Just a Game | ASHANNIE | ✓

twenty-five

A/N:... Y'all I just watched the ET interview with Asher fully and just saw the part where he said he watched all of the high school movies and was a fan of zac efron... I CANT BELIEVE I GUESSED THAT cause I hadn't seen this interview until now.

But also I started a new story if any of y'all are interested.

Annie rushed to the front door, hearing Jayden and Hayley's laughter and pulled it open but it wasn't exactly what she was expecting.

Hayden Summerall stood there, hands in his pockets. "Hey uh" he starts off. Annie feels frustration start to rise up. "All of the girls kind of skipped, because Kenzie called a party last minute and they'd rather go there..." he trailed off.

One second and then another before the information settled into Annie. She opens the door wider and asks him if his ride would be willing to take Jayden and her to said party. Hayden nodded and Annie told him to stay put. "MADRE!" She called out and found her in the kitchen.

One she finally begrudgingly agreed, Annie dragged Jayden up to her room, put on jeans and a bra and let Jayden get dressed before they were heading to the party.

Annie sent a quick text to Asher.

Annie: girls went to kenzie's party instead of the sleepover. guess where i'm headed now?

Asher: do you want me to come?

Annie: idk. maybe. We're riding with Hayden and Johnny there cause apparently Kenzie sent them to tell us.

Asher: you're with jayden right?

Annie: yeah why

Asher: i don't trust those guys especially not when you're alone

Annie: why? because hayden thinks i'm hot?

Asher: no because i've heard bad things about them in the locker room

Asher: especially from hayden about you

Annie: wait what

Asher: i'm otw can't text and drive.

Annie stares at her phone for a few seconds in disbelief. How hadn't she heard? She used to hear everything. She guessed now that she was apart of it, she stopped hearing it.

It wasn't long before Johnny pulled into Kenzie's driveway. Hayden opened her door for her and Annie felt a tad uncomfortable by the small gesture. She practically ran inside with Jayden and found a few girls playing never have I ever from her team.

MaKenna was down to two fingers, losing. Arizona wasn't far behind with Ila in the lead and Emerson just in front of her. Annie interrupted their game. "Why did y'all decide to cancel without telling me?" She asked and they all looked at her and Annie in confusion.

Ila spoke first. "We thought you cancelled?" Annie choked. "We got an email from your school email saying so."

Jayden frowned. "Anybody can hack those things the passwords are our birthdays!" Annie was shaking though. Why would someone do that? Was it Kenzie? Peyton?

"Annie, somethings wrong with Lilia!" Hayden ran up to her in a panic. Annie froze before Hayden grabbed her wrist and started pulling her to where Lilia was.

He pulled her up the stairs and into a bedroom.

God Annie was so stupid.

Lilia wasn't here. This looked like Kenzie's bedroom. It was purple, and cute. Annie found herself freaking out. Hayden finally let go of her. He shut the door behind her and turned to her. "Do you know how many years I had a crush on you?" He asks. "Since before your brother died. I was going to ask you to go out with me but then he died and you were broken. Far broken than I could fix. And now you're not broken but Asher swooped out of nowhere and stole you from under me."

Annie took a step back. She wanted to say that Asher was the reason she wasn't as broken anymore. "Stupid. Pathetic. Asher." Hayden began ranting. "You know his brother's in a coma right now right? He had been dared to sneak into Kenzie's dad's wine cabinet and he drank. His brother had snuck into his car though, so when he had to drive home, he didn't know his brother was there. Then boom car accident and his brother is barely living and here he is happy with you." Hayden had cornered Annie now. Annie wasn't sure if she was crying out of fear or for Asher, for what he had obviously gone through. It all made sense. The brother thing. The self hate. The not wanting to talk about it.

Hayden brought his hand up to her cheek. "He doesn't deserve you." He wiped a tear away and Annie shuddered in disgust. "He doesn't deserve anything. It's sad though. His parents practically lost two kids that night." Hayden's face was on the side of hers, and he had begun to kiss her neck.

The door flew open, Hayden was pulled away and Annie fell to the floor in a heap of tears. She was shaking so violently. Hands brought her face up and Jayden appeared looking worried. She heard yelling and cuss words and maybe the sound of punches but she was too out of it to pay attention.

"It's okay. You're okay." Jayden told her and Kenzie appeared, helping Annie up onto her bed as they dragged Hayden out.

She felt dirty.

And then Asher was there, Jayden and Kenzie moved out of the way. Asher stared at her for a few seconds before bringing her closer and Annie was frozen. Too close too fast, but she had to remind herself this was Asher. Beautiful Asher who made her smile and laugh and warm inside. Asher who knew her pain.

And she loved him.

So she leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. She grabbed his hands and noticed the blood and came to the conclusion that Asher had punched Hayden. By the look of it, multiple times.

"I know." Annie finally said when they were entirely alone. "About your brother."

She could hear Asher's pulse begin to quicken. "Can we visit him tomorrow?" Asher visibly sighed in relief.

Annie sat up and stared at him. She lifted a hand and traced his brow bone down to his cheek bone down to his lips. "You know my pain." She told him, and she could tell her eyes were still teary. He nodded, even as her fingers rested on his jaw.

Her fingers traced from his jaw to the back of his neck and she pulled him to her in a breathless kiss.

In order to regain balance, he put both hands on the sides of her on the bed. She was putting everything into the kiss. All the words she couldn't say, and he was listening.

Every kiss promised him that she loved him. Over and over.

I love you.
I love you
I love you.