Grounded • A Hannie Fanfic

Chapter 13

Annie's POV:
"Let's do something today. I'm bored of watching movies." I admit. He agrees, and we eventually decide to go for lunch at the ramen place we've loved since we were 12. Once were done, we'll come hang around the apartments, since it will be our last day before the filming for chicken girls starts up again.
Thankfully, the ramen place is just down the street from our apartments. It's Hayden's favourite please to eat and has been for years, so he's excited.
We're seated at a shaded table, and we quickly order. Once the stress of finding a table and ordering is over, we chat.
"So...we're dating again." I say to double-check.
"Yes". Hayden nods, smiling happily. I sigh in relief, glad we're together again.
"But I don't know what were going to do if that blackmailer catches us together and leaks that stuff anyways." Hayden realizes, looking around anxiously.
"We'll be filming for at least the next week anyways, so they can't stop us being near eachother. It'll be fine." I reassures him. I might seem calm, but I'm really terrified. I don't even know if those secrets are true, yet I'm afraid since it's possible.
Hayden and I eat silently, only speaking occasionally when the other has food on their face or something. It's not that things are awkward, but now that we've realized it's possible we are being watched, we rush. We quickly pay and head back up the street to the apartments, giggling and laughing like little kids. I race him to his apartment, beating him in just a nick of time.
He pants when he finally catches up with me at the door. I laugh as he leans on the door next to me, trying to catch his breath.
Suddenly, he stops, and just looks at me. I watch his brown eyes glance at my lips, and back at my eyes again. I grin, and he leans in to give me a kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck, forcing his tall frame to lean to my height. I can feel his smile against my lips.
We're cut short of our romantic moment when someone swings open the door. I blush as Hunter chuckles, and Hayden pulls away. He scratches his neck awkwardly.
"So you guys are back together then." He notices, raising his eyebrows. I look over at Hayden, confused as to how he knows.
"I tell my brothers everything." He shrugs.
"I should go." I say, looking at my mom finally coming out of the elevator.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"No, it's not you. My moms finally home." I interrupt, motioning in her direction with my head. He nods, and heads into his apartment with his brother. I walk over to my mother, who struggles to unlock the door. I swipe the keys from her, doing it myself.
"Thanks Annie." She mutters, searching her purse for something. She follows me into our apartment silently, and heads straight to her bedroom. I decide to tidy around our place while waiting for her to come out.
After almost a full hour of cleaning and waiting, she comes out as I'm wiping down our countertops. She sits at the bars tools, looking down at her phone. I continue to silently wash the counters.
"So how was your day?" I ask, trying to spark a conversation.
"Good." She mumbles, not even looking up from her phone. I stop what I'm doing and raise an eyebrow in her direction.
"What?" She asks, finally looking up from her phone when she notices me.
"Where were you last night." I ask her.
"I told you sweetie, at the Butler house. It was late." She says, looking down at her phone once again.
"No, mom. Before that." I ask, leaning over and shutting off her phone.
"Annie, I'm busy right now." She hisses, turning it on again. Is match it from her hands.
"Julianna Leblanc. Stop being rude, in working." She scolds me. I keep her phone tight in my hand.
"Answer my question first." I demand.
"I was in meetings. For the show." She says quickly, trying to grab her phone back.
"With who?"
"Nicole, Jimmy, the directors..." She says, finally succeeding in grabbing her phone. I pull out mine, and call Brooke. I won't believe my mom until I have proof.
"Hey Ans. Did your mom get home safe?" She asks.
"Yeah. Uh, was your mom in meetings with my mom and the CG directors yesterday?" I ask. My mom gives an angry, confused look at me.
"Yeah. Pretty much all day, actually. Why?" Brooke asks. She's not lying, I can tell.
"Oh, no reason. I'll see you sometime soon." I say, hanging up the phone.
"Annie, what's up with you today? Why are you asking so many questions?" My mom says, standing from her seat.
"Nothing." I mutter, continuing to clean.
"No, Julianna. I'm not playing any games." She hisses. I shrink back, scared because she's already used my full name twice in the past five minutes.
"Are you cheating on dad?" I scream, letting it out. She steps back, shocked.
"I... Annie." She looks confused and upset all at once.
"Are you? With Mr. Jimmy?" I ask her. She lowers her shoulders and purses her lips.
"The fact that you would even think that makes me extremely upset with you." She says angrily.
"Well what am I supposed to think? You're always gone on 'meetings' with him. You're never home either. Hayden was being blackmailed because of it!" I shout.
"You get out of here. I won't have you disrespect me like this." She demands, swinging open the door. I throw the wet cloth I'm holding to the ground and grab my purse before walking out. She locks the door.
I stomp over to Hayden's apartment. He opens it just before I knock, and I assume he heard my screaming. He gives me a tight hug.
"I heard the whole thing. I don't think they are." He reassures me. I feel horrible; I shouldn't have believed this from the start.
"She'll understand. You were scared." He says calmly. I nod in agreement.
I hope she will.