Same Old Love

// twenty //

(a/n: gracing you with reed ^^)

Immediately, I go to close the door until he puts his foot in between the door and the doorway. 

"Lise, you look terrible. What's going on?"

I stare at him. When did I ever think we were going to work out or be an actual couple? He's Reed Lawrence and I'm Annalise Johnson. Our worlds don't collide. He's broken and I'm broken and two broken people can't fix each other.

"Annalise? Talk to me." He snaps his fingers in front of my face.

"Please leave." I mumble, my voice suddenly quiet.

"No. You didn't look okay leaving today and I-"

"I'm fine. Go." I swallow and take a few steps backwards.

Reed scoffs and closes the front door behind him. "Well that's a lie if I ever heard one."

"You don't love me." I glance up at him before turning away. I can't think clearly and Reed being in the same house as me is making everything so much harder.

"God, Annalise. I said I can try if you gave me time." He runs a hand over his face and leans against the couch.

I sit down and cross my legs. "You're missing school. You won't be able to go to soccer practice."

"Neither will you." Reed counters and sits next to me.

"Newsflash, I have a concussion." I shake my head and scooch away from him. "Will you just go?"

"No. Why are you so insistent on me leaving? I thought we had something." He moves towards me.

"Why? You said you didn't love me and chose soccer. I don't think I'd want to be with someone who can make out with a girl right after an emotional break-up ordeal." I let out a harsh laugh,"If it was even hard for you."

"Of course it was. We spent that week at the tournament and became closer than I ever imagined." Reed bites his lip. "I'll be back, I have to use the bathroom. This conversation isn't over."

I roll my eyes as he walks away and immediately remember the scene in the bathroom. Quickly, I try to rush up the stairs to notice he was already in there looking at the pill bottles out.

"Annalise." He breathes out before covering his mouth with one hand. "What the hell were you doing? Did you already take some? I'm taking you to the hospital." He grabs me by my arm and drags me to the stairs.

"No." I rip his hand off me and rub my arm. "I didn't take any. I was going to until you showed up."

"Now I'm fucking glad I decided to come." Reed glares at me. "You know what would've happened if you did that?"

I cross my arms and glare back. "Yeah. I would've died. That was the point."

"This is all because I don't love you? You're ridiculous. I can't even think straight." He starts pacing as I take what he said to heart.

"I'm ridiculous?" I let in a shaky breath. "Thanks."

Reed looks up to me and shakes his head. "No, I didn't mean that. I just didn't want to lose you." He reaches his arms out to me.

I shove him away. "You didn't even have me. Go back to school. Go home. I don't care. Just go."

"There's no way you think I'm leaving now." He pushes me towards the stairs as he walks down and back to the couch. I stubbornly follow and  watch as he scrolls through channels on the TV. "How about a movie?"

I shrug and decide it's best to give him the silent treatment. After a while, he gives up and picks a random movie on Netflix to watch.  

"Did you think about your mom? Or Roger? Hell, think about Oliver!" Reed grumbles whilst running a hand through his hair.

I shrug again. I'm still not going to talk to him. The truth is, of course I thought about them. It's just that I know they're better off without me.

"What about Lauren? I know for sure she wouldn't be the same." He has the guts to carry on.

It doesn't matter, I won't answer him. I had one slip up. I'll be fine now, besides it's too late to actually try something anymore.

"What about me?"

At this, I snap. "Of course I thought about everyone else. I'm not selfish. However, you obviously don't need me so my train of thought didn't cross to your path."

Reed hums before turning to face me. "I'm afraid because the truth is: I love you. I'm Reed Lawrence. I should be tossing girls aside whilst being the snobby soccer player. Things aren't supposed to change. My dad will still have high expectations of me and my mom will still rarely be around. I can't change that and you can't change that. You're the only one that has been close to me that I feel I can trust and not be let down. That's why I can't seem to stay away. Yes, I tried forgetting about you; hence the girl at school. I just don't know what to do."

I stare back at Reed, all of the impact of his words hitting me like a brick. He's broken, as I have decided earlier. Yet, I've become broken too. So, instead of addressing his mini speech I change the subject. "Please don't tell Oliver or my mom or Roger."

He swallows before looking straight through my eyes. I try my best to give him a 'puppy dog' look, to which he cracks a grin before frowning. "I don't know."

I frown back and sigh. "It won't happen again. Just don't tell them."

"It better not." Reed raises his eyebrows in a way that a father would scold their children.

I lean back on the couch until I'm pulled by Reed onto his lap. Being as tired as I had become, just let it go and succumbed into darkness.

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Author's Note:

kinda short chap v sorry. I just been busy w school & i don't have a lot of time. i figured this part should show a big impact, so i left it as one whole chap anyways. Will Annalise tell anyone what happened that day? How will Reed and Annalise act towards each other from here on?

Find out in the next chapter of Same Old Love!

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hailey