Shh.. Secret Princess ;) (Under Major Heavy Re-Construction)

Part 26 - Stay Awake, Dreams Only Last One Night

(Re-uploaded cause some people can't read.)

Part 26 - Stay Awake, Dreams Only Last One Night (from All Time Low song on the side. :) )

Chance's POV

I left Annie to talk with Sky, knowing she needed other people, too. I instead headed to one of our properties, the one near the Capriones' house. Earlier, I practically begged Uncle to understand and know it was all my fault. I knew he was furious, seeing as Annie has always been his favorite and protected her from everything he could. He was contented though, because I had the nerve to talk to him about the whole thing.

But James, my idiotic little brother, has got another thing coming. Family or not, what he did was outrageous and stupid. He was thinking selfishly, not once thinking about our family, most importantly, Annie. Why the hell didn't he realize Annie would be the first person to be attacked by all this? Love? I scoffed as I walked into the gym we had in the house.

I took my jacket off, wearing a plain black shirt. I looked around, my eyes narrowed, eyeing all the varied equipment we had. I looked at the punching bag that hang on one end of the room and walked up to it. I stretched my arms, set myself into a fighting stance and punched once, imagining it was my brother.

I groaned and punched again with my left arm, wishing it was really that idiot. I kept punching, cursing him in  my head, sweat beginning to trickle down my forehead.

He's lucky Annie didn't blame him or want to hurt him, or I would have done so for her. She was a hundred percent sincere when she said she didn't hold anything against my brother, and that just made me madder with him. She didn't deserve any of this, and she's not even supposed to be in any of this.

I exhaled and threw a more forceful punch, the sound of the contact with the punching bag echoing in the room. I ran a hand through my hair and felt the sweat on my palms. I fisted my arms and punched, and then I kicked it with all I had, the sound of hitting it louder than when I punched.

He had no right to make everything controversial with Annie. He had no right to leak all those photos. He was a moron for doing all that. And to think, he's related to me. Anger coursed through me again, and I hit the bag repeatedly, pretending it was his face.

I won't do anything to him--at least, for now.


Anna's POV

After telling Sky what just happened, I collapsed on her bed beside her, staring at the bare, white ceiling. I heard her sigh dramatically.

"When are you gonna realize that feeling with your best friend is more than just being best friends," I heard her say, I think.

I scrunched my eyebrows and looked at her from the corner of my eye.

"What did you say?" I said, my brows scrunching even more.

"That's exactly how I used to feel with Luke, even now, Anna. No normal best friends would feel all light and relaxed with their best friend. Trust me, I know a lot of best friends who don't feel that-- and who do. You can't keep denying that you might love him more than what you want to believe," she said, making my eyebrows shoot up.

"Yeah, right. Plus, aren't are there sparks or tingles when you're in love?" I said and rolled my eyes.

She sighed, and I saw her shake her head slightly.

"It isn't, at least, not from where I come from. All those sparks and whatever they say, that's not what true love feels like. That's where it all starts though, but it is just the starting out phase. As time passes, all those sparks fade, and if it isn't true love, then you've got nothing left in the end. I've had a few boyfriends before, contrary to you thinking I've never been in relationships. I felt all those 'sparks and fireworks' with 2 of my exes, but that felt incomparable to what I found with Luke. Whenever I was with my ex, I felt all giddy, nervous, excited. But, look where that got me. Nowhere with them. Before you contradict me, shut up and listen," she said just as I was about to put in my two cents.

I sighed and stared at the ceiling, continuing to whatever she had to say. It won't hurt anyway.

"I closed my mind though, with Luke, I mean. He was my best friend. I shunned all thoughts of anything else more than friendship with him. And that's where I was wrong. But, once I opened my mind to it, I knew it was different with him. There was just something unmistakable, unreal about all of it--at the same time, real," she said and laughed softly.

"Maybe I'm just being a love sick fool right now, but it's true, Anna. Open your mind, just once, and then tell me honestly that you feel nothing, and I'll never speak of this again. I dare you. It won't hurt, and it certainly doesn't take much effort, just lower the barriers you've put up," she said, making me confused by her sheer determination.

"Why would I do that?" I said, looking at her.

She shrugged.

"Cause for a person who claims to be open-minded, you've closed your mind to love," she said and raised an eyebrow at me.

"I'll take you up on your challenge then," I said, knowing it can't hurt anything.
 
At least, I thought so.

~~

I was staying at our condo tonight. It wouldn't be wise to stay home, especially with all the drama going on. Dad has major paperwork on his hands now, because stocks have delayed and a lawsuit--a baseless one-- was filed against the company. Mom had to go back to Paris though, seeing as she wasn't done with things there. Jace is at a friend's house, again. Probably her current boyfriend and lied to Mom and Dad, seeing as they at least trust her to be honest about that. If I stayed at our house, it would be empty.

I didn't feel like going home to get clothes. I already had some at the condo. Which was very convenient for the situation.

After parking in the underground garage, I headed up to the top floor, the penthouse. I ushered Zander and two other body guards to the guest room, and the rest stayed a floor down. I headed to my room and changed into house shorts and a tank top, thinking of what Sky said.

As I was about to jump in bed and shun all thoughts of the things in the air, I heard my phone ring. I grabbed it from the bedside table and answered it without looking at the caller.

"Annie, where are you? Mom's worried sick. She can't even get in touch with Auntie El. Even your dad and Jace. Where are you, Nie? Are you alright?" he said, sounding exhausted and very worried.

I frowned and thought about what Sky said again.

"I'm staying at the penthouse downtown. Mom's on the plane now, Auntie should have known. Dad's busy. Jace is at some friend's house. I'm fine, C. Stop worrying," I said and lied back down on the bed.

I heard him sigh with relief.

"Good. You should've told us though," he said.

"I forgot. Sorry," I said and smiled sheepishly at myself.

"I'm coming over and telling you what went down with my brother," he said, his tone full of venom when he said 'my brother'.

I sighed.

"Fine. But stop being mad," I said.

"I'll be over in a few," he said, dodging my advice.

True to his word, he was over in a little over 7 minutes. He was probably not far from here. When he came up, he was wearing a trench coat, sunglasses and a hat. And it was almost 8 PM.  My eyebrows shot up, and he took off the glasses and hat before taking off the coat.

"Way to keep yourself not suspicious," I said and smirked.

He frowned and groaned. Not a joking moment, I guess. After that, we went to my room and sat on the bed.

"Where did you go to after Sky's?" I said, looking at him in front of me.

"Vented," he said and frowned again.

I knew what he meant though. He usually takes his stress or anger out on the punching bag, and that's where I assumed he went.

"Well, get to what happened with Jamie," I said.

He scowled and scrunched his nose.

"Jamie," he said and scoffed.

"Hey, hey. Calm down, please," I said as I patted his leg.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. After he opened them, he relaxed a bit.

"Sorry," he said and looked down.

"Well, I know I should be mad," I said, and he looked up and met my eye.

"But, we can't change anything. It won't help anyone. And, as much as I should be hating him right now, he'll always be a part of my life. And that will never change," I said and sighed.

"I just wish he wasn't so impulsive though," I said and looked down, preventing the tears welling up.

Uggh. How I wish I wasn't a girl.

"Hey, Nie. Don't cry. I'm sure he's just going through a," he said, unable to finish that and instead stood up and went to my side of the bed and brought me up.

I closed my eyes, and I felt his arms wrap around me. The weight lifted off of me again, and I relaxed into his embrace. I remembered what Sky challenged me to do, and I forgot that he was my best friend.

No boundaries, no barriers. Love isn't real. I know it isn't.

"C, why don't I believe in love?" I said into his shirt.

I felt his hold loosen a little, and I heard him sigh and felt it on the top of my head.

"You do, Annie. I know you do. If you didn't, I wouldn't have told you how I felt," he said, making me scrunch my face.

"What?" I said, my voice mumbled because of his shirt.

"You say that to protect yourself. You say that constantly to keep yourself from getting hurt. You want to believe that all the odds of finding it are against it. It's your defense mechanism. And I'm just waiting for you to realize that when you open your mind to it," he said.

My words got stuck in my throat, and I couldn't say anything at all. I knew that. I did. I just didn't want to acknowledge it. I didn't want to take the risk; the plunge. Well, it takes my best fri--, no, Chancey to tell me for me to come to terms with it.

My heart beat quickened, and I wrapped my arms around his back. We didn't say anything at all. I wanted to break the silence, but at the same time, I didn't want to. I felt contented, satisfied. In other words, it was all good, that moment there.

I thought about what Sky said. Then I thought about all the weird feelings that I felt with no one but Chancey. I remembered how I could always depend on him if needed. And I came to terms with my own fears of not believing in love for stupid reasons.

And that's when it finally hit me.

_______________________________________________________________

Cliff hanger... Probably can guess though.. :D

The ext. link on the side is the SSP facebook fan page. :D

The stories coming to a close. :'( Wasn't going to post, but I stayed up to finish this. I love this story so much. ♥ Heart if you  agree. :D

Can you guess what hit her? --figuratively, of course.

For the Only Love Is Left fans, I'm going to rewrite it after I finish Book 1 of SSP. BD << comment with that if you read OLIS.