The Burning Girl

Chapter 11 - A N N A

AN - Dear Lovely readers,

Just wanted to say a massive thank you to those who are reading! Almost 200 reads! *What whaaat!*If you like my story don't forget to vote, comment or share!

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Listen to Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift for this chapter xxx (but not until I say)

A week has passed, and still no sign of Arran. Now I'm worried. I try calling him again, glaring at my clock and listening for his voice.

"Hey you've reached Arran, I'm probably either at 95 degrees or with Anna so ple----" I hang up.

I lie back on my bed and put my pillow over my face. I breathe in the sweet smell of lavender and slow my breathing. He left without any warning; told me nothing. How am I supposed to cope with that? My therapist has said that if I am faced with a situation where I feel unsafe or abandoned, I should enter my happy place. But a fat lot of good that did me. I had bad dreams ever since I was little, but they evolved into something darker, blacker. I have an abandonment problem that won't go away. It makes me who I am, but those were not some of my happiest years. They still aren't. Arran of all people should know how I feel about people going and not saying anything. Look what happened with James.

"James," I whisper softly into my pillow. I sit up and stare at the picture of him on my wall. The sharp ringing of my phone breaks the peaceful moment with my brother. My eyes flick down to the screen; my heart rate picks up once I see the caller ID. A slow fury builds up inside me, my face glowing red. I grab the phone

"What the hell have you been playing at Arran?! It's been a week! I've been freaking out! Even your mother couldn't tell me where you've been!"

There's a tense silence on the other end of the line. All I could here where his slow breaths, calming, methodic, and it helps bring my temper down.

"I think you should come over tonight. I'm so sorry An, but I went somewhere that I couldn't reach you. Please come over. I miss you."

His voice cracks on the last words, and I know he didn't know what he was doing to me.

My voice softens, "If that's what you want, I'll go tell Ma. I'll be over soon don't worry."

"It's not me I'm worried about," He whispers "It's you."

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I'm over there within half an hour, having walked fast through the town. I reach his front door, and lift my hand to knock but instead, the door flies open and Arran reaches out to pull me inside glancing down the road over my shoulder. His whole body is tense, as he wraps me in a tight hug. We walk to the kitchen, where he grabs a tub of ice cream, chocolate sauce, and tonnes of marshmallows.

This boy knows me well I laugh to myself.

He turns round, grinning sheepishly as if in hearing my thoughts.

"That I do An, that I do."

Wait, what? Did I say that out loud?

He chuckles softly to himself, before taking my arm and pulling me up the stairs with him to his bedroom. He pushes the door open tentatively, before allowing me inside first.

"Such a gentlemen," I laugh as he smiles broadly, giving a small bow.

"You know me An, it's my middle name." I snort with laughter as I sit on the bed. He climbs over me and sits on the other side. He wrestles with the ice cream tub, before finally yelling with delight. He chucks me a spoon, and he digs in without giving me a look in. I push him back and make a grab for the tub, but he grumbles something that sounded creepily like 'My precious '. After having his fun at reenacting the Lord of the Rings, he grabs the sauce and drizzles it all over the ice cream and hands it to me. He rips open the packet of marshmallows and puts a load on the ice cream as well.