused. I never meant to interfere with her plans. It's just I thought she'll be happy because she'll be a writer soon, but I was horribly wrong.

Tristan smiled awkwardly at Anna as he says, "We'll leave you to it, then."

He drags Connor and James to our room and I was left there with Anna, alone. I looked at her with hopeful eyes, careful to keep my distance. I don't want to scare her away just as I did at the yacht.

She looks at me as she says,

"Come in."

-------------------------------------------------

I walked after her as she went to the mini kitchen and sat on the counter tops. She was holding a water bottle on her hand and her phone on the other.

We're already dating so I think there's no reason to not be near her anymore. I walked towards her and I held her hands. They were shaking. God, I'll do anything to take every pain that she feels away from her. I wanted to make her world a better place. Turns out, I'm making it the other way around.

"I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to do that. I thought it'll make you happy. I thought it'll make you feel proud that I've done something good for once in my life. I... I thought." I was silenced by Anna wrapping her arms around me, her face buried in my neck. Her breath in sync with mine. I could feel her tears as it start to stain my shirt. God, I don't want to see her cry. Something deep inside me also hurts when she's like that.

I wrapped my arms around her pulling her closer to me. We didn't talk. We stayed like that for a while. I don't want to ruin anything for her. If this makes her feel good, then it's what I'll do. I won't let my words and actions ruin this for her again

After a few moments, she finally looked up at me with bloodshot eyes. The sight of them makes my heart ache it feels like it's never gonna go away.

"I'm sorry, I'm such a mess." She says as she avoids her gaze choosing to look at the view outside the hotel window.

"Don't be. You have earned every right to cry, Anna. I shouldn't have taken your diary. I am so stupid for doing that." I told her. I really am regretting doing it but if I didn't read it, then I wouldn't have known how much she really means to me.

She laughs at herself as she ties her hair up on a ponytail, "Well, did you at least liked it?"

"Oh, Anna. I loved it so much I wanted to keep it by my side, always. But I also know that it deserves to be read by every soul in this universe. They deserve to know how amazing you are." I told her.

"So, you said that it was gonna be published soon? Why didn't you ask me first? Why do you even want me to be famous? Don't you like me for who I am?" She says her face contorting in pain while her eyes struggles to not break down again.

"No, it isn't like that. It's not even close to that. Please, let me explain."

She sits up and wraps her arms around herself as she tells me to go on about whatever I was going to say.

"You deserve everything in this world, Griffin. I'll do whatever I can to give you what you deserve. I like you for who you are, whether you're my dentist's assistant or not, what I feel towards you won"t change. I want you to know that and I want you to keep it in here." I said pointing at her heart.